Australian timber industry news

FSC has updated the FSC-POL-30-001a V1-1 Lists of Highly Hazardous Pesticides based on existing criteria, indicators, thresholds and sources through an accelerated revision process as described in FSC-PRO-01-001The Development and Revision of FSC Requirements. Source: Timberbiz The objective was to determine whether there have been any changes in the international recognised sources referenced by FSC since the last update. The FSC-POL-30-001a V1-1 Lists of Highly Hazardous Pesticides determine the hazard rating of chemical pesticides based on an existing set of criteria set out in Annex 1 of FSC-POL-30-001 V3-0 FSC Pesticides Policy. Such chemical pesticides are therefore considered to be highly hazardous in the FSC system and are classified as prohibited, highly restricted or restricted. There were 41 changes in total. These relate to the reclassification of pesticides, or the criteria met. Specifically, changes in the updated version include: 4 new pesticides were added 5 pesticides were deleted 8 pesticides were reclassified from one list to another There were 24 changes in the criteria that did not result in a reclassification to another list These changes marked in “track changes” in Draft 1-0 sent for consultation. This document is uploaded to the dedicated process page on FSC Connect, together with other relevant documents such as the consultation report. The updated FSC-POL-30-001a V1-1 Lists of Highly Hazardous Pesticides can be downloaded from the FSC Document Centre.

The AI application developed by Metsä Group and CollectiveCrunch for detecting insect damage has won the international Innovation of Innovations prize. Metsä Fibre’s Future Sawmill concept was recognised in the Business innovations category. Source: Timberbiz The international Quality Innovation Award (QIA) 2023 competition rewards the most notable innovations of the year. The award-winning application from Metsä Group and CollectiveCrunch detects insect damage in forests such as damage caused by spruce bark beetles before it is visible to the human eye. The application is based on artificial intelligence, machine learning and open data. The AI application shared the first prize with a technology innovation in the field of medicine. “Global warming is increasing the risks to the health of forests. This real-time method for detecting insect damage helps us preserve forest health and carbon sinks in a changing climate,” says Olli Leino, SVP, Development from Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services. Metsä Group’s wood supply personnel has been using the application since June 2023. The application can be used to both pinpoint damage and schedule wood trade and harvesting to reduce the risk of damage spreading. The map material of risk sites produced by the application is visible in the Metsäverkko mobile application used by Metsä Group’s owner-members. If they wish, forest owners can use this material to visit the sites in person to check the risk areas and plan forestry work. The Future Sawmill concept developed by Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, was recognised in the Business Innovations (large companies) category. The concept improves the efficiency of sawn timber production, safety at work, the production operating model and product quality management. “We’re happy to have received this international recognition. We aim to develop the mechanical forest industry with industrial efficiency in mind. We wanted to create a concept for our sawmill, which is the most modern in the world, a forerunner in its technology, operating model and efficiency, and a global trendsetter in the field. This resulted in the Future Sawmill concept, which we used at our Rauma pine sawmill that came online in 2022,” says Ismo Nousiainen, Metsä Fibre’s CEO. The Quality Innovation Award was now organised for the 17th time. This year, the competition received 562 entries from eight countries/areas, and the best 24 of them were rewarded. The winners of national quality contests can enter the international competition. National quality associations selected the winners in a tight vote. The China Association for Quality hosted the traditional award ceremony in April 2024. Video presentation of the application here. The production process uses standard sheets of ​​​​timber. A robot cuts the sheets into components and assembles them into units that are transported to site, enabling complete customized homes to be built in a matter of weeks.

ABB Robotics announced it is collaborating with UK-based tech start-up AUAR, to advance the use of robotic micro-factories to build affordable, sustainable low energy timber homes. Source: Timberbiz AUAR’s transformative approach to integrating robotic automation into the building process will tackle skills shortages, boost sustainability, and improve health and safety by deploying robots in a global network of local micro-factories. These micro-factories will construct energy-efficient, affordable buildings from ​sheet timber​. AUAR reports today that it has completed a £2.6M seed round led by deep-tech and AI fund Miles Ahead, alongside ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures and several other investors. “The increasing capabilities of robots enabled by vision and AI, coupled with their inherent speed, flexibility and consistency, makes them the ideal solution for meeting the growing need for affordable, high quality, sustainable housing,” said Craig McDonnell, Managing Director Business Line Industries, ABB Robotics. “With 95% of building firms in our recent market survey describing sustainability as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to their businesses, and 38% seeing robots as a way of reducing waste, our collaboration with AUAR opens new possibilities for homebuilders to deliver affordable sustainable homes at scale.” ABB is already heavily involved in helping construction companies automate their processes. ABB robots are widely used in a range of modular assembly and 3D printing building projects worldwide, as well as academic projects researching new ways to integrate robotic automation into construction.  The collaboration with AUAR follows the announcement by ABB working with German management consulting firm, Porsche Consulting, to develop innovative new practices in modular housing manufacture. ​​​​​AUAR is the brainchild of two architects​,​ Mollie Claypool (CEO) and Gilles Retsin (CTO/Chief Architect​) who have worked for over 10 years on robotics, automation, construction, and architecture. During that time, they have relied extensively on support from ABB Robotics to realize their vision. The relationship has already seen ABB Robotics win the prize for ‘Best Use of Robotics or Automation in Construction’ at the 2023 Robotics & Automation Awards. AUAR’s automated micro-factory approach provides a solution to many of the challenges facing building companies, including supply chain issues, project delivery and quality and skills shortages. Conventional buildings consist of thousands of different components shipped from around the world, making it almost impossible to automate construction. In contrast, AUAR’s goal is to work with one type of material and one type of machine to dramatically simplify the supply chain. While many of the assembly tasks are automated, AUAR’s approach supports local jobs by promoting the use of micro-factories close to construction sites, where local contractors and suppliers can coordinate delivery. The micro-factory approach is flexible enough to meet whatever each market demands. Each facility can be scaled to reflect local needs, with the ability to ramp up production by adding modular robot cells. “With the focus on the dual needs of building more affordable homes and minimizing the environmental footprint of buildings throughout their lifetime, automated modular construction presents a great opportunity to rethink the way that the buildings are constructed,” added McDonnell. “Our collaborations with AUAR and Porsche Consulting mark an exciting step in our efforts to accelerate the use of robotic automation in the construction industry to help address its challenges and deliver the sustainable buildings of the future.”

Joe Karten has news for anyone who thought the work-from-home revolution might convince tech giant Atlassian to cancel plans to build one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable skyscrapers in downtown Sydney. Source: Commercial Real Estate “We are out of the ground; out and away,” he says of the reinforced concrete core that has been laid as the foundation for the $1.5 billion Atlassian Central building. Karten is head of sustainability at construction giant Built, the company tasked with turning Atlassian’s green dream into 39 storeys of low-carbon reality. Atlassian Central was designed to have half the embodied carbon of a typical building and Karten told the Tech Zero podcast it would set a new standard for the construction industry at a time when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that buildings are responsible for 21 per cent of global emissions. “An aspiration for that project was to create a lighthouse to effectively change the standard that we will expect for buildings,” says Karten. Atlassian Central’s low-carbon goal will be achieved by using mass timber – a building material made from reinforced wood – in many places where concrete and steel would normally be used. Photovoltaic cells will be built into the exterior of the building while the aluminium used for louvres and window frames will be a super-low-carbon product made at Rio Tinto’s hydro-electric smelter in New Zealand. The concrete and steel that make up the core of the building are also low carbon versions of those materials, and the design will maximise natural ventilation to reduce power consumption for airconditioning. “What Atlassian has done has really set the bar high at a global level. And we’re going to see a lot of action around buildings that really tackle embodied carbon in a real and authentic way,” says Karten. Located next to Sydney’s Central railway station, the tower will cater for 5000 occupants. Atlassian says it expects staff to be housed there from 2027 onward. The tech giant is pushing ahead with the project despite offering staff a “work from anywhere” policy. Karten says smart companies see attractive, environmentally friendly workplaces as an asset in the competition for talent, even if the price tag on such buildings is higher. “They’ve [Atlassian] made no secret of the fact that they didn’t require the standard property developer margins on that project,” he says. “They invested some extra money of their own to create a real icon of a project. Now, that’s invaluable, because attracting talent, we know in tech, the war for talent is fierce. “Generation Y and younger are really preferencing sustainability on equal, if not more preferential terms than the economic or the financial. So it actually makes sense. “Just building the cheapest building is not attractive. It’s not going to get the right result.” The tech giant will own a minority stake in Atlassian Central, believed to be about 35 per cent, and will be the anchor tenant on a 15-year lease. Real estate development company Dexus will be the majority owner under a deal struck with Atlassian in 2022. Dexus said in February that about $1.2 billion of the $1.5 billion capital cost was still to be spent.

Perth has just had its driest six months on record, while Western Australia sweltered through its hottest summer on record. Those records are remarkable in their own right. But these records are having real consequences. Source: The Conversation Unlike us, trees and shrubs can’t escape the heat and aridity. While we turn up the air conditioning, they bear the full brunt of the changing climate. Our previous research has shown plants are more vulnerable to heatwaves than we had thought. Beginning in February 2024, large areas of vegetation started to turn brown and die off. With no real relief in sight, we unfortunately expect this mass plant death event to intensify and expand. Just like a coral bleaching event, WA’s plants are responding to the cumulative stress of the unusually long, hot and dry summer. And just like bleaching, global heating is likely to cause more regular mass plant deaths. The last time this happened in 2010-11, almost 20% of trees and shrubs in affected areas died. This is in line with climate change models, which pinpoint south-western Australia as a warming and drying hotspot. We have received reports from community members, colleagues, and authorities of dead and dying shrubs and trees spanning approximately 1,000 km from the Zuytdorp Cliffs near Shark Bay down to Albany on the southern coast. In areas along the west coast where it was hottest, dead or dying patches are larger while further south in the forests, the damage is so far limited to pockets of dead trees and shrinking tree canopies. At present, the die-off seems to have affected plants on and around shallow soils, including trees near granite outcrops and coastal heath. While February heatwaves directly killed some plants, it is likely the long, dry period finished the job. Despite some patchy rain last week, no substantial rain is forecast until May. It’s likely more areas will be hit, including our iconic wet forests in the south. Perth once again smashed temperature records this summer with a record thirteen days over 40° in 2024 to date. Even in April, we had a 37° day. This comes off the back of last year’s spring heatwaves, which broke monthly maximum and minimum temperature records in both September and November. While much of Australia’s east coast had more than enough rain, the west largely missed out. Rainfall has been below or very much below average over the past year, with the biggest rainfall deficits seen from Shark Bay’s Gascoyne region right down to the southwest corner at Cape Leeuwin. The summer’s heatwaves came from baking desert air, as high-pressure systems directed hot dry easterly winds from Australia’s arid interior over the region, just as we saw during the hot summer of 2021-2022, Long hot and dry periods are expected to become more common as a result of our warming climate. Declining rainfall will hit the historically wetter southwest hardest. This pocket of Australia is unique, cut off from the rest of the continent by desert. Here and only here live honey possums and numbats, towering karri and jarrah trees and red flowering gums. But it’s the southwest which has lost most rainfall so far, with annual levels already 20% lower than 50 years ago. Over the summer of 2010-2011, we saw a similar event sweep south-western Australia. It came about when a winter drought gave way to widespread heatwaves over summer. The result: die-off of forests and vegetation throughout the southwest. On land, the effects extended over a smaller area than we are seeing now. How bad was it? Pretty bad. Averaging across the region’s affected areas, 19% of trees and shrubs died, while the forests of the south-west lost approximately 16,000 hectares of canopy, about 1.5% of the forest. When forests die, the effects ripple through the ecosystem. The endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoo population crashed, declining by 60%, while the jarrah forest east of Perth was so hard hit it was categorised at “risk of collapse” by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This time, the summer has been longer and hotter, with impacts on plants more widespread. Climate change is steadily warming the world. Last year was the hottest on record, with temperatures shooting past predictions. Our trees and shrubs will keep browning off and dying until we get substantial rain. That means there’s no way to tell when our extraordinary range of forest and shrubland species will have the opportunity to recover. The longer-term trend is not good. As with coral bleaching, the situation will worsen until we reverse climate change. Large-scale plant die-offs like this will become more likely. What we do need are eyes on the ground to track what’s happening across this enormous state. Our ability to understand, model and respond is hampered by a lack of field data.

Scion’s New Zealand ForestSAT conference has opened for abstracts, the conference to be held from 9-13 September and will concentrate on demonstrating new tools and technologies that move science forward. Source: Timberbiz When submitting your abstract, you will be asked to select the main area that your abstract aligns with from the following list of Special Session and General Session topics. If your abstract fits across multiple topics, you can identify any relevant alternatives from the list as well. If you abstract does not align with any of the listed Special and General Session topics please select ‘Other’. General Session topics: Automation of data processing using cloud processing Citizen and community science to support forest monitoring Detection of drought and water stress Forest and vegetation spectroscopy Forest big data, deep learning Forest health Forest management and policy Forest monitoring Forest resilience monitoring Global Forest Observation Monitoring forest degradation and mortality Monitoring of protected forests, biodiversity and forest services Multi-source RS data integration / Fusion Precision forestry Scaling up LiDAR assessments of forest structure Synthetic forests Terrestrial laser scanning Tree species Other After completing the abstract submission process, you will receive an email confirming your submission. The closing date for submissions is 20 April 2024 you can submit here If you have any questions, please contact forestsat2024@theconferencecompany.com  

Almost 2.5-million hardwood and softwood seedlings are being dispatched from Forestry Corporation’s Grafton Nursery to be replanted in state forests across New South Wales. Source: Timberbiz The Grafton Nursery grows a mix of eucalyptus and pine seedlings, which are replanted in state forest timber plantations that have previously been harvested for renewable timber products. “These seedlings will be planted and grown for around 30 years to supply renewable timber for the next generation’s homes and infrastructure,” Forestry Corporation’s District Manager for Grafton Lyndon Orpwood said. “After timber harvest operations, state forests in New South Wales are regrown or replanted to continue the forest cycle into the future,” Mr Orpwood said. “Timber is the ultimate renewable resource and is crucial to the Australian construction industry. “Almost 100 million seedings have been raised at the Grafton nursery over the past two decades, ultimately helping to build people’s homes and to replenish vital public infrastructure including power poles, marine piers, bridges and platforms,” he said. Forestry Corporation’s pine and native hardwood seedling nursery at Grafton employs a permanent workforce of 13 staff, who are assisted with the annual dispatch by a seasonal workforce. When in full production, the Grafton Nursery produces around 50,000 seedlings a day with all stock grown from seed. The eucalypt and pine seedlings are being dispatched from the Grafton nursery across the state for replanting schedules in plantation forests. For plantation forests in southern NSW, Forestry Corporation produces seedlings at its Tumut Nursery. Since it opened in 1997, the southern NSW nursery has produced more than 176 million cold climate seedlings.

Foresta has secured a critical 10-year wood supply agreement to underpin production from its planned low emissions torrefied wood pellet manufacturing plant at Kawerau, New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz New Zealand’s largest forestry services company, PF Olsen, has agreed to supply 150,000 tonnes of logs, stumps and slash sourced from sustainably managed, Forest Stewardship Council accredited forests. “This is another significant step forward for our manufacturing plant with the supply representing around 61% of the total quantity of raw feedstock required for Stage 1AA and 1A of the plant,” said Foresta Managing Director Ray Mountfort. The plant will produce torrefied black wood pellets which are a seamless drop-in replacement for coal as a fuel source in boilers without any loss of energy intensity while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. A recent Genesis trial at Huntly power station using similar pellets reduced emissions by at least 90%. Foresta plans to invest some $300 million building the plant which at full production will employ more than 100 workers.PF Olsen is responsible for planting around 30% of all new forestry in New Zealand as well as managing over 160,000 ha in New Zealand. “We’re excited to be partnering with such a respected and significant player in the New Zealand forestry industry. “The supply agreement represents another piece in the jigsaw which means, pending funding, we can proceed with confidence with our plans to develop our manufacturing plant and begin construction later this year.” Foresta last week announced the signing of a 30-year lease (with a 20 year right of renewal) on a 9.6 ha property in Kawerau with Putauaki Trust. Foresta has also secured an off-take agreement with South Island energy distribution company Tailored Energy & Resources Ltd to supply 65,000 tonnes of pellets annually to its industrial customers and a harvesting contract with Silvertree Biomass Solutions. The planned plant will also produce natural pine-based chemicals (rosins and terpenes) from pine trees which can replace petroleum sourced chemicals. These are used in everyday items including flavours, fragrances, chewing gum, paint, ink and tyres.

A Latrobe Valley consultant has strongly criticised the lack of bushfire expertise on the state government panel investigating the future use of Victoria’s native forest estate. Source: LaTrobe Valley Express The government has established the Great Outdoors Taskforce to conduct the investigation of the state’s public land estate, which now includes forest previously used for timber harvesting. The taskforce will be chaired by a former Victorian Minister for Environment, Lisa Neville. Members of the taskforce include: Karen Cain, chair of the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement and a former chair of the Latrobe Valley Authority; Mellissa Wood, chair of the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council and member of the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement; Graham Dear, board chair of the Victorian Fisheries Authority, and; Terry Robinson, CEO of Destination Gippsland.   John Cameron, a forest and business consultant with decades of experience, said wildfire was the single most important threat to the state’s 7.5 million hectares of native forest. “There is a clear need for a fire behaviour expert to be on the Great Outdoors Taskforce,” he said. Mr Cameron said at least one of several highly qualified bushfire experts should have been chosen, including a representative from Forestry Australia, the professional body that represents forest scientists, bush practitioners and experts in forest management. The work of the late Professor Kevin Tolhurst, who died suddenly last October, should be included in the investigation. “Kevin was an expert in wildfire behaviour, prescribed burning techniques and guidelines, ecological management of landscapes, fire risk management and ecological impacts of fire,” Mr Cameron said. “Victorian bushfire policy is hopelessly misguided, and based on shonky science steeped in ideology. Against misguided political, ideological and bureaucratic impediments, Kevin continued to deliver real science and practical management options.” Mr Cameron wrote a tribute to Dr Tolhurst last year with Traralgon resident and former CSIRO bushfire expert, David Packham. “Kevin’s last message to a gathering at Mallacoota on 5 October was, that if appropriate fuel reduction had been applied prior to the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire, Mallacoota would not have burned,” they wrote. Mr Cameron said Victoria’s black summer bushfires burnt 1.8 million ha, five lives were lost and millions of native fauna were killed. Within the region of the fire, only 0.6 per cent of the forest was fuel reduced in the four previous years, well below the five per cent recommended by the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission, he said. Mr Cameron also said there was a glaring falsehood in the government’s announcement of the task force, which stated that 1.8 million ha’s of native forest had been allocated to the native forest industry. When harvesting ended this year, the area of the Victorian forest available for timber harvesting was only about 4-6 per cent of the 7.5 million hectares of native forest. “This was only about 375,000 ha, or 0.4mill ha. The government is misleading the public again and again on the facts,” he said. The Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos, said the taskforce would also include Traditional Owner representation. Their involvement will be flexible to allow for each Traditional Owner group to determine its involvement. The taskforce will consult with communities and stakeholders to ensure all options for future uses and care of the forest are heard and explored. It will consider opportunities to protect the environment and support recreational, social and commercial opportunities in their recommendations to government. This includes investigating which areas of the estate present opportunities for recreation and tourism, such as camping, hunting, hiking, trail-bike riding and four-wheel driving. The taskforce will also explore which areas need to be protected to safeguard threatened species, areas that qualify for protection as National Parks and opportunities for Traditional Owner management. The panel will prioritise areas of state forest where some decisions can be made now and advise on where more engagement is required. The work will be undertaken over the next 12 months and consultation details will be released in the coming weeks. Mr Dimopoulos said the end of native timber harvesting was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design new ways of caring for the state’s forests while giving Victorians more opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. “This taskforce will play a critical role listening to Victorians about how best to manage our forests. Each member brings specialised knowledge to the panel ensuring thorough consideration of all options during consultation,” he said. For more information visit, www.deeca.vic.gov.au/futureforests/immediate-protection-areas/future-forests

Last week Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff signed an agreement with three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs, Miriam Beswick (Braddon), Andrew Jenner (Lyons), and Rebekah Pentland (Bass) which indicates that there will be stability for the timber industry. Source: Timberbiz However, support is not guaranteed as the three members have a clause in the agreement that allows them to give 24 hours’ notice if they intend to vote against the government. A discussion paper suggests that they do not agree with expanding native forest logging, but they do support more plantation timber. The JLN MPs said they would provide certainty to the Liberals by voting against all censure and no confidence motions except in cases of malfeasance or corruption and agreed to pass the government’s budget and money bills unamended. The three new MPs are not career politicians and now find themselves holding the balance of power in a hung parliament. The agreement will be reviewed after 12 months. The Rockliff Liberal Cabinet includes: Jeremy Rockliff: Premier, Tourism and Hospitality, Trade and Major Investment Eric Abetz: Business, Industry and Resources, Transport, Leader of the House Nick Duigan: Energy and Renewables, Parks and Environment Jane Howlett: Primary Industries and Water, Racing Eric Abetz served as the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in the Howard Government between 2006 and 2007 and has been named Industry and Resources Minister overseeing Tasmanian forestry. As TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel pointed out Mr Abetz spent many years in the Federal Parliament representing Tasmania’s forestry industry on the national stage. He has shown he’s a strong supporter of the important and sustainable work of the industry and the 5,500 Tasmanians employed by it. The organisational structure of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania includes: Secretary Jason Jacobi Primary industries and Water Deirdre Wilson Agriculture, Forestry & Water Catherine Murdoch Forest Policy Tom Byrne The organisation structure diagram can be downloaded here.

An official report into the collapse of a 10-year-old mass-timber bridge in Norway in August 2022 has criticised the structure’s design and construction. Source: Dezeen Two drivers had to be rescued after the Tretten Bridge, over the Gudbrandsdalslågen river in the Øyer area of southern Norway, gave way as a heavy goods vehicle was crossing. Completed in only 2012, the glulam-and-steel truss bridge was designed by Norwegian architecture studio Plan Arkitekter and engineering firm Norconsult for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). A recent report by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) was critical of parties involved in the bridge’s construction and management. “The investigation has shown that inadequate caution was exercised in the planning, design, inspection and approval of Tretten Bridge, with respect to the risk factors linked to its unconventional design,” the report said. “A short construction period, span lengths and reuse of existing foundation were framework conditions for the planning of the bridge,” it continued. “These framework conditions, combined with the choice of material and a strong focus on aesthetics, contributed to the structure not being robust.” An earlier report concluded that the bridge most likely collapsed as a result of block shear failure – a type of fracture – in one of its timber diagonal members that had become weak over time. Tretten Bridge was designed while building regulations in Norway were in transition from a national system to European codes. Provisions for this transitional period enabled the project to follow the older national standards, which unlike the Eurocodes did not account for block shear failure. “In retrospect, all the involved parties can be criticised for selecting and accepting regulations that proved to have a serious shortcoming (block shear failure),” the NSIA said. The report also dealt with investigations of Tretten Bridge carried out after the collapse of the similarly constructed Perkolo Bridge in 2016. It found that despite “serious faults” being identified at Tretten Bridge around that time, little action was taken by the Norwegian road’s authority. “This represents a system failure in the NPRA, reflecting a lack of knowledge about block shear failure, as well as shortcomings in the bridge management system and risk management,” the report said. “The NSIA believes that Tretten Bridge should either immediately have been closed or traffic restrictions imposed in 2016 when finding over-utilisation in relation to block shear in several of the bridge’s connections,” it added. Six safety recommendations have been issued based on the investigation, which the NSIA said provide lessons for relevant organisations in Norway and abroad. These include reviewing the process for regulating and approving road-related structures and their materials in Norway and clarification of building regulations. Tretten Bridge was 148 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, with a main span of 70 metres. A report produced by Plan Arkitekter and Norconsult in 2013 gave the bridge a life expectancy of 100 years. “As far as the Accident Investigation Board is aware, there are no wooden and steel truss bridges in the world that are comparable to Tretten Bridge,” said the NSIA report (translated from Norwegian). “The bridge was special both in terms of span length and asymmetry, trusses in the same direction and the combination of wood and steel.” The NPRA is currently undertaking steps to improve bridge safety. Four similar bridges to Tretten Bridge will reportedly be rebuilt following inspections carried out after its collapse. Nine of 14 timber bridges that were closed following the incident remained shut or still had restrictions in place as of last month. Plan Arkitetker has designed many of Norway’s wooden bridges. “If you read the conclusion from NSIA you will see that the collapse of the Tretten Bridge was caused by deficient regulations (national code) for building timber structures at the time of planning/construction,” the studio’s Yngve Aartun told Dezeen in a statement. Tretten Bridge was 148 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, with a main span of 70 metres. A report produced by Plan Arkitekter and Norconsult in 2013 gave the bridge a life expectancy of 100 years. “As far as the Accident Investigation Board is aware, there are no wooden and steel truss bridges in the world that are comparable to Tretten Bridge,” said the NSIA report (translated from Norwegian). “The bridge was special both in terms of span length and asymmetry, trusses in the same direction and the combination of wood and steel.” The NPRA is currently undertaking steps to improve bridge safety. Four similar bridges to Tretten Bridge will reportedly be rebuilt following inspections carried out after its collapse. Nine of 14 timber bridges that were closed following the incident remained shut or still had restrictions in place as of last month. Plan Arkitetker has designed many of Norway’s wooden bridges. “If you read the conclusion from NSIA you will see that the collapse of the Tretten Bridge was caused by deficient regulations (national code) for building timber structures at the time of planning/construction,” the studio’s Yngve Aartun told Dezeen in a statement.

Seppi has released its all new “E20 direct” for excavators weighing from 12 to 21 tons – the forestry mulcher head for excavators marks a breakthrough in green management technology, promising increased efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, and improved performance for forestry and earthmoving professionals. Source: Timberbiz “E20 direct” represents the first model of a new family of forestry mulchers designed for excavators. Recognizing the diverse applications of forestry mulchers, Seppi has designed the “E20 direct” to excel in construction site clearing, vegetation management along highways, railways, and power lines, as well as in wetlands maintenance and agricultural field reclamation. The heart of “E20 direct” is the rotor with fixed tools featuring the cut control system, driven by the innovative direct drive hydraulic transmission. The machine can mulch vegetation up to 20 cm in diameter. Its cutting-edge design partially integrates the hydraulic motor into the rotor, eliminating belt transmission and reducing power losses due to friction by approximately 50%. The result is improved efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and increased available power – all contributing to enhanced productivity. With four different working widths, ranging from 100 to 200 cm, “E20 direct” is recommended for excavators weighing between 12 and 21 tons, offering versatility and performance in a variety of applications. Furthermore, its compact design and reduced weight, thanks to the use of durable materials such as AR400 steel, make it more universal and easy to use and mount on various excavators. “With the introduction of ‘E20 direct,’ we achieve a significant milestone in vegetation management technology,” stated Lorenz Seppi, the president of SEPPI M. “We are committed to revolutionizing the industry by providing innovative solutions that not only increase productivity but also reduce operational costs and environmental impact.”

Metsä has decided to start a pre-engineering project for the first commercial factory producing a new packaging solution, Muoto. Muoto products are wood-based alternatives to plastic packaging. Source: Timberbiz Muoto packages are renewable and recyclable bioproducts that can be utilised in, e.g., takeaway, berry, tray, and combo packaging. Pre-engineering is a key planning phase, after which Metsä Group will have the conditions of factory planning in place to consider deciding on the factory investment, and it is expected to be completed in early 2025. Based on the outcome of pre-engineering and the continued work in the demo phase, mainly using a unique demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland, Metsä Group will assess the possibility of starting this new business and investing in a factory to support that business. Metsä Group has already decided that the possible factory would be located at its Rauma site in Finland. “Taking an idea to industrial scale is a long road with multiple different phases. Deciding to start the pre-engineering project is a big milestone for us. Although many areas still need further development, we have now gathered enough proof to initiate this very important factory planning stage. The Muoto project has reached this point very quickly, considering that the project started almost from scratch for us in 2020. A big thank you goes to our project team and our main partner Valmet,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO at Metsä Spring. The technology applied in Muoto products converts wet wood pulp into 3-dimensional packages without any intermediate steps, meaning that the new products would be ready to be shipped to end customers as such. In addition to being easy to mould into different shapes, Muoto is lightweight, strong, and recyclable. The first usage cases ready for mass production will likely be light takeaway and lunch packages, berry containers, trays, and combo packaging. The final Muoto product catalogue will be decided when the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has been finalised. Earlier in the year, Metsä Spring appointed Veli-Pekka Kyllönen as Project Director, who will lead the pre-engineering project. His team will eventually comprise 5-10 experts, with recruitment currently ongoing.

Work is expected to begin soon on Western Australia’s largest timber frame apartment complex. Source: Timberbiz The Western Australian development body sold the land to developer Bluerock Projects for its Tuohy Garden Apartments plans in Midland, 16km east of the capital. Tuohy Garden Apartments will yield up to 51 apartments and will be available through an affordable build-to-rent initiative. Development approval has already been obtained for the site with construction anticipated to commence in the first half of 2024, with the first residents expected to be welcomed towards the end of 2025. The development will also incorporate 650 square meters of ground floor commercial space. “Tuohy Garden Apartments is expected to be Western Australia’s largest timber frame apartment complex and will feature a range of sustainability features to further reduce the cost of living such as the inclusion of solar panels and a smart metering system, alongside batteries utilising Powerledger Artificial Intelligence power trading technology,” Housing and Lands Minister John Carey said. “Other sustainable technologies include permeable paving systems for natural drainage, low carbon concrete and EV charging bays for visitors and residents.”

A new video has documented the impact that myrtle rust has on indigenous communities and the environment, reinforcing the need to maintain momentum in breeding for resistance and monitoring its spread. Source: Timberbiz Whakakotahitanga i te Kaupapa | Unity of Purpose, released by Scion and Rotoiti 15 Trust, is a video capturing activity from a cultural exchange in November last year that aimed to discuss the challenges posed by myrtle rust in New Zealand and Australia. Hosted in Rotorua, the exchange welcomed representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Queensland and New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water; the University of Tasmania; the Butchulla Nation (K’gari Queensland); the Gumbaynggirr Nation (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales) and the Bundjalung Nations (New South Wales). It offered a unique opportunity for cultures and researchers on both sides of the Tasman to connect and learn from each other. The eight-day visit highlighted the importance of sharing traditional knowledge and Western science between indigenous communities and researchers in both countries, and how they each have a role to play in protecting our environment from exotic diseases, such as myrtle rust. The short film weaves together First Nations’ and Māori perspectives on kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and the interconnectedness of all living things. It reveals the strong respect that both cultures have for the bush and takes viewers inside the ngahere around Rotorua, Scion’s nursery and to the trust’s marae on the shore of Lake Rotoiti, reinforcing the vital link between healthy forests and healthy people. The film also illustrates the work that Scion is doing in partnership with Rotoiti 15 Trust to monitor the spread of myrtle rust around the lakes area and efforts to breed more disease-tolerant species, starting with ramarama, rōhutu and their hybrids. The research is delivered through Te Rātā Whakamaru, a Jobs for Nature | Mahi mō te Taiao programme funded by the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai. With support from Scion scientists, the programme employs 10 full-time staff who have been trained as technicians (hōmiromiro) to collect field monitoring data and develop protocols for long-term resistance breeding trials. The challenge facing researchers is the time it takes to breed for resistance. Trees are slow growing, and the current research is only on small trees in pots. A multi-year programme is required to ensure the resistance is enduring. Both Scion and Rotoiti 15 Trust are exploring strategies for how the program will continue after the Jobs for Nature funding contract ends in December 2024. Scion forest geneticist Dr Heidi Dungey says there is a desire to see mana whenua (Ngāti Pikiao) and Rotoiti 15 Trust take greater ownership of the programme as part of their journey to reconnect people to nature and build a passion for conservation. In the video trust chairman Arapeta Tahana shares his vision for the future, adding that the goal of Ngāti Pikiao is to become guardians of their own rohe and whenua. “That essentially means that we need rangers on the ground…that are monitoring and supporting restoration efforts.” The visit to Rotorua followed an earlier trip to Queensland and New South Wales last year by representatives from Rotoiti 15 Trust and Scion. The cultural exchange was captured in a video called Roots of Resilience released last month across all six Australian States. Dr Geoff Pegg, senior principal forest pathologist at Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, says Australia’s forests are valued for their diverse ecosystems and unique biodiversity, adding that exotic diseases, such as myrtle rust, were a constant threat. “Endeavours like this cultural exchange underscore the vital importance of global collaboration and unified actions aimed at preserving biodiversity and strengthening ecological resilience. Traditional knowledge and Western Science must walk together to protect our Country and the unique forests in New Zealand too.” The exchange was funded by Catalyst Seeding funding provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Myrtle rust was first discovered on mainland New Zealand in 2017. Since then, Scion scientists have been involved in a suite of research aimed at protecting our most vulnerable myrtle species from the infectious airborne fungus. The disease targets new leaf growth and repeated infection causes trees to die back, affecting natural regeneration in the forest. View the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR2fExDRWYU

Despite a myriad of Federal Government housing initiatives, Australia is on track to fall over 110,000 homes short of its National Housing Accord target. Source: Timberbiz Master Builders Australia has released its 2024 building and construction industry forecasts which, for the first time, cover the full five-year period of the Accord. From 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2029, Master Builders forecasts 1,087,325 new home starts. Master Builders Chief Economist Shane Garrett said work started on just 163,285 new homes during 2023, a 10.5% reduction on the previous year. “During 2023, detached house starts dropped by 16.4% to 99,443. This is the lowest in a decade. “The final three months of the 2023 quarter saw higher density home starts drop for the third consecutive quarter. “A total of 62,720 higher density homes were commenced during 2023 overall – the worst performance in 12 years. “The mismatch between the supply of new homes to the rental market and demand for rental accommodation is particularly worrying. “Rental inflation continues to accelerate at a time when price pressures across the rest of the economy have been abating,” Mr Garrett said. Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn said that we were seeing inflation starting to near its target range and we can expect a fall in interest rates which will lead to a more favourable investment market. “The Federal Government has also announced a number of significant housing measures that focus on increasing supply in social and affordable housing and the rental market. “However, constraints on the supply side like workforce shortages, industrial relations changes and a poor planning system counter the full effectiveness of these measures,” Ms Wawn said. “Productivity in the industry has fallen 18% over the last decade. It’s clear that governments need to expedite the rollout of planning reforms to reduce the high costs and time it takes to build. “Concerningly, the full impact of the Closing Loopholes Bills and union pattern bargaining negotiations underway in several states has not been factored into these forecasts. “Workforce shortages continue to be the biggest challenge for the industry across all sectors. “At a federal level, the government’s priority should be growing the building and construction workforce. “We heard only recently from BuildSkills Australia that the industry needs 90,000 workers in the next 90 days. “Domestically, we cannot fill this gap. We need to think outside of the box with better apprenticeship incentives, reskilling migrants already in Australia, and a targeted international campaign to bring in skilled migrants. “Investment and support in the whole built environment is important. While the commercial and civil construction sectors have helped shield the economy from periods of negative economic growth, this is coming to an end. “We can’t build the homes we need without the appropriate commercial and civil infrastructure to support it. This includes critical infrastructure such as utilities. “Builders are up to the challenge to reach these targets but the barriers on the road need to be cleared to get the job done,” Ms Wawn said. Full forecasts can be purchased here: https://masterbuilders.com.au/product-category/forecasts/

A mass sandalwood supplier with NT roots has entered receivership after a lengthy period of turmoil. Quintis Australia leases land for sandalwood plantations in the NT, Queensland, and Western Australia. Source: NT News The company’s NT holdings are in the Douglas Daly area. Quintis Australia is the largest sandalwood supplier in the world – selling oil, powder, logs, and chips – but appointed FTI Consulting as receivers on April 2. An FTI Consulting spokesperson said they were now in control of the majority of Quintis Australia’s businesses, assets, and operations. “This includes sandalwood plantations and real estate in the Kimberley and Northern Territory, an operations centre in Kununurra, a small plantation and land in Queensland, and the Mt Romance oil distillation facility and shop near Albany,” the spokesperson said. “[We] will urgently call for expressions of interest in the sale and/or recapitalisation of the business and are currently working closely with key stakeholders to quickly conduct an independent assessment of the financial position of the entities that are the subject of their appointment and their ongoing and future viability.” Quintis Australia’s dealings in the NT were previously granted Major Project status, but said status was revoked in 2018. The company went into voluntary administration in January 2018. The move came after Federal Court proceedings were brought against ex-Quintis director Frank Wilson for allegedly misleading the market about terminated contracts with Swiss giant Nestle, and allegedly failing to discharge his duties as a director in 2017. The Federal Court in 2023 found Mr Wilson did not breach his duties regarding disclosure of the termination of key contracts.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has queried whether Premier Jacinta Allan, who is overseeing the shutdown of the native timber industry, even knows the difference between hardwood and softwood. Source: Timberbiz “In Parliament last year I asked the Premier a simple question, which read as follows: With the close of the native hardwood timber industry on 1 January 2024 and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommending the use of timber as the best climate change mitigation measure we can take, resulting in consumer demand increasing, can the Premier provide details on where Victoria’s supply of hardwood timber will now come from? “However, in her response, the Premier made no mention of hardwood whatsoever, and stated new plantations in Victoria would focus on softwood timber, and softwood sawlog production will boost the state’s supplies of pine plantation building products,” Mr Bull said. “The question never mentioned softwood, only hardwood and it was relating to where the supply of it would come from for our flooring and furniture, as well as a host of other items Victorian manufacturers produce. “The answer indicates one of two things; either the Premier does not know where the hardwood our industries need is coming from, or she does not know the difference between the two products.” Mr Bull said the final comment in the answer from Premier Allan was galling, where she stated, “we have listened to the timber industry and the support we are providing aims to ensure certainty of work for harvest contractors, their families, communities, and local businesses”. Mr Bull said there would be timber industry workers infuriated to read this. “This sustainable industry did not want to shut down, so they certainly were not listened to,” he said. “In addition, many have been left with offers that do not provide the security required, and other down the line businesses that have been promised support and have received none. “Sadly, the Premier may have changed, but we get the same old political nonsense in the answers they provide us,” Mr Bull said.

Walk out your front door and look down the street.  If you are in the regions or in suburbia, then you will look at a tall wooden pole that carries the cables that gives you electricity. Have you taken much notice of them?  Probably not, but the pole is native hardwood harvested from a native forest where, through the application of science, it was encouraged to grow that straight. Timber power poles are selectively harvested from regrowth or working forests. On 7 March 2024, the NSW ALP Minister for the Environment in NSW Budget Estimates had the following exchange with the Hon Wes Fang, National Party. The exchange reveals how uninformed the Minister is, who is a strong environmentalist. In the same Budget Estimates hearing, the Minister was boasting about the Great Koala National Park process she commenced. A process that is like that of a kangaroo court with a pre-determined outcome (but that is for another day). The Minister for the Environment is also the Minister for Energy. The Chair of the Committee is The Hon Sue Higginson, Greens MLC. The Hon. WES FANG: Minister, how many hardwood utility poles will be needed as part of the new network infrastructure for the transition to renewable energy in New South Wales? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Good question. I don’t know. I’ll take it on notice. The Hon. WES FANG: Have you done any planning around how many poles you’ll need for the next 20 years? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: There will have been some. There’s obviously different types of poles. We’re also looking at non-wooden poles. There are steel poles. There’s a whole range. There’s concrete poles. Some of that work’s being undertaken. I’ll take it on notice and I’m happy to provide it to you. The Hon. WES FANG: I note you’ve talked about the other sorts of poles. Do you know why we use hardwood poles over some of the other poles, such as steel and concrete? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Different uses for different applications. The Hon. WES FANG: Minister, do you agree that there are environmental and practical benefits to using hardwood poles over those other types of poles, such as concrete, steel, softwood poles and composite poles? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: I wouldn’t pretend to be an expert in the types of poles and the ways in which they’re best used, but I’m happy to accept on value that they’ve been chosen for a reason and there’s probably some benefits – sure. The Hon. WES FANG: Do you know where we source the majority of our poles in New South Wales? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Yes, in the State forest. The Hon. WES FANG: Minister, given the majority of the poles do come from the New South Wales mid-coast and are processed on the mid-coast, would you agree that the public native forestry industry is critical to the electrical supply industry and the renewable energy transition of your Government? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: First, I’d say I have taken a lot on notice in terms of the assessment of the need for poles, where they’re coming from and how they need to be used. If this is a question around the impact on pole supply as a result of the creation of the Great Koala National Park, which is what I think you’re trying to get to – The Hon. WES FANG: It’s very much where I’m going to, yes. The CHAIR: They come from plantations. The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Yes, fantastic. The process is currently underway around the creation of the Great Koala National Park and all of those issues are being worked through. The Hon. WES FANG: Have you put any safeguards in place to make sure that we continue to have a private native forestry industry in New South Wales whilst the Great Koala National Park is implemented? The CHAIR: Private? Public? Plantation? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: I’m not quite sure where you’re trying to get to there. I’m not the forestry Minister. The Hon. WES FANG: You’re the environment Minister. The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Yes, I’m aware, and I’m very pleased to be. The Hon. WES FANG: Are you putting some safeguards in to make sure that your Great Koala National Park isn’t going to shut down our forestry industry? The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: You should know better than most about this. The Great Koala National Park has been talked about for a long time. It’s this Government’s most significant national park that I believe we’ll create, although I do think that all national parks are important, just to be clear. It is a big area that we’re assessing. That’s why we’re doing the environmental, economic and social assessment in relation to the impact of the creation of the park. It is why we have three different panels, including an industry panel. They’re examining all of that work. We have done two things. One is obviously create the koala hubs in the area, which is about 5% of the park. The rest of the work is being assessed. That is what we’re doing and that’s the way we’re managing it, in a mature and thoughtful way. The Hon. WES FANG: But you would agree that the hardwood timber industry is a key stakeholder for you as the energy Minister, particularly around that issue of – The Hon. PENNY SHARPE: Yes. It’s why I’ve met with people, it’s why I’ve been on people’s farms. It’s why there is an industry panel in relation to the Great Koala National Park. As I said, one of the things that I think is extremely important in the work that we do, particularly in the environment, is that we misunderstand a lot of stakeholder’s concern and their desire to be part of the solution, and we have them at the table, and that has been a priority for me, as well as having others. The Hon. WES FANG: Prior to the election your colleague, who was […]

Stability seems to have been delivered for the timber industry in Tasmania following a deal struck between the minority Rockliff Government and the three newly elected members of the Jacqui Lambie Network. According to The Mercury, the Jacqui Lambie Network has traded an astonishing level of loyalty for a handful of things the government was either doing anyway or which deliver an uncertain result at an indefinite time. The Lambie Network MPs have agreed to be more loyal to the Liberal Party than even the Liberal Party’s own MPs – who are not bound to inform their party in advance if they intend to vote against it. The Jacqui Lambie Network’s website says that candidates don’t support an expansion of native forest logging in Tasmania but that more support for plantation timber is needed as “it’s a critical employer and the timber and fibre produced is essential for our sovereign capability”. However, with the Labor Opposition publicly backing the timber industry in the lead-up to the March election, the Network’s opposition will be of little strength. Combined, the Government and Opposition would have 24 votes available on any timber industry matter. The Government does need one more vote, with Tasmanian Labor leader and now Independent David O’Byrne being mentioned as a likely contender. Mr O’Byrne was expelled from the Labor party room and not endorsed as a candidate after sexual harassment allegations surfaced in 2021. Prior to the election he told The Australian he would work in a “mature and co-operative (way) … across the parliament”. With former Senator Eric Abetz, who served as the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in the Howard Government between 2006 and 2007, named Industry and Resources Minister overseeing Tasmanian forestry there must now be a certain amount of certainty for the industry. As TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel pointed out Mr Abetz spent many years in the Federal Parliament representing Tasmania’s forestry industry on the national stage. He has shown he’s a strong supporter of the important and sustainable work of our industry and the 5,500 Tasmanians employed by it.