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Forestry Corporation’s Elissa Tolson has been recognised as the top student in TAFE NSW’s Certificate III in Forest Operations, receiving the prestigious G&J Groves Award for outstanding achievement across the two-year course. Source: Timberbiz The award recognises excellence in practical forestry operations, safety, planning and industry knowledge. Ms Tolson was one of 20 Forestry Corporation staff to undertake the qualification alongside employees from Local Land Services, forestry contractors and members of the NSW timber industry. Currently based in Grafton, Ms Tolson works as a forestry officer overseeing hardwood timber operations across the Clarence Valley and Northern Rivers. “I work as a harvest coordinator looking after hardwood timber harvest crews and con-ducting pre-harvest forest surveys through to monitoring harvest operations and quality control audits,” Ms Tolson said. “I’ve always been interested in the environmental and scientific side of forestry. Before this, I worked at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus in Brisbane as an animal research assistant. “I got sick of living in the city, so I came home to the Coffs Coast and traded the concrete basement of a laboratory for an incredible job working outdoors in State forests. “I love being in the bush all the time and the thrill of working outdoors. It’s been a complete lifestyle change and the most amazing experience in my career where the forest is mostly my office.” TAFE NSW forestry teacher Adam Farquharson said Ms Tolson stood out throughout the course. “The Certificate III course is a 13-unit qualification undertaken over two years and is de-signed to give students an all-encompassing introduction to forestry operations across NSW,” Mr Farquharson said. “The course covers a wide range of forest types and operational environments and includes field trips to experience operations in coastal hardwoods in Grafton, softwood plantations in Tumut, cypress pine forests in Narrandera and red gum operations at Bar-ham on the Victorian border. “Students completed practical safety units, log grading and written assessments, while gaining an insight into how operations are planned and carried out in different forest types across the state. “Elissa really shone as a conscientious student. Her work and assessments were consistently top notch, and she demonstrated a genuine passion for the industry and the environment.” Ms Tolson is now planning to continue her studies undertaking Certificate IV level training focused on operational planning and crew management. She said one of the most valuable aspects of the course was the opportunity to network with forestry workers from across NSW. “The course has been a great networking opportunity because you meet people across the state who you wouldn’t normally work alongside unless you were on a fireground together,” she said. “It also opened my eyes to the variety of careers in forestry — from ecology and road planning through to harvesting and fire operations. “Being able to see how the softwood sector operates in comparison with coastal hard-wood forestry was really valuable.” An Advanced Firefighter, Ms Tolson has recently undertaken firefighting deployments to Narrabri, Bulahdelah and Tenterfield, in addition to supporting numerous fire operations across the Clarence Valley and Northern Rivers. “Firefighting is a really good skill set to have in forestry and it’s fascinating learning how fire behaves in a forest and how it can be used as a tool to safeguard communities, timber assets and wildlife from future wildfires,” she said. A large part of Ms Tolson’s role also involves tree marking and forest surveys in steep native forest terrain. “When we’re tree marking, we do surveys across forest patches under 10 hectares and usually walk between four and six kilometres a day,” she said. “I enjoy the fitness side of the job, which includes working in really steep country. Working in a forest is such a rewarding career and one that I am glad every day that I pursued.” The award sponsor, G&J Groves, has been part of the Australian forestry industry for 68 years. Established in 1957 by Geoff and Jean Groves after relocating from the Blowering Valley during the development of Blowering Dam, the company has grown into a major forestry haulage operation and remains a fourth-generation family-run business with strong ties to the NSW timber industry.  

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The Australian Forest Products Association has two submissions on foot; one is a submission for the Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment Bill and the other is a submission titled Effectiveness of sanctions against the Russian Federation. Source: Timberbiz In the Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment Bill submission AFPA says that it supports the intent of the Bill and acknowledges that many of the proposed amendments reflect important recommendations of the Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units (the Chubb Review), particularly for the integrity, governance, transparency and public confidence in the ACCU Scheme. The Scheme’s integrity is fundamental, and reforms that enhance confidence in ACCUs are both necessary and welcomed. AFPA says the integrity of carbon methods and the Scheme is essential to support investment in practical and productive abatement. It is also essential to drive opportunities to expand the ACCU scheme’s participation through productive, additive abatement methods such as could be achieved through the built environment. This will be critical for the Scheme’s long-term success and support Australia’s Net Zero commitments. In the Effectiveness of sanctions against the Russian Federation submission AFPA says that the sanctions imposed by the Australian Parliament in response to the war in the Ukraine appear to be inadequate. AFPA believes Russian Federation timber products have been rerouted in both raw and processed form through third countries to avoid Australian sanctions. In the submission AFPA says that for Australia the evidence is clear that a large volume of Russian timber is being transferred and/or transformed through China which avoids the sanctions. For Australian manufacturers the impact has been and continues to be devastating; they are losing market share to large quantities of imported product—which the macro data points to it being dumped—and the evidence also suggest that much of it is Russian timber with few other markets in the current geopolitical climate. This is at a time when our mills have reduced output due to a depressed and stagnant housing market. AFPA recommends that the Australian Government: Extend the 35% tariff on Russian products to all products containing Russian materials irrespective of where they are imported from Undertake anti-dumping actions against products containing Russian materials; and Undertake proactive compliance activity to stop and reduce the risk of Russian timber products being rerouted through other countries and imported into Australia.   You can download the Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment Bill submission here. You can download the Effectiveness of sanctions against the Russian Federation submission here.  

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The NSW Government published the Independent Forestry Panel’s Stakeholder Consultation Report. The NSW forestry industry is a complex but crucial part of the state’s economic future which needs modernising reform across both softwoods and hardwoods to capture new opportunities to move up the value chain for timber products and improve environmental outcomes. Source: Timberbiz The Independent Forestry Panel, chaired by Peter Duncan AM with other panel members Professor Mary O’Kane AC and the Hon Mick Veitch, has produced a report which outlines stakeholder feedback and areas where government should focus in the development of a future Action Plan for the forestry industry in NSW. In producing the report, the panel consulted with representatives from the timber industry, forest growers, environment groups, unions, Aboriginal communities, local government, business, related industries, tourism, scientific experts and the Commonwealth Government. Following the finalisation of the Stakeholder Report, the panel has been tasked to produce a Considerations Report. This report will accommodate the Stakeholder Report findings and identify opportunities to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the NSW forestry industry and support jobs, in the context of recent and ongoing changes, including: the NSW Government’s moratorium on logging in the proposed area for the Great Koala National Park changes to the Commonwealth’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 opportunities the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme could offer state forestry reform, including potential revenue for the NSW Government.   The Panel’s Stakeholder Report is available at https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/cabinet-office/resources/independent-forestry-panel-stakeholder-report

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May has been better than expected for export logs with prices remaining stable. Key indicators are suggesting some head winds ahead, but that nasty word “downturn” is not currently in the mix. I noted my April report differed from other commentators on a key element which is the China Eastern Seaboard inventory. My reports reflect the Softwood Log inventory, the majority of which is NZ Radiata pine. This refers to all breakbulk delivered logs held in storage, in or close to ports, supplied mostly from NZ, but also including Australia, Uruguay, and the Pacific North West. As at the first week of May, the total inventory sat at 2.6 million m3, round numbers, down 100,000 m3 on my March report. The inventory is a critical market component with buyers constantly monitoring this before setting prices. A dropping inventory right now is good for the market, but it must be emphasised, this is an overall number with some significant variations across ports. For the NZ log trade, Lanshan Port is the most significant as the largest destination for NZ logs. Lanshan is on the southern border of the Shangdong province. It is a central hub of many sawmills and as your average Boeing 737 flies, is about 480km north of Shanghai. The softwood log consumption across the Eastern Seaboard as at early May had slipped under 60,000 m3 per day but is better than expected for the time of year. Lanshan port is running at 27,000 m3 per day usage. Not all usage is NZ Radiata pine but still 35-40% of our total normal supply on an ongoing basis. Just to put this into context, 27,000 m3 is nearly 75% of the volume on a Handy Class logger vessel, of which there are more than 50 carrying NZ logs to China on a monthly basis. The reason Lanshan is highlighted in this report is because it is a key market driver for NZ logs with log price settlements across the Eastern Seaboard reflecting what is happening in Lanshan. Importantly, at mid-May, in the Shangdong and adjacent Jiangsu provinces bordering Lanshan, the log trader breakeven level being the difference between the wholesale prices traders get for NZ logs and what they pay kiwi exporters, has widened to about a US$7 per m3 shortfall. I doubt you will need an abacus to work out what could lay around the corner if prices in China do not lift to cover the breakeven margin and very quickly. Gently put, there is potential for supply demand forces 101 to not end well for NZ logs in June. The counter to what could be a negative, is the current slow-down in harvest volumes in NZ. Last month I suggested a 7% to 10% drop but that is now looking to be too conservative. The previously reported impact of increased diesel prices on harvest operations more than 100km from ports, is being doubled down by a drop in volumes from the Nelson region wind damage recovery. Some harvest of sawlogs is having to be stopped because bugs and pathogens are also really enjoying a chew down on our wonderful radiata pine lying on the ground with phytosanitary constraints now interceding on what can and cannot go to the port. On a national basis, harvest volumes are looking to be down 20% – 25%. Whilst this is healthy for holding on to export prices, domestic sawmills could run short in some regions. As reported in recent months, domestic sawmills are experiencing a lift in sales, albeit not to levels that would excite their bank managers at this stage. In India, market prices have been stable, but shipping rates are if anything firming as charterers have to pay a premium to get a fixture.  Current shipping rates are US$70 – 71 per cubic metre compared to US$42 – 43 for a China voyage. There is a growing expectation the Free Trade Agreement with India is going to ensure a much better bottom line for Kiwi forest growers with the pre-FTA tariff about US$6 – 7 per m3. We can only hope Kiwi exporters do not beat each other over the head with additional volumes which would flood the market and quickly erode the gain. As always, please remember the thoroughly important message.  “It remains fundamentally important, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”! Allan Laurie, Managing Director, Laurie Forestry.

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