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The new Sydney Fish Market has reached a major milestone with the final roof panel installed on top of the 200-metre-long floating roof canopy, forming the iconic building’s crowning glory. Source: Timberbiz With the unique and spectacular roof now completed, Sydney’s skyline is set to change forever with this new architectural marvel, just as the Opera House did when it was built in 1973. This marks a pivotal moment in the project, as the focus shifts from structural work to internal finishes, bringing the building one step closer to construction completion. The roof’s supporting structure is comprised of 594 timber roof beams with the longest beams up to 32 metres in length and was completed in December 2024. Combined with over 400 roof panels, the roof weighs a staggering 2,500 tonnes. The roof requires some finishing touches including waterproofing, which will follow in the weeks ahead. Since construction began, the project has provided a major boost to the local economy with delivery partner Multiplex awarding more than $670 million in contracts to Australian suppliers for services including maritime piling, steel reinforcement and installation of the roof cassettes. “This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our construction team and partners. We can’t wait to see visitors enjoying this impressive building when it opens to the public,” NSW Regional Director Daniel Murphy at Multiplex said. The new Sydney Fish Market will offer a vibrant mix of retail, dining, and community spaces, including fresh seafood market, restaurants, and a seafood school. The new market will create a dynamic hub for both locals and tourists, celebrating Sydney’s reputation as a global seafood destination. The new Sydney Fish Market is key to the transformation of Blackwattle Bay, which will unlock a connected waterfront promenade from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo, 1,100 homes on the old fish market site and more than 6,000 square metres of public space, improving pedestrian and cycling links. The project is also supporting over 700 jobs during construction, and a further 700 jobs once operational.

Seven Forestry Corporation staff members are deploying to Western Australia as part of a contingency of NSW fire specialists. Source: Timberbiz Western Australian fire authorities have issued an interstate call for assistance to boost firefighter ranks working to contain fires near Manjimup in the state’s south-west. Senior Manager Fire and Natural Hazards Rebel Talbert said Forestry Corporation staff will deploy as part of a NSW contingency comprising fire specialists from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, State Emergency Service and National Parks and Wildlife. “Our firefighters are always eager to assist interstate and overseas firefighting authorities on the fire lines and in fire control rooms,” Ms Talbert said. “Deployments are great learning experiences for professional fire specialists working across different landscapes and forest types, and this experience boosts our own fire-fighting knowledge base here in NSW.” Forestry Corporation staff deploying to Western Australia include Brody Caddis (Crew Leader) and Sophie Hinchcliffe (Advanced Firefighter) from Bombala, Jim Potter (Group Leader) from Narooma and Noel Bate (Firefighter) from Batemans Bay, and experienced fire specialists Peter Carstairs from Batemans Bay and Euan Scott from Bathurst will as-sist in the Incident Management Team. Fire Training Operations Officer Adrien Thompson from Coffs Harbour will also deploy as NSW Jurisdiction Liaison Officer. The deploying firefighters flew out for Perth yesterday. Forestry Corporation, the land manager of two million hectares of state forests in NSW, is one of the state’s four fire agencies and has 500 accredited firefighters on staff.

Forest & Wood Products Australia has appointed forestry consultant Ian Blanden as the new Head of Research, Development & Extension. Dr Chris Lafferty will retire from this role at the end of June but will remain as FWPA’s company secretary. Source: Timberbiz Mr Blanden brings more than 30 years of experience in plantation forestry and natural forest management, with a strong background in commercial forestry businesses. His expertise spans the entire supply chain, including R&D, sales and marketing, logistics, community engagement, external relations, and operations, especially plantation silviculture and harvesting systems. His extensive career encompasses executive roles in both Australia and internationally, including serving as general manager of Stora Enso Guangxi, where he was a key driver in downstream product and market development, and spearheaded the growth of wood sales, as well as establishing the supply chain for Stora Enso’s Beihai Mill. Mr Blanden led significant cultural and leadership transformations, as well as extensive experience with Gunns Plantations Ltd and North Forest Products in Tasmania, Australia. “I’m excited to be joining FWPA and contributing to the important work of driving innovation and progress in the forestry sector,” he said. “I share FWPA’s vision to grow the value of the entire industry, to deliver transformative RD&E initiatives and market development programs that drive growth in the Australian forest and wood products industry. “This role provides me with an opportunity to give back to the industry which has served me so well over the last 35 years. I look forward to supporting FWPA to be recognised as the industry’s leading service provider.” Mr Blanden is keen to raise the profile of the forest and wood products industry in Australia. He is also motivated by fostering emerging talent and sharing this vast knowledge of the industry. Andrew Leighton, CEO of FWPA, expressed his enthusiasm for Ian’s appointment. “Ian’s background and leadership in sustainable forestry practices align with FWPA’s goals to advance research and development across the forest and wood products value chain,” he said. “His commercial experience and commitment to stakeholder engagement will greatly support our work in developing and supporting research, development and extension activities with tangible outcomes and benefits for our members and the wider industry, including new tools and information to improve productivity and mitigate risk.” Mr Blanden will begin in the role on 22 April 2025, allowing a thorough period of handover with outgoing Head of R&D, Dr Chris Lafferty. After an impressive 23 years, Dr Lafferty will retire from this role at the end of June but will remain as FWPA’s company secretary.

Neighbours aggrieved at a recently approved sawmill in Forest Grove are taking their fight to WA’s State Administrative Tribunal. Source: Augusta Margaret River Times The matter came to a head after the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River recently approved the contentious project despite admitted issues advertising the project as a portable mill, rather than a permanent timber yard. Calgardup Rd neighbours Cyrus Cox and Geoff Bott have lodged a complaint with the SAT demanding the approval be overturned after shire planners said there was no leeway within existing rules to reconsider the item. Mr Bott told the Times the appeal was lodged on the ground of “procedural fairness”. He believed if the proposal was advertised as an ongoing concern rather than a temporary sawmill, more residents would have lodged objections. He told the Times there were shortcomings in how fire safety, noise modelling, road upgrades, and issues around confidentiality of documents were handled during the process. Furthermore, process being just before Christmas made it difficult for objectors, Mr Bott said. “This is ridiculous timing and does not equate to procedural fairness,” he said. “Not only were shire officers only available for four business days between these dates but also access to the elected councillors was also severely hampered.” Mr Bott also said it sent the wrong message to approve the development when it had already substantially commenced without seeking the shire’s approval. Shire acting chief executive Nick Logan said the local government would participate in the SAT process, but due to legal considerations could not offer any further comment. Earlier this month, the Times reported the December approval by the shire’s development assessment unit caught neighbours off guard because they had understood the project was only temporary. Instead, after public submissions closed, it became clear the fixed sawmill business would operate three days per week and allow trucks to deliver timber to the site on an ongoing basis. That approval came despite the shire unit acknowledging the project was under way initially without planning approval being sought. “In September 2023, the shire was made aware of non-compliant buildings, land use and camping on site,” December’s DAU minutes said. “The landowner has subsequently met with shire officers to understand the necessary applications for compliance with the Local Planning Scheme and Building Act. “The landowner has since resolved the illegal camping onsite, is rectifying building noncompliance and this application will deal with the unapproved outbuildings and sawmill operation.” Mr Bott said he had also lodged a Freedom of Information Act request with the Shire. Margaret River Sustainable Timbers did not respond to inquiries.

The 30-day lockout of more than 300 pulp and paper workers by Nippon Paper’s Opal mill at Maryvale is over, after workers voted on Saturday night (February 15) to accept Opal’s improved deal. Source: Latrobe Valley Express The Maryvale members returned to work on Sunday (February 16) from 6am after being locked out by Opal for 30 days. The sticking point in negotiations had been Opal’s proposal to slash wages and conditions dramatically in a proposal that would have left workers worse off across the board. The Union and Opal hammered out a deal last Friday morning that ensured wage increases for all workers and the retention of key terms and conditions. “We are happy that our members will be returning to work with an agreement that sees real wage growth; the retention of their existing terms and conditions and no one left behind,” Pulp & Paper Workers Secretary, Denise Campbell-Burns said. “Our question is why did it take a 30-day lockout of the entire workforce; the stand down of hundreds of contractors; and forcing Latrobe Valley families to spend the last 30 days living with real concerns about how to feed their families and pay their bills for Opal to bring a decent offer to the table? “The disrespect that Opal senior management and Nippon Paper have shown their workforce has been staggering since the commencement of negotiations in October 2024, but the arrogance and disregard over the past 30 days has beggared belief. “Our members are focused on getting back to work and looking forward to the upcoming CFMEU demerger vote in a few weeks.” In a short statement the company said: “Opal is pleased to welcome our valued production team members back to work from Sunday, February 16, 2025, after reaching an in-principle agreement with them and the CFMEU today (February 15) for a new Enterprise Agreement at the Maryvale Mill. “Opal negotiated in good faith for an Enterprise Agreement that is fair and appropriate to the Mill’s current operations, which were forced to change significantly due to the sudden end of food supply from Victorian government owned VicForests. “Opal is focussed on the future of the Mill, which remains an important asset for our growth as a major manufacturer of quality cardboard packaging products in a competitive market.”

Identifying and actioning key bushfire disaster economic, efficiency and accountability lessons and insights from across Australia. John O’Donnell considers that Australia and its towns and cities is inadequately prepared for bushfires and this has been outlined in other documents. https://arr.news/2025/01/09/major-concerns-in-relation-to-bushfire-preparedness-across-se-australia-john-odonnell/ https://arr.news/2024/06/07/town-and-city-bushfire-disaster-review-case-studies-and-lessons-across-australia-john-odonnell/ There are bushfire economic, efficiency and accountability lessons and insights that need to be addressed to improve bushfire preparedness across Australia. Outcomes of intense forest bushfires (fist Flinders Ranges in 2014) and second central NSW. The first critical lesson and insight area relates to the effective capture of key bushfire economic reform issues that the author considers aren’t currently being addressed properly, including six lessons are insights as outlined in the full document. There are major opportunities for economic reform within fire management across Australia.  Failure to implement the identified and critical bushfire mitigation opportunities will result in continued large and intense bushfires across landscapes, devasting large areas, communities, ecosystems and flora and fauna. Common sense decisions and management at this time can reduce costs and impacts of future bushfire disasters. The second critical lesson and insight area relates to the effective capture of key bushfire efficiency issues that the author considers aren’t currently being addressed properly, including: including 9 lessons are insights as outlined in the full document. There is further disaster funding detail outlined in Menzies Research Centre (2020): “Despite this relentless commitment to inquiries, in 2014, a report released by the Productivity Commission into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements found that government natural disaster funding arrangements had been inefficient, inequitable and unsustainable. ‘They are prone to cost shifting, ad hoc responses and short-term political opportunism.’ The Productivity Commission lamented that the funding mix was disproportionately recovery-based and did not promote mitigation. It observed that the political incentives for mitigation were weak, ‘since mitigation provides public benefits that accrue over a long-time horizon,’ and that over time this would create entitlement dependency and undermines individual responsibility for natural disaster risk management.’ At that time, it said, mitigation funding amounted to only three per cent of what is spent on post-disaster recovery and recommended that the Australian Government should gradually increase the amount of annual mitigation funding it provides to state and territory governments to $200 million.” and: A paper commissioned by the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities estimated that expenditure of $5.3 billion over the period to 2050 (in present value) would generate budget savings of $12.2 billion for all levels of government including $9.8 billion for the Commonwealth government for the Commonwealth Government. With targeted mitigation spending Commonwealth and State and Territory government expenditure on natural disaster could be reduced more than 50 per cent by 2050. and: Generally, one dollar spent on mitigation can save at least two dollars in recovery costs. The above information is a great summary highlighting the current inefficiency of what is happening in relation to Australian bushfire disaster management but also highlights the opportunities available for good governance. The third critical lesson and insight area relates to the effective capture of key bushfire accountability issues that the author considers aren’t currently being addressed properly, including: including 12 lessons are insights as outlined in the full document. Conclusions There are extensive lessons and insights provided above,  summarised below: Economic reform lessons and insights in relation to current approaches to bushfire funding, mitigation, suppression, land and fire management and community protection (6 lessons and insights); Bushfire efficiency lessons and insights in relation to current approaches to bushfire funding, mitigation, suppression, land and fire management and community protection (9 lessons and insights); and Government and fire agency accountability lessons and insights in relation to current approaches to bushfire funding, mitigation, suppression, land and fire management and community protection (12 lessons and insights). There are 27 economic, efficiency and accountability lessons and insights captured by the author in this review. Benefits of an expanded federal/ state and local bushfire mitigation program to address bushfire mitigation and the issues above over say the next 6 years across Australian landscapes would include: Reduced individual bushfire disasters and associated costs, budget impacts and community/ firefighter and ecosystem Reduced ongoing repeat disasters and associated costs, budget impacts and community/ firefighter and ecosystem Reduced community bushfire deaths and safer firefighting. Better returns on investment than other projects. Regional infrastructure projects to assist economies. Reduced insurance premiums. Reduced cases of people without unaffordable insurance. Improved preparedness for war and terrorism. Reduced huge greenhouse gas impacts of intense bushfires; Reduction in the consequent wetter year impacts post intense bushfires as outlined by Fasullo et al (2023). The opportunities are huge, it just takes government will, innovation, vision and protecting communities and firefighters and looking out for their interests. Surely good effective governments, oppositions and fire agencies would capture these lessons and insights and get all the long term benefits of this. Seriously, it’s well past time for this with the disasters we are seeing across Australia and overseas. John O’Donnell was a forester with the then NSW Forestry Commission for 11 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) Hons 1978 from Australian National University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Agronomy and Farming Systems from the University of Adelaide 1996 and 1997, majoring in environmental issues in agriculture. He was awarded a Commonwealth Forestry Scholarship in 1976 and 1977.