Australian timber industry news

Labor has repeatedly failed timber workers and ignored respected forest scientists who support a properly managed and sustainable native hardwood industry, according to Shadow Forestry Minister Darren Chester. Source: Timberbiz Commenting on Opal’s announcement last week that more than 80 people are to lose their jobs at Opal’s Maryvale Mill in Gippsland, Mr Chester said hard-working Gippslanders were continuing to pay the price for the Labor-Greens decision to shut down Victoria’s native hardwood timber industry. “The announcement of a further 84 job losses at the Maryvale Mill is devastating news for the workers, their families and the wider Latrobe Valley community,” Mr Chester, the Member for Gippsland,” said. “The mill has been a critical part of our region’s economic life for generations, supporting local jobs, families, businesses and manufacturing,” he said. Opal has previously cut jobs at the mill and experienced a number of shutdowns. The mill permanently shut down its white paper manufacturing operations, including the decommissioning of Paper Machine 2 and Paper Machine 5. This structural shutdown was triggered by the sudden end of VicForests’ native timber supply, resulting in 200 job losses and shifting the mill’s focus strictly to packaging and brown paper. In its statement, Opal said the mill had suffered substantial losses following the Victorian Government’s failure to meet its contractual obligations under the Wood Pulp Agreement. The company commenced legal action in late 2025 over the government’s failure to supply wood in accordance with that agreement. “The Maryvale Mill suffered substantial losses due to the Victorian government’s failure to meet its contractual obligations under the Wood Pulp Agreement,” its statement on Thursday said. In September last year, Opal commenced proceedings against the state government for $402m in damages for the above. “The end of white paper production has significantly changed the operational footprint of the mill, and the site has been working hard to right size its operations as a kraft and recycled paper manufacturer,” the statement reads. “Opal understands the impact of job losses in regional communities, and we will work with affected team members to explore redeployment opportunities across the mill and the broader Opal network.” The end of white paper production dramatically reduced the mill’s operational footprint, and the business has been working to restructure as a kraft and recycled paper manufacturer. “I have been assured by Opal executives that affected workers will receive their full entitlements, but that does not diminish the widespread impact these job losses will have across the region,” Mr Chester said. Mr Chester said the announcement demanded immediate action from the state and federal governments to develop a properly funded economic transition plan in genuine consultation with local workers, businesses and community leaders. “It also reinforces why we must fight to protect Australia’s remaining sustainable hardwood timber industry,” he said. “At both state and federal levels, Labor has repeatedly failed timber workers and ignored respected forest scientists who support a properly managed and sustainable native hardwood industry. “Driven by its dependence on Greens preferences in metropolitan seats, Labor has abandoned blue-collar workers in regional communities.” Mr Chester said thousands of jobs had already been lost, regional towns had been weakened, and communities were less prepared for major bushfires because they have lost skilled workers, heavy machinery and local knowledge from the forests. “We need governments prepared to work with the private sector to create jobs in the Latrobe Valley, not governments that continually undermine our traditional strengths in energy, forestry and manufacturing,” he said.

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In the wake of wildfires, bringing affected areas back into production poses a major challenge, particularly in remote or hard-to-reach areas. In Canada, wildfires affect an average of 2.8 million hectares of forest each year, underscoring the importance of exploring innovative solutions to support restoration efforts. Source: Timberbiz With financial support from the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF), FPInnovations is evaluating the potential of aerial seeding using drones as a complement to traditional reforestation methods. In the spring of 2026, field trials were conducted to test various drone systems and validate several aspects of this approach: their operational capability, the accuracy of remote sensing technologies in targeting the most suitable sites, and the germination performance of different seed capsules and seeds. The goal is to assess not only the technical feasibility of this technology but also its economic viability and the contexts in which it could offer the greatest benefits. The results of this study will help determine the role that drone seeding could play in future reforestation strategies. Conducted in collaboration with government, academic, and industry partners, this project could expand the toolkit available to forest managers and offer new options for accelerating the regeneration of fire-affected areas. The preliminary results of the study will be released in the fall of 2026.

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Rottne has launched its new Rottne H13F – a harvester that steps into a new machine class, combining the agility of the proven H11 platform with increased capacity, higher performance, and a completely new level of operator comfort. Source: Timberbiz With the H13F, Rottne has a machine developed for operators who want more power and greater capabilities without compromising flexibility. The machine builds on the H11E platform but has been upgraded with larger 26.5-inch bogie wheels, improved stability, and significantly enhanced terrain performance. In the 8WD configuration, the machine is also extended by 250 mm, further improving stability and operator confidence in demanding terrain. “The increased working pressure of 280 bar combined with a 10.3-meter crane gives the H13F the capacity to handle larger harvesting heads such as the SP661 Lite and Log Max 6000V,” said Mathias Paulsson, Product Manager at Rottne Industri. “At the same time, a 6WD version is available for operators who prioritize maximum agility and a compact machine format. For those who prefer a larger chassis for thinning operations, the machine can also be equipped with an 11.3-meter crane combined with smaller harvesting heads.” To match the demands of the larger machine class that the Rottne H13F is now entering, tractive force has also been upgraded to a full 200 kN ensuring the right conditions even in tougher environments. With the Rottne H13F, Rottne also introduces the next step in the F-series harvester cab. The cab features extensive upgrades with a focus on ergonomics, comfort, and the working environment. New features include a new control system, a new electrical centre, updated control panels with 7-button harvester joysticks, and an electric mini steering wheel integrated into the right armrest. The interior has also received a redesigned dashboard layout with an improved sense of space and enhanced visibility. Practical features such as smart storage solutions, cup holders, and a lunchbox heater are included as standard. Climate comfort has also been improved through a more efficient climate control system and smarter airflow management. At the same time, safety has been further enhanced with stronger safety glass and larger opening rear emergency exits, improving both safety and visibility. The Rottne H13F will be the first machine in Rottne’s new F-series and marks the direction for the harvesters of the future, where productivity, power, and operator comfort go hand in hand.

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In a statement Nippon Paper Industries Japan has expressed its deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the Reiwa 8 (2026) Kumamoto Earthquake that occurred on 28 July, and its heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. Source: Timberbiz The company provided the following update on 29 July, regarding the impact of this earthquake on its Yatsushiro Plant (Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture). Eleven individuals were trapped inside the plant building, and seven were rescued to date. Of the seven rescued, two are in moderate condition, and, with the deepest regret, five fatalities were confirmed. Nippon is continuing to verify the safety of the remaining four individuals. The safety of all other personnel who reported to work yesterday (including those from partner companies) has been confirmed. Operations at the Yatsushiro Plant have been suspended due to the earthquake as the company investigates the damage. Nippon Paper is assessing the impact of this incident on business performance, and an announcement will be made as soon as any matter requiring disclosure arises. To ensure the safety of affected employees, provide necessary support, and grasp the accurate status of the damage through a company-wide effort, the company established a Crisis Response Headquarters headed by Nippon Paper’s President Akira Sebe. The mill in southwest Japan is down following a magnitude 6.8 earthquake with numerous aftershocks, the main quake occurred close to the mill site. Japanese media reported eight deaths at Nippon Paper. The company’s chimney stacks partially collapsed due to the quake and fell into nearby buildings.

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The British Columbia Council of Forest Industries (COFI) in Canada has put together a comparison of annual harvest levels in British Columbia (BC), New Zealand, and Finland. Source: Timberbiz This analysis also provides context on differences between these three major forest jurisdictions such as forest types, ownership structures, Indigenous participation, forest management practices, wildfire impacts over a 10-year average, and the value of forest sector exports. BC is home to one of the largest forested areas in the western world, with 57 million hectares of forests, 95% of which are publicly owned. Of this total, 22 million hectares are available for sustainable timber harvesting. Finland has a total forested area of 23 million hectares with 20 million hectares available for harvesting. New Zealand has 10 million hectares of forests with 1.7 million hectares available for harvesting. Despite these differences in size, the annual harvest from New Zealand in 2023 was 31 million cubic meters, nearly matching the 35 million cubic metres harvested by BC, while Finland produced nearly double that volume, with 66 million cubic metres. This comparison suggests that notwithstanding BC’s larger forest area and strategic focus on diversifying and enhancing manufacturing of higher value forest products, other forest jurisdictions are excelling in capturing the growing demand for low-carbon and sustainably produced wood products and biomaterials. By examining key differences in ownership, forest management, and the manufacturing profiles across these jurisdictions, BC can identify opportunities to develop a more robust and competitive forest sector. The chart of the jurisdiction comparison is available here – COFI Forestry Jurisdiction Comparison August

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Forest & Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) says the NSW Government’s latest Great Koala National Park announcement offers little comfort to timber workers, their families and regional communities already losing secure employment. Source: Timberbiz The Government has announced almost $1 million for councils to prepare a five-year “transition action plan” focused on nature-based tourism, small business development, job creation and retraining. The plan is not expected to be completed until mid-2027. FWCA Chair Steve Dobbyns said the announcement amounted to another plan to develop a plan while timber businesses continued to lose workers, contracts and confidence. “Timber workers do not need another planning process. They need certainty about future wood supply, their employment and the survival of the mills, contractors and small businesses that support their communities,” Mr Dobbyns said. “The industry is also still waiting for the NSW Government’s long-promised Forest Industry Action Plan or, as it increasingly appears, its Forest Industry Inaction Plan. “Redundancies began almost immediately after the Government announced its supersized koala park on Father’s Day. Workers have continued to lose their jobs, including this month, yet the Government now proposes to spend nearly another year studying impacts that were entirely predictable.” The Government describes the Great Koala National Park as a “generational economic opportunity” that will boost tourism, small businesses and employment across the Mid North Coast. However, an independent review by Professor Oswin Maurer of the University of Newcastle’s economic assessment of the park found major shortcomings in the data, assumptions and multipliers used to estimate its tourism benefits. The review concluded that the tourism projections were largely based on statements unsupported by evidence and that many of the figures used inflated the projected economic benefits. One of the most serious problems was the treatment of the number of visits to North Coast national parks as though they represented individual visitors. A single person visiting several locations can be counted multiple times, substantially exaggerating the number of tourists available to generate additional spending. “The Government cannot simply declare that changing the tenure and name of forests where koalas already live will produce a tourism boom,” Mr Dobbyns said. “Koalas, walking tracks, scenic areas and recreational opportunities already exist across these State forests and neighbouring national parks. Rebadging them does not automatically create new visitors, longer stays or higher spending.” The review also found that the original tourism analysis failed to account for “cannibalisation” where visitors attributed to the new park are simply diverted from existing attractions and destinations elsewhere in the region rather than representing genuinely new economic activity. It further noted that almost nine in 10 visits to NSW national parks were day trips, undermining assumptions that park visitors would necessarily stay overnight and generate substantial accommodation and hospitality expenditure. The review found that delivering the projected increase in tourism would require approximately 1,000 additional accommodation rooms within the first three years and around 3,500 rooms within 14 years. It estimated that between $100 million and $150 million would be required for additional accommodation in the early years, rising to between $250 million and $350 million over the longer term – not including the cost of upgrading existing rooms or developing the additional tourism experiences and infrastructure needed to attract higher-spending visitors. The review found that the original study did not explain where this substantial private investment would come from or whether it was likely to materialise. “The Government is talking about a tourism-led transition without identifying who will invest the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to deliver it,” Mr Dobbyns said. “A $995,300 grant to prepare another plan does not build thousands of hotel rooms, create premium tourism experiences or guarantee that visitors will come.” The review also identified fundamental labour-market problems with relying on tourism as a replacement industry, including low pay, part-time and seasonal employment, irregular working hours and persistent difficulty attracting workers. “Nobody should celebrate permanent, skilled and well-paid forestry and manufacturing jobs being replaced with lower-paid, insecure or seasonal tourism employment,” Mr Dobbyns said. “That is not economic diversification. It is a government-sanctioned pay cut for workers and families who have built their lives around a renewable, productive industry.” The review found that the forests proposed for the original park concept supplied approximately 60% of the North Coast’s hardwood timber harvest and warned that removing such a large share of supply would have serious consequences for downstream businesses, competitiveness and consumer prices. The Government’s latest announcement still does not explain how remaining mills will obtain secure long-term wood supply or how the timber previously produced from the forests will be replaced. “Closing sustainable production forests does not eliminate the demand for timber. It transfers production interstate or overseas,” Mr Dobbyns said. “That means greater reliance on imports, increased exposure to international supply disruptions and the export of environmental impacts to jurisdictions with weaker regulatory standards. “The NSW Government must stop announcing plans to write plans and provide certainty on future wood supply, viable employment and the promised Forest Industry Action Plan. “Until then, this is not a credible transition strategy. It is a transition away from secure employment, regional manufacturing and sovereign timber-producing capacity, based on tourism benefits that the Government has still not demonstrated.”

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The maths does not add up: forest carbon method risks millions of low-integrity credits. Forestry Australia is raising serious concerns about the new Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Native Forests Method (INFM Method), after technical analysis by its forest carbon experts identified material flaws that could systematically, and significantly, overstate carbon abatement. Source: Timberbiz Analysis by Forestry Australia’s forest carbon experts indicates the INFM Method could potentially over-credit projects by 40% to 100%, even before the full effects of leakage and carbon stored in harvested wood products are taken into account. Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman said the findings raise serious concerns about whether credits issued under the INFM Method would represent genuine climate benefit. “There are fundamental problems with this Method. Its prescribed accounting and modelling framework is structurally biased towards issuing more carbon credits than the genuine climate benefit achieved,” Dr Freeman said. “Forestry Australia supports credible investment in forest carbon and does not dispute that avoiding native forest harvesting can generate genuine abatement in some circumstances. But every ACCU issued must represent a real, additional and accurately measured tonne of emissions reduction. “That is why the maths must add up.” Forestry Australia’s assessment identifies three central problems: The 15-year accounting period is too short: This is significantly shorter than the periods commonly used in forest carbon accounting; for example, the Plantation Forestry Method uses a 100-year accounting period. While harvesting causes an initial loss of forest carbon, regrowth captures carbon over many decades. Ending the accounting after 15 years excludes much of this regrowth, making the baseline appear to store less carbon and inflating the estimated carbon benefit of the Method. The accounting structure over-credits projects upfront and relies on future deductions: The INFM Method over-credits projects up front. Later reporting periods then deduct some of the earlier credits as regrowth occurs to claw back some of what was over-credited. The appearance of continuing carbon benefit therefore depends on repeatedly adding new areas; if that flow slows or stops, the underlying shortfall becomes visible. FullCAM is applied incorrectly: The Method prescribes clearfall harvesting assumptions to be implemented in FullCAM, Australian Government’s tool for estimating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon stored in forests and land. Given the vast majority of native forest harvesting in Australia is implemented as selective or partial harvest, the INFM Method adopts an approach that does not reflect on-ground outcomes and is inconsistent with the settings used in Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. This misapplication of the model in FullCAM exaggerates the difference between the project and baseline forests and inflates the estimated carbon benefit.   Forestry Australia’s testing indicates that correcting the short accounting-window issue alone could reduce estimated abatement by more than 40%. Correcting the FullCAM modelling could reduce estimated abatement by more than 50%. “These are not marginal differences arising from professional judgement. They are material and cumulative problems embedded in the Method’s prescribed calculations,” Dr Freeman said. Millions of ACCUs could be issued without a genuine carbon benefit. The consequences could be significant because ACCUs generated under the Method may be used to offset real greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the economy. “If the Method overstates the carbon benefits achieved, emissions offset through the purchase of ACCUs will not be balanced by an equivalent climate benefit. That weakens confidence in the ACCU Scheme, makes it harder for Australia to genuinely meet its emissions-reduction targets and means the Safeguard Mechanism will not work as intended,” Dr Freeman said. New South Wales has promoted that it could generate approximately 22 million ACCUs over 15 years by ending timber harvesting in relevant public native forests. If the Method overstates abatement by around half, approximately 11 million ACCUs could be issued beyond the genuine carbon benefit achieved. Forestry Australia raised its concerns more than 12 months ago and repeatedly requested representative FullCAM files, modelling assumptions and sufficient technical detail to independently reproduce and test the claimed abatement outcomes. These materials have not been publicly released by the proponent, and material changes introduced by the proponent after consultation were not exposed to further independent testing. “A method with the potential to materially affect Australia’s carbon market should be transparent, reproducible and scientifically defensible. This is what is expected of a high-integrity ACCU Scheme method, yet the INFM Method has not met this bar,” Dr Freeman said. Forestry Australia has also identified broader integrity risks relating to leakage, additionality and double counting. The Method caps indirect leakage at 40% even where an independent assessment might find a higher rate. Furthermore, it does not provide sufficient safeguards to objectively demonstrate that harvesting reductions would not have occurred anyway. In addition, it creates a risk that state governments could generate and sell ACCUs while also counting the same emissions reductions towards their own reporting and targets. “In raising these concerns, Forestry Australia is seeking to safeguard the ACCU Scheme, not undermine it. The fastest way to damage confidence in a carbon market is to issue more abatement than is really there and try to resolve the problem later. It is far better to address it openly now,” Dr Freeman said. Based on the evidence currently available, Forestry Australia considers that the INFM Method should not be relied upon for ACCU issuance until its accounting and modelling problems have been resolved. Forestry Australia remains ready to provide technical expertise to government and supports the development of credible carbon methods that reward genuine improvements in forest management, health and resilience across all forest types and land tenures. Download the Forestry Australia Briefing Note: Forestry Australia’s analysis of Improved Native Forest Management Method (INFM Method)

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Evidence presented to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Victoria’s 2026 bushfires has exposed serious failures in Labor’s bushfire preparedness and response. The Nationals and Liberals have tabled a Minority Report, refusing to accept the Environment and Planning Committee’s Report which papers over the deep structural flaws and policy failures of the government. Source: Timberbiz The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria and Committee member, Melina Bath said the Majority Report overlooks the experiences of affected communities and frontline responders and fails to reflect the full weight of evidence. “Witness testimony and submissions paint a damning picture of Labor’s Victoria’s bushfire preparedness,” Ms Bath said. “The Inquiry heard evidence of fuel management failures, declining emergency service capability, leadership shortages, ageing equipment and growing bushfire risk. “These findings lay bare the consequences of years of Labor’s poor policy decisions, inadequate preparedness and its failure to act on repeated warnings. “Labor’s restructure of emergency services, funding decisions and workforce shortages have weakened the CFA’s capability and reduced frontline preparedness. “One of the most alarming revelations was the CFA’s original response to questions on notice was sanitised by the Government and Cabinet before being resubmitted.” Ms Bath, who is also Shadow Minister for Public Land Management said Labor has neglected critical bushfire mitigation, failing to undertake adequate fuel reduction, roadside vegetation management and the creation of strategic fuel breaks. “Years of Labor’s failures have resulted in hazardous fuel loads across the state and an elevated bushfire risk. “Our Minority Report calls for more fuel reduction, better roadside management and strategic fuel breaks to protect communities, critical infrastructure and firefighters. “It provides practical recommendations to strengthen CFA capability, improve emergency management and enhance protection for regional communities. “Labor was repeatedly warned about bushfire risks, yet communities, volunteers and first responders were left to bear the consequences.” The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the two reports confirmed what locals had been warning about for years. “Fuel loads are being mismanaged, volunteers are still forced to ride in tankers with no rear cabin protection, and trucks and tankers are suffering mechanical failures because they are well beyond their service life,” she said. “My community has lived through the consequences of the Labor government’s failures year after year, and we simply cannot afford another fire season where our hard-working CFA crews don’t have the necessary resources and support to protect us. “Only an elected Nationals and Liberals Government will scrap the Emergency Services Tax and properly fund the CFA, effectively manage our firefighting fleet, and back our selfless volunteers who put their lives on the line.”

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A former president of NSW Forest Products Association now Timber NSW Lexie Hurford passed away this week aged 86 after a short illness. Mrs Hurford had been presented with an award for more than 45 years of dedicated and outstanding service to the forest industry. Source: Timberbiz “She is a legend of our industry,” Maree McCaskill, chief executive of Timber NSW, said. Ms McCaskill said Mrs Hurford had made an outstanding contribution to the development of forestry policy, environmental management, and sustainable resource governance in Australia over a distinguished career spanning more than 60 years. “Throughout her adult life, Lexie Hurford has been recognised as one of Australia’s most influential forestry policy advocates, combining practical industry experience, and strategic public policy expertise to advance the sustainable management of Australia’s forests and natural resources. “In addition to this, Lexie has remained grounded in the Northern Rivers community with a particular interest in investment attraction and job creation for the region and an understated role as an advocate and leader of women’s roles in business.” Her work had been instrumental in shaping contemporary approaches to forest management, balancing environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation, community expectations, and the economic needs of regional Australia. Through senior leadership positions across government, industry and advisory organisations, she had consistently advocated for evidence-based policy development and long-term stewardship of Australia’s forest estate. As the first woman elected as Chairperson of the NSW Forest Products Association in 1999, Mrs Hurford broke new ground in the Australian forestry sector, providing visionary leadership to the state’s peak timber industry body while championing sustainable forest management, regional employment, industry innovation and greater participation of women in forestry. “Lexie has played a key role in the development and implementation of forestry strategies that have influenced both state and national policy settings. Her expertise has been sought by governments, industry bodies, research organisations, and community stakeholders, reflecting the respect she has earned across a diverse range of sectors,” Ms McCaskill said. A passionate advocate for sustainable forestry, Mrs Hurford worked to strengthen the relationship between environmental outcomes and productive land management and was a strong supporter of scientific research, innovation and best-practice forest management, helping to ensure that Australia’s forestry sector remains internationally respected for its environmental standards and sustainability credentials. She served as Chair of the Regional Development Board from 1995 to 2003, providing strategic leadership during a period of significant economic and community change in regional NSW. Through her stewardship, the Board worked to strengthen regional industries, support employment growth, and promote sustainable economic development across rural communities. Beyond her direct policy contributions, Mrs Hurford dedicated significant effort to mentoring emerging professionals within the forestry and natural resource sectors. Her leadership has helped foster a new generation of forestry practitioners, scientists and policymakers committed to sustainable resource management. The significance of the Hurford family’s contribution to regional industry and investment was recognised by senior New South Wales government leaders, including Premier Bob Carr during his term of office from 1995 to 2005 Ms McCaskill said that Mrs Hurford’s career had been characterised by integrity, professionalism and a commitment to public service. Her work contributed substantially to the protection and sustainable management of Australia’s forests while supporting employment, economic development and community resilience in regional Australia. “Lexie’s influence can be seen in the evolution of modern forestry policy frameworks, improved environmental management practices, stronger industry-government partnerships, and the promotion of sustainable forest management principles across Australia<‘ she said. “Her contribution has had lasting national significance and continues to benefit both present and future generations of Australians.”

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The ABC has reported that more than 80 people are to lose their jobs at Opal’s Maryvale Mill in Gippsland. The company blamed the Victorian Government for the changes to its operations due to the failure of the government to secure timber for Opal’s production lines. Source: Timberbiz Opal has previously cut jobs at the mill and experienced a number of shutdowns. The mill permanently shut down its white paper manufacturing operations, including the decommissioning of Paper Machine 2 and Paper Machine 5. This structural shutdown was triggered by the sudden end of VicForests’ native timber supply, resulting in 200 job losses and shifting the mill’s focus strictly to packaging and brown paper. According to the ABC the company is now blaming the state government for this latest decision to axe another 84 jobs. “The end of white paper production has significantly changed the operational footprint of the mill, and the site has been working to right-size its operations as a kraft and recycled paper manufacturer,” the company said in a statement. “This has included ongoing fixed cost reductions to align with its reduced footprint.” The ABC reported that Opal said it was to make cuts across salaried team members and team members covered by enterprise agreements. In a statement, the company said it suffered “substantial losses due to the Victorian Government’s failure to meet its contractual obligations under the Wood Pulp Agreement”. This latest cut follows years of disputes at the facility. In the first months of 2025 Opal locked out more than 300 CFMEU production workers with only one hour’s notice. The company initiated the 30-day, unpaid lockout after seven workers staged a short, protected stop-work action during Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) negotiations. The dispute ended on February 16, 2025, when workers voted to accept a new agreement with wage increases. In February 2024 members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) were locked out of the site early in the morning following a breakdown in maintenance EBA negotiations over member quotas. In June 2020 Australian Paper (before rebranding to Opal) locked out more than 100 workers for three weeks. Management used the lockout to complete maintenance after employees took protected strike action during a long-running industrial dispute.

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John Lawrence raises an important question about how Tasmania measures the full value of its public production forests. That discussion should consider not only accounting treatments and hypothetical land costs, but also the broader economic, environmental and community benefits delivered through the responsible management of our forests. The claim that Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s published financial profit is merely a “paper profit” overlooks the figures designed to show how the underlying business is actually performing. In 2024-2025, STT recorded a $7.5m increase in the value of its biological assets. It also separately reported an underlying net profit of $0.8m, defined as operating revenue less operating expenditure and positive operating cash flow of $1.8m. It paid an ordinary dividend to the state and has now recorded eight consecutive profitable results. Since 2017, STT has paid $30m to the state in dividends and made contributions to on-island processing funds to help the local sawmilling sector modernise its equipment. Importantly, STT’s accounts are prepared under Australian Accounting Standards, including the standard applying to biological assets. The forest valuation is undertaken by an independent specialist and examined by Audit Tasmania, which concluded that the 2024–2025 accounts presented a true and fair view of STT’s financial performance, position and cash flows. STT is happy to acknowledge that such accounting standards do not capture every social and environmental value provided by Tasmania’s forests and it is reasonable to debate the limitations of the accounting process. However, STT is not using a valuation method of its own invention. We are applying the accounting rules required for biological assets, which measure the value of the standing timber, which are not designed to measure every economic, environmental and community benefit. That distinction is important because valuing the standing timber separately does not mean the broader costs of managing the forest are ignored. STT’s financial statements include contractor and freight costs, property management, local government rates, road depreciation, forest re-establishment, and fire prevention and suppression. For example, whilst reporting a financial profit last financial year, STT also carried out maintenance on 3040km of existing roads, constructed 24km of new roads, conducted works on 5566ha of forest, sowed 100 million locally sourced seeds and achieved a 99.5 per cent regeneration success rate across the areas assessed. STT also planted about half a million seedlings in restocking timber plantations that had been previously harvested. The characterisation of STT as having “rent-free” access is similarly incomplete. STT is not a private company handed free land to exploit. It is a government business enterprise established under legislation to manage Permanent Timber Production Zone land for multiple users, while supporting economic growth and employment and supplying agreed volumes of timber. It manages a forest-road network of more than 10,000km, providing access for communities, tourism, beekeepers, hunters, fishers, emergency services and other land managers. It also manages hundreds of leases, licences and easements, supports apiary sites, undertakes conservation, research programs, biodiversity outcomes, carbon storage and provides a trained statewide firefighting capability with about 16 per cent of PTPZ, around 129,000ha, being managed purely for conservation. The $12m STT receives from government is transparently identified as payment for community service obligations: keeping public production land managed and accessible, undertaking fuel-reduction work, supporting fire prevention and detection, and helping suppress fires on non-production forests and adjoining land. That is not a concealed subsidy to log sales. It is payment for public services the state would still need to allocate should timber harvesting end. The wider economic contribution of STT’s forestry activities also matters. During 2024–2025, STT paid $109m to 544 Tasmanian businesses, with 87 per cent of its purchases made locally. About $45m went to harvesting and haulage contractors. More than 1.2 million tonnes of forest products were harvested and transported for Tasmanian processing, including high-quality eucalypt sawlogs and special-species timbers. Those figures represent regional Tasmanian businesses – including contractors, truck drivers, sawmill workers, engineers, mechanics, furniture makers, builders and small businesses. Most importantly, value creation does not stop when a log leaves the forest, that is only the beginning. Once delivered, the value of the log and the number of people employed continues to grow as it moves through local processing, manufacturing, construction, retail spending, wages and household incomes. None of this means native forestry should be beyond scrutiny. STT must keep improving efficiency, transparency, forest practices and environmental outcomes. It must account for carbon, biodiversity, cultural values, water, recreation and future generations, while meeting supply commitments and maintaining financial discipline. The evidence suggests Tasmania is not carrying a cost burden from public production forestry. Through employment, processing, public land management, fire protection, regional investment, community access and dividend returns to the state, Tasmania is receiving substantial value from its forest industry. Dean Kearney is the chief executive of Sustainable Timber Tasmania

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Forests already deliver what the nature-positive agenda is asking for: biodiversity, carbon storage, water regulation, renewable materials and livelihoods. The difficulty is not identifying these benefits. It is creating systems capable of protecting them and managing them together in a holistic manner. Source: Timberbiz This challenge shaped the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) side event on the co-benefits of tropical forests, held on 15 July 2026 during the Global Nature Positive Summit in Kumamoto, Japan. The session opened with remarks from Mr Tanimura, Deputy Director of Japan’s Forestry Agency, who recognised ITTO’s contribution to tropical forests over the past 40 years. He also highlighted Japan’s continuing commitment to forests and forestry, including a new policy emphasis on greater private-sector engagement and vitality. Moderated by Jennifer Conje of ITTO, the panel brought together perspectives from research, conservation, business and certification. Ronald C. Estoque of Japan’s Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute examined the different pressures affecting tropical forest landscapes. Shinichi Kawai of WWF Japan addressed the difficulty companies face in tracing location-specific impacts through supply chains. Junko Kikuchi of Nippon Koei reflected on community participation and human rights. Thorsten Arndt, PEFC International’s Head of Advocacy, considered how sustainable forest management and certification can support implementation. Across these perspectives, one point stood out. “The central question is not how to ask more of forests, but how to recognise, manage and reward the benefits they already provide,” Thorsten said. Tropical forests make this challenge especially visible. They are ecologically significant, but also lived-in landscapes that provide food, income, and materials to millions of people. Any approach that separates environmental outcomes from the socio-economic realities of forest communities will remain fragile. The nature-positive agenda reflects the direction set by the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: halting biodiversity loss, enabling recovery and strengthening ecosystem resilience. Research presented during the session showed why implementation must respond to different forest conditions. Where degradation has reduced ecosystem functions, recovery may require active intervention. Forests under pressure need timely action through sustainable management.  Relatively intact forests need continued stewardship before degradation expands into them. Thorsten compared them to apps: each is designed to do something specific, but none can operate effectively without an underlying system connecting it to what happens in the forest. “Frameworks can be compared to apps – they need an operating system,” he said. “For forests, that operating system is sustainable forest management, supported by credible certification.” Sustainable forest management provides the foundation. Certification contributes the assurance structure through which broad objectives can be translated into verifiable management requirements, stakeholder participation, independent assessment and evidence of responsible practice. It also connects common global expectations with national and local realities. A credible system must provide consistency and confidence while remaining workable for the people responsible for implementation. The task is not to replace that operating system each time a new framework emerges. It is for certification to is to strengthen it so that new tools and expectations can build on a sound foundation. This is why biodiversity tools and frameworks are valuable: they help identify higher-risk regions and commodities, structure assessments and prioritise action. Panellists noted however, that global tools cannot replace local assessment and traceability. Nature-positive ambition will not strengthen forests simply because more frameworks exist. It will do so when those frameworks lead to better decisions in the forest. The discussion also highlighted a gap in many nature frameworks: their social foundations remain less developed than their environmental metrics. Community engagement cannot be reduced to consultation after decisions have already been made. The rights, knowledge and priorities of local communities need to shape projects from the beginning. Forest communities are often expected to carry the costs of conservation while the benefits are distributed much more widely. Where sustainable management cannot compete economically with conversion, forest loss reflects the incentives built into the system. Certification cannot solve this problem alone, nor can it replace effective public policy, finance or strong local institutions. It can, however, make responsible management visible, verifiable and connected to markets and institutions that value it. Thorsten stressed that nature positive can only succeed if it is also people positive. Forest owners, workers and communities need to see a viable future in managing forests sustainably and keeping them standing. Ultimately, nature-positive ambition will be judged by whether forests remain valuable to the people responsible for their future.

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Environmentalists say European forests need to be managed differently. With France and Spain struggling to contain raging wildfires, and others from Germany to Greece on high alert, Europe is discussing how to stop this happening again next year. Source: Eurativ Europe experienced its worst wildfire season on record in 2025 – a record it is on track to break over the coming weeks. “For the next days, the risk is again going to rise, and not only in Spain and France, but also in Greece,” an EU official told the press on Monday. But while Brussels is deploying personnel and aircraft to help local firefighters, an emergency response alone will not be enough to contain the flames, the European Commission warned on Monday. “When you’re on the ground and you’re seeing flame lengths of over 15 metres, as we’ve seen in Spain, in France … there’s nothing you can do,” the official said. Addressing the root causes of wildfires, such as increasingly frequent heat waves, will require long-term policies. But there are ways to reduce the risk in the short term, said Tammouz Eñaut Helou, secretary-general of the French forest owners’ association UCFF. This includes raising awareness about how to prepare for outbreaks of fire, Helou said, such as “maintaining access tracks through forests to allow firefighters to operate more effectively during interventions”. This is an area where Brussels can play a role beyond simply sending aircraft once fires are already raging, Helou added. “The future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should continue to allow funding for the creation and maintenance of these forest access routes.” Another key measure is clearing scrub land and stubble to reduce the amount of flammable biomass and slow the spread of fires. “It is very important to have actions that manage the vegetable fuel that is available in the territory,” the EU official said. In France, vegetation clearance obligations currently apply only in certain areas, mainly along roads leading to homes rather than within forest plots. Helou argues that more needs to be done. Environmentalists say it’s the entire structure of our forests that needs to be rethought. “The fires burning in France, as well as the largest blaze near Madrid, are spreading through timber plantations. These monocultures are more than twice as likely to burn as natural forests,” the director of UK environmental group Earthsight, Samuel Lawson, said in a LinkedIn post on Sunday. This issue is particularly important during replanting, Sylvain Angerand, director of French association Canopée told France Inter last week. According to him, France is increasing wildfire risks by replacing diverse broadleaf forests with fire-prone maritime pine plantations – especially in the Landes region that is now burning. Helou, representing the planters of such forests, disagrees. “Under the conditions we are experiencing today, everything burns, broadleaf forests or conifers, highly diverse forests or less diverse ones,” he said. “The real problem is climate change and how we prepare for it.”

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Data published by Samaritans and the Office for National Statistics in the UK has highlighted an increase in the number of deaths by suicide, particularly among men between 45 – 54. This is of significant concern to the forestry sector where a large proportion of the workforce is male and fall into this high-risk group. Source: Timberbiz People working in the forestry industry are also frequently exposed to other risk factors for poor mental health (rural isolation, lack of financial stability, and transient nature of job roles). In 2024, growing concern, driven by deaths within the community, and increasing reports of pressure, prompted forestry professionals to come together and advocate for better well-being, identify industry-related stressors, and provide useful tools and interventions to help. An animation produced by the Royal Forestry Society with funding from the Forestry Commission sheds light on the experience of tree workers when the public respond negatively to essential forestry work. In the 2025 Breaking Points Survey a recurring theme among foresters and arborists was the impact of verbal abuse in response to their work. The video aims to show why felling trees is necessary for managing habitats, keeping public spaces safe and producing sustainable materials, and why an angry response to local forestry workers doesn’t help them or the trees they manage. To better understand the scale and nature of the issue, the working group commissioned the Breaking Points survey in the summer of 2025 designed to identify the key stressors felt by people working in the forestry sector. The Breaking Points Report brings together the findings of the survey to provide clear evidence to support the lived experiences that drove the concern of this working group. It is intended to inform and guide future interventions, supporting organisations to improve mental health and well-being for those working in the forestry sector. “By exploring the experiences of people across the forestry workforce, this report highlights the special nature and severity of the challenges they face, and also the opportunities we have to better support them and make our forestry workforce more resilient. We simply must address the mental wellbeing of those who work in our sector, and I sincerely hope this report will provide the evidence and impetus to bring about the change we need to see,” Christopher Williams – Royal Forestry Society said. Most people working in forestry know someone who has been severely affected by issues surrounding mental health. It’s not always the big things. Sometimes it’s the tone. The pressure. The silence. View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMUyqSZG6Xw

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HQPlantations has released an Expression of Interest (EOI) for harvest and haulage services across its South East Queensland plantation estate. Source: Timberbiz The harvest volume is approximately 600,000 tonnes per annum from Fraser Coast Plantations, Beerburrum Plantations and Bribie Island Plantations. The harvest capacity sought is 5-7 harvesting crews including harvesting, extraction and log loading. The harvest contract term is for five years. The commencement date is from 1 July 2027. There are multiple contract packages available. Interested parties can access the EOI documentation below and register their interest via the online registration form. Any questions: Kevin Ford Project Commercial Lead Email: kevin.ford@hqplantations.com.au Submission of an EOI is a registration of interest only and does not guarantee participation in any subsequent procurement process. The registration of interest form is at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Ny3BvTV-XEORmjE6gpD-24UnKUrCK7NEsoqpfzb2vSNUODVDNE5SUUNZS01WSVg4UUtZOTBHSFhaWC4u More information is available to download here.

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The need for a national deer management strategy to manage native forest decline in New Zealand is highlighted in a new research paper. Source: Timberbiz Led by Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Emeritus Professor David Norton, the paper Deer in the headlights: sleepwalking our way to a native forest catastrophe warns of a slowly developing crisis that is often hard to see. “Our mature trees can live for three, four or  five hundred years, so we’re looking at centuries-long replacement cycles and aren’t seeing changes happening overnight,” Emeritus Professor Norton said. “You can walk into a forest and see a beautiful canopy, but there may be nothing underneath it except moss because deer have taken out the intermediate layer. The forest is still there and looks beautiful, but when it goes through its replacement cycle, a lot of those elements like seedlings and shrubs aren’t there anymore.” The damage caused by deer go beyond just eating plants, Emeritus Professor Norton says. “Deer also damage forests by trampling the forest floor. Unlike moa, the large native birds that once moved through New Zealand forests on broad, avian feet, deer have narrow, cloven hooves that exert much greater pressure on the ground. This removes leaf litter, compacts the soil and can affect water infiltration and overall soil health,” he said. “While as an ecologist I would like to see no deer in New Zealand, this is not going to happen because they’ve also got social value, so I think we need to look at New Zealand native forests and ask: what areas are high priority for biodiversity conservation and climate change resilience, areas where we should be trying to get rid of all deer, and where can we accept the presence of a well-managed deer herd for recreational hunting? “We need to work in partnership — hunters and conservationists, farmers, and plantation foresters, government and iwi — because we all want to have a liveable country and we want this environment to be here in the future.” Before people arrived, around 75 % to 80% of Aotearoa New Zealand was covered in native forest. Today, that figure is about 25 % to 30%, Emeritus Professor Norton says. He says native forests provide more than recreational value for New Zealanders. “Our forests provide us with a massive amount of resilience. They’re a huge store of carbon, they provide habitat for so much of our flora and fauna, and they protect our watersheds and look after our downstream human communities. “If forests start collapsing or changing and we have intense rainfall events, which are increasing due to climate change, less water and sediment will be held back in the system, and we will see more damage downstream. “Broadleaf is a really good example of deer impacts. You can see the foliage starts up at the height a deer browses to and there’s nothing below that. At some point, when those trees die, there are no more seedlings coming in and it will disappear.” Deer were introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand in the late 1800s, partly to establish a recreational hunting resource. Initially protected to allow populations to become established, deer numbers increased rapidly due to abundant habitat and no natural predators. Deer numbers reached a peak in the 1950s. Helicopter harvesting then resulted in a marked collapse in numbers. Emeritus Professor Norton says commercial harvesting pressure however has since declined, while recreational hunting alone is not removing enough animals to control populations, and numbers are again approaching the levels back in the 1950s. “Without more coordinated management, repeated cycles of high deer numbers will progressively remove vulnerable plant species and alter the long-term structure of New Zealand’s forests,” he said. Emeritus Professor Norton says deer damage is a nationwide issue, although its severity varies depending largely on hunting pressure, with some remote forests such as those in South Westland experiencing particularly significant impacts. “We need to look beyond short-term cost and focus on long-term benefits. There will be not only environmental benefits, but also direct economic benefits of a coordinated approach to controlling deer in the long term.” He says these long-term economic benefits could include reducing the cost of flood and erosion damage, protecting water supplies and infrastructure, and retaining the carbon stored in native forests. “I think our native forest is still recoverable. We haven’t crossed that divide yet, but if we leave it too far into the future, it will get much harder.”  

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The Forest Products Commission (FPC) owns and manages approximately 73,000 hectares of softwood plantations in the southwest of Western Australia. The softwood species radiata pine (Pinus radiata) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) have been planted over many years to help reduce Australia’s reliance on imported timbers. Source: Timberbiz FPC’s plantation estate (mainly radiata pine) supports a timber industry hub at Dardanup which includes a sawmill and timber processing plant, wood chipping facilities, wood treatment facilities, and a particleboard plant. Additionally, there is an engineered wood processing facility at Neerabup, north of Perth. FPC resource projections show that without substantial new investment, the plantation estate would diminish significantly over the next 20 years. In 2021, the WA Government announced a $350 million investment to grow the State’s softwood plantation timber estate to address declining plantation areas and future industry needs. Over 10 years, FPC will acquire and establish suitable land in the South West to help secure the future of WA’s softwood industry. Timber from these plantations will supply the softwood processing sector and support the State’s housing and construction industry, while also supporting the State’s response to climate change.

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The management of Tasmania’s forests is back on the agenda, but not by those who have the practical management of forests as their priority. It has been placed on the agenda by those who may have great concern for the natural environment, but no responsibility for it, nor any financial skin in the game. Source: Tasmanian Country Nathan Calman While the conservation movement may think they are targeting forestry activities on public land, their activism also significantly impacts privately held forests, private forestry and the management of a significant tract of the Tasmanian landscape. This point is mostly lost on the broader public and in many instances, by government. Farmers are the custodians for significant tracts of forest resources in Tasmania, around 1,000,000 ha or 16% of the state, which is more than public production forests. A full-page advertisement in a major daily newspaper on July 20 spelt out a significant disconnect between opinions and facts and the vision for the future of Tasmania, socially, environmentally and economically. What it highlighted was the progressive change in language that now seeks to end “native forest logging’’. Two decades ago, it was “end old growth logging”, before that, it was described as “protect virgin forest”. But their language never explains what native forest logging means and why are we ending it rather than simply doing forestry better? What that advertisement highlights are the claims of the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society, Wilderness Australia and the Bob Brown Foundation now crossing over into private forest estates. It seeks to take the management parameters away from landowners but increase the level of responsibility borne by those landowners. Native forest logging is not necessarily clear felling. Many managers of forests wouldn’t consider clear felling as a management tool but would use the judicious use of single-stem harvesting and the periodic cool burning of understoreys as a time-proven management tool, used for thousands of years before European settlement. In the process, this protects biodiversity, carbon sequestration and boosts the safety of the forest and community. This will ultimately preserve forest estates rather than conserve them – which is a very important distinction. Another term for preserving forests is to ‘lock them up”. Locked-up forests are not managed forests, and in a time of climate change to warmer and drier weather, managing fuel loads is a critical component of managing forest ecosystems. In short, if they aren’t managed, they become a huge bushfire hazard that threatens the whole community and could cause complete loss of the forest itself. Furthermore, it lists among the demands, the increased “… long term public funding across all levels of government for the protection, conservation and restoration of native forests”. At least they aren’t advocating for government subsidised new pine plantations… All farmers would understand the concept of pressure. Pressure from banks, suppliers, contractors, customers, processors, governments local, state and federal. There is the constant pressure that weather brings, the pressure to get the timing right of buying, selling, planting and harvesting. Farmers who are managing forests as a longer rotation crop, don’t need the additional political pressure of outside influences distracting government policy makers from their key objective, which is surely the sustainable and practical management of forests. Vocal interest groups such as the group of four that placed the advertisement in the newspaper are seeking to drive their own political agenda, but the real pressure is on forest managers, who are obligated to ensure the safety of the community, the integrity of their forests and the ongoing economic survival of rural and regional areas.  

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Master Builders Australia’s National Board has announced that long-serving CEO Denita Wawn advised them earlier this year that she will conclude her tenure with the organisation once a successor has been appointed. Source: Timberbiz Ms Wawn joined Master Builders in 2016 and became CEO in March 2017, becoming the first woman to hold the role since the organisation’s federation in 1890. A tireless advocate for the building and construction industry, Ms Wawn has consistently stood up for members and held governments to account, regardless of their political persuasion. Ms Wawn’s policy and campaign achievements include: Working with governments and the union to keep the industry, its businesses and workers operating during the pandemic 19 lockdowns, and to secure incentives, including HomeBuilder, to sustain building activity Leading Master Builders’ successful federal election campaigns, including the 2019 campaign that challenged the then Opposition’s positions on capital gains tax, negative gearing and the ABCC Campaigning against elements of the 2023 Closing Loopholes legislation, helping secure a government backdown on laws that would have restricted independent contracting Working with Government and Opposition to secure a bipartisan approach to the administration of the CFMEU.   Beyond these achievements, Ms Wawn has led national advocacy on housing supply, affordability, workforce shortages, women’s participation, building safety, productivity and the industry’s role in meeting Australia’s housing and infrastructure needs. National President Robert Shaw says that under Ms Wawn’s leadership, Master Builders has gone from strength to strength, cementing its place as a leading national industry association. “Denita has led Master Builders through some of the most significant challenges and opportunities our industry has faced, including the COVID-19 pandemic, major industrial relations reforms and the nation’s housing supply crisis. “She has spoken frankly and fearlessly for the industry, in public and in private, an approach welcomed by members who expect their leaders to ‘call a spade a spade’. “On behalf of the National Board, I thank Denita for her remarkable contribution and wish her every success in the next chapter of her career,” said Mr Shaw. The National Board has today appointed a recruitment firm to lead the search for the next CEO with the process to commence immediately.

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The HIA has congratulated Ben Carroll on becoming Victoria’s new Premier and looks forward to working constructively with his government to increase housing supply, support industry confidence and deliver the homes Victorians need. Source: Timberbiz “The election of Mr Carroll has avoided a prolonged period of political uncertainty at a time when Victoria’s home building industry needs stability and certainty,” said HIA Victoria Executive Director Keith Ryan. “Builders want to get on with the job of delivering homes for Victorians. Further disruption from the Government was the last thing the industry needed after what has already been a challenging year. “HIA is seeking an early and clear commitment from Premier Carroll that increasing housing supply will remain a central priority of the Victorian Government. “We also urge the Premier to minimise changes to Cabinet and portfolio responsibilities. With a state election only months away, there are significant building and contract law reforms due to commence, while critical regulations are still awaiting public consultation. “Continuity in both policy and leadership is essential to maintaining industry confidence and investment certainty. The residential building industry should not become collateral damage in internal political negotiations. “As Victoria heads towards the November election, HIA is calling on all political parties to support the priorities outlined in HIA’s 2026 Victorian Election Policy Agenda, including: Better and fairer building regulation. Reform of state property taxes. Growing the industry’s skilled workforce and attracting more young people into building trades. Bringing more shovel-ready land to market. Expanding the supply of social and affordable housing.   “A strong residential building sector doesn’t happen by accident. It requires governments to work constructively with industry and implement policies that are stable, predictable and supportive of investment. “HIA and its members look forward to working with Premier Carroll and his Government to deliver policies that increase housing supply, support business confidence, and ensure more Victorians can achieve the dream of home ownership,” Mr Ryan said.

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