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Since its beginning as a small forestry equipment manufacturing shop in 1989, Quadco has built its reputation on a single promise: to never compromise on quality or service. That means listening to customers and dealers on its products’ ability to withstand heavy applications on the job site and adjusting its designs accordingly. That’s how the newest addition to its line of forestry mulchers was born. Source: Timberbiz The brand new Quadco 32-inch Drum Mulcher (32QDM) pairs innovation with value to offer forestry professionals their new go-to, versatile solution for tree and brush clearing. As the latest addition to Quadco’s line of rugged forestry mulching attachments, the 32QDM is surprisingly compact, without compromising on toughness. Built to run on 8 to 15 ton excavators, 32QDM takes productivity and ground material processing to the next level. Rather than offering a lateral tilt as a costly add-on feature, the 32QDM comes with a next-level 100-degree lateral tilt as the standard. This attachment also features a spiralized drum to help distribute material evenly over the cutters and serve as a bite limiter. The 32QDM is compatible with a variety of Quadco teeth and includes a fixed heel with replaceable bucket teeth for added productivity. Like all Quadco attachments, 32QDM is built to stand the test of time and perform like new after years of heavy-duty applications. Manufactured especially for professional contractors, 32QDM features a built-in universal boom adapter to provide equipment dealers and rental fleets with the flexibility they require to meet the needs of their clients. Changing carriers is as simple as replacing the pins and sleeves, saving you valuable time and money.

There’s something highly unusual about the new Olympic Aquatics Centre on the outskirts of Paris. It’s not just the building’s striking form, with its massive, Pringle-shaped solar roof. It’s not solely that the 5,000-seat venue, constructed mainly from wood, was pieced together like a Lego set. Source: Bloomberg It’s also the fact that the centre, designed by architecture firms Ateliers 2/3/4/ and VenhoevenCS, will be the main architectural icon for a Summer Games that is actively trying not to build them. Every host city of the Summer Olympics tries to use them to power some major transformative project. It might be a huge expansion of a metro system (as in Athens in 2004), the redevelopment of a large tract of derelict land (which London undertook in 2012) or the re-planning of an underused seafront (like the one Barcelona carried out in 1992). But Paris 2024 wants to make sustainability, rather than monumental construction, its chief legacy. Compared to the pharaonic projects of the past, the aspiration might seem almost perverse. There are still some new projects: The Olympic Village, north of Paris, will be an eco-quarter where all buildings under eight floors will be made from wood and glass, and all energy will be sustainably sourced via heat pumps and renewables. An 8,000-capacity arena at Porte de la Chapelle, comprised of a recycled aluminum façade around a wooden structure, is destined to live on as the home for Paris’ basketball team, as well as two public gyms. But overall, 95% of the Olympics venues will be facilities that either already existed or that will be dismantled for reuse after the Games. This make-do-and-mend approach could, organizers hope, help provide a springboard for a green transformation of France’s construction industry. France hopes to cut carbon in the building sector as the European Union strives to reduce the bloc’s overall emissions by 55% by 2030. That will primarily mean retrofitting existing structures but using more wood in new construction — including the advanced wood components known as mass timber is expected to play a significant role as well. (A French government proposal in 2020 to require all new public buildings to use 50% wood or other biomaterials was, however, ultimately dropped.) Industry experts are optimistic about France’s willingness to manage this swing, even if it lags behind some neighbours in areas such as renewable energy. “While our wood construction industry is not as developed as, say, Austria or Germany,” says Luc Floissac, an environmental adviser and researcher at Toulouse University, “our use of bio-based materials such as straw for buildings is already ahead of all the other European countries combined.” Investment has also backed up official enthusiasm, Floissac says. The government has so far issued around €200 million ($218 million) in subsidies to projects using wood and other biomaterials. This push has already powered some growth. The wood construction market reached €4.6 billion last year, an increase of 14% since 2020, according to a July report from timber and forestry industry group France Bois Forêt. The proportion of new buildings constructed in wood has still not risen dramatically, however. They comprised 18.3% of new non-residential buildings in 2022, up only slightly over 16.8% in 2020. Wood-built residential structures remained at around 6% over the same period. The sector is nonetheless targeting a total construction-market share of 20% to 30% by 2030, wresting some of that away from the currently dominant material, concrete. And it’s ramping up its industrial capacities in order to meet that goal. “Industrial equipment in France is undersized,” says Dominique Cottineau, director of the Wood Construction Industry Union (UICB). “But the trajectory is changing, and we’re going to be building with a lot more wood than before.” The new Aquatics Center wasn’t primarily built near Paris but hundreds of miles away, in a bucolic, half-timbered village near the German border. The structure was prefabricated at a distance by wood construction company Mathis, which has been sawing and whittling timber for buildings on the same site in Alsace since 1809. Each piece of the final building was planned, cut, glued, and bent into shape in Mathis’ yard before being shipped to Paris for assembly on site. The potential advantages of building in wood are legion. For many architects, its beauty without extra finishing provides both practical and aesthetic benefits. “We wanted to use the least amount of material possible, and wood means we don’t have to use drywall or other fixes used in construction to hide structural elements,” says Laure Mériaud, partner at Ateliers 2/3/4/. That can in turn give wooden buildings an extra sensual charm, according to Cécilia Gross, partner at VenhoevenCS. “We don’t have to paint it,” she says. “It has warmth, it has colour and it has a scent. You can smell it when you’re in the pool.” Harvested wood is generally considered carbon neutral if all trees felled are replaced with new saplings that are allowed to grow to the same age. Despite being able to withstand considerable pressure and wear, wood is relatively light, further reducing emissions by lessening the load on construction machinery. Mass timber isn’t even particularly flammable when used carefully. It is actually harder to ignite and conducts heat less rapidly than a steel frame, testing has showed. Visiting Mathis in Alsace, other clear advantages to wood construction become evident. The structures the company builds can be vast and complex in design, with computers programmed to dictate the shape and volume of components to be cut, and with precise scheduling of work so that the right pieces are ready for shipment in the correct order for construction. But from there, things get easier. The hangars of Mathis’ woodyard are committed to relatively straightforward processes, with spaces for drying wood, cutting planks into pieces and gluing them together. The only grand-scale machinery is a press that bends huge pieces of laminated wood — of up to 45 meters (148 feet) in length into arch shapes for roof supports. Even here the material is […]

The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation’s traceability requirements will be “nearly impossible” for the US paper and wood pulp industry to meet, 27 US senators have told US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, pressing her to push to ensure the EU’s rules target countries where deforestation is likely to occur. Source: Industry Intelligence The EUDR bans certain commodities from entering the bloc unless exporters can prove they were not sourced from recently deforested land or contributed to forest degradation. Companies that cannot comply with the law’s traceability rules, set to take effect at the end of the year, will be subject to fines and other penalties. In a 8 March letter to Ms Tai, Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with 25 other senators (19 Republicans and six Democrats), warned that EUDR’s traceability rules will be “nearly impossible for a significant segment of the US paper and pulp industry to comply with.” “The EUDR imposes a geolocation traceability requirement that mandates sourcing to the individual plot of land for every shipment of timber product to the EU,” the senators write. “In the US, 42% of the wood fibre used by pulp and paper mills comes from wood chips, forest residuals, and sawmill manufacturing residues, wood sources that cannot be traced back to an individual forest plot.” Deforestation is not an issue in US forests, but the EUDR may still impose “costly requirements on US exporters that will limit market access for the US$3.5 billion in US forest-derived products” entering the EU annually, they add. American forests are “healthy and growing,” the lawmakers assert, calling the US paper and pulp industry a global leader in sustainably managing forests and noting that more than one billion trees are planted in the US annually. “That is why we urge USTR to engage with their EU counterparts to ensure that EUDR implementation focuses on countries in which illegal deforestation is occurring,” the lawmakers said. “As USTR continues to engage with European regulators, we urge the agency to seek clarity on the EUDR’s traceability requirements, data reporting, and country benchmarking.” USTR must also push the bloc to recognize the US’ “robust regulatory standards” to protect the health of US forests, which could in turn help US paper and pulp producers comply with EUDR rules, the lawmakers argue. Sen Josh Hawley (R-MO) earlier this month pushed USTR to engage with the EU over the pending deforestation regulation, calling it a “non-tariff trade barrier poised to devastate soybean farmers in my state.” “You must make this right by seeking appropriate revisions to the EUDR that will allow Missouri farmers to continue to access global markets, while managing their farms in accordance with best practices,” Hawley said in a 1 March letter to Ms Tai. The law’s “expansive” definition of deforestation would consider typical farm practices like roadbuilding and clearing dead trees as acts of deforestation, he added. Others in Congress have sought to advance legislation aimed at reducing deforestation in US supply chains. House Ways & Means trade subcommittee ranking member Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Brian Schatz (D-HI) in December re-introduced a bill that would ban imports produced on illegally deforested land. The “Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade Act,” would also direct USTR to create “action plans” to end deforestation in countries without “adequate and effective protection against illegal deforestation,” according to bill text. The FOREST Act would only cover illegal deforestation, while the EUDR tackles all forms of deforestation.  

New Zealand’s DOC (Department of Conservation) has identified Chilean Myrtle (Luma apiculata) as an emerging pest plant and has requested a voluntary approach to remove it from sale. Source: Timberbiz Chilean myrtle (Luma apiculata) from the Myrtaceae family, is a hardy, evergreen tree with distinctive orange bark, native to Chile and Argentina. Invasive populations have been found in New Zealand native bush, primarily in the Tasman area. But wild seedlings have also been found across Aotearoa. Looking internationally, this tree species has naturalised in several areas outside of its native range including Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is under revision and this species is likely to be included in the revised list, which is expected in 2026. In the meantime, DOC is recommending that businesses voluntarily discontinue propagation and sale of this species due to its emerging weed potential. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact NZPPI Biosecurity & Technical Manager, Kathryn Hurr kathryn@nzppi.co.nz

The Timber Construct 2024 program has been released, the event is aimed at those who design and construct timber and mass wood buildings. It will be held on 12 -13 August at Rydges Hotel, Melbourne. Source: Timberbiz The Timber Construct Conference and Exhibition is owned and organised by the Timber Development Association (TDA), the industry body representing Australian forestry, timber manufacturing, and timber construction interests. It was previously known as Frame Australia and Timber Offsite Construction. The annual conference’s initial focus was on timber supply chain topics. It progressively widened its scope to cover the complete construction spectrum from materials and design to prefabrication and building techniques. The program starts on Monday 12 August 2024: Architectural Excellence ‘Setting the Scene’ ‘Timber Takes On Housing Shortfall’ ‘Excellence in Timber Project Examples – Part One’ ‘Unlocking Timber’s Full Potential: New Markets – New Tools’ Networking Event Tuesday 13 August 2024: Timber Innovation: Leading the Way ‘Breaking Down Barriers: Unlocking the Potential of Timber’ ‘Advances in Timber Construction’ ‘Excellence in Timber Project Examples – Part Two’ ‘Global Analysis’ For more information and registration visit: https://timberconstruct.org  

  Women are hugely under-represented in the building and construction sector. In New Zealand less than 16% of tradespeople are women, with only 3.8% on the tools. Source: Timberbiz Given that, Fletcher Living’s innovative BUILDhers project had a dual purpose. They wanted to achieve a New Zealand first by building a home with an entirely female crew, and in doing so, spark a frank conversation about the lack of female representation in the building and construction industry and why that needs to change. “Fletcher Living, with the backing of Fletcher Building, is ideally placed to challenge the way people think about the industry and normalise the presence of women on-site. “In an industry with an extreme skills shortage, the lack of female participation is unfathomable. By failing to engage women effectively, the industry is essentially ruling out over half of the workforce and limiting its talent pool,” Aurelie Le Gall, Fletcher Living Branch Manager Auckland North, and the woman behind making BUILDhers a reality, said. With that motivation came the foundations of BUILDhers, a project challenging stereotypes by providing female tradespeople with a platform to show what is possible and encourage women interested in a career in building and construction to give it a go. In Auckland’s Whenuapai, the first BUILDhers project has been completed. A four-bedroom, two and a half-bathroom home, planned, designed, engineered, and built by a team of more than 40 women. “It’s been incredibly rewarding seeing the women showcase their skills and grow in confidence as they worked alongside each other. Female apprentices who have been mentored by more experienced builders on the site, have also been given a boost with the opportunity to take on more responsibility than they would usually get,” Ms Le Gall said. BUILDhers aimed to be a 100% female build, but the point they set out to highlight that a severe lack of female inclusion in the industry was the hurdle they couldn’t overcome. Finding women with the right level of experience in key trades such as scaffolding, meant the project finished up being an approximately 75% female build. “We could have pushed out delivery of the build to keep it all female – every nail driven in by a woman, but the point of the project was to be a real build, with real timelines and budgets – otherwise what point would we actually be making. “As I reflect on what we have achieved, yes, we built a house, but what we have really built is the foundations of a community of capable, experienced women who will inspire the next generation of females to consider a career in trades. This will also see many find a pathway to financial independence,” Ms Le Gall said. “BUILDhers has successfully captured the imagination of the industry – the conversation can only grow from here,” Ms Le Gall said. The first BUILDhers home will be sold at auction, by a female auctioneer on site, 56 Samuel Marsden Place, Whenuapai on Saturday 23 March 2024.

Skills verification is essential in forestry and broader industries as it validates and confirms an individual’s required knowledge, experience, and proficiencies, as they pertain to a specific role or job function. Skill verification matters because it serves as a safeguard against potential mismatches between an individual’s professed abilities and their actual competencies. Source: Kaye Tyter, Training and Skills Specialist Manager, ForestWorks The skill verification process may include: Assessing existing skills and knowledge of workers who have previously completed a unit of competency, a module, or mandatory training (such as a work licence, industry ticket, or induction white card) and now require reassessment to confirm their current competency to ensure they are still competent in a specific role or work task. This is known as recognition of current competency or verification of currency. Assessing and acknowledging skills and knowledge acquired through prior informal or formal training, workplace experience, or other activities, known as recognition of prior learning. This can lead to credit in a subject or module and may result in obtaining a full qualification. The verification process involves assessing (verifying) the worker’s skills and knowledge against established benchmarks, such as units of competency, work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs) regulations or codes of practice. The individual conducting the verification must have a clear understanding of the job function for which the skills are being assessed and adhere to the principles of objective assessment and evidence-based decision-making. These conditions are essential to ensure that the assessment process measures a candidate’s proficiency accurately. This individual may be a qualified trainer or assessor or a suitably qualified workplace supervisor participating in the assessment process under a supervision arrangement with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). In this arrangement, the workplace supervisor assists the trainer or assessor in conducting the verification. Importance of Skills Verification Verification of skills is essential for workplace safety and compliance with health and safety regulations. By verifying worker’s competencies, employers can confirm their skills and knowledge, identify areas of improvement, and ensure role suitability. This process allows workers to demonstrate their skills, enables employers to assign tasks confidently, and ensures skill validation by qualified individuals through RTOs. The transfer and application of skills across different settings are fundamental to Australia’s training system and economy, depending on the recognition and verification of competencies. However, the potential of these skills to be applied in various workplaces is often overlooked until formally acknowledged. Failure to recognise, record, and capture these skills results in significant financial and time losses due to unnecessary retraining. Skills verification is an indispensable and multifaceted process, playing a critical role in ensuring workplace safety, legal compliance, workers’ competence, and the mobility of skilled workers across different settings, including related industries, especially in scenarios involving large-scale redundancies. For more information or inquiries about the skills verification process, contact your local RTO. Skills verification arise in various scenarios, such as when an individual seeks recognition of prior learning for a qualification or applies for a job that requires specific skills. It may also be prompted by events such as forced redundancy observed across industries, including the native forestry sector more recently. Additionally, skill verification helps employers comply with the Work Health and Safety and Occupational Health and Safety Acts, which mandate responsibilities for workers to be trained and competent in performing their work duties. Here are some scenarios of where skills verification is applied: Scenario 1: Within the Country Fire Authority (CFA) structure, operational members must demonstrate their proficiency in basic skills annually. This process, known as skills maintenance, requires members to show their training officer that they can still perform their essential tasks. This ensures they remain competent and ready to respond effectively in emergency situations. Scenario 2: A worker who has been operating an excavator on a worksite for several years may decide to change jobs. To prove competency to the new employer, the worker undergoes an assessment process. An assessor evaluates the worker’s skills and, if deemed proficient, issues a Statement of Attainment for operating an excavator. This formal recognition allows the worker to demonstrate their vocational qualifications to potential employers. Scenario 3: Consider a scenario where a forklift operator at a manufacturing plant undergoes skills verification following an incident, ensuring their continued safety and competence in operating the forklift, even though their WorkSafe High Risk Licence remains in place. “John works in a large manufacturing plant, operating a forklift. The workplace has numerous instructions and procedures, including those related to forklift movement and pedestrian safety. Yellow lines mark pedestrian exclusion zones, and there are designated loading and safe zones for drivers. One morning, while loading a truck, a pedestrian unexpectedly crossed John’s path. In avoiding the pedestrian, John collided with a barrier, damaging both the forklift and the barrier. The workplace policy requires recording and investigating any forklift accidents. The investigation concluded that John was not at fault, as he was evading a pedestrian. However, due to the incident, policy dictates that John must undergo a skills verification to ensure ongoing competence.” Understanding employee competence is essential for ensuring they can perform their roles safely and effectively. Competence, acquired from completing an accredited training program and assessment, reflects the individual’s demonstrated ability at a specific time. It is important to acknowledge that competence can evolve or degrade over time. It’s essential to recognise these stages to effectively assess and develop an employee’s abilities, ensuring they meet the performance and safety requirements of their role.

New Zealand’s Rotorua Forest Futures Action Plan has been officially launched, a key document in bringing together much of the work that has been completed in the past, highlighting the importance of the forestry sector to Rotorua. Source: Timberbiz This innovative and practical plan recognises Rotorua’s natural strengths in the sector and highlights key focus areas, emphasising the importance of community engagement, environmental stewardship, and economic development. Development of the Action Plan was a collaborative effort, led by an oversight group made up of seven Rotorua-based organisations: CNI Wood Council, Scion, Te Uru Rākau New Zealand Forest Service, Toi Ohomai | Te Pūkenga, Rotorua Lakes Council, RotoruaNZ, and Whenua Oho. The action plan contains 32 different actions with a series of different action owners. Key highlights of the Action Plan: Moving to carbon zero: With a strong focus on sustainability, the Action Plan aims to contribute to climate change mitigation through increased tree planting and the adoption of carbon-zero practices. This aligns with broader environmental goals and the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. The Action Plan outlines a commitment to diverse planting, supporting a mix of species that contribute to ecological resilience and economic viability. This approach ensures forests are more adaptable to changing climates and market demands. Māori and forests: Central to the plan is the incorporation of te ao Māori perspectives, ensuring that practices are aligned with Māori values and the principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship). This includes initiatives designed by Māori for Māori, supporting their significant role in the forestry sector. Research, science, innovation and commercialisation: The plan highlights the role of forestry in driving economic growth, with a focus on innovation, research, and the development of a circular bioeconomy. This includes investments in wood processing and technology that leverage Rotorua’s position as a hub for forestry excellence. Engaged communities: Recognising the vital role of the community, the plan emphasises engagement and education to ensure that the benefits of forestry are widely understood and shared. This includes efforts to enhance recreational access to forests and educational programs to inspire the next generation of forestry professionals. The Rotorua Forest Futures Action Plan is not just a document but a call to action for all stakeholders to work together towards a shared vision. It represents a significant opportunity to shape the future of forestry in Rotorua, ensuring it is sustainable, inclusive, and economically vibrant.

The Tasmanian Forest Products Association has called on all political parties and candidates in the 2024 Tasmanian election to further embrace the industry’s Election Wishlist and its Home-Grown Timber Future Policy. Source: Timberbiz The policy encourages more on island processing, growing the value of our timber and wood products and increasing regional jobs in our industry. TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel said one of the best ways to support our Home-Grown Timber Future Policy is to commit to establishing a dedicated long rotation plantation forestry conversion fund of up to $2.5 million annually for 10 years. “As the industry extends the rotation cycle of the hardwood plantation estate, we will need assistance to ensure a seamless transition, and protect the thousands of jobs our industry creates,” Mr Steel said. “Moving our plantation estates to a longer rotation means the industry will allow its estate to grow for longer periods, allowing us to find new and innovative ways to use larger logs from our plantation hardwood, and value add to our timber on-island. “Of course, to do this takes time, and to protect the thousands of Tasmanians our industry employs, we’re asking the government to assist us to find ways of innovatively improving our products. “An added bonus of allowing a longer rotation in our estate will be the increased ability to process more logs in Tasmania, which will then create even more jobs and see more investment in the Tasmanian economy.” The Home-Grown Timber Future Policy is part of the TFPA’s Supporting Tasmanian Businesses priority in the 2024 Tasmanian election wish list. The wish list can be downloaded at: https://bit.ly/4bPyfDF