Neil Cockburn works for Forestry Roading Services and manages a quarry for Wenita Forest Products. He returned to the industry six years ago after 15 years driving stock trucks.
He started in forestry when he was 20, working with his uncle Ronnie Pearce who established South West Roading Ltd, later renamed Forestry Roading Services.
The business — now owned by Skevingtons — works across the forestry sector, doing forestry road construction in conjunction with Ernslaw One and Wenita and also works in general contracting.
Neil’s father Russell also works there, and it was during a conversation one Sunday, when a colleague of Russell’s had taken ill, that Neil filled in — and never left.
He enjoyed the variety of work, saying no two days were ever the same, and the people that he worked with were ‘‘awesome’’. They all looked out for each other and he enjoyed working with his father and being outdoors in the fresh air.
Now his 16-year-old son Aiden was keen to join the industry and follow in the bootsteps of his father and grandfather.
Earlier this year, Neil received Wenita’s award for the top roading and trucking health and safety person for 2025, due to his outstanding leadership and commitment to health and safety, not just for himself but also others working around him.
During the high wind event in Otago late last year, Neil identified the increasing risk early and, rather than focusing solely on his own operation, he notified contractors working elsewhere in the forest and advised them to leave the site as conditions were becoming unsafe.
On another occasion, he came across an unblasted detonator on his worksite and immediately followed the required procedures by shutting down the site and notifying the appropriate personnel.
Wenita said his calm, methodical response ensured the area was made safe and no-one was placed in unnecessary risk.
It turned out the detonator was a manufacturer’s malfunction. ‘‘I don’t really want to find that again,’’ he said.
