FCANZ Board members and Best Practice Day organisers Nick Terry and Craig Sinclair were thrilled with the spectacular weather for both Southland Best Practice Days held in October. Running from 9.30am—3pm each day, both morning tea and lunch were provided, and this, combined with the learning and networking, made for a really valuable day out.
Best Practice Days provide attendees with an unrivalled opportunity to learn new skills, see the latest fencing gear, meet industry suppliers and connect with like-minded fencing contractors in their area. Delivered across the country, FCANZ Best Practice Days are attended by fencing contractors, fencer generals, horticulture workers, farmers and those interested in a career in this fast-growing industry.
“Our mission is to raise the profile of fencing as a recognised trade that embraces best practice, adherence to quality standards and ongoing professional development. Best Practice Days go a long way towards achieving this – not just for our members, but for anyone who builds fences,” says FCANZ President Phil Cornelius.
The stunning weather was a treat not only for attendees but also for the Association Partners who attended, sharing their knowledge with attendees, and in many cases providing material or gear for the demonstrations. Attendees heard from FCANZ Partners Waratah, Gallagher, Beattie Insulators, Strainrite, Farmlands, Bunnings, Bayonet, Summit, Point Lumber and Milwaukee about how their products are used for the best quality rural fencing.
MC for the two events, Nelson-based FCANZ member John “Noksee” Noakes added, “I love the social side of FCANZ events, catching up with like-minded people, having a yarn, running ideas past people, getting opinions, not to mention making new friends who you can ring for advice when needed.” He continued, “It’s such a great industry to work in. To be able to step back at the end of the day and see what you’ve physically accomplished is so rewarding.”
Te Anau – Tuesday, 15 October
The Te Anau event focused on rural fencing, particularly the installation of netting on slopes, with netting and wire supplied by Bayonet. Electric top wire was run as a lead-out from the unit, and some good lessons were learned about the importance of using good-quality wire to feed the rest of the fencing around the farm. Using quality underground cable and pipe to connect is a must, with clamps or crimps for joins.
Thanks to the Custom Fencing crew for the pre-event post-ramming and helping with the hard yakka on the day, and Donald Cornwall for giving us his paddock to work in. Big thanks also to the Great Southern Group team for assisting with the barbeque – there were a lot of sausages!
Invercargill – Thursday, 17 October
The Invercargill event was held at the Invercargill Rodeo Grounds and resulted in the installation of some permanent fences for the group. Demonstrations included installation/construction techniques for equine, paling and electric fencing. There was also a session on riparian fencing using Waratah Jio posts, specifically for the coastal conditions we were working in. Thanks to Waratah for the Jio posts, Beattie for insulators and Point Lumber for posts.
After lunch, Brendon Crequer from Waratah demonstrated the installation of their Flex Rail equestrian fencing with the construction of some permanent holding pens for horses. This was followed by Nick Terry demonstrating the construction of a paling fence to provide shelter for the rodeo ground bar area, with materials thanks to Bunnings Trade Invercargill.
Thanks to Foster Price for assisting with the organisation of the event and Craig Sinclair and Nick Terry for their hard work on the day.
Keep an eye out for our 2025 best practice day dates and locations in your inbox and at www.fcanz.org.nz and www.facebook.com/fencingcontractorsnz.
Written by Jaime Bigwood
Published in WIRED issue 75/December 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ
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