Feed aggregator

For architect Kim Baber, Principal of Baber Studio, being awarded the Richard Stanton Memorial Leadership Award for his work on the timber-rich Maryborough Fire Station was an opportunity to highlight what’s possible when working with sustainably sourced materials. Source: Timberbiz “As architects and designers, we have a lot of responsibility to ensure selection of the materials we use and the impact of the buildings we create are managed in a responsible way,” Mr Baber said. With nominations for this year’s Richard Stanton Award now closed, Mr Barber believes the recognition of awards like this one play a broader role in promoting better practice across the industry, with leadership in timber design grounded in accountability. “It’s not just about recognising good design practices. We need to understand where materials are coming from, that they’re being used properly and how that’s going to impact the future life of the building – and the footprint of the resource extraction from the current environment,” he said. A cyclone-rated emergency services building, the Maryborough Fire Station is estimated to contain approximately 500m3 of Australian grown timber from Responsible Wood-certified softwood plantations. The result of many years of advocacy to the state government, the project was a collaborative effort between Mr Baber’s firm, Kim Baber Architects, Hyne Timber, XLAM and Hutchinson Builders. “It was really rewarding to see that effort translate into a timber building that’s so valued by both its users and the local community,” Mr Baber said. Fittingly, the $2000 bursary he received for his award win was put towards a trip to Japan to present at a Tohoku University seminar series focused on resilient timber design, and how mass timber can be used in buildings designed for extreme weather events. “In Japan, their focus is often seismic resilience but they’re also facing typhoons and tsunamis. We were able to share insights into designing for cyclonic conditions here in Australia, I was able to put my bursary towards making that trip happen,” Mr Baber said. The Richard Stanton Memorial Leadership Award recognises the winner with a $2000 bursary for work like: Significant and valuable contributions to sustainability Innovation, improvement, or excellence in sustainable forest management or the fabrication, supply, or utilisation of certified forest products Strong commitment to the principles of sustainable forest management Innovation and improvement in promoting Responsible Wood and/or PEFC-certified products.

The post Richard Stanton award has impact appeared first on Timberbiz.

Forestry Corporation’s Chris Scollen, a seasoned Crew Leader and Operations Planner, has deployed to Canada to assist with the nation’s fire containment efforts. NSW has this year sent 140 firefighters to Canada, and more than 400 firefighters from across Australia and New Zealand have deployed since June. Source: Timberbiz Mr Scollen, who is based at Taree, has worked with Forestry Corporation for five years and volunteered with the NSW Rural Fire Service for 25 years. He joins 14 other NSW and ACT fire specialists to serve as a Safety Officer in a mixed Incident Management Team (IMT) that oversees fire control across the province. He will spend 33 days on deployment. “The role I am undertaking involves identifying hazards that arise in the field, whether that be weather changes, a shift in fire intensity, or high winds, and also mapping dangerous trees to ensure firefighter safety remains the number one priority,” Mr Scollen said. “A lot of the major fires are burning in rugged, isolated terrain so I’ll also be coordinating plans to ensure firefighters can exit the field safely as fires evolve, and this includes forming helicopter insertion and extraction safety plans.” Mr Scollen said he was looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to learn about new fire behaviour and containment strategies in the Canadian landscape. Forestry Corporation’s firefighting crews have been part of these consecutive deployments. The fires burning across Canada have grown in both size and number as summer in the Northern Hemisphere has intensified. More than 4,000 fires have burnt across 14 million hectares of land.

The post Another Aussie firefighter joins the troops in Canada appeared first on Timberbiz.

Around 50 people joined Private Forests Tasmania at farmer Dougal Morrison’s property at St Peters Pass in Oatlands to celebrate the launch of operations as part of the Stems for CO2 Project. Source: Timberbiz During the event, attendees heard from Private Forests Tasmania about its project and insights from participating farmers Mr Morrison and Alison Napier. Professor Matthew Harrison from the University of Tasmania spoke about carbon forestry, the Australian Carbon Credit Units Scheme and different types of forestry carbon projects that could be registered in Tasmania. In addition, a presentation on FullCAM carbon modelling was shared by Bernard Prosser, which included examples of the carbon modelling undertaken as part of the Stems for CO2 project. Participants then received an operations update at the site of one of Mr Morrison’s woodlot plantings adjacent to the Midlands Highway. It was great opportunity to introduce the Stems for CO2 Project to neighbouring landowners, and to share information about the benefits of planting trees for timber and carbon outcomes. To find out more about Private Forests Tasmania’s Stems for CO2 Project, visit https://pft.tas.gov.au/stems-for-co2-program-2024  

The post PFT’s Stems for CO2 project appeared first on Timberbiz.

Reducing the time period within which a consent authority must process and decide an application for a resource consent for a specified wood processing activity to one year after the date the application is lodged as outlined within the new Resource Consenting (RMA) Act passed in the New Zealand parliament this week is applauded by the wood products industry. Source: Timberbiz “With examples of resource consent renewal for wood processing sites taking up to 13 years and costing in excess of NZ$2 million due to the drawn-out regional council processes, a more efficient system is essential,” said Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ (WPMA), Mark Ross. “The new Act amends the RMA to open up a consenting pathway for all wood processing and related activities, which is intended to reduce costs and time frames, plus open up much-needed investment opportunities for the industry. “In adopting this change, the Government has listened to WPMA and our members and for that we thank the Minister responsible for reform, Chris Bishop, and Act MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court, for providing the leadership needed to back future development of both new and existing wood processing facilities.” As a low net emissions industry, wood processing offers many public benefits, including being a high-value regional employer, adding value to commodities that are otherwise exported in raw form, along with providing domestic resilience in terms of the supply of building materials, residues for sustainable packaging and biofuel. The full replacement for the RMA will be introduced to parliament this year, be passed into law next year, and be in effect by 2027, but in the meantime, through this Amendment Bill, it should be a quicker and simpler process to consent wood processing activities, incentivising future growth within the industry. As defined in the new RMA Act, wood processing activity means the establishment, operation, or maintenance of a facility that specialises in the production of long-lived wood products, products derived from wood fibre, or wood-derived bioenergy, for example, the production of sawn timber, panel products (for example, veneer, plywood, laminated veneer, lumber, particle board, or fibreboard), pulp, paper, and paperboard, wood chips, bioproducts, chemicals, and materials; or provides for the storage of logs, processed wood products, or hazardous materials used in or produced by the operation of the facility.

The post NZ wood processors value Resource Management consenting changes appeared first on Timberbiz.

SFM is collaborating with land data analytics company Agtuary to support its assessment of properties suitable for carbon project development, helping to streamline decision-making and enhance the integrity of its project pipeline. Source: Timberbiz Through Agtuary’s transparent, science-backed benchmarking platform, SFM will be able to evaluate the carbon potential and land value of properties with greater speed, accuracy and consistency. The engagement will enable SFM to make earlier, more informed decisions about where carbon projects can deliver strong environmental and commercial outcomes. “Agtuary’s customisable platform allows us to align scientific data with our project criteria — from carbon sequestration to co-benefit potential — all while ensuring transparency and efficiency in our processes,” said SFM’s Managing Director, Andrew Morgan. “It’s a smart investment in both technology and rigour as we continue to grow our portfolio of high-integrity carbon projects.” Agtuary enables third-party assessments using independent data sources and geospatial modelling, providing valuable insights on land performance, opportunity, and value. The platform will support SFM’s ongoing efforts to identify properties in Australia that can support long-term, sustainable land use change through carbon forestry. “SFM is applying Agtuary in exactly the way it’s intended — as a decision-support tool grounded in science and built for practical outcomes,” said Brent Wedesweiler, Chief Operating Officer at Agtuary. “We’re pleased to be contributing to projects that create measurable environmental and economic value.” This collaboration underscores SFM’s continued leadership in sustainable forestry and carbon development and reinforces its commitment to evidence-based project design.

The post SFM and data company Agtuary assess carbon projects appeared first on Timberbiz.

‘The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) welcomed the opportunity to represent the forestry sector at the recent Agriculture Productivity Roundtable convened by Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins. Source: Timberbiz “Like all sectors, improved productivity is a priority for us, and we believe the answers lie with various reforms and changes including, strategic regional planning, improved R&D outcomes to maximise resource opportunities, as well as technology upgrades,” AFPA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Richard Hyett said. “Our sector provides the solutions to many of the Government’s challenges, including helping solve the housing crisis and decarbonising the economy. It’s important we work with Minister Collins and her Ministerial colleagues in the Albanese Government to get the policy settings right, to improve productivity for our sector and to enhance our national contribution to the economy, climate and the creation of essential products,” Mr Hyett said. At the Roundtable, AFPA focussed on the importance of strategic regional planning, increased forestry research and development investment, improved timber and wood-fibre outcomes, along with improved supply chain technology and policy settings that promote the sustainability of the forestry industry and its products. The Strategic Forest and Renewable Materials Partnership – made up of industry, unions and other sector stakeholders working with Government, has developed the Timber Fibre Strategy, released several weeks ago. It also recommends a number of Albanese Government actions to drive a step change improvement in productivity, including: Recognising forestry and wood products as a priority industry under the Government’s Future Made in Australia Network Promoting investment in workplace productivity across the sector including trialling the “smarter” High Performance Workplace model to encourage programs, projects and pilots De-risking investment in modern manufacturing capability by improving cross-government regulatory reform “We have a huge potential using our amazing materials, maximising use and value of the resource as well as developing new uses. It’s all key to our future success,” Mr Hyett said.  

The post AFPA welcomes a seat at the productivity roundtable appeared first on Timberbiz.