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Planning is underway for the ABARES Outlook 2026 national conference, 3–4 March at Hotel Realm Canberra and online. Source: Timberbiz ABARES Outlook conferences have been informing and influencing Australian agriculture’s policy agenda for more than 50 years. Next year’s conference will feature dynamic session formats, hybrid participation and the exclusive Welcome Sundowners networking function. Partners are currently being sought to sponsor one the event. These sponsorship packages are designed to deliver an excellent return on investment, while delivering your brand and messages to key stakeholders in Australia and internationally. To discuss partnership opportunities contact abaresevents@aff.gov.au

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New Zealand’s PEFC scheme has a new chair after the New Zealand Forest Certification Association (NZFCA) endorsed Mark Ross, the CEO of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ (WPMA) to replace Dr Julian Elder, CEO of Scion Research. Source: Timberbiz Mr Ross took over as chair on1 July 2025, with the appointment confirmed at a meeting of the NZFCA directors on 24 June. Mr Ross has served as CEO of the WPMA, New Zealand’s peak lobby for timber processors, since July 2023, where he replaced Dr Jon Tanner (also a former chair of the NZFCA). Before starting at WPMA, he held leadership positions at Animal and Plant Health NZ, Federated Farmers of NZ and the Ministry of Primary Industries. Simon Dorries, CEO of Responsible Wood (the Australian-endorsed PEFC scheme said the appointment coincides with a new joint Australian and New Zealand standard development process. This multi-year process will result in the joint Australian and New Zealand standard for Sustainable Forest Management (AS/NZS 4708) becoming “fit for purpose” with PEFC international benchmarks (PEFC ST 1003:2024) and the European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR), set to roll out later this year. “Our standards are globally recognised because they reflect science-based criteria developed through wide consultation. They ensure Australia’s forests remain among the most sustainably and responsibly managed in the world,”Mr Dorries said. As it stands, approximately 600,000 hectares of forest area in New Zealand are PEFC-certified, which, along with just under 17 million hectares of forests in Australia, comprise more than 294 million hectares of global forests now certified under the PEFC forest certification scheme.

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Maeve McKenna and David Bauche are stepping into roles to support the communications, events, and membership activities of the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network (TFFPN). Source: Timberbiz Ms McKenna and Mr Bauche will each dedicate one day a week to the Network, in addition to their ongoing roles with Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (Ms McKenna) and the Tasmanian Forest Products Association (Mr Bauche). Together, they will help deliver consistent communications and continue to grow our engaged, informed membership community. From sharing stories across the sector to supporting events and keeping members connected, they’ll be focused on making it easy for people to stay informed. “It’s fantastic to have Maeve and David on board to support the Network’s communications, events, and membership,” TFFPN Chair, Professor Julianne O’Reilly Wapstra, said. “Both bring deep experience and strong connections across the sector, and many of our members will already know them through their work with AFWI and TFPA. “Having two familiar and trusted voices supporting TFFPN is a benefit, and I’m excited to see the positive impact they will have.” Ms McKenna is a communications specialist with more than 12 years of experience and a passion for storytelling. Originally from Ireland and now based in Tasmania, she’s worked across digital communication, social media, and newsroom teams, with a focus on connecting with audiences in meaningful ways. Creativity and collaboration are at the heart of her approach. Mr Bauche is an experienced senior communications and government relations manager.  As well as seven years in Tasmania, he has worked in NSW, Canberra and Victoria. Prior to working in communications and government relations, Mr Bauche was a senior editor at News Corp and Rural Press and has worked as an adviser to a Federal Minister.

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Victoria’s state government has ruled out the establishment of what was proposed as the Great Forest National Park, which was to reach from Kinglake to Lake Eildon, Healesville to Mt Baw Baw. Source: Timberbiz Victorian Government Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos said at an Electrical Trades Union Victorian Branch conference last week that the Great Forest National Park proposal was not part of government policy. That park would have tripled the area of the central highlands to be protected. Minister Dimopoulos stated that the only parks that the government is currently considering is three national parks at Mount Buangor, The Pyrenees and Wombat-Lederberg, which were announced in 2021. Polling conducted by RedBridge shows four in five Victorians support the creation of new national parks, with lower-income households among the most frequent park visitors due to their affordability, safety, and accessibility. The Eminent Panel for Community Engagement (EPCE) assembled a report, which is now complete, but is has not been made public. It led conversations with the Victorian community on the Immediate Protection Areas and surrounding state forests. To date a formal statement has not been made by Mr Dimopoulos or the Victorian Government regarding this decision only Field and Game Australia (FGA) and the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) has issued any statements regarding this.

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Efforts to decarbonise freight transport are being accelerated through a State Government supported project aimed at supporting South Australia’s forest industries to reach net zero targets. Source: Timberbiz The State Government is investing $200,000 towards the Decarbonising the Freight Task – Driving to Net Zero project, a joint South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) and Tabeel Trading venture. The funding, provided under the South Australian Wood Fibre and Timber Industry Master Plan, supports the Malinauskas Government’s vision of decarbonising forest freight to further reduce carbon emissions across one of the hardest-to-abate sectors – heavy freight transport. The Malinauskas Government is working side by side with industry to deliver solutions and drive success in this area by delivering low emission vehicles for the Green Triangle. Forestry is already the ultimate renewable and this is yet another step the industry is taking to decarbonise its footprints. The project will include new technologies aimed at reducing reliance on diesel, with the end goal to decarbonise forestry’s freight trucks through electrification, which will deliver substantial carbon savings. The Government says the project presents an opportunity to deliver real, measurable decarbonisation outcomes. Funding will support Stage 1 of the project by developing: an evidence-based decarbonisation roadmap for South Australia’s forest freight fleet detailed cost-benefit analysis of alternative freight technologies including the modelling of emission reductions a freight logistics and charging/refuelling infrastructure blueprint policy, regulatory and investment recommendations aligned to state and national climate targets and Master Plan priorities. Subject to the findings from Stage 1 and the availability of vehicles and infrastructure, Stage 2 will see the project progress to a live demonstration phase to validate modelling results under operational forest freight conditions. The Decarbonising the Freight Task project aligns with the Master Plan’s goal of developing a clean and green circular economy. The South Australian Wood Fibre and Timber Industry Master Plan, launched in February 2024, was developed by the Forest Industries Advisory Council of South Australia (FIAC-SA) as part of a State Government election commitment to provide a vision to further grow and develop South Australia’s $3 billion forest industry.  

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Sustainable Timber Tasmania has released the annual update to its Three-Year Wood Production Plan 2025-2026 to 2027-2028 to the Tasmanian community for feedback. Source: Timberbiz The Three-Year Plan identifies forest coupes in Tasmania’s public production forests that are available across a three-year period from which a schedule of harvesting, roading and regeneration operations will be developed. The release of the plan provides the community with an opportunity to identify which forest coupes and future operations may be of interest. Inviting community feedback on the Plan is part of Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s commitment to engaging with local stakeholders. Feedback will then be considered during detailed operational planning and decision making processes. Sustainable Timber Tasmanian encourages the community to: Visit www.sttas.com.au Read the Three-Year Wood Production Plan View the Access Map to identify which forest coupes may be of interest to them Contact Sustainable Timber Tasmania with their feedback at stakeholder@sttas.com.au or (03) 6169 2800 The Three-Year Plan is developed from modelling and spatial data and includes coupe names, provisional coupe sizes (not final harvest boundaries), location coordinates, anticipated harvest type and method, and an estimation of anticipated volumes of log products for potential recovery. The Plan contains a significant amount of information, so to make it easier for people to read and understand, a spatial layer is developed and available to view on a map of Tasmania. This can be viewed on the Access Map on Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s website at https://sttas.com.au/forests-you/access-map It’s important to understand that not all forest coupes listed in the Three-Year Plan will be harvested, and final harvesting and regeneration details for each coupe may be different from what is listed in the Plan. This is because Sustainable Timber Tasmania has not yet undertaken detailed operational planning for each coupe. The Three-Year Wood Production Plan can be accessed on Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s website at www.sttas.com.au

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