Hodgson Silviculture is a Forestry Establishment and Silviculture company based in Palmerston North and works in the greater Manawatu area.
We have been operating since 2001.
We are looking for 8 permanent Silviculture Operators to join our team in February 2027 working across varied farms and landscapes in the Manawatu region.
SENIOR TEAM MEMBERS - SILVICULTURE OPERATORS
Your duties as a silviculture operator may include some and/or most of the following responsibilities:
• Delivering high-quality planting, pruning, thinning, and spray releasing to the client's requirements. To achieve this, we use chainsaws, pruning hand tools, ladders up to 4.5 meters long, planting spades, knapsacks, water pumps, shovels and LUVs.
• Planning and leading silviculture operations using job prescriptions and maps
• Mixing, and applying agrichemicals in line with regulations
• Contributing to all crew meetings and health & safety briefings
• Mentoring and training less experienced co- workers
• Providing leadership and supervision of crew members when required
• May operate and transport equipment, materials, and staff (LUVs, quad bikes, tools)
• Firefighting training and be available for callouts during the fire season
This job is physically demanding and requires walking on steep uneven terrain in heavy forestry gumboots and carry around 15kg of gear for 8 hours a day 5 days a week in all weather conditions. It will also require you to prune on ladders as high as 4.5 meters. As such we require you to be physically fit and injury-free.
This is a full-time permanent job with a minimum of 30 guaranteed hours a week. Although mostly Monday to Friday, occasionally you may be required to work later or on a weekend. Some campout work is required. When camping out you will mostly stay in farmhouses and hunters' cabins.
You will be paid piece rates with no cap on the maximum earnings - the more productive and efficient you are the more you will earn. The average silviculture operator will earn $30 - $50 an hour. Tree daily targets are set on a block-by-block basis and rem by piece will vary, depending on the terrain and work requirements. You will be guaranteed to be a minimum pay of $30 minimum per hour for at least 30 hours per week.
All staff are expected to hit their target every day.
Full entitlements (holiday pay, Stat days, and sick leave) will be paid on top of the pruning/planting rate.
Silviculture Operators will need:
- 2 years of experience as a forestry worker or silviculture operator.
- To be able to work a minimum of 5 days a week.
- Be able to stay away during the week when required. (camp out near the forest being worked).
- To pass a police check (criminal conviction will be considered case by case).
- To be ‘drug free’ – can pass pre-employment, random and reasonable cause drug and alcohol tests