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

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

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

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

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

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