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Tasmania’s timber industry is preparing for its biggest celebration yet, with nominations now open for the 2025 Tasmanian Timber Awards. The biennial event will culminate in a black-tie Gala Awards Dinner on Friday, 5 September at the Tailrace Centre in Launceston. Source: Timberbiz Proudly presented by the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network (TFFPN), the Awards bring together the sector to recognise the people, projects and passion that shape one of the state’s most vital industries. “The Tasmanian Timber Awards showcase the innovation, resilience and pride that drive this sector forward,” said Professor Julianne O’Reilly Wapstra, Chair of the TFFPN Board. “They are an opportunity to highlight those who work, often behind the scenes, to make a real difference across the supply chain. I warmly encourage individuals and organisations to submit a nomination and join us in celebrating our shared success.” Following the success of the 2019, 2021 and 2023 events, the 2025 Awards will feature 12 categories recognising excellence from the forest floor to final product including harvesting, processing, innovation, design, safety and environmental practice. Refinements to the judging and nomination process, based on industry feedback, aim to encourage wide participation and ensure the Awards remain the industry’s ‘night of nights.’ For 2023 winner, Indicium Dynamics, who received the Innovation Award, the recognition was a turning point. “Winning the Innovation Award at the 2023 Tasmanian Timber Awards highlighted the powerful role that technology can play in helping land managers understand their impact on the environment,” said Rob Vernon, CEO of Indicium Dynamics. “It also reflected our dedication to applying technology in new and practical ways to support more sustainable use of natural resources across Tasmania’s agricultural and forestry industries. “The awards are an important platform for recognising progress and innovation, we encourage others to nominate and help showcase the incredible work being done across the sector,” he said. Mike Ross, Chief Technology Officer at Indicium Dynamics said that award ceremonies play such an important role in any industry. “They give us a moment to pause and recognise the hard work, innovation and impact being achieved not just within individual organisations, but across the sector as a whole. “They also create space to share ideas, inspire others, and build a sense of momentum around what’s possible when we work towards a common goal.” Dr Nathan Kotlarewski, winner of the 2023 Emerging Leader in the Tasmanian Timber Industry Award, said the recognition shines a light on the values that define the sector. The Tasmanian Timber Awards reflect the holistic network of relationships, resilience, leadership and best practice within our communities. They highlight the innovation, dedication and sustainable practices that define our industry and the people who choose to be part of it. “We celebrate these awards to demonstrate local excellence and inspire future generations to champion a future where timber continues to be a cornerstone of Tasmania’s economy and communities,” he said Guests at the Gala Awards Dinner can look forward to an evening of connection, inspiration and celebration with fine food, outstanding company and the remarkable stories behind Tasmania’s timber sector on full display. “We’re expecting another sell-out event and look forward to welcoming everyone, from trainees to trailblazers, to what promises to be an unforgettable evening,” Professor O’Reilly said. Nominations for the 2025 Tasmanian Timber Awards are now open. To view the full list of award categories, nomination criteria and ticketing information go to https://www.tffpn.com.au/tta-award-categories/  

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The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) thanks Minister for the Environment, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, for the invitation to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Reforms Roundtable, in Canberra. Source: Timberbiz The key message from AFPA to those assembled was that reform of Australia’s environmental laws must recognise the nation’s environmental, economic, and social goals and that sustainable native forestry and much needed plantation forestry is vital if Australia is to achieve its decarbonisation ambitions. Attended by AFPA Chief Executive Officer Diana Hallam, the Roundtable included representatives from across environmental, industry and property sectors, and discussed the Albanese Government’s EPBC Act reform agenda, including the establishment of a national Environment Protection Agency (EPA) along with National Environmental Standards. “When invited by the Minister to speak, I made it clear that we support EPBC Act reform, but that sustainable native and plantation forestry must be allowed to continue and grow in recognition of its importance to Australia’s climate goals,” Ms Hallam said. “I alerted those gathered that in the five years since the independent review of the EPBC Act (the Samuel Review) was handed to government there have been many developments in science, innovation and data capture that demonstrate forestry’s improved custodianship of the environment. “We have also seen some terrible consequences arising from decisions made in haste that have been to the detriment of forest industries and the environment. “For example, since the removal of the Victorian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) and abolition of VicForests, the Victorian Government is now forced to pay forest contractors $72 million annually for bushfire management. “Expanses of Victorian Mountain Ash have failed to regrow following severe bushfires, something VicForests would have been legally required to address, and uncertainty reigns because EPBC Act approval requirements remain unclear without the RFA and VicForests guidance impeding plantation investment. “More recently an Australian Federal Court decision in January 2024 confirmed that Regional Forest Agreements are achieving the objects of the EPBC Act and it is noteworthy that the NSW North East RFA references the EPBC Act 94 times. “Improvements to Australia’s environmental laws will help provide regulatory certainty and allow Australia’s forest industries to be rightfully acknowledged as leading practitioners of ecologically sustainable development. “Without native and plantation forestry, we cannot protect the environment, and we cannot decarbonise the economy. A strong forestry sector is required to meet so many of Australia’s future challenges, and its essential the Albanese Government’s EPBC Act Reforms support a strong forestry industry going forward,” Ms Hallam concluded.

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More than 650 of the world’s top timber engineers have attended the opening ceremony of the World Conference on Timber Engineering in Brisbane. Source: Jason Ross The first WCTE to be held in Australia, home to some of the world’s most ambitious mid-rise and high-rise timber buildings — Professor Keith Crews, chair of WCTE 2025, welcomed delegates from 44 countries to the June 22-26 conference, which will eventually see up to 1000 delegates attend the five-day conference. Addressing a packed auditorium at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in South Bank, Professor Crews revealed that behind Australia (with 250 delegates), Japan (127), Canada (68), the United States (60), New Zealand (52) and Germany were the countries with the most representatives at the conference, with this year’s theme focused on “Advancing Timber for the Future Building Environment.” Among the delegates was Karl-Heinz Weiss, the first of several keynote speakers at the conference. Speaking to from the auditorium stage, Weiss, considered a pioneer in UK and Australian-based engineered timber, said that Australia’s timber engineering history dates back more than a century. “Atlassian (the 39-storey hybrid skyscraper that is currently under construction over Sydney’s Central Station) is making headlines, but its background is much deeper,” he said.

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