Forest Products Industry

The New Zealand Government has taken a major step towards protecting food production by ending the large-scale conversion of productive farmland into pine plantations, with the first reading of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme — Forestry Conversion) Amendment Bill receiving unanimous support in Parliament last night. Source: Timberbiz “This Bill is about protecting our most valuable land that grows food for export and sustains rural communities,” Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said. “For too long, ETS incentives have driven the wrong outcomes for our rural sector.” “Once farms are planted in trees as a result of carbon credits we lose the ability to produce the high-quality safe food that consumers demand – and we lose rural jobs, export earnings, and the families that go with them. Today we are putting a stop to the harm that this has done to rural New Zealand.” The Bill will: Prevent exotic forests from entering the ETS on LUC 1–5 land (New Zealand’s most productive soil); Limit new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land to 15,000 hectares per year, allocated by ballot; Allow up to 25 per cent of a farm to go into the ETS, preserving landowner choice while ending full-farm conversions; Protect eligible Māori-owned land, and provide time-limited exemptions for pre-announced investments. The Bill includes temporary exemptions where an investor can provide evidence of a qualifying forestry investment between 1 January 2021 and 4 December 2024. For instance, the purchase of land and ordering of trees prior to 4 December 2024 would be an example of proof of a qualifying investment, whilst each of these actions alone would not. “The last Government sat back while 300,000 hectares of farmland were sold off for carbon credits. That short-sighted policy puts ideology ahead of long-term food security. We’re reversing that damage.” The new settings will take effect from 4 December 2024, with the law coming fully into force in October 2025.

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Forest & Wood Products Australia has released its Standard G01: Recycled Timber – Visually Graded for Structural Purposes, the first national guideline designed specifically for the visual grading of recycled hardwood timber for structural applications. Source: Timberbiz Through close engagement with industry, recyclers, engineers, and government, this Standard supports the use of more wood products in construction and lays the groundwork to assist with Australia’s transition to circular construction by ensuring the safe and reliable use of structural recycled timber. It complements existing standards for new sawn timber, while addressing the unique characteristics of reclaimed materials — such as signs of previous use ( bolt holes, notches), ageing, features, and variations in appearance and performance. This standard provides clear, nationally consistent grading criteria tailored to recycled structural timber. It promotes detailed communication between suppliers and purchasers, encourages sample inspections, and enables market confidence in recycled products through a quality assurance framework. The grades defined under this Standard are unique to recycled timber and should be used independently of existing standards (AS 2082 and AS 3818 series). “This standard reflects FWPA’s commitment to supporting circularity and environmental responsibility across the timber industry,” said Boris Iskra, National Codes & Standards Manager at FWPA. “By providing a consistent approach to grading recycled hardwood, we’re giving industry the confidence to produce recycled structural timber and specifier’s confidence to use this material in structural applications.  It’s a milestone in the broader effort to unlock the full potential of timber reuse in Australia.” The launch of FWPA Standard G01 follows the earlier publication of FWPA Standard G02: Recycled Timber – Visually Graded Decorative Products, which provides visual grading guidance for recycled hardwood used in non-structural and decorative applications. Like G01, the G02 standard was developed with input from a diverse group of stakeholders and includes both mandatory and advisory provisions to account for the distinct characteristics of recycled timber. Together, Standards G01 and G02 form a coordinated framework for the responsible reuse of hardwood timber, addressing both structural and aesthetic applications. They empower industry participants to make informed decisions that reduce waste, support sustainability, and build confidence in using recycled timber products. “This Standard fills a critical gap for builders and engineers seeking to incorporate recycled hardwood in structural projects,” said Michael Kennedy, CEO of Kennedy’s Timber. “It offers the clarity and confidence we need to promote more sustainable building choices.” To learn more and download the FWPA G01 Recycled Timber – Visually Graded for Structural Purposes click on https://fwpa.com.au/codes-standards/fwpa-standard-g01-recycled-timber-visually-graded-for-structural-purposes/

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