Here - Treescape

out on a limb
august issue 2016
A monthly newsletter for the Treescape Community
Long Standing Concern Finally Gets the Chop
The Wellington team recently removed this large Pine tree from the suburb of
Mirimar. The tree has been a long standing concern for the residents living below it,
and has been proposed for removal on numerous occasions.
We received the nod as the approved contractor for its removal, then began setting
up the work method and crew to complete the work. We pulled resources from other
depots including Bulls, Hamilton, and MR, along with the vastly experienced dogman
team of Lawrence Schicker and Dion Wright.
We had a tight deadline of just one day to complete the job, so we did not muck
around and rolled onto site with the PC130 Excavator plus an eight wheeler, and a
M20R forestry chipper to deal with the clean up.
Staff on the day were: Lawrence Schicker and Dion Wright (Dogmen), Chris Third
and Richard Moore (climbers), Troy Thorby (groundie), Peter Meaclem (PC130
operator) and Wayne Peters (Truck driver/M20R Chipper operator).
The team worked extremely well and managed to complete the job within the day,
although it was a bit dark when the lads finished. I would like to thank them for the
hard work and commitment to get the job done professionally and safely.
Written By: Kevin Birdsall, Business Manager WN, Wellington
Plan Launched To Reduce Health Risks at Work
A 10-year plan to address health risks in New Zealand’s workplaces was launched recently in Wellington by the Minister
for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon Michael Woodhouse.
WorkSafe New Zealand’s strategic plan for work-related health, ‘Healthy Work’, outlines the approach WorkSafe will take
over the coming ten years to support and enable businesses to better manage work-related health risks. Each year, these
risks kill 600-900 people and lead to a further 30,000 New Zealand workers developing serious, but non-fatal, workrelated health conditions.
“Each one of those figures is a real person who has died or has become unwell as a result of their work and for too long
we’ve put work-related health in the ‘too hard basket’,” Mr Woodhouse said.
“We can’t fix the issues arising from past exposures, but with strong leadership from across the health and safety system,
and everyone demonstrating greater accountability for managing work-related health risks, we can significantly improve
health outcomes in our workplaces for the future,” he said.
The plan focuses on enabling greater leadership across the health and safety system by raising awareness of harm and
risks, encouraging collaboration, minimising risks at source and influencing the education system to improve
understanding of risks. It also guides WorkSafe’s approach to building the capability of its inspectors, improving data and
intelligence, providing guidance and education resources, and enhancing the regulatory framework.
“We will address prioritised risks through a series of targeted intervention programmes so that we achieve a step change
in performance,” the Chair of WorkSafe, Professor Gregor Coster, said.
“Beyond the high human cost to individuals, their families, whanau and communities, work-related diseases cost this
country an estimated $2.4 billion per year. The human and financial costs are simply unacceptable,” he said.
Source: Worksafe New Zealand (10 August 2016)
Link: http://tiny.cc/kd4vdy
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
1
Taming ‘the Beast’ in Brisbane
Time flies when you're having fun... It's been two years since the
start of the Brisbane City Council (BC) contract and we recently
had the official word that our contract has been extended for the
second term of an additional two years.
A great thank you goes out to all the BC staff for the great work
they performed over the last two years as there were certainly
a few challenges that we had to overcome.
At the start of the contract we never imagined what a beast it
would be. During the first four months of the contract we were
thrown in the deep end. Two major storms swept across Brisbane stretching our
resources to the max and a bit more. Trying to get blood out of a stone comes to mind.
Since then we have seen many changes, not only to our resources but to Council staff, processes, systems and
contract management team. These changes came with a set of their own challenges that our team had to navigate
through, and the team has done so with great success.
Our services have extended beyond just tree planting and maintenance and now include a diverse range of services
that we provide to council. These include: permeable paving (both stone and rubber); steel tree grate maintenance
and installations; seating installation; consultancy services; and root management, to name a few.
What did we do you ask? Well, during the previous 12 months, we:
- Trimmed 37,000 trees
- Removed 6,230 trees
- Ground 8,280 stumps
- Made over half a million visits to trees during maintenance and watering rounds
- Watered trees with over 5million litres of water
- Planted 12,000 trees
It truly has been a great year and I would especially like to thank Allan, Ana, Daniel, Jean, Chris and Adam for the
effort that they have put in, always going above and beyond to get the job done, not forgetting our admin team who
have done an exceptional job in keeping the wheels turning in the background, providing support for the operational
staff and the parks team who look after our park trees.
I am certain that the next two years will come with its own unique challenges but I take solace knowing that we have
a great team to meet those challenges whatever they may be.
Written By: Ivor Shannon, Contracts Manager for BC, Brisbane
Planting Ceremony Held to
Commemorate Hiroshima
Anniversary
Treescape’s Kumeu-based AK division were involved with the replacement
of the Pohutukawa at the Hiroshima Day Peace Tree Planting at Browns
Bay August 6th, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Events were held all over the world to remember the 140,000 irreplaceable
human lives that were lost, either on the day of the bombing or in the ensuing
months, and the numerous survivors who still suffer from its after effects even to this day.
Anthony Senora was the Treescape employee on the day involved in the planting.
View the YouTube clip of the event highlights here: http://tiny.cc/ujawdy
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
2
Big Thumbs Up
Customer Feedback Regular Feature
“Please thank your guys for a job well done. The response time was excellent too! Always pleasant to
work with your team.” :-)
Kathy Curnow, Tasman District Council
“I would like to recognise the efforts of Doug Evans and Arran Turner at Treescape who enhanced
Powerco’s reputation by working during the weekend at short notice to clear the site at Greytown School
following tree trimming works. As a result of their efforts, an article appeared in the Wairarapa Times
around the 13th of July and acknowledgement received from the School Board.”
Michael Petrove, Service Performance Manager, Powerco
(Excerpt from posted correspondence to Kevin Birdsall, Business Manager WN)
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff at Biosecurity and to Treescape for their outstanding work to help organise a planting day for us at Oratau reserve in Greenhithe.
“Following a difficult tree removal in the reserve we managed to work together with your team as well as
with the Biosecurity team to achieve a great outcome for the restoration of this area.
“The Treescape team, consisting of Brad Beach, Matthew Priestly and James Alexander were extremely
courteous, professional and well organised and I personally appreciated their positive and friendly
manner towards the volunteers. Wayne Jordan also did a great job planting the fruit trees for us in
Orchard Reserve which is next door.
“On behalf of the Oratau reserve volunteers, I would like to thank Treescape for the donation of all those
native plants which will enhance this popular walking area for the years to come. We are looking forward
to the second stage of planting in the spring and appreciate the on-going work to try and clear the site.
Priscilla Collins, Eco Community Facilitator and Neighbourhood Support, Greenhithe Community Trust
“Just wanting to thank you and your guys for a fantastic job with cutting down the trees and replanting
etc. Your guys did a fantastic job. The pigeons are still there, but hopefully not for much longer! Thanks
again.”
Raewyn Sprorle Barrister and Solicitor, Hamilton
Comments were in response to work carried out by Kevin Gordon’s crew Will Morris and Rhys Fransen,
where they took down two very big Phoenix Palm trees and everything went like clock work. Well done
guys!
From Michelle: “As I work in the service industry I know what a difference a simple thank you can make
and because of this I would like to pass through a compliment. Richard McCaskey who organised the
cutting down of the black wattle tree in Ranui has been very accommodating, organised and communicative. After his latest update on the work in progress I thanked him and offered to pass on my compliments
to someone of authority, he declined and thanked me for the kind words. Everyone needs a little good
feedback from time to time.”
And from Michelle’s daughter: “Richard has been most helpful and cheerful, and I wish more people
were like you. I thank you again for getting my mum's tree issue sorted promptly and please quietly pass
on the positive feedback to whomever needs to receive it. Payrises all round I say!”
Comment to Gill Evans, Communities Liaison Manager at KiwiRail, from Michelle Ward, private resident
in Ranui, Auckland
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
3
Free Mulch Makes ‘Significant Visual Difference’
Treescape’s CA/PV divisions have for several years supported the community
initiatives of BotanyLife Community Trust, who, as part of their work, go to a
different school in Auckland each year and revamp the grounds – for free.
This year it’s Macleans Primary School in Bucklands Beach where the trust will
be working with 200 volunteers over the weekend of 10 and 11 September. The
work they will be undertaking includes painting, seating, gardening, murals and
concreting.
The CA/PV contribution is to provide mulch free of charge, which has made a huge
difference to the amount of work the trust has been able to achieve (as their budget
can be spent on other areas). Mulch creates a significant visual difference and has
made each school look great.
See photos of last year’s project underway at Howick Intermediate School, by following
this link: http://tiny.cc/6n9vdy
Content from Mandy Francis, Trust Administrator, Botany Life Community Trust, Auckland
Support Continues for Rescue Helicopter
Treescape have been long standing supporters of the Westpac Rescue
Helicopter Fund, supporting rescue helicopters in Northland, Auckland,
Waikato, Wellington/Marlborough and Canterbury/Westland via a
nationwide corporate sponsorship.
The helicopters provide a vital backstop for Treescape (and the wider
community) in case staff need to be air-lifted out in an emergency
situation.
The Auckland based Westpac Rescue Helicopter is staffed full-time
by a highly experienced flight crew consisting of pilots, paramedics
and crewmen, and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year.
Missions performed by the Rescue Helicopter fall into three categories:
• Medivac (Medical Evacuation). Medivac missions are medical emergencies - such as hospital transfers.
• Casivac (Casualty Evacuation). Casivac missions are accident emergencies - e.g. boating
• Other (Fire / Police / Search and Rescue). The types of missions flown are varied.
2010/11 was the Auckland Rescue Helicopter services’ 40th year in operation. This was a milestone for the service,
which started the world's first ever civilian surf-rescue helicopter service back in late 1970. Since then, the service
has performed many thousands of rescues and is internationally recognised for its pioneering work in saving lives.
Your Engagement Wanted!
Treescape’s Company Facebook page (TreescapeNZ) is growing rapidly in popularity,
with more visitors engaging with the page each day. If you like us on Facebook, you
can expect to receive informative, helpful content relevant for the wider arboriculture
community. Our crews in the field are posting some pretty cool stuff (see photo inset),
plus, we have internal staff dedicated to finding fresh, relevant content for the page, so
that there is always something to read and watch.
Anyone can post interesting content, comment, share and like content on our company
page. Our team are online through the working day to respond to your messages, so
you’ll be sure your queries are answered quickly and efficiently. You can also email
stories and content to [email protected] for posting.
Treescape are active on Twitter (TreescapeNZ) and LinkedIn (treescape-limited) also,
if those platforms are preferred.
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
4
What’s In Your Lunch Box?
We can easily get confused by the experts, the media and government
about which food groups are best for us.Just how much protein should we
be eating for optimal health? Protein is essential for building
muscles, organs, skin, tissues and brain chemicals for our mental health.
The right amount to eat depends on our age, health and activity levels.
The rule of thumb is we should eat 1g of protein/kg of body weight for
optimal health, which is 81g/day for the average kiwi man.
Here are some ideas to get more protein into your lunch box:
• Go nuts! A small handful of nuts is a great protein snack for those hungry breaks.
• Go to work on an egg! An egg has 7g of protein. Great for sandwiches or boiled as a snack.
• Packed like sardines. Canned sardines are cheap, easy to pack and a tasty lunch on toast.
Source: EAP e-Newsletter #18
Editors Note: Being an arborist can be a very physically demanding career path, and therefore it is even more
essential that you think about the food you are eating in order to maintain energy levels throughout the day. We
found an interesting article from The International Society Of Arboriculture (ISA), Ontario that we felt was worth
sharing. Below is a snippet from that article.
Tree work is without a doubt one of the most physically and mentally demanding occupations the body can endure.
A production arborist is truly an industrial athlete, performing 8-10 hours a day on a sawdust-training field. In order
to optimize production and profitability, an arborist needs to keep their body in ideal working condition.
Working long hours [such as in the case of storm response emergencies] without adequately preparing the body
can increase the risk of work related accidents. Natural disasters can be a means of profitability for those tree care
companies that are adequately prepared with the necessary equipment and workforce, all of which need to be in
optimal working order to withstand the long hours and environmental conditions.
How can arborists keep themselves in good working condition during the long hours of storm damage recovery?
Find out by going to this link: http://tiny.cc/0v4vdy
Paul Smithies - 'Good Bugger'
I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear that Paul Smithies had passed
away late last week. Our hearts go out to Cushla and family.
Paul was a long standing friend and Director of Treescape. He was full of
wisdom and a wealth of knowledge. He helped guide Treescape to being one
of the largest vegetation management companies in Australasia.
Through good and bad times Paul was a solid rock, being able to see through
complex issues and get to the heart of the matter. He was sharp as a tack, humble and
treated everyone with respect.
He was one of those kiwi "Good Buggers" and will be sorely missed but not forgotten.
Written By: Ed Chignell – CEO, and on behalf of all the team at Treescape.
Did you know:
There’s a giant mushroom in Oregon’s Malheur National
Forest with a root system that covers over 2,200 acres,
making it the largest living organism in the world.
Source: http://tiny.cc/od9vdy
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
5
Create Great Health and Safety Talks
Not sure what content to include in your regular safety talks? This helpful flyer from Worksafe New Zealand could help
make your sessions more memorable and interesting for all.
We want to hear from you: Do you have a story idea for the next edition? Get your story in
the next issue of Safety First by emailing copy and photos to [email protected]. The
Safety First newsletter is distributed to Treescape staff and valued clients. If you are not on the
mailing list, simply request your regular copy by contacting [email protected].
Join our online community by following Treescape on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
You can find us at TreescapeNZ (f ), TreescapeNZ (t), and treescape-limited (LI).
NEW ZEALAND: www.treescape.co.nz
AUSTRALIA: www.treescape.net.au
6