Forest Products Industry

Malaysia has become the latest country to ratify The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement. Malaysia joins Peru, Japan, Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Vietnam in ratifying the agreement. Source: Timberbiz Once the UK government joins the CPTPP, more than 99% of current UK goods exports to CPTPP members will be tariff-free once the deal comes into effect, helping businesses export more to CPTPP markets. This agreement is good news for international trade in the wood sector, as the tariff schedule within the agreement indicates that all wood products with commodity codes starting 44, which includes 44 12 plywood, 44 11 fibreboards and 44 10 particle boards, will have duty free trade (for both exports and imports) within the countries that ratify the CPTTP agreement. Timber Development UK has updated its recent Trade Note on the CPTPP to reflect Malaysia’s joining the agreement and has also added a table showing how plywood products from Malaysia (or any of the other countries who have ratified the agreement) will move from 6% or 10% duty to duty free from Year One of the CPTPP agreement.

An upgrade of £14.5 million will be made to Forestry England’s tree nursery to grow climate-resilient trees at its tree nursery in Cheshire, including building a new seed extractory. This will produce seeds for millions of high-quality, UK grown, resilient trees in the decades ahead. Source: Timberbiz The new facility, which is due to open in the northern spring of 2025, will be the largest in the UK, testing and processing up to four tonnes of tree seeds each year. It will replace Forestry England’s current seed extractory at Alice Holt Forest in Surrey which was built in 1964. Most of the funding for the upgrades is being made available from the Defra Nature for Climate Fund with Forestry England also contributing. The project will boost Forestry England’s resilience in supplying suitable genetic material for woodland creation and regeneration for the rest of this century. In particular, the development will allow Forestry England to process more seed, and from a greater variety of tree species located in 13 specially planted orchards and 39 seed stands spread across the nation’s forests. Douglas fir, western red cedar and Norway spruce will be amongst the focus species because they are expected to grow well and become more prominent as sources of high-quality timber in England’s future climate conditions. As well as processing seeds and growing trees for the nation’s forests, Forestry England also supplies other forestry organisations. In 2025, depending on the seed crops, they expect to supply around 450 kg of conifer seeds to the private sector as well as around 7.5 million trees for planting in the nation’s forests. Building a secure supply of high-quality tree seed from diverse species over the years ahead will significantly improve availability for UK nurseries and reduce the amount of seed imported from overseas. This will benefit the UK forestry sector as a whole and plays a major part in boosting diversity in timber producing tree species. The new seed extractory building will be equipped with the best available processing machinery alongside expanded areas for cold and dry seed storage that will enable several tonnes of seeds to be stored in the best conditions before germination and planting. As well as building the new seed extractory, Forestry England is creating a new miniplug growing facility at the nursery, which will more than double the capacity of the ‘standing out area’. This is the protected area where tree seedlings continue to grow after they leave the glasshouse and become acclimatised to outdoor conditions. This will complement the glasshouse which Forestry England opened in 2018 as its first major project to build resilience against changing weather patterns. This computer-controlled environment uses a combination of fans, shade screens and roof ventilation to regulate the temperature, humidity and light levels for the growing trees. Cell-grown trees can be planted all year round and so help in extending the planting season in the nation’s forests. Together, these tree nursery investments support Forestry England’s work growing, planting and caring for sustainable, wildlife-rich, productive forests across the country.  

Kesla launched a new generation box-framed KESLA 165 forest trailer at the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair in Helsinki this month. Source: Timberbiz KESLA 165 marks the beginning of a new era in tractor-drawn forestry trailers with its robot-welded box-frame-type structure and technical features earlier known from forwarders. The trailer has a standard load space area of 4 m² which can be easily expanded to an impressive 5 m² by simply turning the posts. Together with freely adjustable bunks, hydraulically movable front screen and extendable rear frame, the load space flexibly adapts to varying characteristics of different kinds of round wood. Load space length is 4,8 m which allows 6 m logs, or even longer ones, to be transported safely and efficiently. The new trailer is specifically designed for professional tractor contractors providing increased productivity in logistics and more earnings. KESLA 165 is the only 167/2013 type-approved forest trailer with 16 tn payload Together with a tow bar mounted KESLA 326T timber loader the gross weight of KESLA 165 trailer is totally 22 000 kg consisting of 6000 kg deadweight and 16 000 kg payload. Due to an articulated tow bar and ISOBUS connected traction system the trailer follows the tractor perfectly especially in steep hills and tight turnings. Special attention is put on the bogies which are designed to climb over the obstacles. Excellent gross weight-payload ratio provides the best fuel economy on the market per transported round wood m3. A powerful nave drive provides an extra 3,9 tons draw power (250 bar and at 2 km/h speed) when required. ISOBUS connected traction system benefits the tractor as the load is well synchronized and therefore causes less stress to the tractor. Trailer comes already from the factory with an EU wide 167/2013 type approval and can be therefore driven legally on the public roads. Prior to its launch, the KESLA 165 trailer received an honourable mention in the New Product Competition organized by the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair. All KESLA trailers are manufactured in Finland at Kesla Kesälahti plant which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. International sales of KESLA 165 starts in December 2024.

For many, the aroma of forests evokes memories of tranquil walks in nature. Port Blakely Essential Oils is harnessing these sensations with their Douglas-fir essential oil, setting a new standard in the fragrance industry by offering an FSC certified alternative to synthetic perfumes. Source: Timberbiz Located in the heart of New Zealand’s pristine wilderness, Port Blakely has created a product that encapsulates the bright, woodsy notes of Douglas-fir, making it ideal for cosmetics, aromatherapy, and personal fragrances. Unlike many companies that rely on harmful fossil fuels, Port Blakely has embraced the natural power of trees, creating a fully sustainable, circular energy system. Their state-of-the-art biomass boiler transforms wood byproducts into clean, renewable steam energy, allowing them to power operations while dramatically reducing their carbon footprint. This commitment comes at a pivotal time when consumers increasingly prioritise eco-friendly options in their purchasing decisions. The company’s forests, including the pristine Shag River Forest, located just 2.5 hours from Queenstown, provides clean air and pure water, ensuring the highest quality essential oils. “With over 20 years of Forest Management FSC certification under our belt, it was only natural for Port Blakely NZ Essential Oils [a subsidiary of Port Blakely] to become one of the first tree oil producers globally to gain FSC chain of custody accreditation for our Douglas-fir essential oil. We consider this the global gold standard in sustainable forest management and are proud to have achieved it within just three years of operation,” said Mitch Cooke, Business Manager for Port Blakely NZ Essential Oils. FSC certification ensures that Port Blakely’s operations adhere to rigorous environmental and social standards, safeguarding biodiversity, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting local communities. This is particularly significant as more consumers seek to align their purchasing decisions with sustainability principles. According to Mr Cooke, the company’s essential oils enable customers to “make better informed purchases,” whether they are selecting products for aromatherapy, fragrances, or cosmetics. The fragrance industry’s transition toward natural, responsibly sourced products reflects broader changes in global consumer preferences. In 2022, the natural personal care market experienced an 8% growth, driven by a rising interest in eco-friendly options. Industry analysts from market research firms like Grand View Research and Mordor Intelligence have noted that, despite the fragrance sector’s slow move away from petrochemicals, primarily due to the lower cost of synthetic ingredients, there is a growing demand for natural alter-natives. As consumers become more educated about the environmental impacts of fossil fuel-based products, the market for sustainably sourced fragrances continues to expand.

The annual Major Shut Down (MSD) at the Visy Pulp and Paper Tumut mill is in full swing, starting on Monday last week. All major equipment has been shut down and is being cleaned and inspected to ensure it operates safely and reliably for the next 12 months. Source: Tumut & Adelong Times “We have the MSD every year to ensure safe operations at the Tumut mill,” said Johan Stoltz, GM Visy Pulp and Paper Tumut Mill. During the MSD, inspections of the boilers and pressure vessels are undertaken. This is a mandatory requirement which must be done by a licensed boiler inspector every 12 months. “Other than the usual cleaning and statutory inspections of the boilers and pressure vessels, several projects are taking place this year,” said Troy Watling, Mechanical Repairs and Maintenance Manager. These include a bark hog bypass screen project in the wood yard, an unbleached Kraft pulp fibre development project, tank repairs for recycled pulp storage, and a press de-watering upgrade on both paper machines. This year more than 20 technical specialists from overseas are in Tumut for the MSD. The total number of people onsite peaked at 1,348 people through the gates over 24 hours last Wednesday. The MSD this year has utilised 15 mobile cranes (four from Superior Cranes, three from Riverina Crane Services, seven from National Cranes and Engineering and a crane from Coen Cranes). A total of 509 pre-shut scaffolds were constructed, with a further 110 scaffolds during the shutdown. The site should be fully operational again by the weekend.  

New Zealand’s Government has today started consultation on a 50% reduction to the annual charge for forest owners participating in the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. Source: Timberbiz “Following an independent review released last week we are proposing to lower the per-hectare annual charge to NZ$14.90. “This is a 50% reduction from Labour’s excessive charge announced just before the election of NZ$30.25 per hectare per year. “It’s now clear that the previous Labour government made a number of decisions that drove up the cost of this Registry and they expected the forestry sector to pay for their mistakes. Cabinet has agreed that the sector should not bear the brunt of Labour’s previous decisions,” Mr McClay said. “The Ministry for Primary Industries has worked hard to find efficiencies and drive down costs over the last 10 months.  We’ve also been focused on improving service delivery to ensure the Registry meets the expectations of forestry users. As a result, the annual charge has reduced significantly. “Last week, we announced the formation of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to further improve outcomes for the ETS Registry and find greater cost savings over the next year. This is an opportunity for the forestry sector and government to partner to drive better outcomes for forestry.” The new annual charge would begin in the 2024/25 financial year and stay in place until a full review is conducted after the current emissions reporting period. “This proposal is part of the Government’s promise to rebuild confidence in the forestry sector and support its role in achieving New Zealand’s exporting and emissions targets.” Consultation on the new annual charge starts today (23 October 2024) and runs for three weeks. It covers the reduced annual charge and adjustments to the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 for participants using the field measurement approach during the 2023–25 period. Following consultation, Cabinet will move quickly to finalise the regulations, giving participants clarity and certainty on charges.

Eight CFA crews were called to a fire at a local Yarram sawmill on Yarram-Morwell Road in Victoria at around 6.30pm on Monday 14 October. Source: Timberbiz On arrival crews were confronted with a difficult fire within the elevated hopper (sloped) structure, which quickly spread to adjoining bins containing several tonnes of woodchips. Quick and effective action from the on-site staff and the CFA crews limited the spread as they undertook a controlled release of the bins supported by onsite heavy machinery, while crews protected the adjoining facilities and significant timber stock. Incident Commander Ian Bounds said the fire was brought under control within two hours with minimal dollar loss or damage to the infrastructure and time down for the sawmill. “Another half hour of fire development and the job would have escalated to a significant incident requiring fire crews through the night and potentially specialist aerial units to combat the fire,” Mr Bounds said. “The fire was attended by four tankers and three operational support units from Yarram, Alberton, Jack River, Won Wron, Devon North and Port Albert.” AKD Yarram Site Manager Glen Davis expressed his appreciation to CFA crews who battled the fire. “AKD would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the CFA for their quick response and exceptional professionalism in swiftly bringing the situation under control,” Mr Davis said. “The CFA’s efforts were crucial, and we deeply appreciate the support provided to our Yarram facility.”  

The Hyne Group has welcomed news of His Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns’ visit to the Homes NSW Cowper Street development to talk about sustainable housing. Source: Timberbiz The Hyne Group proudly supplied the Cross Laminated Timber manufactured at its XLam plant in Wodonga, Victoria, and the Glue Laminated Timber, manufactured at its Maryborough plant in Queensland for this social housing development in Glebe, Sydney. The Homes NSW Cowper Street, Sydney development is in collaboration with the King’s Trust Australia and once completed, will deliver 75 much needed, sustainable social housing apartments and terrace houses. Specifically, 2,590m3 of engineered timber has been delivered to the site, which sequesters approximately 1,860 tonnes of carbon. This is the equivalent of 934 fewer cars on the road in a year. “We are very proud to have supplied our mass timber solutions to Homes NSW in collaboration with the Kings Trust Australia,” Chair of Hyne Group, Tom Bruce-Jones, said. “As a Group, we actively promote the environmental advantages of structural timber as a renewable, low carbon resource material and we are very grateful that our products were chosen by the NSW Government and Homes NSW to construct this building comprising of 75 units in Sydney. “We are absolutely delighted to learn of his Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns’ visit to this development as part of the King’s Australian schedule.” The timber is entirely locally grown in local pine plantation estates, much of which is owned by the NSW Government and Responsible Wood certified. The pine trees are approximately 30 years old at the time of harvest before being replanted. Based on this age class and the Australian pine plantation estate, the timber volume supplied for the Cowper Street Development will be regrown in approximately seven hours. For the Cross Laminated Timber, the logs are processed at Hyne Timber’s Tumbarumba sawmill before being transported to the XLam plant in Wodonga for secondary manufacturing into CLT panels. For the Glue Laminated Timber, the logs are processed at Hyne’s Tuan Mill near Maryborough before being processed into GLT at the Maryborough Glulam plant. These manufacturing plants support local, regional jobs and ensure that low carbon, sustainable building products are manufactured in Australia, for Australia. The Hyne Group is the Australian subsidiary of James Jones and Sons in the UK. His Majesty King Charles III visited James Jones & Sons’ Aboyne sawmill just 12 months ago, in October 2023. Details of the visit can be viewed at https://twitter.com/i/status/1848536865860948319

His Majesty King Charles III visited CSIRO’s National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory in Canberra, “fuelled” by his passion for the environment and interest in climate change impacts. Source: Timberbiz As the increasing impact of wildfires are being felt around the globe, The King gained insight into how Australian scientists work collaboratively to understand and predict bushfire behaviour, as well as help protect communities and fire crews during outbreaks. The visit to Australia’s national science agency was part of The King’s sustainability-themed visit to Australia and his second visit to a CSIRO Canberra site. In February 1966, a young Prince Charles visited the CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research Division at Gungahlin. CSIRO chief executive, Doug Hilton, said he was proud to show how CSIRO’s bushfire research was not just helping Australians solve a significant national challenge but aiding an international community who are sharing learnings and building resilience to these extreme events. “The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires has shown that uncontrollable and devastating wildfires are becoming an expected part of our seasonal calendars. Not just in Australia, but across the globe,” Dr Hilton said. Under climate change, countries are likely to see a greater frequency of conditions conducive to the outbreak of wildfires, even in places that haven’t historically experienced the impacts of these un-planned large fire events. This has been exemplified by events such as the Wennington wildfire that took place in east London, on 19 July 2022, during the 2022 United Kingdom heatwave. This luckily did not cause loss of life but still destroyed close to 20 houses. During his visit to the CSIRO bushfire lab, The King witnessed two bushfire demonstrations. The first involved him igniting an experimental fire in the ‘Pyrotron’ – a 29-metre-long combustion wind tunnel that enables the study of fires in a safe and controlled environment. He then met with CSIRO researchers, ACT Rural Fire Service Chief, Rohan Scott, and members of the Tidbinbilla volunteer brigade, to witness a ‘burnover‘ drill using an ACT Rural Fire Service heavy tanker. CSIRO Senior Research Scientist, Dr Matt Plucinski, who conducted the Pyrotron demonstration, said the apparatus was used to better understand bushfire behaviour and the factors that influence bushfires, such as wind and fuel types. It is also used to improve understanding of suppression effective-ness and bushfire emissions. “Understanding changing weather patterns due to climate change and the likelihood and behaviour of bushfire outbreaks helps to increase resilience in Australia and overseas, especially in regions that previously haven’t been that prone to bushfires,” Dr Plucinski said. “This research and the predictive models of bushfire spread we develop are used by fire agencies for planning suppression strategies and warning communities in the likely path of the fire.” CSIRO’s research into understanding bushfire behaviour and the weather that impacts the fires – as demonstrated by the Pyrotron, in turn helps scientists and fire agencies work out what protection fire-fighters may need in the field. CSIRO helped develop the world-leading burnover protection systems for crew-cabins in fire trucks with fire agencies including the Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS). In the ’burnover’ drill, The King was shown how these systems feature spray nozzles over the cabin, heat shields for windows and fire-resistant covers for electrical components, pumps and air hoses. The effectiveness of these crew protection systems was first put to the test in a major way during the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Victoria. Eight fire trucks were impacted by fire and all their crews emerged safely with no loss of life. These protection systems continued to provide crews with increased safety in subsequent fires including the more recent Black Summer 2019–2020 bushfires. CSIRO Bushfire Adaptation Research Leader, Justin Leonard, said the burnover protection system has now been rolled out in nearly every state and territory in Australia and his team is now sharing their knowledge with fire agencies in France and America. “We are sharing the research, both in terms of the designs for trucks and the way we validate and test the systems through the use of a purpose-built bushfire burnover simulator situated in Mogo NSW,” Mr Leonard said. “The opportunity to present this collaborative work to The King helps us amplify the important message of how we tackle bushfire in Australia and the impact of what we do. “Protecting lives and the environment as we deal with more severe and frequent bushfires is an important process for us to get right under climate change.”

The ABARES National Wood Processing Survey 2021–22 shows that in 2021-22 there were a total of 252 mills operating. This is a fall of 47 mills since 2016-17, continuing a downward trend in the number of sawmills operating over the past 30 years. Source: Timberbiz ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said ABARES estimated that of the 252 mills operating in 2021-22, 146 were hardwood sawmills, 48 softwood sawmills, 13 cypress sawmills, 20 post and pole mills, and 25 wood-based panel mills. “The falling mill numbers have predominately been driven by consolidation, with a number of the remaining mills increasing their input capacity,” Dr Greenville said. “Compared to 2016-17, sawnwood production fell by 8% to 4.3 million cubic metres, with softwood production down by 5%, hardwood production down by 21% and cypress pine down by 30%. “Sawnwood revenue for the sector was estimated to be $3 billion in 2021-22, up 8% in real terms from 2016-17. “Higher product prices have been outweighing falls in sawnwood timber production, contributing to the real increase in production value for the sector. “Survey results also show that sawmills and post and pole mills remain a strong employer in the forestry industry, with more than 7,500 employees.” In 2021-22, compared with 2016-17 Total input fell by 7% to 9.9 million cubic meters of sawlogs (including post and pole logs) being processed in Australian sawmills. This comprised of 1.6 million cubic metres of hardwood (down 16%), 8.2 million cubic metres of softwood (down 5%) and 139,000 cubic metres of cypress (down 5%). Sawnwood production fell by 8% to 4.3 million cubic metres, comprised of 561,000 cubic metres of hardwood (down 24%), 3.7 million cubic metres of softwood (down 5%), and 40,000 cubic metres of cypress pine (down 30%). An additional 317,000 of hard and softwood posts and poles were also produced. 4.4 million cubic metres of residues were also produced, comprising of 616,000 cubic metres of hardwood residues and 3.9 million cubic metres of softwood residues. This resulted in recovery rates of 39% for hardwood sawmills, 47% for softwood mills and 79% for post and pole mills. Revenue from sawnwood sales increased by 20% to $3.0 billion. This comprised of over $700 million in revenue from hardwood sales (down 24%) and $2.3 billion from softwood and cypress sawnwood sales (up 47%). The number of workers employed by sawmills and post and pole mills fell by 7% to 7,506, 85% of whom are classified as full-time workers. In addition, in 2021-22 it was noted that, the largest cost for sawmills was revealed to be logs, followed by wages. Respondents lacked a common view on the demand outlook for the next 12 months with 88% of hardwood mill respondents raised log supply as an issue, while softwood sawmills raised additional issues including product demand and access to skilled labour. Read the full report here.