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A new booklet ‘Common Insect Pests and Diseases of New Zealand Native Plants’ is now available. New Zealand’s native species have a range of insect pests and diseases associated with them, many of which are native, common and not known to cause significant damage. Source: Timberbiz This booklet can be used to help educate people about plant diseases allowing them to broadly identify what insect pests and diseases they may come across in their whenua. It can also help readers separate those common diseases from potentially new diseases that could become damaging to native trees such as myrtle rust or kauri dieback. Each insect pest and pathogen is described in detail with large photographs to make identification easy. A full glossary, including Māori and scientific names of the insect pests, diseases, and host plants is included. The booklet came about from Te Rātā Whakamaru, a Jobs for Nature funded program. This project was a collaboration between Scion, Rotoiti 15 trust and the Department of Conservation. The program was tasked with creating jobs that supported nature. Te Rātā Whakamaru established roles for surveying and monitoring myrtle rust in the Bay of Plenty area. Additionally, the project sought to identify possible disease-resistant ramarama and rōhutu plants for the propagation of resistant planting material. While the Te Rātā Whakamaru team learned how to identify myrtle rust and the host plants it is associated with, they encountered other pests and diseases on native trees. This prompted the development of this field-orientated booklet to educate not only the Te Rātā Whakamaru team, but others interested in the health of native plants, including forest owners, managers, regional councils, botanic gardens, restoration planting contractors and kura. Unlike myrtle rust, which is an invasive pathogen that is devastating many of our native Myrtaceae, most of our common insect pests and diseases are endemic and rarely cause widespread damage on our native plants. The booklet is available to download or contact Scion’s Kiryn Dobbie to enquire about a hardcopy. With the aid of this new booklet, if you suspect a new disease or pest, report it to the Ministry of Primary Industries immediately on 0800 80 99 66 or at https://report.mpi.govt.nz/pest

A King Island man has been fined $90,000 for bulldozing native vegetation, including threatened native forest and a wetland, without any approvals. Source: Pulse Tasmania Alan Robert Smith faced nine charges in the King Island Magistrates Court under the Forest Practices Act earlier this month. They included unauthorised clearing of trees, including the King Island Scrub complex, clearance and conversion of threatened native vegetation communities and failing to comply with a notice to cease forest practices. The Forest Practices Authority (FPA) launched an “extensive and complex” investigation into the property after discovering the alleged illegal clearing. Acting Chief Forest Practices Officer Willem Mulder said Smith continued clearing activities despite the FPA issuing a formal request to stop the operations. “The forest practices system provides a process for identifying and considering environmental and other sensitive values through a certified forest practices plan,” he said. “Clearance and conversion of threatened native vegetation communities is not normally permitted under the system. “This unlawful land clearing would have been avoided if the forest practices process had been followed.”

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is urging the government to hit pause on the proposed Free TAFE Bill 2024. While the initiative promises to address critical skills shortages, HIA believes the plan needs a comprehensive review before it’s locked into law. Source: Timberbiz “We absolutely support making vocational education more accessible but rushing this legislation risks turning a good idea into an ineffective policy,” said Geordan Murray, HIA Executive Director – Future Workforce. “It is vital that we base decisions on evidence, not just good intentions. The stakes for the building industry and the broader economy are simply too high.” HIA’s submission to the inquiry raises key questions about how the scheme will work in practice. “Among the many concerns is the need to evaluate the current Fee-free TAFE initiative before it’s formalised. Without clear data on what is working and what isn’t the program could fail to deliver its full potential,” Mr Murray said. “During the time that the Fee-free TAFE scheme has been operating the number of apprentices and trainees in the construction industry has declined. It doesn’t appear that the scheme is doing enough to boost participation. “Another critical issue is fairness, HIA has always argued that private and industry-based training providers must be given equal access to funding alongside public TAFEs.” Mr Murray said that Australia’s vocational education system was built on diversity, restricting private providers not only limited student choice but also risked leaving gaps in the training landscape. “Transparency is also a sticking point for HIA, we are calling for the legislation to include provisions for timely data collection and reporting, ensuring the program can be objectively assessed over time. This is essential for fine-tuning the scheme to meet the country’s evolving workforce needs,” he said. “While the government’s target of 100,000 Fee-free TAFE places is a positive start, we question whether it goes far enough. “This number might sound impressive, but in the context of our skills crisis, it is just not enough. We need to think bigger, the demand for skilled workers in construction and other industries is overwhelming. “The government should also consider the broader financial challenges that students face, course fees are just one part of the equation. Travel costs, tools, and equipment are all barriers that need to be addressed if we are serious about boosting participation in training,” he said. “HIA remains committed to working constructively with the government to ensure the vocational education and training system meets the needs of Australia’s workforce. But this legislation needs to be done right. “Our industry is at a critical juncture, we need bold, well-thought-out holistic solutions. Fee-free TAFE has the potential to make a real difference, but only if it is backed by careful planning and robust support,” Mr Murray said.  

The peak state body for the forest and timber industry in Queensland has raised major concerns with the announcement by the Australian Government of a proposed new carbon method known as the Improved Native Forest Management in Multiple-use Public Forests. Source: Timberbiz “This proposed method raises far more questions than answers for addressing long term climate mitigation and the integrity of the carbon credits intended to be generated,” Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said. The method is at odds with the high-level principle identified in the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th assessment report that states: In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit. “The proposed method suggests that by simply ceasing sustainable timber harvesting in public multiple-use forests you can generate additional long-term abatement compared to the counterfactual of continued harvesting and storage of carbon in regrowing forests and harvested wood products,” Mr Stephens said. “This is in direct contrast to many life cycle analyses of managed forests with sustainable timber harvesting, which show long-term sustained carbon benefits when the substitution of steel and concrete in the built environment is included along with carbon stored in forests and harvested wood products,” he said. “The method fails on multiple accounts to meet the very principles Minister Bowen set out following the recent Chubb review into the land-based carbon sequestration market.” These failures include: a high likelihood of perverse carbon mitigation outcomes; a risk of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on dodgy credits; adverse economic and social outcomes for the native forestry industry if implemented; disregard for a growing body of Australian and international research supporting the longer-term carbon benefits from actively managing native forests with the inclusion of sustainable timber harvesting; and a lack of transparency and public disclosure on the proposed method and assessment process used by the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC).

The Greens’ reluctance to condemn deliberate damage caused to several Sustainable Timber Tasmania firefighting vehicles has been attacked by Tasmania’s Minister for Business, Industry and Resources Eric Abetz. Source: Timberbiz Several STT firefighting vehicle fleets had their tyres tampered with, police confirm, in a so-called “deplorable” attack. The incidents, described by STT as “malicious”, occurred at its Derwent Park and Hobart offices. “We have shared security footage with Tasmania Police and an investigation is currently underway,” SST said. “As a result, several critical vehicles – including fire trucks and utes with firefighting apparatus – were temporarily taken out of service. This disruption not only affects our operations but also impacts the broader community.” Mr Abetz described the attacks as disgraceful. “The deplorable attack on STT’s vehicle fleet must be condemned,” he said. “The Greens’ condemnation of these unacceptable actions is welcome however, the silence from the Bob Brown Foundation is deafening. “We are in peak fire season and these vehicles are vital to our response,” Mr Abetz said. “These actions have put lives at risk. “By remaining silent the Bob Brown Foundation is creating concern and doubt as to their attitude to this anti-social behaviour. “It needs to immediately condemn the behaviour and explain its tardiness in coming out if they do condemn the vandalism,” he said. STT said that regardless of opinions on forestry, trespassing and tampering with property is never acceptable. “The safety and security of our employees is our top priority, and these actions pose a direct threat to both,” STT said. “Our fleet is vital to Tasmania’s firefighting efforts and must always be ready to respond quickly during fire season. The availability of these vehicles is crucial for protecting our communities and forests.” Tasmania Police confirmed they were investigating the reports. The Bob Brown Foundation in a statement later said damage to property was condemned by the foundation. “The alleged letting down of tyres of Forestry Tasmania vehicles is a matter for the police and we know nothing about the incidents,” the foundation said. The foundation said if Mr Abetz has consideration for the safety of Tasmanians from bushfires, he should end native forest logging, as science proves that logging increases bushfire risk and severity. “If Minister Abetz is concerned with deplorable acts, he should condemn the consistent acts of violence and damage to property that have put lives at risk and that our foundation’s staff and volunteers have experienced,” the statement said.

Opal took the unprecedented step of locking out more than 300 CFMEU Manufacturing Division production members indefinitely from their Maryvale mill in the Latrobe Valley.  This action was in response to seven workers taking a 6-hour work stoppage as part of a protected industrial action – the first by production workers in more than two decades.  Source: Timberbiz Opal is currently engaged in Enterprise Agreement discussions with its Maryvale Mill production team members and the CFMEU. The current production agreement expired at the end of December 2024. Opal’s total lockout is completely disproportionate to the action taken by the employees, it displays a total disregard for the employees, their families and communities according to the CFMEU. In a statement Opal said it continued to negotiate in good faith with the CFMEU and its production team members. Industrial parties have been in bargaining since October 2024 and the CFMEU said Opal was aiming to strip ‘the hard-won wages and conditions of their employees’. “We are focused on reaching an Enterprise Agreement with our team members and the union that is fair and allows us to supply our customers with quality paper in an extremely competitive and evolving market,” Opal said in a statement. “Unfortunately, given the protected industrial action taken and upcoming notified action by the CFMEU, which includes planned rolling shutdowns of the Mill’s infrastructure, we cannot operate our paper production facilities. “We are disappointed to announce that we have been forced to make the decision under the Fair Work Act to undertake a legal lockout of our production team members covered by the CFMEU Agreement. “Given our commitment to good faith bargaining and the ultimate success of our Maryvale Mill, we remain confident that the Enterprise Agreement negotiations will be successfully resolved so that our team members can return to work. “As has been well documented, the Maryvale Mill’s operations have been severely impacted by the loss of wood supply from VicForests and the subsequent end to white paper manufacturing.” As a result, the site lost almost half of its production volumes and suffered significant and continued financial impacts and Opal says the new Enterprise Agreement needs to reflect these significant changes. Opal said that the terms and conditions that were appropriate many years ago in previous Enterprise Agreements were not relevant to the Mill’s operations today, nor did they reflect the way Australian paper mills operate in 2025. As a result of these challenges and changes to its operating conditions, Opal is seeking to make changes to its operations and embody these in a ‘simpler, fair and competitive Enterprise Agreement’. The CFMEU says that Opal wants a ‘fair outcome’ but this seems to mean workers must start by giving up their current conditions and Opal wants to increase employees ordinary working hours; reclassify their roles again; treat them like casual employees and remove checks and balances around rostering; crewing numbers and career progression. In 2016 production employees accepted a 5% pay cut and a resetting of wages to secure the future of the mill. This outcome was achieved with no industrial action. Management did not take a reduction in wages. The Maryvale Mill has been in operation since 1937. It is part of the fabric of the Latrobe Valley, employing generations of locals and driving economic activity for local industries and thousands of Victorians.