Winners

The regions forestry industry packed out McKay Stadium in Whangarei on Friday 18 September for the biennial Northland Forestry Awards. The almost 500 attendees represented all sectors of the forestry supply chain, from harvesting, processing and transportation, to ports, logistics and environmental management.

The awards exist to celebrate excellence, showcase professionalism and champion the innovation and best practice across 16 categories, with the supreme award, Northland Wood Council Skilled Professional of the Year, chosen from the winners of the excellence categories.

We are delighted to announce the Northland Wood Council Skilled Professional of the Year 2026 is Kevin ‘KJ’ Murray, a 30+ year logging truck driver whose nomination and endorsements were glowing. KJ also won the Pacific Motor Group Distribution & Log Truck Driver Excellence Award. 

"Over his many years in the industry, KJ has become well known and respected throughout the Northland logging community. That respect has been earned through his ability, reliability, attitude and the way he treats the people he works alongside. KJ represents what good log transport should look like – experienced, professional, safe, dependable and always willing to help others.” Brad Douglas, Douglas Logging Ltd

Others in the spotlight included Nigel Harrison of Wise on Wood. As his nomination stated, Nigel's record of achievements in forestry dwarf most, but his guidance behind the scenes and benevolence outside the forestry industry tend to fly under the radar. His dedication to mentoring young people into the industry and supporting his community made Nigel the standout recipient for this year's Good Deed Award sponsored by Northport.

The Rosewarne Family were also celebrated for their commitment and dedication over an incredible five decades to drive industry change, mentoring future leaders and consistently delivering high-quality harvesting services. They were the well-deserved recipients of the Matariki Forests Forestry Family of the Year Award 2026.

The Northpine Outstanding Health & Safety Management Excellence Award was awarded to Waipapa Pine, who continue to demonstrate their strong culture of safety via their leadership, workplace culture, investment and innovation. 

Tokerau Logging Ltd received the Wise on Wood Outstanding Environmental Management Excellence Award in recognition of the outstanding outcomes they are achieving in the Waitangi Forest, a landscape containing waterways, wetlands, native ecosystems, cultural sites, and taonga species. Their development of techniques to minimise impact and monitoring of kiwi in the area have earned this young company huge industry respect.

The QUBE Ports New Zealand Innovation of the Year Award went to John (Turbo) Zielinski, Silviculture Contractors Ltd for his development of a lightweight battery-powered cutting tool for pruning operations. His ability to turn ideas into practical solutions, while maintaining a strong emphasis on safety and operational excellence, made him an outstanding candidate for recognition.

The Northland Wood Council extend their congratulations to KJ, all the finalists and winners. The calibre of nominations was incredibly high with many close calls. We would also like to acknowledge the judges for their knowledge and hard work in making the final decisions.

"The awards evening really showcased the Northland Forestry industry with representation across the entire supply chain. The calibre of nominations and the pride with which winners accepted their awards really drove home why these ceremonies are so valuable. The Northland Wood Council would like to thank our sponsors, your commitment to the awards evening is invaluable." Will Steward, Chair, Northland Wood Council

Photography by Jess Burges Photography