Media & Events
SHEARHARVEST 2010: NZ Conference
The second SHEARHARVEST CONFERENCE was held in Christchurch, New Zealand on 12-14 May 2010. The Trans-Tasman Shearing Contractors Conference was hosted by the New Zealand Shearing Contractors’ Association (NZSCA).
The three day event was a fantastic success being attended by more than 120 delegates from the Shearing Contractors Association of Australia (SCAA), the NZSCA, the Western Australian Shearing Contractors Association (WASCA), as well as representatives from many other areas of the wool harvesting industry including the Australian Workers Unions (AWU) and wool grower representatives and government agencies.
The second SHEARHARVEST CONFERENCE was held in Christchurch, New Zealand on 12-14 May 2010. The Trans-Tasman Shearing Contractors Conference was hosted by the New Zealand Shearing Contractors’ Association (NZSCA).
The event was opened by the New Zealand Minister for Agriculture David Carter which only serves to highlight how seriously the New Zealand Government takes the shearing industry and how much it relies on sheep and wool within their economy.
Delegates heard presentations on topics ranging from forecasting the demand for wool harvesting services into the foreseeable future, improving profitability of their businesses, health and safety issues and Industrial Relations. They were challenged with some very confronting issues about drugs in the shearing industry and the dangers of tolerating workers who are affected by drugs in the workplace.
The conference was the second occasion that shearing contractors and associated shearing industry professionals, from all over Australia and across the Tasman have come together to exchange ideas and learn from each other.
The guest Speaker for the gala dinner was New Zealand rugby legend; a Kiwi that Aussies ‘love to hate’, Richard Lowe. The Kiwi ‘prop’ kept the dinner guest thoroughly entertained with his ‘war stories’ from his days as Rugby international and local Sheep Farmer of the Canterbury Region.
The Conference was preceded by the ANZ Woolharvesting safety meeting, a forum that includes representatives from worker safety & compensation regulators, trainers, wool growers, academics, heath and safety practitioners, unions and shearing contractors from Australia and New Zealand. The meeting is the most important gathering of health and safety professionals for the shearing industry in the pacific region as it is an opportunity for all to update their knowledge and learn from industry best practices.
Both the NZSCA and the SCAA held their Annual General Meetings as part of the proceedings.
The proceedings wrapped up with an excursion on the final day to a working sheep farm at the base of picturesque Mt Hut. The adventurers amongst us partook in some wild and wet jetboating.
ShearHarvest 2010 success was only possible thanks to the fantastic efforts of Barry & Trisha Pullin, Maree Mallon, Cheryl Christie, Michael Lawrance (Michael Lawrance and Associates), Peter Taylor (Taylored Ltd), Vikki Gates (WASCA) and support from organisations such as Heiniger, Tetra (NZ), ACC(NZ), AWU and SCAA SWTI.
The next instalment of ShearHarvest will be held on the Gold Coast in May 2012.
Hope to see you there.
