Forest Products Industry

Combilift has been awarded Company of the Year at the prestigious Business & Finance Awards 2024, in association with KPMG Ireland. This remarkable achievement marks Combilift’s 9th major award in the last three months. Source: Timberbiz The Company of the Year award, presented to Combilift’s CEO Martin McVicar by Seamus Hand from KPMG at the 50th Business & Finance Awards ceremony held in Dublin, is a testament to the company’s significant impact on both the Irish economy and the global market. “This award reflects the bold vision and relentless drive that has been at the heart of Combilift since Robert Moffett and I started in 1998,” Martin McVicar, CEO of Combilift, said. “Every forklift, every innovation, and every milestone, reflects our commitment to pushing boundaries and transforming material handling worldwide. This moment belongs to our employees, our dealers, and our customers, who rely on us to deliver quality material handling solutions to optimise their warehouse space.” Winning this award places Combilift among an elite group of previous winners, including industry giants Glen Dimplex, Kingspan, Primark, Google, and Intel. As a homegrown Irish business with a global footprint, this latest recognition serves as a powerful reminder of the company’s ongoing success and its critical role in shaping the future of the material handling industry. Combilift, with annual revenue exceeding €500 million, has continued to thrive with its export-focused business model, with 98% of its operations serving international markets. Since its founding in 1998, Combilift has built a global reputation as the largest manufacturer of multi-directional, articulated, and sideloading forklifts, as well as large material handling equipment such as straddle carriers, with over 85,000 units in operation across 85 countries. The company’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and research and development has been pivotal to its exceptional growth, making it a true leader in the material handling industry.

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has been preparing for summer with upgrades to Australia’s largest firefighting helicopter, including increased water-holding capacity and new night-time capabilities. Source: Timberbiz The CH-47 Chinook helicopter can now hold 11,000 litres of water in an internal tank, making it an even better asset in firefighting efforts. With the tank upgrade, the helicopter can fill faster, deploy more effectively, and conduct night-time operations when fire intensity is typically lower. Previously, the Chinook had a bucket that made it too dangerous to be used at night-time or over densely populated areas. Added to the RFS aerial fleet last year, the Chinook has been instrumental in firefighting efforts in NSW and is one of only a few Chinook helicopters in use for firefighting activity globally, with the heavy transport helicopter mostly used by defence forces. NSW has the most aerial firefighting aircraft of any state and territory in Australia. In addition to the Chinook, the fleet this season includes the Boeing 737 Large Air Tanker ‘Marie Bashir’, two Cessna Citations, one King Air fixed-wing aircraft and six Bell 412 helicopters. The new tank was fitted out locally and is a permanent solution that replaces a temporary 10,000-litre bucket. It allows the Chinook to carry the largest water payload of any firefighting helicopter in Australia and second only to the ‘Marie Bashir’ in the RFS fleet. This expanded capability builds on the RFS’s strategic partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, with the aircraft operating out of RAAF Base Richmond. Operating from bases across the state, including Richmond, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Cooma, the RFS fleet is further supported by more than 200 additional aircraft available on an as-needed basis through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and other agreements. “We can never be too prepared for summer and the upgraded Chinook makes the RFS aerial fleet even stronger in the fight against fires,” the Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said. “This new capability to safely conduct aerial waterbombing at night is a game-changer for our response, allowing for faster turnarounds and greater capacity to protect people and properties. “Our aerial fleet includes crucial assets that support our RFS volunteers and personnel on the ground to keep communities as safe as possible, and I thank them for everything they do for our state. “As we enter the warmer months and as the RFS and other fire agencies prepare, communities across the state should also do their bit by checking the readiness of their properties and their plan in the event of an emergency.” Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service Rob Rogers said the addition meant that the Chinook can directly attack fires with precision when conditions were typically more favourable such as at night. “The RFS is prepared to deploy our robust and versatile fleet wherever and whenever needed to protect communities and respond swiftly to fires across NSW,” he said.

Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy has been appointed as the new chair of the Climate Change Commission, the independent Crown entity that provides the Government advice, monitoring and reporting to support New Zealand’s transition to a climate-resilient, low emissions future, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. Source: Timberbiz “I’m pleased that Dame Patsy is joining the Commission. As former Governor-General, she will come to the role with an extensive and distinguished career in law and governance,” Mr Watts said. Dame Patsy was the 21st Governor-General of New Zealand from 2016 to 2021. In 2014, she became a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and business and in 2016 she was made a Dame Grand Companion of the Order for services to the state. She is currently Chair of the New Zealand Rugy Union and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Foundation. She is also a trustee of the Malaghan Institute and the Aspen Institute New Zealand. Dame Patsy’s appointment will take effect in February 2025. In the meantime, Commissioner and Deputy Chair Lisa Tumahai will be acting chair. Dame Patsy’s appointment follows the conclusion of Dr Rod Carr’s term, which ends in early December. Mr Watts has also appointed Felicity Underhill and Devon McLean as Commissioners from December 2024 until September 2028, replacing Catherine Leining and Professor James Renwick. “Ms Underhill has worked in the energy industry for over twenty years and will bring significant experience in decarbonisation of the energy, transport and industrial sectors. She has also been actively involved in future fuel transition programmes around hydrogen,” Mr Watts said. “Mr McLean has had a long executive and governance career in the forestry and conservation fields. The Commission Board will benefit from Mr McLean’s forestry industry experience and governance expertise. “I want to thank Dr Carr, Ms Leining and Professor Renwick for their service to the Commission, and welcome Dame Patsy, Ms Underhill and Mr McLean.”

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has raised concerns about changes to the Government’s new skilled visa program. Source: Timberbiz While AFPA welcomes the addition of some forest sector roles to the Skills in Demand Visa list, the decision to leave critical industry occupations including Forest Science/Forester off the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), is baffling, according to AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hallam. “Like many Australian industries, the supply chain for forestry and forest products is experiencing skills shortages across numerous jobs and occupations that are critical for us. Therefore, importing those skills from overseas is essential to keep our operations functioning properly,” Diana Hallam said. “The Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Council has released an updated CSOL which informs access for temporary skilled migration. Unfortunately, several roles that AFPA advocated for and are necessary to fill skills gaps haven’t been included – Forest Science/Forester, Saw Maker and Repairer, Saw Technician and Aquaculture, crop and forestry worker. “Of greatest concern is the removal of Forest Science/Forester from the list. With no undergraduate forest science degree currently on offer anywhere in Australia, the decision to remove this occupation from the CSOL is particularly confusing. “Without foresters, there is no forestry and if Australia’s tertiary institutions are not producing the next generation of forest scientists, then we have no option but to source them from overseas. Any model that suggested it was appropriate to exclude skill 234113 from the CSOL is clearly broken. “We know there are genuine shortages of these critical skills in the local workforce and many forest sector operations need these gaps filled through migrant visa holders. Saw Makers and Repairers for example are critically important to processing facilities ensuring equipment runs efficiently. Furthermore, many of these in demand jobs are located in regional areas which adds to the difficulty in filling them. “While we were pleased that Production Manager (Forestry) and Other Spatial Scientist are on the list, and Wood Machinist has been added to the list, the exclusion of the other professions will mean adverse impacts for industry. “AFPA will continue to work with the Albanese Government to highlight the problem these shortages create for a sector so important to the Australian economy and environment and will advocate to get more critical roles included on the visa list for skilled migrants,” Diana Hallam concluded.  

The final fire tower on the Limestone Coast at Penola has gone fully operational in time for the 2024-25 bushfire season. Source: Timberbiz This is the final leg of a partnership between the State Government and the forest industry which has seen an investment of almost $5 million in landscape level fire detection. This will help protect the forest estate and over 21,300 direct and indirect jobs it supports, and importantly, the community and landscape in the South East. To celebrate the occasion, Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven travelled up the 13-storey tower to formally declare the fire tower open. The Penola tower completes the State Government’s $2.346 million election commitment, including 8 new fire detection camera systems and an upgrade of the Green Triangle’s fire tower network to provide a landscape level fire detection program. The new tower, which has been constructed using local businesses, has been delivered in collaboration with the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH) and OneFortyOne Plantations, with a total cost of $1.1 million. It follows upgrade works and repairs undertaken in the lead up to the 2023-24 bushfire danger season at Comaum, Mount Burr, Mount Edward, Furner, and Mount Benson. The staffed Penola tower will complement the eight new AI-powered bushfire detection and monitoring cameras located at Comaum, Mount Benson, The Bluff, Furner, Mount Burr, Carpenter Rocks, Lucindale South, and Cave Range, installed to work in conjunction with the upgraded fire tower network. Powered by Pano AI, the monitoring system is Australia’s first fully integrated bushfire detection platform utilising ultra-HD 360-degree panoramic cameras and aimed at improving the early detection of fires. The initial cameras commenced operations in the Green Triangle during the 2023-24 fire danger season, with the system detecting 25 unplanned fires in the region, along with providing real time intelligence to aid fire suppression activities. The Limestone Coast network of eight cameras, overseen by the Green Triangle Fire Alliance (GTFA), strengthens the region’s extensive fire management and surveillance measures in place, ensuring ongoing protection of the Green Triangle’s forestry assets and communities. With the additional government investment in aerial appliances, fires can be detected earlier, with locations pinpointed more accurately, and responded to swiftly, helping reduce the risk of small fires escalating into catastrophic events. The Limestone Coast system contributes to a broader 15-camera station detection network managed by the forestry industries throughout the wider Green Triangle region into Victoria.  

Ministers responsible for Climate Change, Forestry, Conservation and Land Information in New Zealand have announced that Cabinet has agreed to explore public-private partnerships to plant trees on Crown land, supporting New Zealand’s climate change targets and creating more jobs. Source: Timberbiz Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that nature-based solutions are a key part to the Government’s climate strategy and represents a significant step forward in achieving our climate targets including Net Zero by 2050. “New Zealand is well positioned to leverage its natural assets to drive progress in both climate action and economic growth. Partnerships to plant native and exotic trees on Crown-owned land represents a cost-effective approach to reducing net emissions while also delivering tangible benefits to local communities.” Forestry Minister Todd McClay says forestry is critical to New Zealand’s economic future. “These partnerships would drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, provide more wood for domestic processing and over time boost the value of exports,” Minister McClay said. “This policy strikes the right balance between planting more production and native forests and making better use of Crown assets without impacting productive farmland or compromising high value conservation land.” Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says potential partnerships could help improve biodiversity and water quality. “While native forests store carbon and support a low emissions future for our whenua, they’re also important for biodiversity and can strengthen environmental resilience to floods, droughts, and storms,” Minister Potaka said. “We will ensure commitments are upheld where land is subject to Treaty of Waitangi settlement obligations or being held for potential future Treaty settlement redress. “We are also keen to explore potential Iwi collaboration through public-private partnerships.” Land Information Minister Chris Penk says the Government is focused on getting good value from Crown land. “The Crown holds significant land across New Zealand, and we have a responsibility to use it productively. Whether it’s contributing to climate goals, generating returns, or improving environmental and conservation efforts, our focus is on delivering value to the public,” Minister Penk said. “We are excluding National Parks, high value farming land and high value conservation land and only focusing on land which is not otherwise in use. Making full use of your assets is good commonsense.” The Government will soon release a request for information (RFI) that will help clarify the conditions under which potential partners could work with the Crown. This will help the Government understand what land may be suitable to offer for partnership. The RFI will be publicly released on 18 December on the Ministry for Primary Industry’s website (www.mpi.govt.nz) alongside information on how people can participate in the process.

A Tasmanian carbon forestry initiative has marked a major milestone, with more than one million trees planted on almost 1,000 hectares of land across the state, estimated to sequester more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. Source: Timberbiz The ActivAcre program, delivered by Tasmanian plantation and natural asset management company SFM, collaborates with farmers to identify opportunities for them to lease land for tree planting. SFM Managing Director Andrew Morgan said the local initiative allowed farmers to optimise their land and diversify their on-farm revenue, providing them with a reliable source of income. “But of course the benefits of ActivAcre flow well beyond the farmer – plantation forestry is recognised globally as a key tool to mitigate climate change, capturing carbon in soil and vegetation,” Mr Morgan said. “Further to this, Australia currently has a $4 billion trade deficit in wood products, yet we have a skilled workforce with world-class infrastructure and high-quality governance, so we have a real opportunity to turn the situation around.” Mr Morgan said across Australia, sourcing larger parcels of suitable land was becoming harder, making aggregation essential, where multiple smaller land holdings are classed together to make one asset. “With the successful completion of our first full year of planting and our 2025 program nearing capacity, we are now seeking expressions of interest from landowners for our 2026 planting” he said. “Today we held an open ‘field’ day on the Bloomfield property in Gretna for interested landowners and farmers to learn more, ask questions and see a plantation carbon project first-hand.” Bloomfield owners Susie and Michael Parsons signed up to the ActivAcre program earlier this year. Susie Parsons said the seven-generation farming family was already benefiting from the financial return of leasing their land and could see the future opportunities it presented, both for their own property and for the environment. “The additional value proposition of planting trees is the creation of shade and shelter belts, which can increase pasture production as well as improving water efficiency, soil quality and reducing salinity, waterlogging and erosion,” Mrs Parsons said. Mr Morgan said the future-focused land management program worked closely with farmers to create unique and flexible agreements to maximises their land’s potential and ensure an ongoing, reliable income every year from planting to harvesting. “ActivAcre is unique in that every aspect of the project, from initial enquiry to carbon project registration to final plantation harvesting, is managed by SFM’s local team of highly experienced foresters, land management professionals and carbon project experts, all of whom have a deep understanding of the Tasmanian agricultural landscape,” he said. Tasmanian farmers and landowners can find out more at: www.activacre.com.au

Local contractors in Eastern Victoria who undertake important pre-summer fire preparation work have been shunned by the Labor State Government. Source: Timberbiz The panel of workers undertakes such tasks as vegetation clearing, hazardous tree removal, and maintaining fire tracks, but this year have not been engaged to anywhere near the level of past years and in some cases, not at all. Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said that apart from leaving us more vulnerable to the upcoming fire season, these families rely on this income and have now been left struggling after regular work volumes have failed to materialise. “There was concern that the timber industry harvest and haulage contractors who were employed by the government would push the contractor panel out of work, but the government emphatically stated several months ago it had a separate funding pool and contractors would receive ‘similar volumes of forest and fire management works’,” said Mr Bull “However, that simply hasn’t occurred. Some who have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts for major works over recent years, have simply not been engaged as their machines sits idle. “Several have raised with my office their alarm about the significant discrepancy between DEECA’s promises and the actual allocation of work. “Many are too scared to speak out as they know how vindictive this government can be. “Not only has this government shut down our timber industry, but they are now forcing these contractors out of work, at the same time our fire access tracks are overgrown and there is so much pre-fire season work to be done. “I suspect this is simply yet another case of Labor running out of money and making cutbacks to country services we rely on, to service their debt, which is headed to $187 billion by 2026 with interest repayments of $26 million per day. “I have asked Minister Dimopoulos in parliament several questions around the allocation of work compared to previous years and I look forward to his responses,” said Mr Bull.