Australian timber industry news

The Ontario government is investing more than CAN$3m in initiatives to expand markets for forest biomass and strengthen supply chains across the province’s forest sector. Source: Panels & Furniture Asia The funding will support five projects, including new biomass energy facilities, technology that converts wood residues into coatings and inks, and a programme to connect privately owned forests with businesses seeking biomass. More than CAN$2.1m has been allocated to four projects through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Programme and the Forest Biomass Programme. The largest share, more than CAN$1.9m, will go to Ben Hokum and Son to install two biomass-assisted steam kilns. The investment is expected to triple the company’s lumber-drying capacity, improve efficiency and increase export sales by more than 30%. Ben Hokum and Son will receive a further CAN$100,000 to plan a biomass-powered facility that would generate electricity and thermal energy. The proposed facility would incorporate carbon capture and storage technology, with the goal of achieving net-negative emissions. Ontario is also providing CAN$87,500 to TorchLight Bioresources for a feasibility study into a combined heat and power plant in Petawawa. The proposed project would replace natural gas with energy generated from forest biomass. Carboform will receive CAN$62,500 to further develop technology that converts forest biomass residues into low-carbon coatings and inks. Together, the three biomass projects have the long-term potential to use more than 350,000 tonnes of forest biomass a year, according to the provincial government. A separate investment of CAN$865,000 will support the Ontario Woodlot Association in improving the management of privately owned forests and developing new supply chains for underused wood and mill by-products. Of this, CAN$790,000 from the Forest Biomass Program will support the association’s Wood Stewardship Program, including the creation of three jobs and the purchase of equipment. The programme will establish three regional networks linking landowners, forestry service providers and forest-sector businesses. It is expected to use up to 100,000 cubic m of forest biomass over five years. The biomass could be used in value-added products including biochar, compost and mulch. Additional revenue from underused wood could also help landowners offset the costs of forest management. The remaining CAN$75,000 will support workshops, conferences, publications and collaboration to promote sustainable forest management on private land. The funding will also help develop an inventory of private forests using remote-sensing technology. The investments form part of Ontario’s 10-year Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, which aims to strengthen the industry’s competitiveness, support innovation and develop new markets for Ontario-made forest products. “Our government is helping forest sector businesses build international reach and bring competitive products to market,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products. “Under our forest sector roadmap, we’re driving the industry’s continued growth and showcasing Ontario’s capacity as a G7 leader in innovative manufacturing.” Ontario’s forest sector generates close to CAN$21bn in business revenue and supports nearly 155,000 jobs, according to the provincial government.

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Ponsse has launched the Ponsse Wisent Thin Line and Ponsse Scorpion Thin Line forest machine models, which are optimized specifically for harvesting in thinning forests. Sales of the Thin Line versions will begin immediately and production at the Vieremä factory will begin later this year. Source: Timberbiz Ponsse Wisent Thin Line is a 10-ton forwarder designed for harvesting in thinning forests. The load space solution optimized for thinning makes working easier and makes the machine an agile choice for first thinning and other thinning sites. The lighter overall weight and lower ground pressures improve its suitability for harvesting in soft soils. The forwarder’s lighting has also been developed based on operator feedback. “Thinning operations emphasize the machine’s agility, visibility and ability to work efficiently in areas with limited space. We decided to optimize two of our popular forest machine models precisely for these needs. The new versions of Scorpion and Wisent offer our customers a ready-made solution for thinning work,” said Ponsse’s Sales, Service and Marketing Director Marko Mattila. Facts about Thin Line Wisent: Smaller and user-friendly load space optimized for thinning Excellent agility in thinning areas Low ground pressure for harvesting in soft ground due to lower overall weight Good balance and terrain characteristics on slopes and rocky construction sites Strong engine and good traction for demanding conditions High-quality audio system Improved, user-friendly lighting Renewed appearance.   The Scorpion Thin Line is based on the Scorpion harvester, whose strengths include excellent visibility of the working area, stable operation, and good crane reach and manoeuvrability. In the Thin Line version, the machine’s adjustments have been optimized especially for thinning operations to ensure the best possible fuel economy. The Ponsse H5 and new H6 harvester heads are available for the Scorpion Thin Line harvester. “Thinning is a key part of silviculture and the daily work of many of our customers. In thinning felling, the work trace is of great importance – it is influenced in particular by the driver’s professionalism, but the right choice of machine also plays a role. With the new Scorpion and Wisent versions, harvesting professionals have more diverse options than ever before,” said Mr Mattila. Facts about the Thin Line Scorpion: The best visibility and lighting for the work area on the market — the driver is truly at the centre Unique and patented leveling and stabilization system Powerful crane with precise control and long reach Optional Active Crane enables more productive and efficient crane control Cab that supports driver comfort and ergonomics Lower fuel consumption due to optimized settings for thinning Low surface pressures for harvesting soft ground High-quality audio system and sound reproduction Renewed appearance.

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Foster + Partners is part of a UK-EU consortium that has won a €4 million, three-year research grant from the European Innovation Council’s Pathfinder funding program. The winning proposal – the SWIFT-BUILD (Swarm-based Inverted Fabrication for Timber Buildings) system – uses swarms of robotic assemblers and lifting units to efficiently build modular timber structures that can be adapted over time and disassembled on demand. Source: Timberbiz By focusing on timber as a structural material, SWIFT-BUILD combines innovation in automated construction with sustainability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. “Combining state-of-the-art robotics and integrated AI tools, SWIFT-BUILD’s inverted construction method can adapt to various scales and uses, with the potential for wide-reaching applications. The focus on timber modular construction highlights the project’s sustainable agenda, with circularity and flexibility at its core,” Irene Gallou, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, said. SWIFT-BUILD develops an inverted robotic construction system that builds timber structures from the top down – assembling each floor at ground level, then lifting it upward to make room for the next. A team of coordinated robots handles the work: ground-based machines assemble and lift the structure layer by layer, while drones fly overhead to monitor progress and flag any issues in real time. The robots share information continuously, allowing them to adapt and operate safely without constant human intervention. The project will culminate in a full-scale demonstration: an autonomous robotic swarm will construct a timber pavilion. The structure will be mechanically reversible by design, enabling selective disassembly and material recovery to demonstrate circularity and sustainability. Foster + Partners is acting as the consortium’s industry partner, participating alongside academic partners: the University of Bristol, the University of Southern Denmark, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Pisa, the Delft University of Technology, the University of Birmingham, and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

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Gisborne forestry companies have halted harvesting as complex consent conditions make it difficult to operate or convert land use, industry leaders say. Source: The Gisborne Herald After severe weather events, including Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, Gisborne District Council (GDC) introduced stricter consent rules to reduce the risk of woody debris reaching beaches and waterways. The forestry industry raised concerns that the conditions were unworkable, prompting an independent council review and Forestry Minister Todd McClay appointing a facilitator to assist with land use and consent discussions. Forestry Management NZ (FMNZ) general manager harvesting Matt Doyle said they supported the moves. “The industry accepts that environmental risk is real, particularly in Gisborne, and we support proportionate regulation, but our concerns are that the current conditions that are coming through and the draft conditions are quite often conflicting or unachievable in the natural environment.” Industry wanted to work with all parties to find a workable solution because “it’s not us versus them. It’s a Gisborne region thing”, he said. During harvest, crews cleared waterways of debris caused by soil, tree size and harvest activity. Without harvest, “that large amount of material just stays choked in the waterways and ultimately is waiting for the next event”. Doyle said clean-up conditions for slopes varied. “Some conditions allow a sensible and manageable volume of woody debris in high-risk zones, which is workable, while others don’t allow any material or any size, which is not achievable.” The conflicting conditions had caused significant delays in consent grants, he said. One consent was granted after 14 months of negotiation. “Part of the delay is that FMNZ have been negotiating over conditions that simply won’t work. There have been multiple meetings to discuss the conditions that are unachievable, but GDC have not been able to change them. “Much of the delays in consent approvals have been either dealing with unnecessary back-and-forth queries or an inability to gain workable conditions.” Doyle said these consents needed to be in place up to a year and a half before ground-based harvest and engineering crews could begin work. With current delays, FMNZ was sending crews to Wairoa, where Doyle said Hawke’s Bay Regional Council took a more pragmatic, on-site approach to resolving issues. Moving crews elsewhere would buy the industry limited time before skilled workers left the region, taking families and economic activity with them, and trees in problematic sites would continue growing, he said. “There are areas that shouldn’t have been planted, but they are, and the only way to correct those is to harvest them now, so then you can enable conversion.” Eastland Wood Council chair Julian Kohn said the industry supported better environmental outcomes and had spent five years redesigning harvesting practices, skid sites, debris placement and culverts. However, the consenting process was preventing the transition of erosion-prone forest under the council’s transition programme, he said. “The industry has a significant set of skills and resources to help make that happen, but if we’re not able to do that because we can’t function as a business, we can’t continue to operate in this region.” Contractors were leaving Gisborne, while some companies were buying farmland elsewhere to establish forests or shifting plantations to carbon forestry, he said. “They’ll just lock the gate and walk away. That means those stands are not being managed appropriately during an environmental event.” Kohn said harvesting consent costs in Gisborne had roughly doubled since Cyclone Gabrielle, ranging from $19,000 to $30,000, compared with about $7000 in Hawke’s Bay and $1200 to $3000 in Bay of Plenty. Doyle said carbon forestry was being considered by some companies because returns were higher than harvesting. However, he was concerned it did not address erosion and waterway impacts. Kohn said local and central government had a role in implementing the Emissions Trading Scheme carbon forests would trade under, and there was a shared willingness to make it work better across the region. GDC chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swan said eight harvest consents were granted from January 2025 to January 2026. Conditions before Cyclone Gabrielle addressed erosion, skid site placements and debris removal, she said. “The current conditions place greater emphasis on identifying and managing risks before harvesting begins, particularly on highly erosion-prone land and at sites where slash could be mobilised and affect waterways, downstream properties or infrastructure.” Conditions may require staged harvesting, inspections following rain events, higher-quality roads and post-harvest stability plans, she said. The number of companies choosing not to harvest in Gisborne was unavailable, but Thatcher Swan reiterated poorly maintained forests could pose a risk for communities, waterways and infrastructure. The council did not want to prevent harvesting but wanted to work with operators so environmental risks were managed, she said. Speaking for sole shareholder of Eastland Port, Trust Tairāwhiti, chief executive Doug Jones said the trust was aware of challenging market conditions and the impact on local businesses and the economy. The trust and its investment arm, Tairāwhiti Investments Limited, remained informed and focused on the longevity of investments, he said. Eastland Port chief executive Andrew Gaddum said its debarking operation was monitoring harvesting volumes, export markets and wider economic conditions, and would adapt to changing customer demand.

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Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says she is “quite surprised at the scare campaign” around the sale of Tasmania’s Rushy Lagoon, reiterating that land will still be used for agriculture as well as forestry. Sources: The Weekly Times , Timberbiz In conversation with The Weekly Times editor James Wagstaff at News Corp Australia’s Bush Summit at Dubbo, Ms Collins said the Tasmanian government had not categorised the area, which is Tasmania’s largest farm, as prime agricultural land, instead assessing it in its “lowest categories”. “The land use and the planning around that is the state government’s, so the state government didn’t seek clearly to protect it in that sense,” she said. Rushy Lagoon was sold to the Tasmania Natural Asset Trust earlier this year – backed by investment from UK forestry and farmland investor Gresham House, global asset management group Aviva Investors and Australia’s own Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The federal government’s approval of the deal immediately sparked outcry from the farming sector, given the buyers plan to convert parts of the property to forestry and others to host renewables. The involvement of the CEFC in a foreign investment deal also prompted concern. The Opposition Leader Angus Taylor used the summit to label the conversion as “disgrace” and vowed that “it will not happen under a Coalition government. “We need to use every bit of productive agricultural land we can in this country for growing food and fibre,” he said, But Ms Collins said the $140m investment was important for northern Tasmania. “It brings some of it back into Australian hands … and means Australians will have some say in the future of Rushy Lagoon,” she said. “More broadly there have been a lot of land use tensions across the country … those tensions have always been there, and they need to be managed and managed well, and it’s primarily the (state governments) that have the powers there.”

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The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) says that proposals to halt new forestry registrations or progressively remove forestry from the emissions trading scheme are premature and risk further undermining investor confidence. Source: Timberbiz NZIF President Adrian Loo says that the “Adrift: What future does the Emissions Trading Scheme have?” report released by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment raises legitimate questions about the balance between reducing gross emissions and removing carbon through forests. “New Zealand needs faster reductions in gross emissions, but this does not diminish the importance of carbon removals. We need both. The challenge is to design a system which recognises their different roles and provides credible incentives for each,” he said. NZIF is concerned the report’s media release presents modelled scenarios as settled outcomes. The report itself acknowledges its results are projections rather than predictions and depend heavily on assumptions about future carbon prices, planting rates and forest owner behaviour. “A model looking ahead to 2075 can help us understand possible risks, but it cannot tell us with certainty how markets, technology, landowners or governments will behave over the next 50 years. Major policy decisions should not be based on one set of modelled scenarios,” Mr Loo said. NZIF also says an important distinction is being overlooked between Government auction units and forestry units. “Government auction units are permissions to emit. Forestry units recognise carbon which forests have actually removed from the atmosphere. Treating both forms of supply as though they have the same climate effect overlooks a fundamental difference,” Mr Loo said. NZIF agrees biological carbon storage carries risks from fire, pests, disease and extreme weather. However, it says these risks should be addressed through professional forest management, monitoring, enforceable standards and appropriate financial provision. Descriptions of “vast new plantations of highly flammable, storm prone pine” are unhelpfully emotive and do not reflect the diversity or reality of modern forestry. “Forestry is not a single land use. A managed production forest, a permanent exotic carbon forest, an indigenous forest and a planned transition forest have different purposes, benefits and risks. Sound policy must distinguish between them,” Mr Loo said. “Broad descriptions of pine forests as inherently dangerous show insufficient recognition of forest management, fire planning, engineering, harvesting controls and the regulatory improvements made across the sector.” NZIF says a blanket moratorium on new forestry registrations would not simply pause the present system. It would be a significant policy intervention which could affect production forestry, farm forestry, indigenous regeneration and transition projects. It could also strand investments made in good faith under rules established by successive governments. “Foresters did not design the ETS. Landowners and investors have responded to the incentives created by government policy. They should not be blamed or retrospectively penalised for following those rules,” Mr Loo said. Forestry is a long-term investment and unnecessary changes to ETS settings will seriously erode investor confidence and will result in significant reductions in planting rates across all forest types. New Zealand does not need to face a choice between reducing emissions and growing forests. We need faster reductions at source alongside the right trees, in the right places, managed for the right purposes. “Foresters must be part of the discussion and forestry part of the solution.” Mr Loo said.

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Timber removed during roadworks in a southeast NSW forest, already at the centre of a dispute over proposed logging, was sold to help pay for the work, the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) has confirmed. Source: About Regional Glenbog State Forest, about 45 minutes north-west of Bega, has been the focus of a community campaign over the potential effects of logging on threatened wildlife, including greater gliders and koalas. When FCNSW undertook what it described as road maintenance in January, conservationists monitoring the work recorded timber being trucked from the forest. They say at least 26 loads were removed from a 2.7-km stretch of Bemboka River and Fraxinoides roads. FCNSW maintains the work was road maintenance, but the removal and sale of the timber prompted questions about how the operation had been classified and regulated. Those concerns led Wilderness Australia and South East Forest Rescue to lodge a report titled Illegal Logging in Glenbog State Forest with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in early July. The report alleges the FCNSW operation was commercial logging disguised as road maintenance and may have bypassed environmental protections required under forestry or planning laws. The conservation groups say the roadside work was carried out between 13 and 22 January and involved the removal of more than 1000 trees with trunks wider than 20 centimetres. They allege clearing generally extended five to 10 metres beyond the road edge and reached between 15 and 20 metres in two places. Wilderness Australia executive director Andrew Wong said paperwork photographed at the site recorded at least 26 loads of timber. The report cited 21 truckloads, but Mr Wong said a later count of the photographed paperwork identified at least 26. FCNSW did not confirm the number of trees or truckloads involved. A spokesperson said the operation formed part of an ongoing program to grade, gravel and maintain roads across Glenbog for recreation, firefighting and forest management. “The work in January included some tree removal to enable machinery to access the road and safely carry out works, as well as removal of vegetation that had regrown on the road edge to maintain the road at a suitable width,” the spokesperson said. “Rather than mulching the removed trees onsite, as residents would often see on local roads and highways, some timber was recovered and sold to local mills.” The spokesperson said revenue from the timber helped fund road maintenance, but FCNSW did not disclose how much was raised. Mr Wong said selling the timber raised broader questions about whether the operation remained road maintenance or had become commercial forestry. “We believe it is the first case of potentially illegal logging that could be termed ‘for-profit management’,” he said. The distinction matters because commercial forestry operations must comply with the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA), including its threatened-species protections. FCNSW said the Glenbog roadworks were completed under a roading plan approved through a Review of Environmental Factors and were confined to the previously disturbed road corridor. However, the conservation groups allege the approval was more than three years out of date, restricted the work to the road’s existing disturbance footprint and did not permit the clearing they say occurred beyond it. The report says the timber-removal operation appeared to end after 2.7 km amid strong community opposition, although the wider roading plan covered more than 90 km of roads and trails. It argues that if the same approach were applied across the roughly 51,000 km of roads within NSW state forests, it could expose about 102,000 hectares of forest to clearing outside CIFOA oversight – equivalent, it says, to around five years of all native forest logging currently conducted in NSW state forests. FCNSW said maintenance had since been completed on most of the roads and trails covered by the plan but did not say whether any further timber had been removed or sold. The corporation said work would continue as required to maintain access for recreation, fire management and other uses. Mr Wong said documents obtained through a government information access request indicated the machinery used for the roadwork had been brought into Glenbog for the separately proposed logging operation known as 2312A–2315A. FCNSW did not say whether the roadwork prepared access for that operation or provide its current status. Mr Wong said paperwork accompanying the timber described the operation as “thinning”, which the report identifies as a harvesting activity normally regulated under the CIFOA. The report also summarises legal advice obtained from the Environmental Defenders Office that the operation should have been regulated under forestry law. The advice says that even under the planning framework used by FCNSW, planning law was likely breached and biodiversity legislation may also have been breached. Those legal arguments have not been tested or accepted by the EPA. The report further alleges that the clearing reached the boundary of South East Forest National Park and included a white ash forest, recently listed as a nationally endangered ecological community. It also raises concerns about the operation’s potential effects on surrounding wildlife habitat. A search by the conservation groups of the NSW Government’s BioNet database identified records of 25 threatened species in Glenbog, including greater gliders and koalas. The report identifies 12 greater glider den trees within about 85 metres of the clearing, including nine within 50 metres. One was recorded in BioNet a year before the operation and was about 13 metres from the clearing. Mr Wong said a greater glider search and broader habitat search would have been required had the work been treated as forestry, but alleged neither was conducted. FCNSW did not respond to questions about which threatened-species surveys were required or completed, or whether trees were removed within 50 metres of known greater glider dens. The EPA confirmed it was aware of community concerns and was assessing information relating to the January operation. It has not said whether it inspected the site or when its assessment is expected to be completed. “As this assessment is ongoing, it is inappropriate […]

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Australia’s Syncorana Group and Steco Centar from Bosnia and Herzegovina have signed a landmark Joint Venture Agreement to establish Steco (Australia) Pty Ltd, a new company that will introduce high-quality prefabricated homes in Australia and Oceania. Source: Timberbiz The partnership combines Syncorana’s strategic vision for Indigenous economic development including housing manufacture and building and workforce training with Steco’s thirty years of experience in the design and manufacture of prefabricated housing systems. Syncorana is an Australian company focused on developing innovative housing, advanced manufacturing, early childhood education, workforce training and artificial intelligence solutions. Steco Centar is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-based manufacturer of prefabricated building systems with extensive experience in the design, engineering and manufacture of innovative construction technologies for domestic The joint venture represents a significant step towards establishing an advanced manufacturing facility capable of supporting Australia’s growing demand for affordable, sustainable and high-quality housing solutions. The new facility is designed to create highly skilled jobs, strengthen sovereign manufacturing capability and support long-term industry growth. Under the agreement, the parties intend to establish a local manufacturing operation at an estimated cost of around $150 million capable of scaling to produce three thousand prefabricated homes per annum using advanced European manufacturing technology adapted to Australian standards and market requirements. A distinguishing feature of the proposed Australian facility will be the inclusion of Syncorana’s registered training organisation – Living Planit/Dreamtime Institute of Training and Management – designed to become a national centre of training excellence for prefabricated construction, advanced manufacturing and modern building techniques. The integrated training facility is intended to support the development of a highly skilled Indigenous and non-Indigenous workforce capable of manufacturing, assembling and installing prefabricated building systems for the Australian market. The venture will seek to supply a broad range of construction markets including residential housing, Indigenous affordable and social housing, early childhood learning and aged care centres, workforce accommodation and commercial developments. It complements Syncorana’s Indigenous housing strategy planned for implementation via its national network of Indigenous partnerships. Steco also intends to collaborate with strategic partners, government, institutional investors, developers and builders and community housing providers to expand the use of prefabricated construction systems throughout Oceania. This initiative will assist in addressing Australia’s housing supply challenges while contributing to national economic development and increasing participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the construction and manufacturing sectors. “The joint venture marks a defining milestone in the evolution of Syncorana,” Carlton Taya, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Syncorana Group, said. “Our partnership with Steco Centar brings together proven international manufacturing and building expertise with an Australian vision to transform the way homes are built. “Australia is facing one of the most significant housing supply challenges in its history. Through this joint venture we intend to establish advanced manufacturing capability that can deliver high-quality prefabricated housing faster, more efficiently and at scale,” Mr Taya said. “Importantly, this partnership is about much more than manufacturing. It is about creating skilled jobs, supporting Indigenous economic participation, developing the next generation of workers through our training centre of excellence, and using technology and artificial intelligence to build a smarter and more sustainable housing industry. “Importantly, this initiative will provide meaningful training and employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, apprentices, school leavers, veterans and workers seeking to transition into advanced manufacturing and modern construction.” “We are delighted to be partnering with Steco Centar, a world leader in prefabricated housing manufacture and look forward to building a long-term business that delivers value for our shareholders, customers, government partners and Indigenous communities across Australia.” Steco Centar chairman Milenko Stevanović said his company had spent many years developing innovative building technologies and manufacturing systems. “We believe Australia represents an exciting opportunity to apply our experience to one of the world’s most dynamic housing markets,” he said. “Syncorana shares our commitment to quality, innovation and long-term growth. Together we intend to combine European engineering expertise with Australian manufacturing capability to deliver world-class housing solutions. “We are delighted that our Australian partnership will include a dedicated training centre where our engineering knowledge and manufacturing systems can be transferred to a new generation of Australian professionals.” “By integrating education with manufacturing, we will help ensure that Australian workers are trained to the highest international standards while supporting the long-term success of the joint venture.” “We look forward to working closely with the Syncorana team and contributing our technical knowledge, manufacturing systems and experience to the success of this important venture.”

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NSW has the opportunity to become Australia’s benchmark for construction productivity and project delivery, but achieving that will require changes to procurement, risk allocation and the way government and industry work together, delegates at Foundations and Frontiers 2026 heard. Source: Timberbiz Addressing the Australian Constructors Association’s (ACA) flagship industry forum in Sydney yesterday, NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey outlined his vision for improving project delivery, strengthening industry capability and ensuring taxpayers receive greater value from the state’s significant infrastructure investment program. The Treasurer’s address followed a challenge from industry leaders that while NSW is one of Australia’s largest construction markets, it should also aspire to be one of the nation’s most attractive places to deliver major projects. The challenge was taken up by NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, who outlined the NSW Government’s vision for improving project delivery, strengthening industry capability and ensuring taxpayers receive greater value from the state’s significant infrastructure investment program. Sending a message to contractors, the Treasurer said government is looking for innovation that can be scaled and repeated across projects, not demonstrated once and set aside. “Government is the construction sector’s largest client. That gives us power, but it also gives us responsibilities. We must develop projects properly before taking them to market. We must be clearer about scope, more realistic about risk and more consistent in our requirements,” said Mr Mookhey. “We must engage industry earlier, make decisions faster and resolve genuine claims without allowing every issue to become an adversarial contest. We must look beyond the lowest apparent tender price and ask whether a bid is credible, deliverable and represents value over the full life of the asset. “For too long, an unhealthy model took hold in parts of the construction industry. Contractors bid low to win the project. The tender price became the opening offer. Once construction began, claims, variations and renegotiations became the route back to profitability.” In setting a vision for the industry the industry, the Treasurer pointed to the role of industrialisation and modern methods of construction in driving the change. “We want greater standardisation, more modern methods of construction and innovation that can be repeated across projects—not demonstrated once and then forgotten,” said Mr Mookhey. The Treasurer later joined ACA President Annabel Crookes for a fireside discussion examining the role government, contractors and project owners must play in improving productivity and delivering better project outcomes. “Genuine partnership starts well before contracts are signed. It means bringing industry in early to help shape the problem, being transparent about the pipeline and creating the conditions for government and contractors to solve challenges together before they become disputes,” said Ms Crookes. “If we want to lift productivity, procurement has to be shorter, smarter and more focused on outcomes. The opportunity is to spend less time in extended, duplicative competitive processes and more time in genuine development phases where the right people are around the table early.” “The next phase of NSW infrastructure investment gives us a real opportunity to think differently about how work is packaged, sequenced and delivered. “Where the pipeline includes repeatable assets or similar scopes, we should be looking for ways to standardise, build momentum and give industry the confidence to invest in industrialised construction, offsite manufacture and digital delivery.” ACA CEO Peter Colacino said improving productivity had become one of Australia’s most important economic challenges. “The discussion today reinforced that productivity is no longer simply a construction issue. It’s a cost-of-living issue, a housing issue, and an economic issue,” said Mr Colacino. Foundations and Frontiers 2026 has brought together more than 450 leaders from construction, government, consulting and the supply chain under the theme Smarter. Stronger. Together. The forum focuses on identifying practical reforms and proven approaches that can improve productivity and lift project delivery performance across Australia.

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August, the peak of the ski season and last month in our winter. There is a lure that spring is only just around the bend as lambs start emerging in paddocks and daffodils pop up all over the place. Sometimes, however, this can be a false sense of security as September can prove to be one of the wettest and windiest months on the calendar which can, in turn, create a few issues for foresters with windthrow and infrastructure damage. NIWA expects an 80% chance that El Nino will reach or exceed strong intensity by the end of September which will likely result in unusually windy conditions. This is great for drying things out but not so great for keeping trees vertical. We have seen considerable wind damage over the past few years, starting with Gabrielle in 2023 and latterly with the 2025 events in the Nelson Tasman region and 2026 event in the Southern north island. This has resulted in an out-of-cycle increase in harvest volumes in these regions and pushed supply into markets when it was not necessarily needed. While these salvage operations have wound down in the North Island, the Nelson region still has some distance to go. Even though the market has not needed the extra slugs of volume resulting from the salvage operations, there has been a reasonable balance in terms of supply and demand which has kept prices on a relatively even keel for the past 12 months. While we saw a 7% drop in June; July and August have seen a rebound back above the 12-month average with A Grade 3.9m at around $125/JAS in North Island ports and around $115/JAS in South Island ports. Economic data out of China isn’t painting a rosy picture with the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) dropping to 49.2 from 50.3 in June indicating a softening in manufacturing activity. Probably nothing to see here as July and August are historically fizzers for PMI data. It is important to note, however, that the quarter 2 economic growth rate was the lowest in three years at 4.3% and, when combined with increased in tech exports and decreased construction activity, wood-based products are probably fearing worse than reported. On the bright side, in market log inventories have dropped slightly to around 2.47 million cubic metres with daily offtake a shade under 60,000 cubic metres per day. NZ supply has been somewhat subdued with weather issues and problems berthing vessels in Gisborne due to successive long wave events. These events are especially frequent during southerly conditions and result in vessels being held at anchor and unable to load. This creates a backlog as the port fills quickly and stock begins to build in the forest which takes time to clear. Shipping costs continue to be problematic with the Iran conflict keeping costs over $US40/JAS. As long as the US and Iran continue their Mexican standoff it’s unlikely that we’ll see any reductions in the near term. It’s a great time to be a fuel company with many booking record windfalls and profits in the double to quadruple range. To put it into context, the eight major fuel companies booked more than $US90 billion in profits in the 3 months following the war. Nothing like a bit of profiteering at the expense of others in a time of global crisis. India didn’t want China to feel lonely in the PMI stats game and have recorded their lowest result in five years. While still above 50 (so indicating expansion), the July number of 53.5 is well back from June. While export orders grew at the fastest pace since April, job hires were at the lowest point in almost 30 months. Vessel arrivals into India are currently down around 50% on July with around six vessels due to berth at Kandla Port. Berthing in India is slow and complicated and recent damage to one of the berths has made this process more difficult. The rainy season has flooded many parts of North, West and central India which has in turn dropped radiata lumber demand by around 50%. Containers of logs have started turning up at Tuticorin Port from South Africa, USA, Australia and NZ. As there are no processing facilities near this port, much of the volume must be trucked hundreds of kilometres to sawmills which adds to cost and complexity. There was a bit of excitement in the carbon game a few weeks back when the volume of the NZU’s available for sale dwindled creating a buyer flurry that saw 700,000 units sold in a day and sale prices break through $55/NZU. This in turn got the traders’ phones going and this available sale volume was quickly replaced as participants tried to capitalize on the goldrush. As with any flurry, this quickly settled down to business as usual without any significant price reaction. The domestic market continues to show green shoots as log supply tightens and sawmill inventories recede. Pruned especially is in high demand and although this is supply related, it does show the advantage of pruning your forest. Pruned log prices continue to remain buoyant, and some sawmills are happy to help cover the additional cartage component to get supply from out of their traditional region. RMA minister Chris Bishop has put on his big boy pants and blocked Gisborne District Councils’ NZ$600M plan to force landowners (farmers and foresters) to transition to permanent vegetation cover. This has created the expected level of vitriol from proponents of the plan, many of whom seem hellbent on turning the East Coast into an economic and social backwater. This is the classic case of being careful what you wish for as we are already seeing significant forest related processing investment walk away from the region due to long term supply insecurity. So, how will the rest of the year play out? If you were a betting person, you’d probably put your casino chips on increased export prices heading into the pointy end of the year. […]

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A four-year program has begun testing whether predatory flies can control giant pine scale, an exotic sap-sucking pest that Australian authorities can currently fight only by cutting infested trees down. Source: Timberbiz The project is worth more than $2.45 million, including $1.1 million from Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI), and is led by Agriculture Victoria through the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. It is underpinned by a partnership with the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and its members and runs to November 2029. Giant pine scale (Marchalina hellenica) feeds on the sap of pine, fir and spruce, and heavy infestations dry a tree out and kill it. Infestations in Australia are confined to urban areas of Melbourne and Adelaide rather than the commercial softwood estate the industry is working to protect, and tree removal remains the only available control measure. Earlier work funded by Forest and Wood Products Australia identified three predatory insects, silver flies from the genus Neoleucopis, as potential biological control agents. The new project evaluates those predators, maps current infestations and identifies priority release sites using remote sensing, with the aim of delivering a national management program that targets core infestations while rapidly detecting and controlling new and outlier ones. Paco Tovar, National Forest Biosecurity Manager at the Australian Forest Products Association, said the combination could contain the pest before it reached plantations. “Biocontrol plus smarter surveillance could turn a runaway softwood pest into a manageable pressure,” Tovar said in the AFWI Highlights Report 2024-2026, released in Canberra on Tuesday. Researchers at the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation in Greece, where the pest is native, and at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International in Switzerland are working on the program alongside Australian forest health specialists ArborCarbon. The work sits inside a wider AFWI forest resilience and biosecurity portfolio worth more than $4.5 million, including more than $2.2 million of the institute’s own investment. That portfolio covers climate-driven risk models for pine pests and diseases led by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, hardwood plantation pest management through Adelaide University, and pheromone push and pull systems and insecticide-treated netting as alternatives to broadscale spraying against Ips bark beetles. A University of the Sunshine Coast study due to report in September is testing whether a previously unrecognised parasitic nematode strain has been undermining the inoculation programs growers run against Sirex woodwasp.

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A team developing an aerospace and environmental project based in Montreal is currently working at the Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base, testing its technology. Source: CTV News The SAFARI-APEX project team from Montreal’s École de technologie supérieure has developed a prototype that uses cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor forests from above. The system is designed to spot conditions that could make an area more vulnerable to fire before one actually starts. “We are trying to just map all the forest and with this, we would be able to predict the risk of a fire happening in those areas,” said Serguei Markov, an IT engineer and one of the people behind the project. Markov said the system analyses factors such as vegetation, soil and humidity, information that could help focus fire prevention efforts where the risk is highest. “If we see that our risk is really high in this area, we could send a team over there, trying to cut some trees, maybe trying to diversify the type of plantation in those areas,” he said. A prototype, called Borealis, was sent into the atmosphere on a Canadian Space Agency stratospheric balloon in Timmins. The team plans to continue testing the technology, with the goal of getting this vital information to emergency services faster. Alex Vaillancourt, another member of the SAFARI-APEX team, said the project is also about young people taking on a problem that could affect future generations. “We kind of want to put the youth up front for a problem that is concerning us and our children and grandchildren,” Vaillancourt said. “Just to make a difference in what seems to be a super imminent threat.” The team has already won an Innovation in Research Award and was a finalist in the University Programs category of the Space Tech Challenge in California. The team hopes this is just the beginning.

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Logset Oy has a series of new products and upgrades across its harvesting range. The new Harvester 4.0 and the new generation of two-roller harvester heads and transmission upgrades bring improvements in operator comfort, serviceability, machine performance and harvesting technology. Source: Timberbiz The new products will be at FinnMETKO 2026 in Jämsä, Finland, from September 3–5. Customers, contractors and forestry professionals will have the opportunity to discover the latest Logset developments at stand 76. These developments are the result of Logset’s ongoing cooperation with operators, customers and its international dealer network. Feedback continues to play an important role in product development, from the operator’s working environment and machine serviceability to performance and harvester head technology. With Harvester 4.0, Logset introduces a completely renewed harvester cabin, designed around one of the most important factors in professional forestry: the operator. Larger front and side windows provide improved visibility of the working area and the surroundings of the machine. The redesigned cabin also offers more space for a passenger, increased storage capacity and improved integration of frequently used equipment. The new cabin concept includes integrated optional solutions for equipment such as an electronic measuring calliper, food heater and refrigerator, creating a more practical and comfortable working environment. Other new options include a heated windscreen and smooth HiFi, with a subwoofer and multiple speakers. The radio controls have also been upgraded for easier use. A significant reduction in cabin noise further improves operator comfort. A quieter working environment helps reduce fatigue during shifts and supports concentration throughout the day, which result in higher productivity. The interior has also been upgraded with a higher level of finishing and a more refined overall design. At the same time, materials and surfaces have been selected for the realities of forestry work, making the cabin easier to clean and maintain. Increased air-conditioning capacity provides better climate control in challenging working conditions. The new Smooth Ride option further enhances operator comfort by reducing vibrations generated during crane and harvester head operation, as well as the effects of machine movement. The result is a smoother working environment throughout the harvesting cycle. The technology has already proven its reliability over several years on Logset forwarders and is now available for Logset harvesters. The Harvester 4.0 generation also introduces a new electrical architecture across the machine. The redesigned system improves serviceability and provides easier access to the engine and other key components. Increased CAN communication capacity also provides a foundation for future functions and reliable machine operation. Cooling capacity has been increased by 15%, supporting reliable operation and machine performance in challenging working conditions. The Harvester 4.0 generation also introduces a new electrical architecture across the machine. The redesigned system improves serviceability and provides easier access to the engine and other key components. Increased CAN communication capacity also provides a foundation for future functions and reliable machine operation. Cooling capacity has been increased by 15%, supporting reliable operation and machine performance in challenging working conditions. The two-roller feeding concept combines a compact design with straightforward construction. The compact dimensions help keep the head agile and easy to handle, while the simplified structure supports reliability and ease of maintenance. Selected models also feature dual-speed feeding, allowing higher feeding speeds within an optimised diameter range to support productivity. The new generation harvester heads are now available with 360 rotator as an option. The 360 rotator is provided by Black Bruin and is fully integrated in the tilt arch with optimised hose routing. The 360 rotator is mainly intended for loose heads in processor use but is also available together with Logset harvesters. Alongside the new product launches, Logset continues to develop its existing machine range. The latest drivetrain upgrades are designed to increase transmission capacity, durability and performance. The transmission system receives a significant upgrade with a new heavy-duty (HD) differential combined with a revised transmission ratio. The new configuration increases transmission power capacity and will be introduced on 4F GT to 8F GT forwarders and 6HP to 8H GTE Hybrid harvesters. The 6F GT and 8F GT also receive a larger drive pump. The increased pump capacity complements the drivetrain upgrades and provides improved driving performance for demanding forestry operations. These upgrades reflect Logset’s approach to continuous product development: introducing new technologies while continuing to improve the performance, reliability and efficiency of the existing machine range.

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British Columbia’s forestry industry expects it will be one of the hardest-hit sectors by the United States’ new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods. Source: CBC https://www.cbc.ca/ BC is the largest producer of lumber in Canada, and the industry plays a large role in the province’s economy. Most wood and forest products exported by B.C. are sold to the US, valued at about CAN$6.7 billion by the provincial government in 2024. “This is clearly an attack on Canada,” said Derek Nighbor, president of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Nighbor said the most recent trade action by the US government captures more than CAN$4 billion in Canadian lumber products that include not only raw materials, but also value-added and processed goods like fibreboard, particleboard, paper packaging, and wood moulding products. “We have billions of dollars worth of product that are caught up in this. We’re among the hardest-hit [industries],” said Nighbor. “It makes buying from Canada more expensive for American consumers.” He said the new tariffs come in addition to existing duties and tariffs, which have already weakened the softwood lumber industry. More than 20 mills have closed across BC since 2023, with three ending operations in just the last month. David Elstone, a strategic advisor to the forestry industry, said the trade negotiations that fell apart between Canada and the US come at a very tough time. “Unequivocally, this is the worst, absolutely worst situation we’ve ever been in,” said Elstone. Kim Haakstad, CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries, said the lumber industry as a whole is deeply invested in developing international markets and relationships overseas, but cannot compete on a global stage. “[What] we’re hearing is that Canadian products are getting a bit more expensive than some of our global competitors,” said Haakstad. She said the high cost of Canadian lumber is driven by both federal and provincial harvesting regulations, which drive up the cost to harvest and make it difficult to diversify to markets beyond the United States. Haakstad said the additional tariffs are going to make it even more difficult for the forestry and lumber industries, and that while she expects job losses as a result of the trade war, she hopes to prevent it. On Saturday, after he suspended trade talks with the US, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a speech that the decades-long process of increasing integration and collaboration between the Canadian and American economies was over. On Monday, he said Canada will return to the negotiating table when the US shows the “right attitude” and treats the country as a sovereign nation.

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The Tasmanian Government has released its nation-leading Modular Housing Finance Guarantee legislation for public consultation. The scheme will guarantee construction loans while homes are being built off-site, where limited collateral has historically restricted lending. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government is removing one of the biggest barriers to faster, more affordable housing with a nation-leading Finance Guarantee. “The draft Modular Housing Finance Guarantee Bill 2026 sets out the framework to partner with banks to unlock finance for modular homes during the construction phase, where traditional lending models fall short,” Mr Rockliff said. “Modular homes can be built in months, not years, and this reform ensures financing keeps pace with that innovation.” Treasurer Eric Abetz said the Government’s guarantee will reduce as construction progresses and cease once homes are installed and become standard mortgage security. “By addressing the financing gap, the initiative will accelerate housing supply, lower upfront costs, and improve access for first-home buyers,” the Treasurer said. “As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, we are making targeted investments to deliver more homes across the State. “We will continue to work with industry and lenders as we progress the legislation.” Consultation will close on September 4.

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Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has launched a new industry research archive – the largest collection of research reports spanning the last two decades bringing together decades of valuable research to make it easier for the forest and wood products sector to access and apply knowledge that drives innovation. Source: Timberbiz The FWPA Industry Research Archive represents the largest collection of industry research spanning the last two decades. It consolidates hundreds of reports, technical papers and findings into one central, searchable platform, streamlining access to information, and ensuring research investments continue to deliver value long after publication. Phase one The first phase of the project brings together more than 40 research reports from the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) and combines them with FWPA’s existing research. The result is a collection of more than 350 reports, making it by far the most comprehensive industry knowledge base in Australia. FWPA CEO Andrew Leighton said the initiative reflects FWPA’s ongoing role in supporting evidence-based decision-making and driving collaboration across the sector. “FWPA’s role as the enduring organisation supporting the forestry and wood products sector places us in the best position to serve as custodian of these outputs,” Mr Leighton said. “This initiative will help industry partners make better-informed decisions, accelerate innovation, and make past research outputs easier to find and adopt.” The new platform has been designed with usability and longevity in mind. Its advanced search and filtering tools make it easy to locate relevant information, while reports are categorised by topic, date, and research theme. Long-term archival functions ensure valuable data is preserved and accessible well into the future. FWPA’s Head of Research, Development and Extension, Ian Blanden, said the resource will help researchers and industry stakeholders work more strategically. “By consolidating decades of research in one place, we’re helping people find what’s already been done, identify knowledge gaps and focus new investment where it’s most needed,” Mr Blanden said. “It’s about making the most of the work that’s come before to deliver real outcomes for the industry.” Phase two The next phase of the project will see the addition of more than 120 completed reports from Australia’s Regional Forestry Hubs and the integration of AI technology to support data mining and deeper analysis. These enhancements will allow users to uncover insights into both research gaps and areas where existing knowledge can be rapidly applied. By centralising access to research outputs, FWPA is helping the sector harness its collective knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and continue building a sustainable future for Australia’s forest and wood products sector. The FWPA Industry Research Archive is now live and can be accessed via National Institute for Forest Products Innovation – Forest & Wood Products Australia. https://fwpa.com.au/resources-hub/nifpi-reports/

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New Zealand’s forest owners spent almost NZ$4 million controlling more than 160,000 pest animals across 1.4 million hectares of plantation forest in 2025, with pest-control activity reported across 77% of the national forest estate, according to a new survey. Source: Timberbiz The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says the sector’s contribution is often overlooked in the national debate about who is responsible for controlling pests across private land. The survey comes as Federated Farmers calls for greater responsibility from forestry and other land managers, identifying neighbouring forestry and Crown land among sources of pest reinvasion onto farms. NZFOA chief executive Dr Elizabeth Heeg says forest owners already take a proactive role in tackling pests that affect both production forests and the wider environment. “These figures show forest owners’ significant investment in reducing pest pressure, often in places where neighbouring farms, waterways, reserves and native bush also benefit,” Dr Heeg said. “Pest control at this scale not only protects forests, but reduces pressure on native vegetation, wildlife and adjacent land.” The survey found larger forestry companies spent almost NZ$4 million on pest animal control during 2025. Possums made up the largest recorded group, with nearly 90,000 controlled during 2025. The survey also recorded nearly 30,000 goats, 15,000 pigs and 11,000 deer, alongside 17,000 rats, mustelids, chamois and other pests. Deer, goats and other browsing animals can damage plantation forests – particularly young trees – affecting tree establishment and growth; while pests such as possums, rats and mustelids can also affect native wildlife and vegetation within and around plantation forests. Smaller-scale forest owners, including farm foresters and woodlot owners, are likely to add further to the overall figures, with the survey not fully capturing the contribution of this group. The survey findings therefore likely understate the forestry sector’s overall pest-control effort and investment, as well as in-kind contributions. NZFOA environment manager Rachel Millar says pest control cannot be treated as an isolated property-by-property problem. “Pests don’t recognise property boundaries, so neither should pest control,” Ms Millar said. “Forest owners are already doing substantial work, but there is an opportunity to make that work more effective by coordinating it across neighbouring properties and the wider landscape. “This new data provides forest owners a better way to track progress, identify gaps and work more closely with councils, neighbours, contractors, hunting clubs and conservation groups.” Hunting is another significant part of pest control in forests, with forestry companies issuing more than 8000 hunting permits during 2025, according to the survey. “Managed hunting access is an important part of pest control on forestry land,” Dr Heeg said. “When it’s well managed, hunting gives companies a practical way to reduce pest numbers while keeping people safe around forestry operations.” Better coordination between forest owners, farmers, councils, conservation groups, hunting organisations and other land managers could help prevent pests simply moving from one controlled area into another. “Forestry companies are already investing millions of dollars and putting substantial resources into pest control,” Dr Heeg said. “The next step is making sure that effort connects with what is happening on neighbouring land.” The survey provides a clearer picture of forestry’s contribution to national pest-control efforts, but Dr Heeg says this is only one component of a much larger landscape issue requiring collective attention. “Forest owners are already doing their part. The challenge now is to make pest control more coordinated across the landscape, so that the work being done on one property isn’t undermined by reinvasion from another,” she said.

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OneFortyOne’s 2026 planting season has wrapped up, marking the start of the next generation of forests across the Green Triangle. Source: Timberbiz Supported by favourable seasonal rainfall, the Glencoe Nursery dispatched almost 6.5million seedlings to forest growers across the region, including OneFortyOne’s own estate. Estate manager Marcel Griffiths said the planting operation was bigger than ever, with five planting crews working across 45 days, reestablishing 3,143 hectares of land – including OneFortyOne’s recently acquired Limestone Estate in South Western Victoria. “This year we sent 2,635,200 seedlings across the border to re-establish parts of Limestone Estate,” Mr Griffiths said. “This established new radiata pine forests across 1,470 hectares of the estate.” Nursery manager Craig Torney said the busy season needed a team effort across the supply chain. “What stood out this season was the great communication across the entire process, from the Glencoe Nursery team through to delivery drivers and planting contractors,” Craig said. “It’s always rewarding to see the nursery alive with action, and everyone working together and powering through another season.” The nursery delivered a total of 6,467,500 seedlings, of which 5,597,855 were planted in OneFortyOne forests. “The team did an amazing job coordinating an already full schedule while bringing Limestone Estate into the planting program,” Mr Griffiths said. “Their professionalism and commitment ensured a safe and efficient operation and laid the foundations for the next generation of forests.”

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Timber NSW is calling on the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation to release details of its latest marketing campaign including the opening statement, full list of questions, sample size, and margin of error from its latest push-polling effort to end timber harvesting in NSW. Source: Timberbiz About Regional, a widely read online news source, reports that Ken Henry’s Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation commissioned a poll which apparently suggests overwhelming support among South Coast voters for converting state forests into national parks and significant support for ending native forest logging in the region. The Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation says polling found 67% of NSW voters would support the creation of large, protected areas like the Great Southern Forest National Park proposal. The foundation says that for residents of the South Coast electorate, this number jumped to 72%, while 63% of voters in Bega supported the proposal. And it says the pollsters found the support held fairly strong across party lines. According to Timber NSW Chief Executive Maree McCaskill, the published headline figures could not be judged as reliable measures of informed support for the park proposal. “This was nothing more than a push poll to support Ken Henry’s campaign to destroy the timber industry in Australia,” Ms McCaskill said. “The skewed polling was released by the National Parks Association to further muddy the waters as to the true intention of this campaign in which respondents were asked about large new protected areas without being given a detailed description of the boundaries, effects on forestry or park-access. “An enormous amount of what we do is trying to educate people about forestry. Our job is made much harder when we have to counter the false narratives perpetrated by people and organisations trying to ruin Australian industry by disguising their intent and wilfully ignoring hard facts and proven statistics,” she said. “The obsession with destroying the timber industry in Australia has already led to bizarre outcomes – Australia now relies on imported hardwood from questionable sources. This includes Merbau, a listed threatened species imported from unregulated forestry operations across Asia.” Timber NSW says some other information some commentators and numerous politicians ignore is: 90% of publicly owned forests are already in national parks and conservation reserves in NSW (nearly 8M ha) State forests cost less than a tenth of the cost of managing National Parks State forests contribute to an industry that generates $1.1b annually in value added to the NSW economy. State forests that have been well managed for timber over 100 years remain full of native species.

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PEFC is strengthening its presence in New Zealand, with a refreshed national governing body, a new board representing experience from across the forestry and timber supply chain, and a clear ambition to grow certification in step with the markets it serves. Source: Timberbiz Formerly the New Zealand Forest Certification Association, PEFC’s national member has been renewed and revitalised as PEFC New Zealand. The renewal was launched publicly at the New Zealand Timber Design Awards in Auckland in June, bringing the announcement to an audience of designers, engineers, manufacturers and forest owners. It marked not just a change of name, but a signal of intent: to strengthen PEFC’s presence in New Zealand, grow certification and continue adapting the PEFC approach to the country’s needs. Chaired by Mark Ross, the new board brings together experience from across New Zealand’s forestry and timber supply chain. Its early priorities are already clear. “One of PEFC New Zealand’s first priorities is supporting the current revision of the Australian/New Zealand Sustainable Forest Management Standard,” said Mr Ross. PEFC New Zealand’s renewal is a living example of the PEFC approach: national systems, built and governed locally, endorsed against shared PEFC’s international Sustainability Benchmarks rather than imposed from the top down. It is a model designed to fit each country’s own forests, ownership structures and communities, and to evolve as those needs evolve. Central to New Zealand’s next chapter is its trans-Tasman partnership. “As part of the global PEFC alliance, PEFC New Zealand is working closely with Responsible Wood, the PEFC member for Australia, which continues to provide technical and administrative support as the New Zealand scheme grows,” said PEFC South Pacific Programme Manager, Richard Laity. “By drawing on shared experience across the Tasman, we are helping ensure the scheme remains credible, cost-effective and fit for purpose, while meeting the needs of both New Zealand businesses and their customers.” New Zealand’s renewal comes as businesses and specifiers face growing expectations for transparency about the sourcing of forest and tree-based materials. Architects, specifiers and buyers are increasingly looking for credible information and independent assurance to support responsible sourcing decisions. PEFC certification can help respond to this demand by providing independently verified assurance of responsible forest management and traceability of forest and tree-based materials through the supply chain. PEFC New Zealand’s renewal offers a useful reference point for other national members navigating change. It shows how renewed governance, stronger market focus and collaboration across the PEFC Alliance can help a national member prepare for its next stage of development, while remaining firmly rooted in local context.

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