Australian timber industry news

Seppie’s Microsoil rc is a compact yet robust stone crusher designed for radio-controlled crawler vehicles or mini loaders with 30-80 HP. Originally developed for building mountain bike trails, this lightweight stone crusher is equally suited for creating or maintaining hard-to-reach paths. Source: Timberbiz The unit is available in working widths of 85 cm and 105 cm, making it ideal for various applications. It can crush stones up to 15 cm in size and works to a depth of up to 10 cm. The Microsoil rc is perfect for hilly terrain and mountainous regions, especially when paired with a radio-controlled crawler. Safety features include front chains and a rear rubber protection with flaps, enhancing operational safety. The skid shoes are height-adjustable for depth control, tapering to a sharp edge for clean material handling. The housing is constructed from high-strength, wear-resistant AR400 steel and is equipped with replaceable wear plates. Its robust construction and stone-crushing tools, similar to those used in larger tractor-mounted machines, ensure a long service life. The Microsoil rc is powered by a high-performance M-Boost motor with a displacement of 60-80 cm³, offering automatically regulated intake volume and 40% higher torque compared to standard engines. Carbon chain timing belts ensure efficient transmission of high torque. The fixed wide tools Super Duo Protect feature double tips and tungsten carbide inserts, while the outer tools Super Duo Protect Extreme have additional side inserts. Carbide makes the tools highly effective for breaking hard rock. For smooth operation, the fixed tools are arranged in a spiral on the rotor. (Helix Wave Technology) The rotor housing includes two crushing bars made of AR400 steel and an adjustable anvil for determining the degree of crushing. As an accessory, a movable mounting plate with side shift is available, which can be configured with a Max le radio-controlled crawler from Seppi M. This attachment allows the stone crusher to move laterally to the right and left and tilt forward and upward during operation, enabling the Microsoil rc to adapt flexibly to different terrains.

More than 175 tonnes of illegal timber bound for Asia has been seized in transit as part of a global operation to tackle timber trafficking. Source: Timberbiz Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO), along with police, border control and customs officials from more than 100 different countries were involved in the operation, tracing the timber from Asia via ocean freight to Indonesia and Kenya. Alongside the seized timber, investigators also recovered more than 20,000 live animals and made more than 350 arrests. In a statement, Interpol said: “Authorities also investigated online activities and found suspects using multiple profiles and linked accounts across social media platforms and marketplaces to expand their reach.” Interpol has estimated that the trade in black-market timber could be worth up to $150 billion a year (between 15% and 30% of the total value of global forest products). A 2023 report by DW Europe found that in that year 120 million tons of European timber had no official certificate of origin.

As part of its membership of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, Timber Development UK has published an updated Green Claims Policy. This is a vital part of its commitment to best practice and setting a benchmark for transparent practices in the timber industry. Source: Timberbiz As a signatory to the Charter, Timber Development UK is committed to upholding the highest standards of responsible marketing and communications practice. The purpose of the Green Claims Policy is to define the standards and practices adopted throughout the organisation to ensure green claims made about timber products/services are accurate and substantiated. This policy applies to all the forms of marketing and communications TDUK or our members may use, including television, radio, online marketing (including social media and influencer marketing), direct marketing, shopper marketing, packaging, events, trade, sales and other professional promotions and communications. “TDUK signing up to the Anti-Greenwash Charter is a crucial step in promoting transparency and integrity within the timber industry. We want to encourage the whole industry to commit to clear, honest, and evidence-based environmental claims, so that together we can help build trust with consumers, support sustainable practices, and strengthen the industry’s credibility,” Charlie Law, TDUK’s Sustainability Director, said. To ensure ongoing compliance, Timber Development UK participates in Campaign Reviews conducted by an independent third party. These reviews assess its marketing and communications campaigns against its Green Claims Policy, verifying that all claims are evidence-backed, and responsibly communicated. In addition to this policy, all marketing and communications must at all times comply with the relevant local laws and regulations. Timber Development UK commits to the standards of communication set out in The Anti Greenwash Charter, and requires all of members to abide by these standards, which are as follows: Transparency: We commit to clear communication of what sustainability benefit our product or service offers and will not conceal or omit information. Accountability: We substantiate our sustainability claims with accurate and regularly evaluated empirical evidence. We commit to sharing facts, figures and statements that can be checked. Fairness: We commit to using fair, clear and unambiguous language when providing comparisons with other products or organisations. Honesty: We will ensure we make specific statements about our organisation’s sustainability efforts and that our actions match those promises.

TAFE Queensland and Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ) have partnered to deliver the Industry Trainer Program, a key initiative in MSQ’s Annual Training Plan for 2024-25. Source: Timberbiz This collaboration will address critical skills gaps in the manufacturing sector by empowering experienced trade and professionally qualified staff and leaders to effectively transfer skills and knowledge. The Industry Trainer Program is a fully funded, accredited skill set designed to deliver essential skills in workplace-based learning. The program will assist manufacturers to retain critical skills and knowledge in their workplaces, enable effective succession planning and showcase career pathways in training and assessment. MSQ Chief Executive Rebecca Andrews, said the program will be particularly beneficial for emerging leaders, supervisors, and recently promoted employees in manufacturing. “This initiative addresses the industry-wide challenge of retaining skills and knowledge in manufacturing businesses. By developing workplace trainers, we’re facilitating knowledge transfer and preserving critical in-house skills, which are fundamental to a manufacturer’s capabilities. “This program is a strategic investment in our workforce, ensuring that valuable expertise is not lost. It aligns perfectly with our mission to future-proof Queensland’s manufacturing industry by cultivating a skilled and adaptable workforce. The program is part of MSQ’s $1.36 million Annual Training Plan investment in the “Training and skills” priority area. The skill set, delivered by TAFE Queensland comprises critical units to support knowledge transfer. TAFE Queensland General Manager of the South West Region, Kate Venables, said the partnership was an example of how the organisation is partnering with industry to train the state’s workforce in the skills required now and into the future. “We are constantly shaping our training products and our delivery modes to ensure our training meets current and future employment demands. Through partnerships like with Manufacturing Skills Queensland, TAFE Queensland can continue to assist employers to innovate and grow their businesses,” said Ms Venables. Available to all eligible manufacturing industry employees, the Industry Trainer Program aims to enhance teaching and supervisory skills, ensuring employees are well-equipped to efficiently and effectively train others in the workplace. Participants will undertake a self-directed, six-week online course with two optional one-hour virtual sessions each week with topics on how to present, communications skills and facilitating learning a variety of work contexts. The Queensland Manufacturing industry generated $26.8 billion of value add in 2023-2024 accounting for 5.20% of Gross State Product. MSQ encourages the manufacturing workforce in Queensland to take advantage of this exciting professional development opportunity. Enrolments are open with classes commencing every week from mid-February 2025. For more information or to register your interest visit www.tafeqld.edu.au/msq

Next month’s ABARES Outlook 2025 conference will be a unique event for the Australian agriculture industry, offering an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in cross-cutting conversations around agriculture’s productivity, sustainability, and the possibilities that are ahead. Source: Timberbiz Themed ‘Insights for Action: Fostering Growth in a Changing World,’ the conference will bring together influential Australian and international speakers, including industry leaders, government representatives, and experts, to discuss the future of agriculture in the face of global shifts. Taking place at Hotel Realm Canberra and online on 4-5 March 2025, the conference will feature 12 engaging sessions, designed to foster knowledge exchange, debate, and deliver actionable insights. Participants will explore key issues such as uncertainty around the future of trade, sustainable productivity and net zero, the evolving role of data, Indigenous agricultural enterprise, farm input security, capital investment, workforce and more. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville will deliver the Economic Outlook for Australian agriculture on opening morning. “The effects of climate change, resource scarcity, geopolitical instability, and changing market conditions mean we need to seriously consider our responsiveness and adaptability,” Dr Greenville said. “Understanding economic trends and productivity hurdles is essential for developing resilient agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors and supply chains.” Dr Greenville said this year also marks 80 years since ABARES was first established a research organisation. “ABARES has a rich history and a wealth of expertise in applied economic and scientific research used to provide timely input to industry and government decision-making,” Dr Greenville said. “Insights from ABARES will be shared at the conference alongside expert views from industry, government and academia to highlight some of challenges, evolving needs and solutions for the sector.” For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be streamed online, allowing a broader audience of industry stakeholders to participate remotely. Registration is now open for both in-person and online participation as well as for the exclusive Welcome Sundowners networking function starting 5pm on 4 March. There is still time to explore sponsorship options and be a part of the event. For more details about the program, speakers and registration, here.

Recent pulp and paper mill closure announcements in New Zealand are set to be replaced by more positive news of exciting moves for using log harvests. Several startups are in development to use forest resources for higher value export products both locally and overseas according to forest technology director, John Stulen. Source: Timberbiz “Industry leaders from across the forestry supply chain are getting behind a new initiative to support new technologies and processes for extracting high value chemicals from logs and other forestry byproducts from sawmills,” Mr Stulen said. Local entrepreneurs are already developing new products from sustainable resources: Making graphite using CarbonScape technology produces high-quality, sustainable bio graphite from renewable materials for greener lithium-ion batteries. An international forest company Stora Enso is now backing them. Another success story is AgriSea. They are creating the world’s first commercial seaweed nanocellulose facility. Nanocellulose is a high value material with tensile strength stronger than steel and a coefficient of expansion less than glass making it a very high-performance material in many applications. Port Blakely New Zealand Essential Oils (PBNZEO), is a global leader in sustainable essential oil production, is among the first essential oil producers worldwide NZ Bio Forestry is a multi-national company that focuses on transforming plantation forestry biomass into biofuels, bio-chemicals and innovative materials. “To bring our industry innovators together we are pleased to announce a new conference called Forest Bioeconomy Innovations. It will run on 20-21 May 2025 in Rotorua. We are bringing international startup leaders together with forest and wood technology innovators to supercharge new processes to complement and eventually replace pulp and paper mills to some degree,” Mr Stulen said. “We are also working closely with officials and the Minister at MPI/Te Uru Rakau, Scion’s bioeconomy experts and key industry leaders to showcase sustainable and potential bioeconomy export products from New Zealand’s vast forest resources.” For more information visit https://innovatek.co.nz/hubs/forest-bioeconomy/

There are less than two weeks remaining to apply for the Round 10 of Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, a game-changing grants program supporting industry-driven projects that provide tangible improvements to heavy vehicle safety and reduce the risk of road trauma across Australia. Source: Timberbiz The Australian Government has committed $4.2 million in grants to Round 10 of the program, with any business or association involved in the heavy vehicle industry looking to address a safety gap or issue encouraged to apply. Submissions will close at 5pm AEST 17 February 2025. The application form and project guidelines, which detail eligibility and the submission process, are available at www.nhvr.gov.au/hvsi National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Interim CEO Janelle van de Velde said the HVSI program is an invaluable opportunity for organisations, businesses and innovators within the heavy vehicle industry and wider supply chain, to contribute to making Australia’s roads safer for all road users. “Tragically, we saw far too many lives lost on Australian roads last year, so it’s crucial we continue funding innovative projects that increase compliance and deliver safety benefits for the heavy vehicle industry and wider community,” Ms van de Velde said. “Through previous rounds of the HVSI, we’ve been able to get crucial road safety programs off the ground, including a program that will equip 50 heavy vehicles with new, high-quality Automated External Defibrillators and increase knowledge and confidence of truck drivers to provide bystander first aid.” Ms van de Velde said the NHVR is looking to support initiatives that address one of the key themes of safer drivers, safer vehicles or safer road user environment. “If you have a project, program, or campaign that will make a difference, I encourage you to submit an application. “Whether it’s cutting-edge technology, driver education, or evidence-based material development – this funding is set to help you make a real impact. “I look forward to seeing the meaningful change this next round brings to road safety across Australia.”  

Nine fire specialists from Forestry Corporation have deployed to Victorian fire fronts as part of an interstate NSW firefighting contingency. Source: Timberbiz Victoria is currently experiencing significant bushfire activity near Horsham with large fires burning in the Grampians and Little Desert National Parks. NSW fire agencies have assisted through the deployment of firefighters and Incident Management Team personnel. Four Forestry Corporation staff members responded on Saturday, 1 February and a further five Forestry Corporation fire specialists deployed on Thursday, 6 February. “While we have had fires in NSW and the threat especially in the south and the west is not over yet, it is important to share resources around the country when we can,” Forestry Corporation’s Senior Manager Fire and Natural Hazards Rebel Talbert said. “Our firefighters are highly skilled and experienced in Australian bushland firefighting and are always ready to lend a hand in regional NSW or further afield.” Group Leader Gary Miller from Wauchope deployed for seven days as an Operations Officer in the IMT at Ararat. “We were there to give the local Victorian IMT personnel some time off as they have been fighting fires and overseeing the fire management since December with major efforts involved in the containment of the fires in the Grampians,” Mr Miller said. “It was great to assist our colleagues in Victoria, a great learning experience in training on the Victorian fire systems and a good opportunity to share fire knowledge across the multi-agency IMT.” Mr Miller was deployed to Victoria alongside firefighters Hannah Mangnall and Bronson Lovett from Wauchope and Daniel Macaree and James Martin from Maitland. A second firefighting field crew has started their seven-day deployment. This deployment is made up of Aden Hitchcock from Dorrigo, David McLaughlin from Coffs Harbour, Paul Douglas from Wauchope and Daniel Carey from Taree. Forestry Corporation’s nine personnel have deployed as part of the 200-strong NSW deployment alongside NSW Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife, Fire and Rescue NSW and State Emergency Services personnel.

The State Government in Victoria says it is helping to create more jobs in former forestry towns, increasing employment and delivering a boost to the local economy. Source: Timberbiz, photo Four Peaks Pastoral Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced $50,000 for Four Peaks Pastoral Pty Ltd to expand its business and employ former forestry workers as part of Round 1 of the Forestry Transition Fund. The business utilises the local skilled workforce to provide farmers and producers around Omeo, Swifts Creek and surrounding district with agricultural services. Business owner Stewart Moroney started the business after seeing a need for workers with unique skill sets to supplement the agricultural workforce in peak periods. Four Peaks provides a range of agricultural services, including fencing, shearing, pest control and harvest support. The grant will enable Four Peaks to purchase equipment including tool kits, portable livestock handling equipment and a vehicle mounted spray system. The business will employ full time farm support workers with general skill sets for the initial start-up phase, with a preference to employ workers previously employed in the native timber industry. Round 2 of the Forestry Transition Fund is now open. Proposal must support job creation and business development in communities impacted by the end of native timber harvesting. A $20,000 employment incentive payment for the employment of ex-native timber workers is also available. Applications for Round 2 will close on 31 October 2025. For more information visit www.deeca.vic.gov.au/forestry or call 1800 318 182.

The Millari Group Australia is set to start producing LVL, plywood, and timber for the Australian Timber Industry after recently agreeing to acquire the 25-ha Juken Gisborne facilities in New Zealand, to be rebranded as Millari NZ. Settlement is currently expected to occur later this month. Source: Timberbiz The Gisborne manufacturing facility is located on the North Island of New Zealand and specialises in producing LVL, plywood and structural Radiata pine products. With a perfect mix of engineered products and solid pine framing, the mill will be an asset best suited to ease the burden on businesses in Australia, which have been forced to rely on imported products due to the lack of local manufacturing. True Blue Timber, which has been supplying high-quality and reliable imported products to Australia’s leading wholesalers, will now be driving local LVL and timber production for the Australian industry with the Millari NZ facilities. With a significant investment over the next three years to increase the current capacities, Millari NZ plans to establish direct LVL, plywood and sawmill production for the Australian industry, including LVL E14, E13, E10, and LVL Formwork; structural and non-structural plywood panels and MGP and F-graded Radiaita pine, and H2, H3 and H4-treated pine. Millari NZ will ship LVL, plywood and sawmill products with AS/NZS standards directly to Australia’s Eastern Coast, significantly decreasing Australia’s timber industry’s dependence on imports from Europe and Asia. “Our Millari NZ facility in Gisborne will be on track to increase the output capacity of LVL, plywood and timber production over the next few years as we invest in new machinery and technology for the 35,000m2 factory,” owner and CEO Ryan Yari said. “With these exciting facilities alongside our True Blue Timber operations, we will continue to offer the Australian industry a reputable and reliable ongoing source of high-quality EWP (engineered wood products) and timber products and deliver them directly with quick turnarounds.” The Millari NZ Gisborne facility was closed in March 2024 and will re-open in the coming months, providing jobs and opportunities to the Gisborne community of 38,000 people. “JNL Gisborne has been the cornerstone of the community for many years, and it will be Millari Group’s pleasure to restore it to its former glory,” Mr Yari said. “The Millari Group team is excited about the new challenge ahead and looks forward to being a part of the Gisborne community for many years to come.” Millari Group Australia includes True Blue Timber, True Blue LVL, and True Blue Plywood, and Millari NZ supplies FSC 100% timber products to Australia’s leading timber and hardware retailers. For more information visit https://truebluetimber.com.au/

A comprehensive report into the Limestone Coast timber industry has been released following a five-year review. The Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry in the Limestone Coast released the 83-page document on Wednesday which also provided 17 recommendations. Source: The Border Watch The recommendations ranged from OneFortyOne’s plantation lease agreement to the pursuit of a National Forest Industry Code of Conduct. Other main recommendations included the definition of sawlog and pulplog be made consistent throughout the industry and there be a mandatory reporting of monthly export prices by all exporters to a government agency. The committee first formed about five years ago and despite a shift in committee members, there had been substantial evidence given from across the state. Throughout the years, 13 submissions were made to the committee as well as about 30 in person witness statements. Speaking on the outcome of the report, committee chairperson Nicola Centofanti said she was pleased the industry was finally seeing the results of a “significant body of work”. “The timber industry has had a proud 150-year history here in South Australia and is the product of generations of hard working and dedicated innovators, both big and small,” Ms Centofanti said. “This report acknowledges some of the challenges and opportunities the forest industry faces, and the committee has worked tirelessly to form evidence-based recommendations to government to ensure the continued success of this vital industry.” Other key areas of concern included water security, calling on the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate all aspects of water allocation planning. “Water resources are vital for the production of food and fibre and we need to ensure that forestry has equitable access to these resources in order to grow the forestry estate into the future,” Ms Centofanti said. A National Forest Industry Code of Conduct and further investment into road infrastructure was also highlighted. Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven said she welcomed the conclusion of the committee five years after its establishment in 2020. “The establishment of the timber select committee was done at a time when the timber industry in South Australia was experiencing a downturn in supply of timber for processors in South Australia,” Ms Scriven said. “Five years on and the challenges facing the industry have evolved with supply of timber stabilising across the industry.” She said the industry employs both directly and indirectly about 21,000 South Australians and contributes $3b to the state’s economy each year. A further 60% of Australia’s agricultural timbers, such as poles, posts and fencing and 48 per cent of the packaging and industrial grade timber originated from the South Australian Forest Industry. “The state government understands the forest industry is an enormous contributor to the South Australian economy,” Ms Scriven said. “As such, I will be considering all the recommendations along with further consulting with industry about the proposed recommendations before considering next steps.” She said regardless, many of the recommendations which were proposed by the committee were actions the state government were already addressing including further research funding, investment into tree breeding and advocating for the National Forest Industry Code of Conduct. South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) chief executive Nathan Paine also welcomed the report, stating it was involved in the inquiry. “We have provided submissions and oral evidence and we are pleased the committee has tabled this report,” Mr Paine said. “We have not yet had the chance to review it in detail and so we will be doing it in due course but as the industry moves to celebrate its 150-year anniversary of plantation forestry and industry we are pleased to talk about the importance of the forest industry to South Australia.” He said SAFPA had been working closely with the current government regarding a range of policy measures including the contribution to the Forestry of Excellence, artificial intelligent cameras at fire towers and the forestry masterplan. “Any opportunity for our leaders to be talking about forest industries is positive and, in this case, primary industries because that is contemplated…the focus really is about the four critical things at the moment which is the current soft economic conditions that the industry is facing and the challenges that has caused,” Mr Paine said. “If we look forward, we are focused on getting more trees on the ground so we have got more resources for processes, getting more support for small to medium processes to improve their recovery rates and be more competitive and driving more use of South Australian grown and processed timber in our built environment.” He said other items highlighted throughout the report such as education for careers within the forestry industry had already been addressed through the Woodwork campaign launched last year. “We are a foundational industry, we support the success of other industries and we will be as an association talking to both the government and the opposition as we head into the 2026 election,” Mr Paine said. “This includes the policy and solutions that this industry needs to not just continue but to grow, to create more jobs, to sequester more carbon and create more economic prosperity.”  

Stora Enso and ECOR Global are paving the way for a new era in the board and panel industry by enabling a groundbreaking product that combines superior sustainability with less harmful chemicals. Source: Timberbiz By replacing fossil-based binders with its bio-based, formaldehyde-free alternative, NeoLigno, addresses the growing demand for safer, more environmentally friendly materials, setting a new benchmark for innovation and responsibility in the sector. Stora Enso said that its NeoLigno bio-based binder is an integral part of ECOR Global’s new product line, a groundbreaking fully bio-based, recyclable and formaldehyde-free board. This innovation meets the increasing demand for healthier, recyclable, high-performance materials, particularly in furniture and flooring manufacturing. The collaboration partnership between Stora Enso and ECOR Global underscores a shared vision for advancing sustainability and high climate ambitions. By replacing traditional fossil-based binders with NeoLigno, ECOR Global has successfully created a product free from formaldehyde and isocyanates, eliminating harmful chemicals while delivering performance. The two companies’ technical collaboration is leading to additional breakthroughs solidifying their commitment to sustainability. “This collaboration is an excellent example of how our bio-based solutions can unlock new opportunities for our clients doing good for the people and the planet,” said Tuomo Heikkinen, VP Head of Biochemicals and Lignin Applications at Stora Enso. “With NeoLigno, we’re helping companies like ECOR Global to lead the way in creating safer and more sustainable materials for their industries.” The new board offers versatility, making it ideal for furniture and flooring applications and exhibition materials at trade shows, as it is fully recyclable and reusable. Production is already underway.

JCB celebrated a major machine milestone with the production of its one millionth backhoe loader. The first JCB backhoe rolled off the production line in Rocester, Staffordshire in 1953. Source: Timberbiz In the first full year of production in 1954 just 35 of the machines were built and it took more than 20 years for the first 50,000 to be made. It took 59 years for the first half million JCB Backhoes to be manufactured but less than 13 years for the next half million to be produced, culminating in today’s celebrations. Hundreds of Backhoe Boader employees lined the road outside JCB’s World HQ, joining company Chairman Anthony Bamford to watch a cavalcade of 16 Backhoes from down the ages. These spanned a 1954 Mark I through to a 2025 3CX model. Also joining in the celebrations today was retired JCB employee Ken Harrison, aged 100, who joined JCB as a welder in 1952 when only 29 people worked on the shop floor. Mr Harrison, one of the last known survivors of the production team that built the first JCB backhoes, retired 36 years later in 1988. I am the only person in the business now who can remember the early days when we first started to make backhoes in what was a former cheese factory in Rocester. Looking back at that time, I could never have imagined that we would make one million of these diggers after such humble beginnings. JCB has always invested heavily in its Backhoe Loader range and an early catalyst for growth was in 1980 which saw the £24 million launch of the technologically advanced 3CX. Customers then went on to reap the fuel saving benefits of the launch of JCB Backhoes powered by the JCB Dieselmax, a development which saves up to 11% in fuel costs. Today’s 3CX Pro is the fastest Backhoe Loader in the world, capable of speeds up to 50kph, reducing travel time between sites. JCB Backhoes are manufactured in the UK, India and Brazil and the company sells the product in 120 different countries. The business unit which manufactures the machines has previously won six Queen’s Awards. The one millionth JCB Backhoe to be produced was a 4CX model, which was decorated in graffiti art by London-based artist and illustrator Dave Smith and presented to Lord Bamford.

In 2025, it will be 55 years since forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgren founded a forest machine factory in Vieremä, Finland. The anniversary year will start on a high note as the 21,000th PONSSE forest machine has been manufactured and will be delivered to Scheff Logging & Trucking from Minnesota, USA. Source: Timberbiz Scheff Logging & Trucking Inc. is a family business established in 1977. Today, Jhace Pearson, the company’s representative in the third generation, will come over to the Ponsse factory with his best friend Matthew Vosika to receive their new Ponsse Buffalo. Throughout its history, the Finnish family-owned company has focused on the development and production of cut-to-length forest machines and the provision of maintenance services for them. While all forest machines are still manufactured in Vieremä, Ponsse is at home in forests around the world, as the company currently operates in the logging sites of almost 40 countries. “Since the earliest days, Ponsse’s driving force has been the belief that only the best people, in cooperation with customers and stakeholders, can develop and manufacture the best forest machines in the world. “Still today, forest machines are developed and manufactured in the same way by more than 2,000 Ponsse employees. As a result of long-term cooperation, Ponsse has grown over the years to become the world’s leading manufacturer of cut-to-length forest machines,” said Jarmo Vidgren, Chair of Ponsse’s Board of Directors. In honour of the anniversary, we are going on a worldwide tour to meet our customers and stakeholders.” In accordance with the theme of the anniversary year “Logging together worldwide”, Ponsse is celebrating the milestone by inviting customers, stakeholders and Ponsse people to join the anniversary tour. The anniversary tour starts from Finland on 18 March and continues around the world during the year.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that there will be an event in Australia but for other event details visit: https://events.ponsse.com/

Scion believes gene technology is key to delivering significant benefits for New Zealand, and we support proposed regulatory changes to better enable its development. Source: Timberbiz In its submission on the government’s Gene Technology Bill, the Crown Research Institute says the changes will help New Zealand remain competitive on a global scale. “Other countries are already adopting gene technologies to generate economic benefits and protect human and environmental health while developing cleaner and more sustainable processes,” Dr Alec Foster, Scion’s acting General Manager – Forests to Biobased Products said. “To remain competitive, New Zealand needs a regulatory framework that enables collaborative advanced technology development while honouring our unique cultural heritage and environmental stewardship responsibilities.” The Bill’s purpose is to enable the safe use of gene technologies and regulated organisms by managing the risks they pose to people and the environment. Dr Foster says it will facilitate a collaborative, co-ordinated science approach that will give New Zealand a pathway towards economic prosperity, social advancement and environmental innovation. “These proposed regulations lay the foundations for New Zealand’s future bioeconomy – where advances in food and fibre production and sustainable technology drive economic growth and tackle global challenges.” Consultation on the Bill is open until 17 February and Scion encourages people to share their views as part of this process. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently announced plans to ease restrictions on gene technologies by the end of 2025 to enable research and product development. This change will boost New Zealand’s productivity and innovation across healthcare, climate solutions and export markets. “New Zealand has historically relied on imported gene technology products, while our regulations have constrained domestic research and innovation,” Dr Foster said. “Now, as technologies advance and global regulations evolve, New Zealand is modernising its regulatory framework to capitalise on these opportunities.” As New Zealand’s leading institute for industrial biotechnology and forestry, Scion is pioneering multiple gene technology projects. This research delivers sustainable solutions across biofuels, bioplastics, high-value chemicals and nutraceuticals, using waste biomass and greenhouse gases as feedstocks. “We’re advancing research on enhanced carbon sequestration in trees and conducting world-first field trials of gene-edited conifers designed to improve forest productivity and enable future biorefinery applications,” Dr Foster said. These and other initiatives help showcase the direct benefits of gene technology in addressing complex environmental and economic challenges, particularly across the forestry and industrial sectors.

Berninneit, the Cowes, Victoria cultural centre, whose internal design is dominated by Gippsland native hardwood timber, has won yet another award – the Public Building category in the 2024 Sustainability Awards. Source: Gippsland Times, Philip Hopkins The building defeated entries from the City of Sydney, upgrades to Redfern station, the Northcote Aquatics and Recreation Centre and an animal rehoming centre in Blacktown. The Sustainability Awards is described as Australia’s longest running and most prestigious award program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture. ‘Berninniet’ – ‘Gathering Together’ in the Boon Wurrung indigenous language encompasses a 260-seat performing arts theatre, a cinema, gallery, library, historical museum, events spaces and community meeting rooms. Sitting at the heart of it is glue-laminated timber (MASSLAM) huge beams 5.9 metres long and columns 4.2 metres high, all 42cm wide from Australian Sustainable Hardwoods at Heyfield. There were more than 250 entries submitted to the 2024 awards from all across Australia. This was the fifth award for the building. Others were: The 2024 National Architecture Award for Public Architecture. The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture Awards at the 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards and was shortlisted in three other categories: Regional Architecture, Sustainable Architecture and Interior Architecture. Bass Coast Shire Council and the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation received an Excellence in Geographic Place Naming award at the 2024 Victorian Geospatial Excellence awards; and The Australian Interior Design Award for Public Design. MASSLAM 45 is the proprietary strength of ASH’s uniquely strong hardwood glulam. “Vic Ash glulam timber is the essential structural element for the building,” Thom McCarthy, an interior designer with Jackson Clements Burrows, the project architects and designers, told the Gippsland Times last year. “They formed the Grand Hall, the spine of the building connected to all the rooms – the artistic and library at each end, and the function rooms in the centre. They were the three major tenants of the community facility. “Glulam columns are very striking; we have had tremendous experience with them in student residential projects. We were keen to express them as much as possible. They formed a lot of the internal pallet, and at the library end.” The award for Berninneit was one of three won by Jackson Clements Burrows, who won ‘Best of the Best’ and the award for Commercial Architecture for their T3 commercial building in Collingwood. ASH’s Masslam was also extensively used in the T3 building. Design work on Berninneit began in 2015. Several schemes followed before JCB took on the job in 2020.  

Professor Jeff Morrell has commenced as the first Director of Mount Gambier’s Forestry Centre of Excellence, ready to lead the centre into its next chapter as an international leader in forest industries for research, education, product and market development. Source: Timberbiz Globally renowned for his distinguished career in wood durability, Professor Morrell was selected following an international search. Professor Morrell has spent more than three decades leading the durability program at Oregon State University in the United States. He was also the director for the Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life based at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland from 2018 to 2023. The centre is a collaborative project between the State Government, the University of South Australia (UniSA) and the forest industry. The Centre is on the same site as the UniSA Mount Gambier campus, the new Mount Gambier Technical College, and the Mount Gambier TAFE – providing a unique opportunity to create an education, training, and research precinct. Vital research has already been underway including projects on: structural timber market access improving safety fire detection from cameras and satellites suppression, recovery, and analysis of digital forestry data using artificial intelligence immersive data analytics using VR and AR to understand the implications of climate change on plantation growth yield and water use. “I’m very pleased to join the team at Mount Gambier to help move the Forestry Centre of Excellence forward and I’m honoured to have been chosen to help direct the centre,” Prof Morrell said. “It’s an exciting time to be in forestry in Australia with the resurgence in interest in our discipline over the past few years and the support for the centre from industry, the State Government and Federal Government highlights the growing importance of our forests. “I am excited to work across the discipline to help create a vibrant Forestry Centre of Excellence that builds upon the many excellent projects already underway and contributes to the state. “I thank (Forestry Minister) Clare Scriven for her very dedicated support for establishing the centre as well as the various advisory bodies that have fostered this process. I look forward to working with her to help make the Centre a credit to the University, Industry and State.” Ms Scriven said Prof Morrell’s commencement as director is the latest in a series of exciting milestones for the Forestry Centre of Excellence following the successful launch late last year and imminent start of construction on the new facilities. “The Forestry Centre of Excellence will consolidate the Green Triangle’s strengths which have been built over generations and maximise the wealth of local knowledge, expertise and skills. “The (centre’s) focus on delivering global leading research, development and education will enhance the competitiveness, diversification and prosperity of the Green Triangle regional economy and communities, while building overall resilience in the Australian forest industry,” she said.

South Australia is celebrating a major milestone in its history with 2025 marking the 150th anniversary of the state’s forest and timber industries. Acknowledging this remarkable milestone, Members of Parliament, industry leaders and stakeholders gathered at the 2025 Parliamentary Friends of Forestry event to celebrate the foundational legacy of the industry and recognises South Australia as the birthplace of the nation’s commercial plantation forests. Source: Timberbiz From the first hectare of trees planted in 1875 in the Bundaleer Forests in the Mid-North, the industry has grown to 176,000 hectares, directly and indirectly supports over 21,300 jobs, processes the fibre that supports new homes, pallets that move the products we buy and many other industries. Our plantation forests are the foundation of our state’s future. South Australia has long been at the forefront of innovation and sustainable forest management and the launch of the 150th celebrations mark a proud reflection of the industry’s enduring success and its growing importance to the State’s economic value chain, regional development, and environmental sustainability. As part of the celebrations, the official 150th anniversary logo was unveiled which beautifully represents both the softwood and hardwood plantation species, while also capturing the essence of the sunrise industry that is the forest industries. “South Australia is proudly the birthplace of the nation’s commercial forestry plantations, with 2025 marking the 150th Anniversary since the State embarked on a journey of sustainable plantation forestry, and it was great to kick start the year-long celebrations with Members of Parliament, industry leaders and stakeholders at the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry event,” Tammy Auld, Chair of the South Australian Forest Products Association said “The forest industries are all around us and have been building our state and our nation over the last 150 years.  It is a critical industry for the nation’s future, and SAFPA, with support from the Government of South Australia, is pleased to coordinate celebrations to acknowledge the legacy and future opportunities of South Australia’s forest industries. “Understanding that forest products are embedded in our everyday lives and to connect the plantation forest tree to the product, SAFPA started the celebrations by sharing with all Members of Parliament a biodegradable bag full of products that are supported by our sustainable fibre – such as toilet paper, wine, eggs, and fruit and veg, wooden chopping board and pallets – all essential everyday items that are sustainably grown from our forest industries, the ultimate renewable.” Forest Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the anniversary served as a reminder of South Australia’s pivotal role in shaping the forest and timber industries in Australia and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future contributions of this resilient and pioneering industry. “The Government have invested more than $19 million into the forest and timber industries and understand the forestry supply value chain is crucial to our State’s economic and environmental success.” The Shadow Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Nicola Centofanti said she was proud to stand with SAFPA in celebration of this historic milestone. “Primary industries are crucial to the South Australian economy, and commercial forestry has been a cornerstone of our production for 150 years. It is a testament to the dedication of the people who created this sector, which today supports over 21,300 jobs and covers over 176,000 hectares of commercial plantings,” she said. “Timber is an essential product across multiple aspects of daily life and it is vital we support the businesses that ensure we create enough hardwood, softwood and fibres to not only meet our needs, but allow multiple related sectors to thrive. “There are fantastic career pathways in this sector, and I want to see more young people involved in the sector to ensure South Australia remains a strong player in this space. “Forestry is a fundamental part of the cultural fabric in many of South Australia’s regional towns, and I look forward to supporting these workers and their communities, well in our state’s future.” This monumental occasion also provides a unique opportunity to highlight how our industries touch our everyday lives in ways we might not recognise through showcasing a range of products that are supported by the forest industries. From paper bags to wine, eggs, fruit and vegetables and even the humble roll of toilet paper, the forest industries are a foundational element of our everyday lives. Throughout 2025, SAFPA will be shining a spotlight on our sustainable forestry industries and exploring the future of plantation forestry in South Australia, including the centrepiece Gala Dinner which will be held on 13 June 2025 in the heart of the Green Triangle, Mount Gambier. Forestry has been building our nation for the last 150 years and is a critical industry for the future and the next generation as we, as a nation, work towards building new homes, delivering a net-zero economy, replacing fossil fuel-based plastics, and exploring opportunities in biofuels and bioenergy.

With the likelihood of a Federal Election being called possibly within weeks, the Australia’s forestry and timber sector is reminding the members of the 47th Parliament and candidates hoping to be elected to the 48th Parliament that it can help ease the national housing crisis and build the homes of tomorrow. Source: Timberbiz The reminder comes at the same time new figures show the country fell almost 70,000 new homes short of its 2024 target. “Following the building boom spurred by COVID and subsequent downturn, Australia’s timber manufacturers have timber ready now to help build the new homes our country needs. Not only is our locally grown and processed timber a quality building material, but it also stores carbon, helping Australia fight climate change,” Australian Forest Products Association CEO Diana Hallam said. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show Australia fell 68,606 homes short of its 2024, 240,000 target – with detached housing approvals falling 2.8% in December. The Federal Election must be held no later than 17 May, with 12 April being widely tipped as the likely date. “As the Federal Election draws closer – Australia needs policy solutions on the table that will help drive construction of the new homes Australia needs for the future,” Ms Hallam said. “When you use Australian timber to build those homes the benefits multiply quickly. “You’re using a local and quality product that harnesses local industry and workforces – with many located in regional communities,” she said. “You then have the added benefit of significant carbon storage in the home and structural timber is a far more climate-friendly construction material than energy-intensive steel or bricks.” Last year AFPA launched in conjunction with Master Builders Australia (MBA) How Timber Can Help Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis showing the local forestry and timber sector’s capacity to help build 50,000 new homes annually. That capacity remains and stands ready and waiting with recent figures showing local structural sawn softwood sales at a nine-year low in 2023-24. “Our sector has the product ready to go to build new homes. We do however require effective national, state and local government policy to help boost the construction sector and encourage an uptick in building new homes with timber products,” Ms Hallam said. “AFPA will continue working with both the Albanese Government, Coalition and key crossbenchers in the Parliament to ensure as much of our wonderful home grown, sustainable timber goes into Australia’s new homes of tomorrow, supporting local economies, communities and helping fight climate change,” she said.

The ‘Ballast’ Myth – A lazy belief that came from an old yarn and is popular with web content providers looking for the exceptional and the ironic as a tagline for a timber story. “The past actually happened, but history is only what someone wrote down.” Comedian A. Whitney Brown As someone interested in history, I’m drawn to how people in the past saw their own lifetime – rather than how we see their lifetime through the lens of subsequent change. Without an interrogatory approach to the past, history may be stripped of its complexity, and the events of the past reduced to simple constructs and repeated myths. The timber industry has quite a few, and one of the more dogged myths about timbers like Oregon and Baltic Pine is that they arrived in Australia as ballast on sailing ships. Unfortunately, for tireless promoters of the theory on websites and in design magazines, it is a myth. It lacks both gravitas and relevance and it fails to address the realities of maritime trade in Australia from an early colony to the later era of building towns and cities. Here’s a working definition of ballast: Ballast is used to stabilize a ship in transit. Wooden sailing ships were extremely buoyant, and tall masts made them top-heavy. Ballast was added or removed from the hold at the bottom of the vessel depending on how much cargo, supplies, people, and weapons were on the ship to make sure the ship stayed upright in heavy seas. Once a ship got close to its destination, the ship would dump the ballast, often just outside the harbor. Ballast had to be heavy, available, and very cheap to procure. Otherwise, it needed to be saleable at a ready market price at the destination. Rock was obviously popular, but the dumping of ballast was eventually banned in many ports, and ships’ captains turned their gaze towards cargos that could be easily on-sold like ore, bricks, coal, terracotta tiles, or crates of cast iron products that could be stored low on the keel and not move about in heavy seas. If it wasn’t placed low on the keel, it wasn’t ballast it was simply cargo. But if it was cargo used as ballast, it was essentially still just cargo for anyone who wasn’t present on the sea voyage. The strategic placement in the ship’s hold was unimportant to an Australian buyer of heavy cargo. It was left to the bosun to work things out in the hold. And would he have kept a log of this activity or seen it as nobody’s business bar him and the cap’n? Should it hold any fascination for the eventual owner of the timber a century and more later? Can anyone nowadays be sure any item of cargo had a ballast function on the trip over? It’s unlikely. There is online just a broad assertion the cargo was ballast – with a minimal understanding of the business of mercantile sailing. There is not much ‘awesome’ here to go ‘wow’ about. It might have been more fascinating if the cargo had been up on a moonlit deck, which is precisely where timber was carried. On the deck. For timber arriving from Washington State in North America, special schooners were built in the late 19ce to suit the timber trade, and it is likely the cargos were a dedicated timber-only load on the outward leg to Australia. Sailing historian Hewitt Jackson notes that these lumber ships were built without the between-decks of the conventional schooners, and close to half their cargo was stowed on deck. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_lumber_trade) The other element of this ‘Ballast’ Myth is inferred but never clearly stated. It ignores the essential requirement of ballast that it needed to be heavy and softwood timber isn’t yet implies that it arrived as free goods or for minimal cost or charge. You hear: Cost me an arm and a leg but it originally came out as ballast! The problem with this claim is that it’s too vague. The essential detail is missing and here’s the probable detail. In the early 19th-century shipping trade, if a ship was unlikely to get viable or profitable cargos on the ballast leg of a return trip, a ‘ballast bonus’ was sometimes paid as part of the freight cost on the other leg. The money leg. It meant the ship’s captain could be competitive with pricing cargos on the ballast leg since he already had a retainer and perhaps merchants of cast iron goods in Melbourne paid less for their heavy cargo inbound than wool buyers paid in Liverpool per pound or bale outbound. A sort of trade imbalance characterized shipping to the colony before the repeal of the British Navigation Act in 1848. Up to that date, trade could only be conducted by British ships, and Australia, as a small colony, was powerless to explore markets using foreign ships. However, according to John Bach in A Maritime History of Australia, the trading ban was enforced with less rigor in the last years of the Act. All sorts of private arrangements emerged. The ‘ballast bonus’ and variations of it, may have originated the ‘Ballast’ Myth regardless of the uncertainty about whether shippers passed on any discounts to the buyer or retained them. It should be remembered that trade in timber in this early colonial period up to 1848 was small in volume. The era of building growth and expansion in Australia that brought the Pacific trade and increased European trade spanned 1860 to 1901 in the colonial period and then post-1901 – the Federation era – when Australia had the freedom to pass her own Navigation Act. The west coast Oregon trade by sail was strongest in this new 20th century. In summary, timber cargo is unlikely to have arrived as true ballast in Australia even in the early colonial period. It wasn’t heavy enough in comparison to other cargo types carried concurrently. Most imports to Australia weren’t ballast. Some were. […]