featured image for Changes to HarvestTECH 2020

Changes to HarvestTECH 2020

2 April 2020

HarvestTECH 2020 was scheduled to run in Melbourne, Australia on 16-17 September 2020 and then again in Rotorua, New Zealand for local harvesting & wood transport operations, on 22-23 September 2020. Because of current restrictions around COVID-19 in both countries and the uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead, it has been decided that the technology series has to be postponed.

The programmes had largely been completed for both countries in early April. It is intended that the current programme – or a very similar programme for both countries, will be run at a future date (after speaking to our currently confirmed event speakers and sponsors) as soon as we can get some sort of clarity around current issues. We’ll ensure you are kept updated as future dates can be locked in.

We wish to thank all of our customers, speakers, sponsors and suppliers for the incredible goodwill we are receiving as we go through this process. We are committed to keeping you up-to-date and safe. Thank you for your support and understanding.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact us on sales@innovatek.co.nz or (+64) 7 921 1382.

More Posts

From AI to heavy machinery: What’s on at HarvestTECH & Wood Transport Logistics 2026

Forestry operations are under pressure from all directions – rising costs, tighter margins, changing workforce requirements and growing demands for greater efficiency and safety. That makes the practical side of technology increasingly important. What is actually working in the forest? ...

Caterpillar is bringing to AI deployment what it learned from automating mining

Nearly every company that’s trying to deploy artificial intelligence runs into the same problem: it’s hard to integrate the tech into everyday operations. Industrial heavyweight Caterpillar has spent decades dealing with a version of that problem in the physical world, ...

Free program to help SMEs advance AI and digital tech ideas in Queensland

The free eight-week online program, delivered by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, helps businesses turn early-stage ideas into actionable R&D plans while building connections with expert facilitators and researchers. Offered through the Queensland Government-funded Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) program, ...

Tairawhiti – Productivity is bigger than the crew

Tony Hill of Hill Logging picked me up at 6:00am for a visit to his steep country winch-assist (SWY) operation east of Mangatu Forest. Many readers will know Tony through his role as NZ Logger Magazine’s “Iron Tester”. Tony comes ...

Next generation of Komatsu forestry machines

Komatsu Forest presents a new generation of forestry machines, where both harvesters and forwarders have been comprehensively updated to meet the evolving demands of modern forestry. The new range combines improved productivity with reduced environmental impact, focusing on efficiency, operator ...

Enforcement data reveals where forestry needs to lift its game

Strengthening organisational capability, planning, supervision and risk management remains one of the forestry sector’s biggest challenges, according to new enforcement data released by WorkSafe New Zealand. During the 2025/26 business year, WorkSafe conducted 526 assessments across the forestry industry. One ...

Learning Through the Storm: Report released

The Top of the South Wood Council, with support from Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, has recently released Learning Through the Storm, a report on the widespread windthrow caused by the severe storm events of 2025. On July ...

Testing New Zealand’s first heavy electric loader

A Volvo L120 Electric wheel loader is helping PermaPine test what sustainable equipment can really deliver in one of New Zealand’s most demanding timber processing environments. Set on a 100-acre site outside Taupō, PermaPine is New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of ...

New Canopy Class certification raises the bar for contractors

When Skipps Logging became one of the first contractors to achieve Safetree’s new Canopy Class certification recently, they celebrated the win with a special presentation in Cambridge. The certification, which Skipps helped pilot, is designed to recognise contractors who demonstrate ...

Forestry confirms new training partnership with Competenz

New Zealand’s forestry sector has confirmed it will align its workplace vocational training with the new Engineering and Manufacturing Private Training Establishment (PTE), operating under Competenz. The decision follows extensive consultation with employers, contractors and training providers, led by the ...

Recent spike in log truck & trailer rollovers

Recent industry discussions and safety incident data have highlighted a concerning increase in log truck and trailer rollover events across New Zealand. Industry leaders, Forest Owners, Transport Operators, and the Log Transport Safety Council (LTSC) have acknowledged that this trend requires ...

Driver fatigue: What half a billion kms has taught us

The launch of Transporting New Zealand’s Fatigue Management: Road Freight Update at their recent 60th Anniversary Conference provides an opportunity to reflect on how our understanding of driver fatigue is evolving. AutoSense was proud to support the report because it brings together ...

Excavator fleet at iron ore mine now fully electric

The first of Andrew Forrest’s giant iron ore mines in the Pilbara is now operating with an entirely electric fleet of huge excavators, as testing continues nearby on the first of its in-house 6 MW fast chargers, likely the biggest ...

HarvestTECH & Wood Transport Logistics 2026 programme released

The programme has now been released for HarvestTECH & Wood Transport Logistics 2026, bringing together two days of presentations focused on the latest developments in forest harvesting, wood transport and supply chain logistics. Running in Rotorua, New Zealand on 10–11 ...

Linfox rolls out 26 heavy-duty electric trucks

Australia’s biggest private logistics company is rolling out a fleet of 26 heavy-duty Volvo electric trucks across Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide on some of the country’s busiest urban freight routes. Linfox said it is putting the first of its battery-powered ...

Kesla introduces new F-Series forwarder crane range

Kesla has expanded its forestry equipment portfolio with the launch of a new F-Series range of forwarder cranes, designed for the most common forwarder size classes. The new family includes the 9F/FT, 10F/FT, 12F/FT and 14F/FT models and replaces a ...

NZ safety gains drive drop in forestry’s injury claims

Forestry’s injury claims have fallen by around 34 percent since 2018, reflecting sustained improvements in safety performance and injury prevention across the sector. ACC has highlighted the Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) as a strong example of what can be ...

Ensuring safety in native timber harvesting

The Forest Harvesting Safety Project is setting new safety standards in Queensland’s state-owned native timber harvesting by aligning safety responsibilities and providing practical tools. The Forest Harvesting Safety Project is setting new safety standards and requirements for those undertaking selective harvesting ...

We’re targeting 35% electrification in 10 years – but 35% of what?

When Australia’s Chris Bowen and Turkey’s Murat Kurum unveiled their “35 by 35” flagship target at Bonn this month – raising electricity’s share of global Final Energy from around 20 per cent today to 35 per cent by 2035 – it was ...

Government backs major North Island freight hub

The Government has approved up to $22.4 million in funding to support the rail component of Te Utanganui – a major new freight hub in Palmerston North, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say. Te Utanganui ...

Empowering forestry and wood through tech

The Government is backing the New Zealand’s forestry sector’s innovation and sustainable productivity, announced from Agriculture Minister Todd McClay last month. “Greater land use flexibility results in prosperity through productivity, and new production methods and technologies are key to driving ...