Australian timber industry news

This newly released book “Restoring Forests and Trees for Sustainable Development” sheds light on socioeconomic aspects of restoration. Source: Timberbiz For many decades, restoration science concentrated much of its efforts on ecological and technical aspects, while socioeconomic factors were devoted less attention. This imbalance is shifting as a growing body of literature recognises the importance of social, institutional, economic, cultural and political factors that influence restoration goals and outcomes. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, the new book “Restoring Forests and Trees for Sustainable Development: Policies, Practices, Impacts, and Ways Forward” examines forest restoration in light of its different understandings, modalities and political contexts, discussing how those contribute to shaping restoration goals, policies, approaches and related outcomes. Its chapters interweave discussions on restoration’s contributions to different ecosystem services with explorations of issues of justice in restoration governance, technological advances, financial aspects and more. The book is published by Oxford University Press and edited by Pia Katila, Carol J Pierce Colfer, Wil de Jong, Glenn Galloway, Pablo Pacheco and Georg Winkel. It is freely accessible and can be viewed at the link below. https://academic.oup.com/book/58200/chapter/481598109?login=false  

UPM Biomedicals has launched FibGel, a natural injectable hydrogel for permanent implantable medical devices. FibGel is a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel made from birch wood cellulose and water only, offering a safe, sustainable and biocompatible alternative for medical device developers. Source: Timberbiz Designed and manufactured under ISO 13485 standards in Finland and designed for medical applications, FibGel is poised to transform the fields of soft tissue repair, orthopaedics, regenerative medicine and more. Unlike synthetic and animal-derived hydrogels, FibGel is a natural hydrogel manufactured from renewable and responsibly sourced Finnish birch wood offering a safe, sustainable, animal-free solution. As a stable, non-degradable material, FibGel is designed for long-lasting use in the human body without causing adverse immune reactions or the formation of fibrotic capsules common to animal-derived and plastic-based alternatives. FibGel is customizable owing to its tunable properties that allow adjustable stiffness and the incorporation of additional components. This flexibility enables tailored solutions for varying clinical needs and holds promise in a wide range of medical applications, including soft tissue repair, orthopaedic treatments, aesthetics, drug delivery, and cell transplantation. With FibGel’s biological safety evaluations in accordance with ISO 10993, it is an ideal component for companies developing medical devices for use in various soft tissue repair and orthopaedic applications. Our first partners are planning their initial clinical investigations based on FibGel technology in 2025. UPM has extensive expertise in developing sustainable, animal-free hydrogels and rigorous testing has demonstrated FibGel’s biocompatibility. Based on the preclinical studies, its stability supports permanent implant and one-time injection applications, critical for patient convenience and saving health care providers’ time. FibGel is highly tunable, easy to use and remains injectable even at high stiffness thanks to its shear thinning properties. “We are thrilled to be the first company to develop plant-based nanocellulose for use in medical devices. It enables minimally invasive procedures, which compared to surgery means rapid patient recovery,” said Johana Kuncová-Kallio, Director of UPM Biomedicals. “In 2020 we launched our own FibDex topical medical device (MDD/MDR, class IIb) for advanced wound care, which has been used to successfully treat several hundreds of patients. Now, with the launch of FibGel, we can provide the same safe, sustainable, animal-free material in an injectable hydrogel form to medical device companies. Based on our pre-clinical evidence for FibGel, our initial partners have been able to speed up their device development and are now planning to start the clinical phase in 2025. “We aim to partner with more companies interested in developing new solutions in the areas of soft tissue repair, joint and disk repair, wound care, drug delivery and cell therapy based on FibGel technology.” FibGel also benefits from robust temperature stability, enabling it to be handled and stored at room temperature for ease of use and quick preparation. It’s long 18-month minimum shelf life delivers reliable performance without special storage conditions, reducing logistical challenges.

SCA’s new electric timber truck with a crane is finally rolling in the Östavall area in Sweden. The truck, which is a collaborative project between SCA and Scania, is the first in the world to collect timber in the forest for further transport to a timber terminal. Source: Timberbiz Photo: Olle Melkerhed The yellow timber truck moves almost silently into the timber terminal in Östavall. Behind the wheel sits Rolf Lövgren of Lövgrens Åkeri & Entreprenad. He owns the new timber truck with support from SCA and has driven it for a few days. “It is very quiet and comfortable to drive, and I don’t get as mentally tired as I can after a full day with background noise from the engine. It is very positive,” Mr Lövgren said. “It takes a while to get to know the truck and learn how to drive it in the best way to conserve the battery. You want to charge more than you consume. If I have 50% battery left at the end of the day, I have stood still and charged unnecessarily. It will be exciting to see how it performs during the winter.” The new electric timber truck marks another important milestone for SCA and the work to electrify heavy timber transports. The truck is expected to result in 170 tons lower carbon dioxide emissions per year compared with a regular timber truck. “This is an important project for us to continue contributing to a more sustainable society,” said Ulf Larsson, CEO of SCA. “By managing the forest and making renewable products that can replace those with a high carbon footprint, SCA creates about 13 million tons of positive climate benefits each year. That figure can become even better as we transition the heavy road transports in our value chain.” Anton Ahlinder, Business Developer at SCA Skog said that it was exciting that it’s finally in place. “From the first conversations with Scania, it took just over two years for this electric timber truck with a crane to become a reality. Our first electric timber truck only runs between the terminal and Obbola paper mill, but now our development work continues as we electrify the transports from the forest to the terminal,” he said. The new electric timber truck is part of the forest industry’s innovation project TREE, which aims for half of the new trucks in the forest industry to be electric by 2030. SCA is one of several participants. “Östavall is one of the places where there should be electric timber trucks. We are aiming for a total of 12 trucks, six like this one that SCA has now put into operation and six chip trucks,” said Gunnar Svensson from Skogforsk and coordinator for the TREE project. SCA is responsible for a significant part of the financing of the electric timber truck, but the vehicle is owned by Lövgrens Åkeri & Entreprenad. “To make the transition successful, we need to have haulage companies with us, and therefore it is good that this vehicle is owned by a local company. Then, we will need price pressure on the vehicles, more charging infrastructure, a better power grid, and that working time regulations offer flexibility related to charging. Then the heavy traffic will gradually move towards more electrification,” says Ulf Larsson SCA CEO.

Private Forests Tasmania (PFT) held a strategic planning session last week in Launceston. More than 50 stakeholders attended the morning to discuss the opportunities and challenges within private forestry and the role that PFT may play in creating change. Source: Timberbiz Attendees delved into seven key themes, all of which had previously presented during one-to-one conversations with stakeholders throughout the past 12 months. The themes were: Access to information and data Sustainable native forests Carbon and natural capital Markets and future resource Certification Workforce development, education and research Policy and regulations PFT has created an opportunity to collate further feedback for those who could not attend the session and those who did attend and would like to present their ideas. The method to do this is via a form which is available here. This form will close November 8, 2024.

Gulf Savannah NRM, in partnership with the North Queensland Regional Forestry Hub, will present findings from their collaborative silvopastoral project at a workshop and field day to be held on 25 November (venue to be confirmed). Source: Timberbiz The event aims to showcase practical methods landholders can use to manage forests and integrate silvopastoral systems on their properties. By incorporating trees into farming systems, silvopastoral practices can help boost drought resilience through income diversification, as well as providing benefits like windbreaks, fodder, shade, and improved soil health. The event welcomes regional forestry stakeholders and landholders to share experiences and explore options and includes a field visit to a local property for hands-on learning. For more information or to register, please contact Hub Manager, Hulton King, via h.king@nqfh.com.au

Scion’s Annual Report for 2024 has been presented to New Zealand’s Parliament. As New Zealand’s leading institute in forestry, industrial biotechnology and advanced manufacturing Scion and its partners in government and industry to drive innovation and growth to create economic value and contribute to beneficial environmental and social outcomes for New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz This annual report includes stories that highlight great examples of how Scion is working across its three impact areas to create technologically advanced and sustainable solutions that are driving growth in the forestry and biobased sectors, and achieving the objectives set out in its Statement of Corporate Intent. Scion finished the year delivering NZ$68 million in revenue and faced a number of one-off costs over the year, including holiday pay remediation and redundancy provisions that have resulted in a net loss for the year of NZ$2.9 million, slightly ahead of the budgeted loss of NZ$3 million. That budgeted loss was partly a result of it becoming apparent during the year that projected revenue, including from reallocation of the Climate Emergency Response Fund, would not be realised during the year. Achieving this result in the challenging economic environment while delivering science excellence is testament to the efforts of its board, management and staff. A copy of the annual report is available here.

Continued research from the FWPA-supported National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (NCTDDL) is seeking to address the fire risks associated with copper-based timber treatments and protect the ongoing use of timber for outdoor use in Australia. Source: Timberbiz This research supports FWPA’s focus on driving industry advancement through strategic research and initiatives to drive growth and productivity for members and the forest and wood products industry. Copper-based treatments are widely used across the country to increase the durability of timber products, particularly in external settings. Treatments such as copper chrome arsenate (CCA) are a cost-effective way to protect wood from rot, insects and fungi, prolonging its life outdoors. CCA-treated timber is the most common and is recognisable to many by its green tint. While its use is restricted in some settings including playgrounds and picnic tables (due to concerns around its arsenic content), it is commonplace in applications such as fencing, landscaping and utility poles. However, research has shown copper-based treatments can increase the risk of smouldering – a form of slow, sustained and flameless burning which can continue undetected after a fire has ended. This means a timber structure can appear intact following a fire but continue to smoulder and eventually fail over time. In the case of an electrical post for example, this can cause critical impacts including power outages, particularly in remote areas where arranging repairs for a single pole can be costly and time-consuming. NCTDDL Director, Professor Tripti Singh explained these factors pose a significant risk to the ongoing use of timber in these environments, as people look for alternatives. “Combatting smouldering risk is critical to protecting timber as a material of choice for outdoor use,” said Dr Singh. “Timber boasts exceptional sustainability credentials. To support and grow its ongoing use in outdoor applications across Australia, it’s important to strengthen fire safety measures while maintaining the durability that makes it such a reliable material.” Since 2021, PhD student Wenxuan Wu has conducted research to understand the relationship between copper and wood with regards to their burning behaviour. Mr Wu studied CCA as well as its most common alternatives, alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and copper azole (CA). He examined how the treatments affect burning and analysed differences in burning behaviour from a chemical perspective. The study initially used a ‘movable radiant panel system’ to simulate a passing bushfire, measuring the effects on treated and untreated wood samples. “After observing the smouldering behaviour of various copper-based preservatives, we looked at how fast smouldering would destroy the infrastructure and how this was affected by other factors such as wood density, preservative concentration and fire intensity,” Mr Wu explained. “Often flames are seen as the main markers of fire, but the metals in these preservatives act as catalysts to promote smouldering combustion. Once smouldering starts, it typically self-sustains and continues until no infrastructure is left.” The study found that lower timber density and higher concentrations of preservatives also increase the severity of smouldering. Because all three elements in CCA are catalysts for smouldering, it was found to be the highest risk in terms of time to burn, as the smouldering reaction can occur even at lower temperatures and in lower concentration. Mr Wu’s project is set to be completed in 2024. In 2023, Zeinab Darabi commenced a new research project building on Mr Wu’s findings and seeking a practical solution. In particular, she is investigating potential additive products that could be incorporated into copper-based treatments to counteract their burning behaviour. Beginning with a review of existing literature to understand which chemical products may offer this functionality, Ms Darabi tested different chemicals to determine the best candidate for smouldering inhibition. She has now completed preliminary trials of possible additives. There are two key aspects of fire retardancy: flame and smouldering. While there are chemicals that can impact one or both, Ms Darabi explained that eliminating smouldering behaviour is the main goal of her study. Copper-based preservatives do not change flame behaviour, but they do increase smouldering. This means that adding a smouldering inhibitor to treated timber will allow it to burn and quench as if it were untreated. Ms Darabi explained that ensuring the additive does not leach is also an important focus, as most commercial smouldering inhibitors are leachable. “Exposure to high humidity or running water can cause the chemicals to leach from wood products, eliminating their effects from the timber,” she said. “Introducing an oil-based additive can prevent leaching, but this creates its own challenge as the most common copper preservatives are water-based. This means that the preservatives and the non-leachable chemicals that can prevent smouldering do not naturally want to mix – they are literally oil and water. We will need to develop a stable emulsion of the two components to create a single product that can provide durability and reduce smouldering.” If successful, this emulsion would be the first formulation of its kind in the industry. NCTDDL Research Fellow, Dr Luis Yerman is the main supervisor of both research projects. He explained further work will be required to make a new preservative commercially viable. “Treatments like CCA are widely used and integrated into production lines across the country,” said Dr Yerman. “We can’t introduce an entirely new step in the process and expect processors to integrate the additional infrastructure, cost and time this would require. To make this an economically feasible option, we need to find an additive that can be incorporated into copper-based treatments and applied as one product using existing processes. Ideally, treatment plants will not have to change anything other than the treatment formulation.” Dr Chris Lafferty, Head of Research, Development and Extension at FWPA, echoed this sentiment, saying the potential benefits of this research stretch beyond current applications of copper-treated timber. “The more we understand how these treatments work, the greater confidence and trust we can build in those looking to use timber in these settings,” Chris said. “In Australia’s unique climate of bushfire risk, fire safety is a key concern. […]

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has completed a timber testing trial investigating the best ways to implement technologies verifying claims of species and harvest origin of regulated timber and timber products. Source: Timberbiz Illegal logging is a global problem and is the most profitable transborder environmental crime, with wide-reaching and devastating impacts on climate, nature and people. Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy Matt Lowe said globally, it has been estimated that about 15-30% of all wood traded is a product of illegal logging and illicit wood. “Use of timber testing technologies will strengthen Australia’s ongoing efforts to address this problem by enhancing existing compliance and due diligence efforts under our illegal logging prohibition laws,” Mr Lowe said. “They offer a means of verifying if claims made about the species and harvest origin of timber are accurate. “The trial tested 146 products and 39 distinct species. A range of scientific methods were used including DNA, stable isotope, trace element, wood fibre and wood anatomy analyses. “The results showed approximately 25% of products tested had an inconsistency with declared species, origin, or both. “While not representative of the entire Australian market, the findings highlight that there is room for improvement for our regulated community to mitigate the risk of illegal logging timber entering our market. “The department will continue to review the recommendations of the trial and work across the Australian Government and with industry stakeholders to inform future implementation of timber testing technologies under reformed legislation. “This trial provides great insight into the benefits of introducing timber testing technologies to help mitigate the risk of illegally logged timber entering Australia’s market and better support the forestry sector.” The Australian Government is committed to playing its part and working with industry stakeholders and the international community to address illegal logging. That is why we passed the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment Bill in 2024. For more information visit: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/forestry/policies/illegal-logging

It’s always interesting witnessing the aftermath of a disaster when the academics, boffins, and other experts come out of the woodwork to impart their impressive wisdom on us all with great pride. The media, politicians, and the public then jump on comments made by this group and take their opinions as fact without much in the way of consideration that many of these people generally have very little in the way of practical understanding of multifaceted issues, especially within primary sectors. The current witch hunt on the forest industry is textbook Salem in the late 1600s and boffinism is fuelling the fire(s). Let’s get the term slash straight – this refers to harvest residues – the bits of the trees that are left behind to support regeneration of the soils once a plantation is harvested. It does not mean standing forests (permanent forestry), nor riparian plantings (farmer planted trees usually along waterways for environmental protection reasons). Today, ‘slash’ has become the catchall for any woody debris that ends up in a river. We, the forestry industry, are not denying that harvest residues (slash) have created issues with infrastructure throughout the East Coast and some areas of Hawkes Bay, and that we can and will do better as an industry. However, this needs some perspective and context to fully understand the many complex issues at play. ‘Experts’ in the media will have you believe that we, as an industry, wantonly throw slash into waterways with blatant disregard for downstream consequences. This couldn’t be farther from the truth and current legislation (NESPF) is very clear on the penalties for doing this. Not to mention the economics of ‘throwing away’ good trees simply doesn’t make sense. The issues we are seeing across Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay are woody debris that have come from many sources. This is not a new problem. It’s no surprise that a number of bridges in the Esk Valley were built in 1939, following the 1938 flood, well before pine forests. When we have biblical rain events on some of the most erodible soils in the world, the holding capacity of the steeper slopes becomes significantly reduced and as a result those slopes fail and gravity ensures that the slopes, and everything planted on them, end up in the drink. Many of these slopes have forests planted on them (native and pine) and consequently these also end up in the drink. Once these forests have floated down a river and rolled around with other debris (poplar, willows, farm debris, shipping containers, fence posts), they smash to pieces and become very hard to discern from any other woody residue. One thing plainly obvious post cyclones, is that forested areas have had very little large-scale erosion as compared to bare farmland. However, when you have hundreds of tonnes of standing trees per hectare, it doesn’t take many hectares of movement to create a large volume of woody debris. One News recently conducted a poll on whether forest owners should compensate other landowners where damage has occurred due to woody debris. The results of this incredibly simplistic question are very predictable with overwhelming support for compensation. This highlights the lack of understanding of the issue by both the media and John and Jane public. What needs to be understood is the source of these debris, and the reasons they are there, which is now becoming much clearer. If we are going to start the conversation of compensation, we need to widen the scope of who’s debris are now on who’s property. For example, there are around 2.7 million tonnes of silt deposited on land in the lower Esk Valley that originated from mainly farmland, in the upper Esk Valley. Floods have seen sewage migrate from treatment plants and septic systems, sprays and contaminated soil have migrated from orchards, stock and silage bales have migrated from farms……. Where does this end? We fully support, and look forward to, the Tairawhiti land use review and finding short- and long-term solutions. But it’s sad to see forestry people being abused in public – that is the fallout from oversimplified media reporting and political grandstanding. Real people, doing honest work, who care about our environment and our community. Forestry is a significant contributor to local economies. To ensure we progress as a country, we need to support sustainable primary industries – not take cheap shots when weather and the results of poor decisions made decades ago wreak havoc with lives and livelihoods. Marcus Musson is a Forest360 Director. He holds a Bachelor of Forest Science with Honours from Canterbury University, New Zealand, and specialises in steep slope cable harvesting, marketing and value recovery initiatives.

Malaysia has become the latest country to ratify The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement. Malaysia joins Peru, Japan, Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Vietnam in ratifying the agreement. Source: Timberbiz Once the UK government joins the CPTPP, more than 99% of current UK goods exports to CPTPP members will be tariff-free once the deal comes into effect, helping businesses export more to CPTPP markets. This agreement is good news for international trade in the wood sector, as the tariff schedule within the agreement indicates that all wood products with commodity codes starting 44, which includes 44 12 plywood, 44 11 fibreboards and 44 10 particle boards, will have duty free trade (for both exports and imports) within the countries that ratify the CPTTP agreement. Timber Development UK has updated its recent Trade Note on the CPTPP to reflect Malaysia’s joining the agreement and has also added a table showing how plywood products from Malaysia (or any of the other countries who have ratified the agreement) will move from 6% or 10% duty to duty free from Year One of the CPTPP agreement.

An upgrade of £14.5 million will be made to Forestry England’s tree nursery to grow climate-resilient trees at its tree nursery in Cheshire, including building a new seed extractory. This will produce seeds for millions of high-quality, UK grown, resilient trees in the decades ahead. Source: Timberbiz The new facility, which is due to open in the northern spring of 2025, will be the largest in the UK, testing and processing up to four tonnes of tree seeds each year. It will replace Forestry England’s current seed extractory at Alice Holt Forest in Surrey which was built in 1964. Most of the funding for the upgrades is being made available from the Defra Nature for Climate Fund with Forestry England also contributing. The project will boost Forestry England’s resilience in supplying suitable genetic material for woodland creation and regeneration for the rest of this century. In particular, the development will allow Forestry England to process more seed, and from a greater variety of tree species located in 13 specially planted orchards and 39 seed stands spread across the nation’s forests. Douglas fir, western red cedar and Norway spruce will be amongst the focus species because they are expected to grow well and become more prominent as sources of high-quality timber in England’s future climate conditions. As well as processing seeds and growing trees for the nation’s forests, Forestry England also supplies other forestry organisations. In 2025, depending on the seed crops, they expect to supply around 450 kg of conifer seeds to the private sector as well as around 7.5 million trees for planting in the nation’s forests. Building a secure supply of high-quality tree seed from diverse species over the years ahead will significantly improve availability for UK nurseries and reduce the amount of seed imported from overseas. This will benefit the UK forestry sector as a whole and plays a major part in boosting diversity in timber producing tree species. The new seed extractory building will be equipped with the best available processing machinery alongside expanded areas for cold and dry seed storage that will enable several tonnes of seeds to be stored in the best conditions before germination and planting. As well as building the new seed extractory, Forestry England is creating a new miniplug growing facility at the nursery, which will more than double the capacity of the ‘standing out area’. This is the protected area where tree seedlings continue to grow after they leave the glasshouse and become acclimatised to outdoor conditions. This will complement the glasshouse which Forestry England opened in 2018 as its first major project to build resilience against changing weather patterns. This computer-controlled environment uses a combination of fans, shade screens and roof ventilation to regulate the temperature, humidity and light levels for the growing trees. Cell-grown trees can be planted all year round and so help in extending the planting season in the nation’s forests. Together, these tree nursery investments support Forestry England’s work growing, planting and caring for sustainable, wildlife-rich, productive forests across the country.  

Kesla launched a new generation box-framed KESLA 165 forest trailer at the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair in Helsinki this month. Source: Timberbiz KESLA 165 marks the beginning of a new era in tractor-drawn forestry trailers with its robot-welded box-frame-type structure and technical features earlier known from forwarders. The trailer has a standard load space area of 4 m² which can be easily expanded to an impressive 5 m² by simply turning the posts. Together with freely adjustable bunks, hydraulically movable front screen and extendable rear frame, the load space flexibly adapts to varying characteristics of different kinds of round wood. Load space length is 4,8 m which allows 6 m logs, or even longer ones, to be transported safely and efficiently. The new trailer is specifically designed for professional tractor contractors providing increased productivity in logistics and more earnings. KESLA 165 is the only 167/2013 type-approved forest trailer with 16 tn payload Together with a tow bar mounted KESLA 326T timber loader the gross weight of KESLA 165 trailer is totally 22 000 kg consisting of 6000 kg deadweight and 16 000 kg payload. Due to an articulated tow bar and ISOBUS connected traction system the trailer follows the tractor perfectly especially in steep hills and tight turnings. Special attention is put on the bogies which are designed to climb over the obstacles. Excellent gross weight-payload ratio provides the best fuel economy on the market per transported round wood m3. A powerful nave drive provides an extra 3,9 tons draw power (250 bar and at 2 km/h speed) when required. ISOBUS connected traction system benefits the tractor as the load is well synchronized and therefore causes less stress to the tractor. Trailer comes already from the factory with an EU wide 167/2013 type approval and can be therefore driven legally on the public roads. Prior to its launch, the KESLA 165 trailer received an honourable mention in the New Product Competition organized by the Agricultural Machinery Trade Fair. All KESLA trailers are manufactured in Finland at Kesla Kesälahti plant which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. International sales of KESLA 165 starts in December 2024.

For many, the aroma of forests evokes memories of tranquil walks in nature. Port Blakely Essential Oils is harnessing these sensations with their Douglas-fir essential oil, setting a new standard in the fragrance industry by offering an FSC certified alternative to synthetic perfumes. Source: Timberbiz Located in the heart of New Zealand’s pristine wilderness, Port Blakely has created a product that encapsulates the bright, woodsy notes of Douglas-fir, making it ideal for cosmetics, aromatherapy, and personal fragrances. Unlike many companies that rely on harmful fossil fuels, Port Blakely has embraced the natural power of trees, creating a fully sustainable, circular energy system. Their state-of-the-art biomass boiler transforms wood byproducts into clean, renewable steam energy, allowing them to power operations while dramatically reducing their carbon footprint. This commitment comes at a pivotal time when consumers increasingly prioritise eco-friendly options in their purchasing decisions. The company’s forests, including the pristine Shag River Forest, located just 2.5 hours from Queenstown, provides clean air and pure water, ensuring the highest quality essential oils. “With over 20 years of Forest Management FSC certification under our belt, it was only natural for Port Blakely NZ Essential Oils [a subsidiary of Port Blakely] to become one of the first tree oil producers globally to gain FSC chain of custody accreditation for our Douglas-fir essential oil. We consider this the global gold standard in sustainable forest management and are proud to have achieved it within just three years of operation,” said Mitch Cooke, Business Manager for Port Blakely NZ Essential Oils. FSC certification ensures that Port Blakely’s operations adhere to rigorous environmental and social standards, safeguarding biodiversity, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting local communities. This is particularly significant as more consumers seek to align their purchasing decisions with sustainability principles. According to Mr Cooke, the company’s essential oils enable customers to “make better informed purchases,” whether they are selecting products for aromatherapy, fragrances, or cosmetics. The fragrance industry’s transition toward natural, responsibly sourced products reflects broader changes in global consumer preferences. In 2022, the natural personal care market experienced an 8% growth, driven by a rising interest in eco-friendly options. Industry analysts from market research firms like Grand View Research and Mordor Intelligence have noted that, despite the fragrance sector’s slow move away from petrochemicals, primarily due to the lower cost of synthetic ingredients, there is a growing demand for natural alter-natives. As consumers become more educated about the environmental impacts of fossil fuel-based products, the market for sustainably sourced fragrances continues to expand.

The annual Major Shut Down (MSD) at the Visy Pulp and Paper Tumut mill is in full swing, starting on Monday last week. All major equipment has been shut down and is being cleaned and inspected to ensure it operates safely and reliably for the next 12 months. Source: Tumut & Adelong Times “We have the MSD every year to ensure safe operations at the Tumut mill,” said Johan Stoltz, GM Visy Pulp and Paper Tumut Mill. During the MSD, inspections of the boilers and pressure vessels are undertaken. This is a mandatory requirement which must be done by a licensed boiler inspector every 12 months. “Other than the usual cleaning and statutory inspections of the boilers and pressure vessels, several projects are taking place this year,” said Troy Watling, Mechanical Repairs and Maintenance Manager. These include a bark hog bypass screen project in the wood yard, an unbleached Kraft pulp fibre development project, tank repairs for recycled pulp storage, and a press de-watering upgrade on both paper machines. This year more than 20 technical specialists from overseas are in Tumut for the MSD. The total number of people onsite peaked at 1,348 people through the gates over 24 hours last Wednesday. The MSD this year has utilised 15 mobile cranes (four from Superior Cranes, three from Riverina Crane Services, seven from National Cranes and Engineering and a crane from Coen Cranes). A total of 509 pre-shut scaffolds were constructed, with a further 110 scaffolds during the shutdown. The site should be fully operational again by the weekend.  

New Zealand’s Government has today started consultation on a 50% reduction to the annual charge for forest owners participating in the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. Source: Timberbiz “Following an independent review released last week we are proposing to lower the per-hectare annual charge to NZ$14.90. “This is a 50% reduction from Labour’s excessive charge announced just before the election of NZ$30.25 per hectare per year. “It’s now clear that the previous Labour government made a number of decisions that drove up the cost of this Registry and they expected the forestry sector to pay for their mistakes. Cabinet has agreed that the sector should not bear the brunt of Labour’s previous decisions,” Mr McClay said. “The Ministry for Primary Industries has worked hard to find efficiencies and drive down costs over the last 10 months.  We’ve also been focused on improving service delivery to ensure the Registry meets the expectations of forestry users. As a result, the annual charge has reduced significantly. “Last week, we announced the formation of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to further improve outcomes for the ETS Registry and find greater cost savings over the next year. This is an opportunity for the forestry sector and government to partner to drive better outcomes for forestry.” The new annual charge would begin in the 2024/25 financial year and stay in place until a full review is conducted after the current emissions reporting period. “This proposal is part of the Government’s promise to rebuild confidence in the forestry sector and support its role in achieving New Zealand’s exporting and emissions targets.” Consultation on the new annual charge starts today (23 October 2024) and runs for three weeks. It covers the reduced annual charge and adjustments to the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 for participants using the field measurement approach during the 2023–25 period. Following consultation, Cabinet will move quickly to finalise the regulations, giving participants clarity and certainty on charges.

Eight CFA crews were called to a fire at a local Yarram sawmill on Yarram-Morwell Road in Victoria at around 6.30pm on Monday 14 October. Source: Timberbiz On arrival crews were confronted with a difficult fire within the elevated hopper (sloped) structure, which quickly spread to adjoining bins containing several tonnes of woodchips. Quick and effective action from the on-site staff and the CFA crews limited the spread as they undertook a controlled release of the bins supported by onsite heavy machinery, while crews protected the adjoining facilities and significant timber stock. Incident Commander Ian Bounds said the fire was brought under control within two hours with minimal dollar loss or damage to the infrastructure and time down for the sawmill. “Another half hour of fire development and the job would have escalated to a significant incident requiring fire crews through the night and potentially specialist aerial units to combat the fire,” Mr Bounds said. “The fire was attended by four tankers and three operational support units from Yarram, Alberton, Jack River, Won Wron, Devon North and Port Albert.” AKD Yarram Site Manager Glen Davis expressed his appreciation to CFA crews who battled the fire. “AKD would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the CFA for their quick response and exceptional professionalism in swiftly bringing the situation under control,” Mr Davis said. “The CFA’s efforts were crucial, and we deeply appreciate the support provided to our Yarram facility.”  

The Hyne Group has welcomed news of His Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns’ visit to the Homes NSW Cowper Street development to talk about sustainable housing. Source: Timberbiz The Hyne Group proudly supplied the Cross Laminated Timber manufactured at its XLam plant in Wodonga, Victoria, and the Glue Laminated Timber, manufactured at its Maryborough plant in Queensland for this social housing development in Glebe, Sydney. The Homes NSW Cowper Street, Sydney development is in collaboration with the King’s Trust Australia and once completed, will deliver 75 much needed, sustainable social housing apartments and terrace houses. Specifically, 2,590m3 of engineered timber has been delivered to the site, which sequesters approximately 1,860 tonnes of carbon. This is the equivalent of 934 fewer cars on the road in a year. “We are very proud to have supplied our mass timber solutions to Homes NSW in collaboration with the Kings Trust Australia,” Chair of Hyne Group, Tom Bruce-Jones, said. “As a Group, we actively promote the environmental advantages of structural timber as a renewable, low carbon resource material and we are very grateful that our products were chosen by the NSW Government and Homes NSW to construct this building comprising of 75 units in Sydney. “We are absolutely delighted to learn of his Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns’ visit to this development as part of the King’s Australian schedule.” The timber is entirely locally grown in local pine plantation estates, much of which is owned by the NSW Government and Responsible Wood certified. The pine trees are approximately 30 years old at the time of harvest before being replanted. Based on this age class and the Australian pine plantation estate, the timber volume supplied for the Cowper Street Development will be regrown in approximately seven hours. For the Cross Laminated Timber, the logs are processed at Hyne Timber’s Tumbarumba sawmill before being transported to the XLam plant in Wodonga for secondary manufacturing into CLT panels. For the Glue Laminated Timber, the logs are processed at Hyne’s Tuan Mill near Maryborough before being processed into GLT at the Maryborough Glulam plant. These manufacturing plants support local, regional jobs and ensure that low carbon, sustainable building products are manufactured in Australia, for Australia. The Hyne Group is the Australian subsidiary of James Jones and Sons in the UK. His Majesty King Charles III visited James Jones & Sons’ Aboyne sawmill just 12 months ago, in October 2023. Details of the visit can be viewed at https://twitter.com/i/status/1848536865860948319

His Majesty King Charles III visited CSIRO’s National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory in Canberra, “fuelled” by his passion for the environment and interest in climate change impacts. Source: Timberbiz As the increasing impact of wildfires are being felt around the globe, The King gained insight into how Australian scientists work collaboratively to understand and predict bushfire behaviour, as well as help protect communities and fire crews during outbreaks. The visit to Australia’s national science agency was part of The King’s sustainability-themed visit to Australia and his second visit to a CSIRO Canberra site. In February 1966, a young Prince Charles visited the CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research Division at Gungahlin. CSIRO chief executive, Doug Hilton, said he was proud to show how CSIRO’s bushfire research was not just helping Australians solve a significant national challenge but aiding an international community who are sharing learnings and building resilience to these extreme events. “The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires has shown that uncontrollable and devastating wildfires are becoming an expected part of our seasonal calendars. Not just in Australia, but across the globe,” Dr Hilton said. Under climate change, countries are likely to see a greater frequency of conditions conducive to the outbreak of wildfires, even in places that haven’t historically experienced the impacts of these un-planned large fire events. This has been exemplified by events such as the Wennington wildfire that took place in east London, on 19 July 2022, during the 2022 United Kingdom heatwave. This luckily did not cause loss of life but still destroyed close to 20 houses. During his visit to the CSIRO bushfire lab, The King witnessed two bushfire demonstrations. The first involved him igniting an experimental fire in the ‘Pyrotron’ – a 29-metre-long combustion wind tunnel that enables the study of fires in a safe and controlled environment. He then met with CSIRO researchers, ACT Rural Fire Service Chief, Rohan Scott, and members of the Tidbinbilla volunteer brigade, to witness a ‘burnover‘ drill using an ACT Rural Fire Service heavy tanker. CSIRO Senior Research Scientist, Dr Matt Plucinski, who conducted the Pyrotron demonstration, said the apparatus was used to better understand bushfire behaviour and the factors that influence bushfires, such as wind and fuel types. It is also used to improve understanding of suppression effective-ness and bushfire emissions. “Understanding changing weather patterns due to climate change and the likelihood and behaviour of bushfire outbreaks helps to increase resilience in Australia and overseas, especially in regions that previously haven’t been that prone to bushfires,” Dr Plucinski said. “This research and the predictive models of bushfire spread we develop are used by fire agencies for planning suppression strategies and warning communities in the likely path of the fire.” CSIRO’s research into understanding bushfire behaviour and the weather that impacts the fires – as demonstrated by the Pyrotron, in turn helps scientists and fire agencies work out what protection fire-fighters may need in the field. CSIRO helped develop the world-leading burnover protection systems for crew-cabins in fire trucks with fire agencies including the Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS). In the ’burnover’ drill, The King was shown how these systems feature spray nozzles over the cabin, heat shields for windows and fire-resistant covers for electrical components, pumps and air hoses. The effectiveness of these crew protection systems was first put to the test in a major way during the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Victoria. Eight fire trucks were impacted by fire and all their crews emerged safely with no loss of life. These protection systems continued to provide crews with increased safety in subsequent fires including the more recent Black Summer 2019–2020 bushfires. CSIRO Bushfire Adaptation Research Leader, Justin Leonard, said the burnover protection system has now been rolled out in nearly every state and territory in Australia and his team is now sharing their knowledge with fire agencies in France and America. “We are sharing the research, both in terms of the designs for trucks and the way we validate and test the systems through the use of a purpose-built bushfire burnover simulator situated in Mogo NSW,” Mr Leonard said. “The opportunity to present this collaborative work to The King helps us amplify the important message of how we tackle bushfire in Australia and the impact of what we do. “Protecting lives and the environment as we deal with more severe and frequent bushfires is an important process for us to get right under climate change.”

The ABARES National Wood Processing Survey 2021–22 shows that in 2021-22 there were a total of 252 mills operating. This is a fall of 47 mills since 2016-17, continuing a downward trend in the number of sawmills operating over the past 30 years. Source: Timberbiz ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said ABARES estimated that of the 252 mills operating in 2021-22, 146 were hardwood sawmills, 48 softwood sawmills, 13 cypress sawmills, 20 post and pole mills, and 25 wood-based panel mills. “The falling mill numbers have predominately been driven by consolidation, with a number of the remaining mills increasing their input capacity,” Dr Greenville said. “Compared to 2016-17, sawnwood production fell by 8% to 4.3 million cubic metres, with softwood production down by 5%, hardwood production down by 21% and cypress pine down by 30%. “Sawnwood revenue for the sector was estimated to be $3 billion in 2021-22, up 8% in real terms from 2016-17. “Higher product prices have been outweighing falls in sawnwood timber production, contributing to the real increase in production value for the sector. “Survey results also show that sawmills and post and pole mills remain a strong employer in the forestry industry, with more than 7,500 employees.” In 2021-22, compared with 2016-17 Total input fell by 7% to 9.9 million cubic meters of sawlogs (including post and pole logs) being processed in Australian sawmills. This comprised of 1.6 million cubic metres of hardwood (down 16%), 8.2 million cubic metres of softwood (down 5%) and 139,000 cubic metres of cypress (down 5%). Sawnwood production fell by 8% to 4.3 million cubic metres, comprised of 561,000 cubic metres of hardwood (down 24%), 3.7 million cubic metres of softwood (down 5%), and 40,000 cubic metres of cypress pine (down 30%). An additional 317,000 of hard and softwood posts and poles were also produced. 4.4 million cubic metres of residues were also produced, comprising of 616,000 cubic metres of hardwood residues and 3.9 million cubic metres of softwood residues. This resulted in recovery rates of 39% for hardwood sawmills, 47% for softwood mills and 79% for post and pole mills. Revenue from sawnwood sales increased by 20% to $3.0 billion. This comprised of over $700 million in revenue from hardwood sales (down 24%) and $2.3 billion from softwood and cypress sawnwood sales (up 47%). The number of workers employed by sawmills and post and pole mills fell by 7% to 7,506, 85% of whom are classified as full-time workers. In addition, in 2021-22 it was noted that, the largest cost for sawmills was revealed to be logs, followed by wages. Respondents lacked a common view on the demand outlook for the next 12 months with 88% of hardwood mill respondents raised log supply as an issue, while softwood sawmills raised additional issues including product demand and access to skilled labour. Read the full report here.

The Prinoth Raptor 300 with the associated Grizzly M650m mulcher has been optimized with a number of improvements to better meet the requirements of the modern working world. Source: Timberbiz New features include: 0 Cab: Inspired by the successful design of the Raptor 500, the new cab offers a spacious and comfortable interior with maximum visibility and safety. Improved driver’s seat: The new Recaro seat offers maximum comfort, even during long working days. New joysticks: The controls have been completely redesigned for ergonomic and intuitive operation. Reinforced forestry protection frame: Reinforced components at both the front and rear provide additional safety. Automatic flap control: The control of the flap is now connected to the push bar to increase comfort and efficiency when working. Improved air filter: A new air filter has been specially developed for tough working conditions to ensure optimum performance. A new push bar has been developed for even more effective mulching performance. Reinforced side walls significantly improve the overall stability of the mulcher. The new flap with counter blades enables more efficient shredding of the material. The revised design simplifies operation and maintenance of the mulcher. The Raptor 300 and its mulcher are now dressed in black.