Australian timber industry news

The Australian Forest Contractor’s Association has welcomed the strong statement of support and commitment for Australia’s sustainable forestry industries made by the Coalition at the weekend. Source: Timberbiz The release of a policy statement on Australia’s forest industry has confirmed that a Dutton Coalition Government will not support any further bans on native forestry, and secure ongoing managed and regulated timber harvesting by establishing Permanent Timber Production Zones. Welcoming the commitments AFCA Chief Executive Officer Tim Lester said these policies would provide much needed certainty for businesses, hundreds of communities and tens of thousands of workers. “Production forestry from our regrowth native estate is sustainable and renewable, with positive payoffs for communities and the environment,” Mr Lester said. “The alternative is exporting our jobs, importing more timber and Australian taxpayers spending more to manage our forests. “Jobs in forestry are stable, sustainable and high quality, supporting rural and regional communities around Australia. The World Bank tells us that the overall economic impact of forest industries is $2.50 for every dollar generated by the industry. “We know from data collected by the NSW National Parks that managed timber harvesting poses no threat to koalas or other species. “We are pleased to see this practical approach to protecting the future of our sustainable industry and look forward to receiving similar assurances from the Australian Labor Party during the election campaign.”

FSC is extending the suspension of the Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of the FSC Remedy Framework until the end of June 2025.  Source: Timberbiz The extension of the suspension is due to a conflict of interest identified between Domtar and the law firm FSC identified for conducting the legal review of APP and Domtar’s corporate groups. FSC is identifying a different independent, third-party law firm to conduct this legal review. In January 2025, FSC suspended APP’s remedy MoU until the end of March 2025 because of the changes APP and Domtar announced regarding the concentration of sole beneficial ownership of the two corporate groups. FSC is commissioning a legal review of the corporate groups of Domtar and APP to better understand the implications and the effect of this change, and any impacts on the scope of the APP remedy process and the MoU. FSC disassociated from APP’s entire corporate group in 2007. To remedy the environmental and social harms APP caused in the past, FSC and APP signed a remedy MoU in 2024 to implement the FSC Remedy Framework. Earlier this year, Jackson Wijaya, the sole beneficial owner of Domtar (an FSC certificate holder), took over as APP’s sole beneficial owner.

In 2024, Brazil exported nearly 20 million metric tons (MT) of pulp, marking a 3% increase in volume compared to 2023 and a 34% rise in export value. Source: Timberbiz These numbers are expected to grow as planned pulp mill investments come to fruition. Some of these include: In December 2024, Suzano S.A. inaugurated the world’s largest single-line pulp mill in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul, which has an annual production capacity of 2.55 million MT. Chile’s Arauco is building a US$4.6 billion bleached eucalyptus market pulp mill that will be the world’s largest pulp mill project with 3.5 million MT/year capacity when it starts up in 2027. Dissolving pulp producer Bracell has earmarked US$4 billion to build a 2.8 million MT/year pulp mill in Água Clara. Competition for land in Brazil and investments in pulp production capacity have been key factors in rising log prices for the past two decades. However, Brazil’s pulp producers have the advantage of a huge and expanding planted forest resource to provide wood fibre. The country’s planted tree area has expanded to reach 10.2 million hectares, while protecting and expanding the wood fibre resources plays an important role in pulp producers’ investment decisions. Suzano’s R$22.2 billion Cerrado Project investment includes R$6.3 billion for timber plantations and logistics, while Klabin announced plans at the end of 2023 to purchase Arauco’s forestry assets in Paraná for US$1.16 billion. Brazil is the largest supplier of hardwood pulp to the US, and its pulp industry is waiting to see how it might be affected by the current US enthusiasm for tariffs. There has been some speculation that any increase in prices of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (NBSK) as tariffs hit Europe and Canada could push US tissue producers to switch to hardwood pulp, increasing business for Latin American producers. Brazil’s pulp industry is on a promising trajectory, fuelled by substantial investments in new pulp mills and the expansion of timber plantations. While challenges such as increasing log prices and land competition persist, Brazil’s extensive planted forest resources offer a significant competitive advantage. As the leading supplier of hardwood pulp to the US, Brazil stands to gain from potential shifts in global pulp demand. For further insights into Brazil’s pulp mill investments and wood fibre costs.

JCB is set to double the size of a new factory currently under construction in Texas as the company confirmed today that newly announced tariffs will impact its business in the short-term. Source: Timberbiz JCB has been manufacturing in the USA for 50 years, and last year bought 400 acres of land in San Antonio after recognising the need to produce even more machines in North America, where the company’s existing manufacturing plant in Savannah, Georgia, has operated for 25 years and employs around 1,000 people. The original plan for a 500,000 square feet factory in San Antonio has now been revised and JCB is forging ahead with plans to double its size to one million square feet. The new US$500 million plant is due to start production next year and employ up to 1,500 people and will build on JCB’s growth in North America. JCB has been in business for 80 years this year and it is well accustomed to change. “The United States is the largest market for construction equipment in the world and President Trump has galvanised us into evaluating how we can make even more products in the USA, which has been an important market for JCB since we sold our first machine there in 1964,” Lord Bamford, JCB Chairman said. JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said that in the short term, the imposition of tariffs will have a significant impact on the business. ‘However, in the medium term, our planned factory in San Antonio will help to mitigate the impact. We are thankful that the tariff is only 10% and we can only hope that the UK Government will conclude negotiations on a trade deal in the coming days and weeks.”

As the US President continues to dismantle world trade by introduction of tariffs and other means, IndustryEdge continues to cast a spotlight onto the facts. Source: IndustryEdge This is one in a series from IndustryEdge, that will address specific details of bilateral and multilateral trade in the materials, sectors and industries in which we are involved, for both Australia and New Zealand. Australia has been hit with the ‘base’ 10% tariffs on its imports to the USA. This will impact wood and wood products trade, as well as wood products trade. However, many other countries especially countries with whom Australia has significant trading positions, face far higher tariffs for trade into the USA. As the world has come to learn, the rationale for the tariffs is a mix of misunderstanding, economic voodoo and a failure to check whether some locations were even countries or inhabited by anything more than penguins. Global capital and stock markets have faltered significantly since the announcement (which has already come into force). Investors are recalculating risks and devaluing assets the world over. Major institutions now say global recession is a 50/50 bet and a US recession is pretty much assured. It’s a rerun of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that created a trade war that extended the Great Depression by years and was opposed almost universally outside the US and by nearly all economists and business leaders. Sound familiar? Below, we outline the headline facts of Australia’s trade in wood products with the USA. In calendar year 2024, Australia operated a trade deficit for wood and wood products with the USA, valued at AUD84.2 million. That is, Australia exported wood and wood products valued at AUD9.0 million, but imports from the USA were valued at AUD93.2 million. That balance of trade deficit was the lowest in many years. Imports from the USA accounted for 3.5% of total wood and wood products imports by value. The USA was the fifth largest supplier to Australia, with total imports valued at AUD2.657 billion. Exports to the USA accounted for just 0.5% of total wood and wood products exports by value. The USA received the ninth highest value of Australian products, which in aggregate were valued at AUD1.639 billion, dominated by woodchip exports. Australia’s Bilateral Balance of Trade with the USA in Wood & Wood Products: 2017 – 2024 (AUDM) Source: ABS, derived and IndustryEdge In 2024, Australia exported wood and wood products valued at AUDFob1,638.9 million. Nearly one third went to New Zealand and close to 15% was delivered to the USA. Australia’s exports went to 155 countries over the year. The chart shows the top five ‘countries’, the table shows the top 14. It is notable that ‘No Country Details’ dominates. This is the entirety of Australia’s hardwood and softwood woodchip exports, most of which are delivered to China and Japan. Australia’s Wood & Wood Products Exports by Main Country: 2024 (AUDM & %) In 2024, Australia imported wood and wood products valued at an enormous AUDFob2,656.5 million. China delivered 42.0 % of that – more than AUD1.1 billion worth, with the USA in fifth place behind Indonesia, New Zealand and Malaysia. The chart shows the top five countries, the table shows the top 12, but again, it is relevant that Australia received shipments from 126 countries in 2024. Australia’s Wood & Wood Products Imports by Main Country: 2024 (AUDM & %) The regrettable, worrying and seemingly ill-considered positioning of the US President can have many effects. Not least is a slowdown in global economic conditions, as trade reduces and as a minimum, is completely disrupted. In arguing the tariffs amounted to ‘liberation’ for America, we are entitled to ask the proponent, Mr Trump, ‘liberation from what?’ We will resist the temptation to borrow from the Orwellian playbook, in which liberation may be considered code for enslavement. Instead, it seems likely the liberation to which Mr Trump refers, is liberation from the rules of global trade. In turning to old-fashioned and failed protectionist measures and engaging the world in a trade war that only the most desperate sycophants and client states are likely to join, the US President is retreating to isolationism, masked by an increasingly disturbing version of nationalism. As The Economist magazine wrote this week: “Although Mr Trump has committed one of the worst policy blunders of all time, he was lucky enough to inherit a strong economy. How much pain can it take?” Retaliatory actions are already underway against US manufactured goods and companies. That is hardly surprising, and not a recipe for reinvigorated manufacturing. The extent of consumer-level reactions against US products may never be fully understood, but can be observed to some extent, in respect of Tesla’s electric car sales. When the Smoot-Hawley Act was in full force in 1931-33, the US economy tanked: GDP collapsed, both imports and exports fell dramatically, and the unemployment rate doubled. Arguably, those tariffs extended the Depression. By 1934, the tariffs were much reduced, though it took the Second World War for the US to recover properly. Following the intercession of World War II, the global trade architecture heralded by the Bretton Woods Agreement, the International Trade Organisation (ITO) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) (the USA and Australia were among the eight original signatories) were quickly installed, heralding a period of substantial and open international trade. When the World Trade Organisation replaced the ITO and the GATT in 1995, both countries were again at the forefront. Today, that openness and the architecture supporting it, is again threatened by US isolationism. The hyperbole of the US President describing the imposition of universal tariffs as ‘Liberation Day’ requires comment. We need to unpick this language, in order to understand its real meaning. In imposing unilateral tariffs, the USA is withdrawing from the eight decades long multilateral rules-based system that has governed international trade since the end of World War II. If this is liberation, it is liberation from obligations to other nations and to […]

Green construction materials from the top of New Zealand’s South Island will be used in new multi-storey buildings being constructed at Parliament. Sources: The Nelson Mail, The Press Nelson Pine Industries will be providing more than 700 cubic meters of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) timber, which will form part of the mass timber frame for the Museum Street building, instead of using steel or concrete. Company chief executive Kai Kruse said the LVL timber, which was made using only logs from the top of the South Island, had a high level of seismic resilience. “As well as being lighter and stronger than traditional steel or concrete structures, using a mass timber frame was the more environmentally conscious choice,” he said. The framing will arrive in Wellington from April in partly assembled sections and will be installed three storeys a time. “This LVL also has outstanding green credentials, which will contribute to the Museum Street building being net carbon zero. “As part of the mass timber frame, it will sequester 201 tons of carbon,” Kruse said. Construction of the new buildings, which are to house MPs and staff within the parliamentary precinct in Wellington, began in 2022 and are scheduled to be completed by late 2026. “This LVL also has outstanding green credentials, which will contribute to the Museum St building being net carbon zero. “As part of the mass timber frame, it will sequester 201 tons of carbon,” Kruse said. Construction of the new buildings, which are to house MPs and staff within the parliamentary precinct in Wellington, began in 2022 and are scheduled to be completed by late 2026.  

The Tasmanian Forest Products Association has welcomed a commitment by the Federal Labor Party to increase funding for the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme by $95 million, as well as promising a review into the modernisation of the program, if it wins the May 3 Federal election. Source: Timberbiz Speaking following the announcement, TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel said the modernisation of the scheme was vital to keeping Tasmanian businesses competitive. “The TFES model, as it stands, is no longer fit for purpose. This scheme was set up almost 50 years ago and it’s clear it’s no longer working for Tasmanian businesses,” Mr Steel said. “That’s why we welcome Labor’s commitment to increasing funding for the scheme – to ensure correct cost recovery as well as a full review into the modernisation of the TFES.” Mr Steel said making sure the scheme is fit for purpose is more important now more than ever. “Australia is currently in a cost-of-living crisis. It’s being particularly felt here in Tasmania, not only by consumers but also by businesses trying to sell to the other states,” Mr Steel said. “Being an island, Tasmania is at a distinct disadvantage compared to other states when shipping goods to their markets. That’s why the Whitlam Government introduced the TFES in the 1970s to go some way to level the playing field between mainland and Tasmanian businesses. “However, to work properly it’s essential to regularly review the scheme to ensure its original purpose remains relevant.” This announcement brings bipartisan commitment to the modernisation of the scheme – ensuring it remains fit for purpose into the future. The Federal Coalition has promised that if elected it will oversee a review of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme and support Tasmanian businesses to the tune of $62 million while that review takes place. “It’s pleasing to see that both sides of politics recognise the importance of the TFES in allowing Tasmanian businesses to compete on the mainland,” Mr Steel said. “The TFPA looks forward to continuing to work with both sides of politics to ensure other issues for Tasmanian forestry remain on the political radar.”

The Federal Coalition will back in Australia’s renewable forestry industry with a rock-solid commitment of no more lockups. Shadow Forestry Minister Senator Jonno Duniam, who was joined at Neville Smith Forest Products in Launceston by all of the Liberal’s 2025 Tasmanian election candidates at the weekend, said that the announcement backed in the vital industry. Source: Timberbiz “Only the Coalition can be trusted to stand up for Australia’s native forest industry,” Senator Duniam said. “Our forest industry is renewable, it’s sustainable, it provides a vital product that we need, and importantly it sustains regional communities. “A Dutton Coalition Government will not support any further bans on native forestry. “Not one more tree, not one more stick will be locked up under us.” Senator Duniam said that the Coalition position on forestry provided a stark contrast to that offered by Labor. “Shutting down native forestry is in Labor’s DNA. They’ve done it in Western Australia, they’ve done it in Victoria, and they tried to do it in Tasmania the last time they were in power with the Greens in 2010-2013,” Senator Duniam said. “On Thursday, Labor’s rookie candidate for the seat of Bass spoke the truth when she revealed that she believed that native forestry should be shut down,” he said, On Thursday, during a live radio interview with ABC Northern Tasmania, the Labor candidate for the northern seat of Bass, Jess Teesdale, conceded she wanted to see the state government end the practice. It came after she said the federal Labor government would not intervene to override the states. The ABC later reported that later the candidate, who is standing for a federal election for the first time, issued a clarification. “The Albanese Labor government is not changing its policy on native forestry logging,” it read. “These are state forests managed by the Tasmanian Liberal Government. “We support the jobs and the communities that rely upon this industry.” Senator Duniam said there was no doubt, given half the chance, Labor will “try to shut our forestry industry down – especially with the Greens likely pulling their strings in a minority government”. “The only way to support and safeguard our forestry industry is to vote for the Coalition,” he said. Speaking after the announcement, TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel said the industry is pleased the Coalition plans to back all forms of our sustainable industry. “Peter Dutton’s commitment to all forms of forestry – including our sustainable native sector – provides the certainty our industry needs to invest and grow our businesses for years to come,” Mr Steel said. “Tasmania’s forest industry is predominantly based in rural and regional towns, so the ability to plan and invest for the long term means our businesses can support the communities that they live and work in into the future. “News that a Coalition Government will provide $40 million in matched grants to establish a new Timber Manufacturing Expansion Program will further assist local businesses to value add on-island and will work hand-in-hand with the Tasmanian Government’s on-island processing grants. “Recommitment to the Coalition’s TFES improvements is also welcomed and following the success of Tasmania’s Permanent Timber Production Zone (PTPZ) program, it’s pleasing to see the Liberal, if elected, will roll out Similar zones across Australia. “Today’s announcement shows that the Liberal Party is committed to protecting our sustainable industry into the future, and we look forward to receiving similar strong commitments from the Labor Party in the coming weeks.”

The Australian Forest Products Association wants Federal Labor and the Coalition to ensure their political support for Australia’s sustainable native forestry is clearly communicated. Source: Timberbiz The sector supports the livelihoods of thousands of Australians, while millions more benefit from the essential and sought after products the sector manufactures for our everyday life, AFPA Chief Executive Officer Diana Hallam said on Friday. The Coalition at the weekend said it would back in Australia’s forestry industry with a rock-solid commitment of no more lock-ups. “The time has come in this Federal Election Campaign for Federal Labor and the Coalition to express their unequivocal support for Australia’s native forestry sector and that they’ll stand by that support in the event of a hung parliament next term. These are essential industries that Australia cannot live without and require strong Commonwealth support and a political mandate to operate. We need to know where they stand,” Ms Hallam said. The AFPA’s call to the major parties follows comments on Thursday by the Labor candidate for the northern seat of Bass, Jess Teesdale that she wanted to see the end of native logging. Her office later issued a clarification, saying that “the Albanese Labor government is not changing its policy on native forestry logging”. “These are state forests managed by the Tasmanian Liberal Government,” it said. “We support the jobs and the communities that rely upon this industry.” Ms Hallam said the AFPA acknowledged the comment was walked back and labelled a mistake. “But a clear statement from Federal Labor, as well as the Coalition on their support for native forestry, not just in Tasmania, but nationally, is required – just as Prime Minister Albanese and the Coalition provided ahead of the 2022 Federal Election. “Native forestry operations are governed by the Federal-State Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) framework – thereby both the Commonwealth and States are required to work together, and a mandate is required from both levels of government. “This sector is essential for Australia’s sovereign capability in timber and wood-fibre resources, for the manufacturing of essential and everyday products and to underpin many communities that rely on the sector for direct employment and economic activity. Many of those communities are in regional Australia – and indeed, many in the federal electorate of Bass. “Native forestry has been forced to bear the brunt of constant and unwarranted attacks from radical and so-called green activists who are hell bent on wanting to destroy an industry Australia cannot live without. “Both sides of federal politics need to be united in their support for native forestry. The communities and families that rely on this wonderful sector deserve to have the backing of whichever major Party forms Australia’s next Federal Government,” Ms Hallam said.

The Victorian State Government has been blasted for not supporting the businesses it promised to assist in shutting down the native timber industry. Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said the State Government was applying criteria that stopped it assisting the very businesses it promised to help. Source: Timberbiz “On August 23, 2023, Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney put out a media release stating the Andrews Labor Government would support businesses that were impacted but not licensed to VicForests and the media release cited firewood sellers, guitar makers and seed collectors as examples,” he said. “But 18 months later and firewood sellers, Tim and Andrea Knight – the very type of business that was stated would be supported, are not. “They are now told the forestry transition support packages for businesses are being directed towards those businesses with a contractual relationship with VicForests, or businesses that offered specialised services to either VicForests or sawmills. “However, the original statement from Minister Tierney said businesses would be supported that were not licensed to VicForests. “The Knights have also been told they are classified as ‘retailers’ and can therefore source their product from elsewhere or sell alternative products.” Mr Bull said that this raised three points: They were purchasing directly from VicForests, so how are they not eligible? Secondly, they simply cannot purchase firewood elsewhere at an affordable level with the timber industry having closed. Thirdly, regardless of the above, there is no mention of retailers being excluded in the original announcement or media release. Mr Bull pointed out a further anomaly. “Trucking company, Pelz Haulage, had a large part of its business servicing mills, among other things removing the sawdust,” he said. “The correspondence to the Knights says businesses that offered specialised services to sawmills (like Pelz Haulage) will be covered. “But there is no explanation as to why Pelz Haulage is not being compensated. “This is all happening while we have timber transition money being spent on rubbish like (quoted from the latest Labor media release): Upskilling community members to help identify future economic opportunities, and Identifying initiatives by local Innovation Working Groups through Local Development Strategies. “This will amount to nothing and is money that that should be going to those whose livelihoods have been taken away or impacted,” Mr Bull said. “We now have a new Minister in Ros Spence, who has in the past shown a better understanding and more rational approach, and I have asked her to intervene and assist these businesses as her predecessor promised.”  

Giving in to Federal Greens policies would wipe an astonishing $4 billion annually off Tasmania’s GSP and destroy 15,500 jobs, according to a simple review of ABS data, according to the Liberal Member for Bass Michael Ferguson. Source: Timberbiz “The Greens have made it clear that they want to shut down Tasmania’s job-rich mining, aquaculture and forestry industries,” Mr Ferguson said. He said that based on the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, approximately 15,500 Tasmanians were employed in these industries, collectively contributing $4 billion to the State’s economy each year. “The Liberal Party value these jobs and these people. Tasmania needs these vital industries,” Mr Ferguson said. “That’s a whopping 10.5 per cent of Tasmania’s GSP that would be at massive risk when Labor does a deal with the Greens to form Government. “To put it another way, Tasmanian households would be $17,000 worse off each and every year,” he said. “This is before the Greens kill off our defence industries, our advanced manufactures and other productive industries.” Mr Ferguson said that based on Labor’s failure to genuinely and quickly stand up for aquaculture jobs in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmanians were right to be fearful of a re-elected Labor government in Canberra, propped up and held hostage by the Greens. “Tasmanians have seen the Labor-Green nightmare before, from 2010 to 2014. Tasmania went into recession, and 10,000 Tasmanians were sent to the unemployment scrap heap,” he said. “The impacts are still being felt 10 years later, and Tasmanians will never forget. “That’s why we unashamedly say – Tasmania can’t afford to risk another Labor-Green Government.”

Researchers Guanqun Chen and Juli Wang engineered a strain of red yeast that can turn forestry waste into a high-value fatty acid for nutritional supplements and animal feed. Source: Timberbiz Forestry waste can be turned into a high-value fatty acid, thanks to a bright red yeast engineered by University of Alberta researchers. Using wood-derived sugar as a feedstock, the strain, developed from a yeast called Rhodosporidium toruloides, proved capable of producing punicic acid. The discovery offers potential economic wins for the forestry and food industries, says study co-author Guanqun Chen, associate professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and Canada Research Chair in Plant Lipid Biotechnology. Derived mainly from the seed oil of pomegranate fruit, punicic acid offers healthy cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. However, with a very low seed-to-fruit ratio and oil yield, it’s currently not financially feasible to produce for large-scale use in the food industry. But being able to produce the fatty acid using sugar solution derived from low-value leftovers like wood chips provides both economic and environmental benefits, Chen says, noting that the yeast strain could also be used on agricultural byproducts like canola and wheat straw, after pre-treatment. “We’ve shown that this engineered strain can serve as an industrial platform for converting large volumes of biomass waste or byproducts into a valuable product, which may open up opportunities for creating high-value nutritional supplements, functional food and animal feed ingredients. “That creates additional revenue, improves resource efficiency and can help sustainability for these various industries.” The strain, which is now under a provisional patent application, could, for example, serve as an alternative to using baker’s yeast, the current approved choice for animal feed supplements, notes study co-author Juli Wang, who carried out the research as a part of his PhD thesis project in plant science. “It’s got high oil content and a quick growth rate that make it a better option for producing punicic acid using fermentation.” The research, conducted in collaboration with U of A professor David Bressler’s Biorefining Conversions and Fermentation Lab, marks the first time R. toruloides was engineered to produce punicic acid. In their experiments, the researchers genetically modified the red yeast by introducing two key enzymes from pomegranate fruit. When cultured with a sugar solution derived from the wood waste, the yeast strain produced 6.4%  of its total fatty acids as punicic acid. The discovery proves that the strain can produce a high amount of the fatty acid during fermentation, signalling potential for producing it at the commercial level. “We can now look at how to optimize and then scale up the fermentation process,” Wang says. The researchers plan to continue tweaking the yeast strain to boost its punicic acid content and exploring the use of other renewable feedstocks from Alberta’s forestry and agricultural industries, such as sugar beet molasses. It could also have wider-ranging uses, Chen adds. “Beyond producing punicic acid, red yeast could potentially be engineered to produce a variety of other specialty fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which have many nutraceutical applications.”

Polish scientists are working alongside an international team to create a forestry robot capable of inventorying trees, counting animals, collecting ticks and scouring the forest floor for archaeological nuggets. Source: TVP World The project, which is a world first, has been jointly undertaken by researchers at Poznań’s University of Life Sciences (UPP) and Adam Mickiewicz University as well as scientists from Italy and Cyprus. With the project still in its infant stages, scientists say that they will design various models and test different sets of sensors before settling on a final version. “For now, we have the idea that this will be a walking robot, with legs similar to an Alpine chamois [a species of goat-antelope found in southern Europe] to enable it to move over steep mountain slopes,” says UPP’s Anna Wierzbicka. Prototypes will be tested on a variety of terrains, including flat ground in central Poland’s Puszcza Zielonka National Park and steep ground in Cyprus. Their sternest test, however, awaits in Italy. “There [they will be tested] on surfaces of varying degrees of difficulty, some of it very bushy, some rocky, some steep,” Wierzbicka told the Polish Press Agency. According to scientists, the robot will relieve the workload of Europe’s dwindling number of foresters and will primarily be used to collect data in the EU’s network of Natura 2000 protected areas. “This requires specialists, and there are fewer and fewer of them,” says Wierzbicka. “Additionally, inventorying such areas is hard fieldwork that also demands knowledge of plants and animals. [The robot] is a response to the decreasing availability of competent staff and would also satisfy the need to reach hard-to-access areas.” Sensors mounted on the robots would allow them to verify the condition of trees and vegetation found in a national park and count and identify all the wild animals they encounter. The robot would also serve ulterior purposes, and the scientists are set to join forces with archaeologists to see how they can develop it to fulfill archaeological functions. “We’re looking forward to working with archaeologists as we still know very little about what or who lies beneath the surface of Poland’s forests,” says Wierzbicka. Furthermore, the team hopes to use the robot to collect ticks to allow for their further study. “Tick-borne diseases are our occupational hazard and a risk we take when entering a forest,” says Wierzbicka. “Ticks are also important for research reasons, so we decided that [enabling the robot to collect ticks] would be an interesting additional element that could contribute to improving our knowledge about them,” she adds. According to Wierzbicka, the first prototype robots will be ready in approximately one year, with the entire 1.5-million-euro project forecast to take three years.

The world is running out of time to halt deforestation and forest degradation. Yet instead of stepping up, the United States is dismantling forest protections and undermining global progress – highlighting the dangers of global forest policy that fails to hold the wealthiest, most powerful countries accountable. Source: The Guardian Unsustainable logging is one of the global north’s best-kept secrets. Each year, millions of acres of old-growth and primary forests across North America, Europe and Australia are clearcut under the guise of “sustainable forest management”. International policy, by design, looks the other way, focusing attention instead on deforestation in the tropics. This double standard allows the world’s wealthiest nations to evade accountability for industrial logging’s catastrophic consequences. It is a system built on the false assumption that the global north behaves responsibly, while scrutiny is reserved for tropical countries. But the latest actions by the US highlight just how dangerous and unbalanced this paradigm is. Donald Trump has taken an axe to forest protections in the US, announcing two executive orders that aim to strip away foundational checks on destructive logging. Under the pretence of national security, the president’s orders aim to gut environmental safeguards and fast-track industrial clearcutting in some of the US’s most precious and climate-critical forests. This aggressive expansion will degrade irreplaceable forests like Alaska’s Tongass national forest – one of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforests. It will also increase carbon emissions and make communities more vulnerable to climate disasters. Meanwhile, as Europe strengthens forest accountability, US state officials are pushing to exempt the country from new deforestation protections. These officials, echoing industry talking points, are urging the EU to exclude US wood products from a law requiring due diligence to prevent imports or exports tied to deforestation or forest degradation. Their argument? That the US doesn’t need oversight. The global north has long dictated the terms of international forest policy, supporting stricter environmental standards on tropical nations while sidestepping accountability at home. Canada, for example, clearcuts over 1.3m acres of forest every year yet claims near zero deforestation through regulatory loopholes. Sweden has marketed its forestry sector as a climate leader while logging threatens its last remaining old-growth forests. But Trump’s latest action clearly shows the current model needs to change. The world needs a more equitable, partnership-driven model of forest protection. In August 2023, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment called for the creation of a framework to drive more equitable global forest policy. More than 100 environmental organizations echoed this call ahead of last year’s UN climate conference in Dubai. With the next UN climate meeting taking place this year in Belém, Brazil – the gateway to the Amazon rainforest – Brazil has an opportunity to work with other countries to create this new reality. There are some signs of change. The EU is strengthening trade policies to exclude deforestation-linked products. Investors and corporations are aligning with international commitments to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. In Illinois, legislators have introduced a bill to eliminate state procurement tied to deforestation and forest degradation. United Kingdom policymakers recently acknowledged the need to avoid incentives for logging primary and old-growth forests. A fragmented system that arbitrarily evaluates risk differently in the global south and global north is bad for the climate and bad for business. Markets need consistency, and environmental policies should apply universally. For decades, the global north has moulded international forest policy to benefit its logging sector. After marking the International Day of Forests, on 21 March, in this critical year, the global community must seize this moment to shape a new, more equitable, form of global forest governance. The world needs unified standards for all forests that hold all countries, including – especially – the most powerful, accountable.

Timber Queensland has launched a new website and released the annual partner magazine Grounded amplifying the association’s powerful voice on political, technical, market development, industrial and environmental issues. Source: Timberbiz Strategic Relations & Communications Manager Clarissa Brandt said as the public face for Timber Queensland the new website echoes the organisation’s mission to represent the State’s forest and timber products industry to government, specifiers, timber traders and the wider community. “The website provides up-to-date facts and resources to inform the community about the role forestry and timber plays in tackling climate change and the environmental benefits of well-managed forests and timber products,” said Ms Brandt. “From posting a new role on the free industry job board, accessing research and development reports to registering for an upcoming event and contacting us for technical advice the new website makes it easier to interact with the services we provide. “We’re always working on projects to build a proud, self-sufficient and expanding industry, a refreshed website makes it easier for members and other stakeholders to access the outputs of these initiatives.” Ms Brandt said that Timber Queensland’s its annual partner magazine, Grounded, is another communications channel that highlights the association undertakes to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and advocate for the interests of our members and the broader industry. Available to read online in an interactive flipbook format, the magazine explores some of the behind-the-scenes details of the people and projects working to help Queensland’s forest and timber industry thrive. “This publication is a great read, either online or print out and leave in your lunchroom to learn more opportunity and directions for our industry, available scholarships and meet the companies that support our industry,” Ms Brandt said. Access the Grounded magazine at https://online.flippingbook.com/view/942466550/ Access Timber Queensland’s new website at https://www.timberqueensland.com.au/

New home building approvals fell by 0.3% in February, following a 6.3% increase in January. The Australian Bureau of Statistics this week released its monthly building approvals data for February 2025 for detached houses and multi-units covering all states and territories. Source: Timberbiz Master Builders Australia Chief Economist Shane Garrett said new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed a 0.2% gain for detached houses, but higher density approvals fell 0.9%. “We are starting to see a recovery in the market. Over the year to February 2025, new home building approvals are up 8.4%,” Mr Garrett said. “Higher density home building approvals did most of the heavy lifting, which is great news for renters and first home buyers. “But there’s still a long way to go if we are going to meet the 1.2 million new homes target under the Housing Accord. “Over the year to February, 177,400 new homes were approved, well below the 240,000 annual target,” he said. Tom Devitt, a Senior Economist with the Housing Industry Association, said that confidence has been improving on the back of strong population growth, near-record low unemployment, and recovering real incomes. “Low rental vacancy rates and rising rents were bringing investors back to the market. And even before the RBA’s February rate cut, interest rates had been relatively stable since mid-2023,” he said. “The RBA’s February rate cut will provide a welcome extra boost, but structural reforms are needed to properly address Australia’s housing affordability crisis. “Medium-to-high density housing activity, in particular, has been around just half its required volumes over the last year, constrained by labour shortages, finance costs and punitive government taxes and regulations. “This has funnelled improving market conditions back into the detached housing sector, but housing of all types needs to contribute to the Australian government’s target of 1.2 million new homes over five years. “Reforms are required across multiple policy fronts, including skilled migration, tax, regulation, planning, approvals, land supply and infrastructure provision. “Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia have been driving the improvement in home building volumes over the last year, while New South Wales and Victoria have been held back by prohibitively high land costs.” The HIA is calling on the Australian Government in the lead-up to the Federal Election 2025 to help remove barriers to new housing supply. Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn that that more investment in housing supply and action on reducing supply barriers was needed. “We have long called for better co-ordination across departments when it comes to investment in building and construction projects,” she said. “Master Builders supports the Coalition’s Investment Australia announcement today to reduce regulatory costs and red tape, with a specific working group focused on construction. “Both major parties are starting to send the right signals as the election campaign unfolds, which reflect policies in our election platform,” Ms Wawn said. Home building approvals in the three months to February 2025, in seasonally adjusted terms, were up by 48.4% in South Australia, followed by +30.2% in Western Australia, +28.1% in New South Wales, and +24.1%in Victoria, while Queensland was flat (+0.2%) and Tasmania declined (-3.8%). In original terms, the Northern Territory was more than double (+121.0%) the equivalent quarter last year, while the Australian Capital Territory was down by 25.9%.

Plans by the Federal Greens to stamp out misleading and ambiguous environmental claims has been welcomed by the Australian Forest Products Association. The Greens said this week they would push to “stamp out misleading and ambiguous environmental claims”. Source: Timberbiz AFPA CEO Diana Hallam said that this pledge came as activists continued to spread lies about Australia’s sustainable forest industries. “While we disagree with a number of aspects of the minor party’s Green Australia policy, including its outdated and longstanding plans to cease sustainable native forest harvesting, the announcement that the Greens want to crack-down on misleading and ambiguous environmental claims is very much welcomed and refreshing,” Ms Hallam said. “Radical activists consistently create and promote disinformation about Australia’s forest industries and particularly the sustainable native forest harvesting segment of the sector – and we’d welcome action on that.” The AFPA said that common disinformation pedalled about Australia’s sustainable forest industries included: That native forestry is ‘deforestation’. This was completely untrue. The United Nations and the Australian Government defined deforestation as permanent land use change. Every tree in Australia’s native forests harvested for timber and wood-fibre in Australia was regenerated and regrown for the future. That native forestry is a key reason for the extinction of native flora and fauna. Again, this was completely untrue. The Federal Government had listed forestry as having the least impact of 11 categories on forest dwelling flora and fauna. That plantations can replace native forestry. Not true. Native forestry was essential for flooring, decking, power poles and other appearance grade products. Without it, Australia’s would have to rely more on imports and carbon-intense non-renewable substitutes. Australia’s plantations were predominantly softwood, geared towards producing construction timber. Australia’s smaller amount of hardwood plantations were predominantly for the pulp market. That Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) are a ‘loophole’ to national environmental laws. Again, not true. An RFA was an alternative mechanism to achieve the objectives of the EPBC Act through a federal-state intergovernmental agreement and the creation of millions of hectares of national parks. They were not a bypass of the EPBC Act and this had been confirmed by the Federal Court of Australia. “There are many more examples about the myths and disinformation surrounding Australia’s sustainable forest industries which is a primary reason that as part of AFPA’s election campaign, we’ve launched www.forestfacts.com.au – a new website dedicated at countering exactly what the Greens want to address,” Ms Hallam said. “I look forward to working with the Greens on cracking down on activists pedalling ‘misleading’ and ‘ambiguous’ environmental claims and call on the other parties to support the initiative,” she said.

All political parties are being urged to throw their support behind the Tasmania’s sustainable forestry industry, ahead of the upcoming federal election. Speaking at the launch of the Tasmanian Forest Products Association’s Election Priorities, TFPA Independent Chair, Sarah Courtney said the forest industry was vital for the state’s economic, social and environmental success. Source: Timberbiz “Over 5,500 Tasmanians are employed directly and indirectly by the Tasmanian forestry industry,” Ms Courtney said. “The Tasmanian forestry industry is vital to secure our rural communities, for our economic prosperity and to help meet the state’s ambitious climate change targets. “In the coming weeks, the TFPA will be reviewing the promises made by all parties and candidates and assessing them against the election policy platform that we’ve launched today. “Our priorities list outlines the key election policies needed to ensure that our sustainable industry can continue to thrive in years to come,” Ms Courtney said. The TFPA election policy platform focuses on three key priorities. They are: An ongoing commitment to the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA); The modernisation of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES); and A $4 million public awareness campaign outlining the value of Tasmanian timber (as part of AFPA’s $20 million public education campaign policy request). “We’re pleased that both major parties have already committed in this campaign to supporting the TFES in the coming years, and we will continue to work with both to ensure that the scheme offers the best outcomes for Tasmanian forestry businesses,” Ms Courtney said. “We look forward to working with all political parties to ensure that their commitments will guarantee the Tasmanian forestry industry can continue being successful and sustainable for many years to come.” The TFPA federal election priorities sit under the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) 2025 Policy Platform, which can be seen at https://www.timberbiz.com.au/afpas-three-pronged-federal-election-policy-platform/  

The temporary exemption of tariffs on timber and lumber imported into the United States provides some relief to New Zealand exporters. Though this exemption could be short lived based on the outcome of the Section 232 investigation aimed at determining the effects imports of timber, lumber and their derivative products have on the United Sates supply chain according to the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association. Source: Timberbiz Exports of radiata pine products from New Zealand to the United States were estimated at $358 million, making the United States the third largest export market for forest products behind China and Australia. New Zealand’s timber and lumber products are highly valued in the United States for their quality and appearance within the domestic DIY and home building market. The exemption comes about through internal United States lobbying, by the likes of the American Building Materials Alliance and National Association of Home Builders, who have been speaking with White House advisors and providing formal letters to the President urging him to rethink placing a tariff that would weaken a critical supply chain. As a response, the administration has recognised that raising costs on timber and lumber would hurt housing affordability, disrupt construction, and weaken an important supply chain. An on-going challenge facing home builders in the United States is the cost and availability of building materials such as lumber, with price increases of just over 30 percent over the last few months. Further supply chain disruptions from increased tariffs coupled with increased demand for materials could also hinder rebuilding efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, which the administration has pledged to rebuild as quickly as possible. Given this temporary tariff exemption, the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (NZ) would like to thank its kindred associations in the United States for making this happen as it now waits for completion of the s. 232 investigation.

Australia’s forestry and forest products sector is warning the Federal Government the consequences of the United States tariff decisions could result in more foreign timber and wood-fibre products being diverted to the Australian market, while our low margin paper and paperboard exporters will face material impacts. Source: Timberbiz These tariffs strengthen the Australian Forest Products Association’s (AFPA’s) case ahead of the Federal Election for stronger border vigilance of the timber trade as well as country of origin labelling for timber and wood-fibre products. “Aside from obvious and very real impact on our direct exporters to the US, we’re concerned the ricochet effect of the tariffs will mean some countries could resort to dumping their large export volumes intended for the US, to markets like Australia,” AFPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hallam said. “There is the real prospect that Australia could experience an influx of dubious, imported timber and wood-fibre products – impacting a local industry already under pressure from the depressed housing market. “It’s difficult to forecast the full impact of these tariffs but it signals that we’ll need to be more vigilant at our borders. Two key requests in AFPA’s Australian Timber. Australia’s Future Election Platform are country of origin labelling so consumers know where the timber product they’re buying comes from, Australia or otherwise, and ongoing Commonwealth funding to crack-down on illegally logged timber. “We know the illegal trade is an increasing problem for Australia because a Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) testing trial last year found a quarter of tested imported products were found to be inconsistent with declared species, origin, or both. “Ahead of the Federal Election, we call on all sides of politics to commit to our Election Platform in full, but in light of today’s tariff announcement, especially the country of origin labelling measure and increased support to crack-down on the illegal timber trade at our borders. “While waiting to see how global trade will shift in reaction to today’s US tariff decision, the Federal Government can act to help inform consumers of timber and wood-fibre through country of origin labelling and making sure there’s as much vigilance at our borders as possible to catch illegal product.”