Australian timber industry news

Cascades has launched an innovative and complete packaging solution that is reinventing the egg landscape: Cascades Fresh GUARD EnVision. Source: Timberbiz This eco-designed packaging offers robust protection while opening impactful visual possibilities. Its sleeve openings and high-quality printing area break the mould of the traditional format. The packaging’s innovative, highly resistant design is the result of research and development geared to the needs of processors, retailers and consumers alike. Cascades Fresh GUARD EnVision enhances egg visibility and protection, reinforces brand presence on shelves and optimizes packaging operations. The packaging is also a solution for egg processors: Cascades provides the equipment, packaging and technical expertise to automate its customers’ end-of-line operations. This gives them a complete, customized and proven solution for optimizing their efficiency. “Our team is committed to supporting customers in finding solutions for all their packaging needs, from farm to factory to store to home,” said Jérôme Porlier, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Specialty Products Group. “This innovation challenge aimed to develop a solution that was sustainable, attractive, efficient, and comprehensive. We are proud to have achieved this thanks to the hard work and expertise of our multidisciplinary team. We are confident that this solution will enable us to accelerate our growth in the specialized egg industry.” This food packaging consists of a moulded pulp base and a sleeve made from coated recycled board. The product’s durability for shelf stocking, transport and use has been rigorously tested. Eggs are better protected, as tests show that Cascades Fresh GUARD EnVision triples the packaging’s rigidity and doubles its stacking strength. The solution is sustainable, featuring eco-designed packaging made from 100% recycled fibres, and is pre-qualified as widely recyclable.    

JCB has started work on its new US$500 million factory in North America, the biggest-ever investment in the company’s history. Source: Timberbiz The start of construction was signalled at an official groundbreaking ceremony at the site in San Antonio, Texas, where The Hon Alice Bamford, daughter of company Chairman Anthony Bamford, cut the first sod of earth. Work on the 67,000m² factory is under way on a 400-acre site and will create 1,500 new jobs over five years. It will be the company’s second largest plant, rivalled only by the manufacturer’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire, UK. The factory will make Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, with production scheduled to start in 2026. The factory will also have the capacity to expand into the manufacture of other products in the future. “Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single largest market in the world. JCB has been growing its share of this important market steadily over the past few years and the time is now right to invest in our manufacturing capacity in North America, where we already have one factory,” Chairman Lord Bamford said. “JCB really has come a considerable way since we sold our first machine here 60 years ago and it gives me immense pleasure to see how our business has grown in North America. Today really is a milestone day in the history of our family company.” Richard Fox-Marrs, President & CEO of JCB North America, said: “The Loadall telescopic handler is JCB’s biggest selling product in North America and it is also the single largest market for aerial access equipment worldwide, and therefore, it makes great sense to build these two ranges here. “Texas is an obvious choice for our new North American manufacturing facility, not least because the State is the largest consumer of construction equipment in the USA. San Antonio is also the logical choice as a location for our new factory because of its central location, proximity to the supply chain and great local labour force. We are really excited about JCB’s new San Antonio factory and for the future of our business in North America.” JCB sold its first machine in North America in 1964 and opened its first manufacturing plant there in 2001 in Savannah, Georgia, which employs 1,000 people. The new facility will manufacture machines for customers specifically in North America. JCB employs 19,000 people and has 22 factories around the world, including 11 in the UK, seven in India, and others in Brazil and China. The company will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.  

The Biden administration is proposing new protections for old-growth forests but stopping short of blocking all logging of the carbon-storing plants. Source: The Hill The Forest Service proposed to limit the culling of these mature trees in national forests, stoking ire from some in the timber industry and cheers from environmental groups. Studies have shown that old-growth trees store significant amounts of carbon dioxide — making their protection important for fighting climate change. “Our old growth forests breathe in carbon pollution, cleaning up the air, and filter our water, cleaning up rivers and streams. These forests are an essential partner in tackling climate change,” national climate adviser Ali Zaidi said in a written statement. “Today’s action will help better inform the stewardship of the national forest system and strengthen our work to deploy nature-based solutions that improve the resilience of lands, waters, wildlife, and communities,” he added. The administration’s new proposal would restrict cutting in such places to cases where even with tree cutting, the area would still be considered old-growth forest. It would also require government land managers to take on proactive projects to bolster these forests. The American Forest Resource Council, a trade group representing timber companies in the western US, described the proposal as “politically driven” and said the administration should instead focus on the threat of wildfires. “Instead of increasing bureaucracy and obstacles to active forest management, the Biden Administration should prioritize the implementation of its wildfire strategy that calls for more forest health treatments,” said Travis Joseph, the group’s president, in a written statement. Environmental advocates, meanwhile, said that the move represented a positive development. “Conserving what remains of our oldest forests is undoubtedly a positive step towards climate action. We look forward to engaging in this process to ensure the amendment not only retains, but increases, the amount of old-growth forests across the country,” said a written statement from Sierra Club forest campaign manager Alex Craven. The administration previously indicated in December that it would issue a proposal aimed at protecting the trees. The Forest Service’s website estimates that the agency could finalize the proposal around the beginning of January.  

Pan Pac Forest Products Managing Director Tony Clifford is currently accompanying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on a visit to Japan as part of a senior New Zealand business delegation. Source: Timberbiz Pan Pac is one of New Zealand’s largest integrated forest products company and is owned by Oji Group, a 150-year-old global paper and pulp business based in Tokyo. Pan Pac is a major local employer and contributes 6% of Hawkes’ Bay’s GDP. Mr Clifford says Oji’s longstanding investment in value-added processing of forest products has enabled Pan Pac to grow and innovate over the last 50 years. “In an average year, Pan Pac turns NZ$150 million of wood fibre into NZ$450 million of wood products, which we supply locally and export to over 30 countries,” Mr Clifford said. Mr Clifford says for New Zealand to attract value-added plant investments from overseas-owned forest products companies like Oji, greater clarity and stability is needed in the regulatory environment to purchase and develop forest estates. “Pan Pac supports the Government’s long-term aspirations for New Zealand to become a high value, low emissions economy,” Mr Clifford said. “To achieve this goal, wood processors need to have control over their wood supply to ensure the wood quality and volume can meet demand.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that this was an excellent example of the way in which overseas-owned investment can benefit New Zealand and supports its long-term goals. “We want the forestry sector to transition from volume to value, with greater onshore processing providing more employment in our regions,” he said.

Environmentalists have accused Cattle Australia of trying to use ‘loophole’ in international definitions to gain deforestation a free status. Cattle Australia has argued that clearing forests which have grown in after 1990 should not be considered deforestation by international supply chains. Source: The Guardian The peak body for producers of grass-fed cattle put forward the suggestion in a consultation paper outlining a proposed industry-led land management policy in response to growing global demands for deforestation-free products. The paper has already drawn strong criticism from Australia’s leading environment groups, who say the cattle industry is trying to develop a watered-down definition of deforestation. Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation released their own policy guidance on deforestation for businesses in the beef supply chain, in response to the Cattle Australia position. Dr Don Butler, an ecologist at the Australian National University, said that based on the position outlined in the Cattle Australia land management information paper, “it appears they are seeking to leave as broad an avenue as possible for their membership to continue to do what a lot of other people would see as deforestation in the management of their land”. Cattle Australia has said it is attempting to develop an industry definition of deforestation that could allow farmers to gain a deforestation-free credential, which it hopes would be recognised by the supply chain. The Australian government is seeking to protect the Australian beef industry from new laws in the European Union which will ban the import of goods produced in areas where land clearing occurs. Those laws are due to come into effect in January 2025. The consultation paper proposes a 1990 baseline be established, using old satellite imagery, to determine whether land is under agriculture use. This means regrowth forest that is more than 30 years old could be cleared without it being considered deforestation. “It’s really an attempt to leave those areas of regrowth open to clearing,” Butler said. International forest definitions used in supply chains do not include forests on land predominantly used by agriculture. When applied in an Australian context, Butler said those definitions could be used as “a big loophole” because 44% of Australia’s forests lie within agriculture properties. “[The paper] is an attempt to use the concept of agriculture as a big loophole. I would encourage Cattle Australia to avoid that outcome … it would be a mistake.” The consultation paper said the “unclear” international definitions make it challenging to delineate between areas of primary forest and agricultural land. “A key focus of this work is to provide clarity in a way that is internationally credible and fit-for-purpose in Australia,” it said. Nathaniel Pelle, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s business and nature lead, said the proposed definition of deforestation would be “little better than business as usual”. “Continuing to bulldoze native forests and woodlands and trying to label it ‘deforestation-free’ is nothing but greenwashing, plain and simple,” he said. “Banks and supermarkets should not buy into it.” Gemma Plesman, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the proposal was a “complete farce” and “nonsensical”. “This is just yet another brazen attempt to deny deforestation is a problem.” The World Wildlife Fund has identified Queensland, home to about 45% of Australian beef cattle, as the only global deforestation hotspot in the developed world and says the beef industry is one of the major drivers. That claim is rejected by the beef industry. The chief executive of Cattle Australia, Dr Chris Parker, said the consultation paper demonstrates a “commonsense approach” to allow farmers access to deforestation-free markets in a way that is “cognisant of our unique Australian landscape”. He said the 1990 baseline was selected based on factors including data availability and historical vegetation management laws and is open for consultation. The paper takes a “balanced view” of classifying land under agriculture and does not take advantage of agricultural land loopholes, Parker added. “We would much prefer to have a sensible dialogue … rather than waste time on the entirely unworkable ideologies purported by extreme groups,” he said. Cattle Australia is also advocating the red meat industry drop its net zero by 2030 target in favour of a “climate neutral” goal that would require far more modest reductions in methane emissions. The organisation will release its formal draft policy next month.  

Forest growers in the New Zealand’s Canterbury region say the High Court’s ruling on sediment discharge and water yield rules provides certainty and consistency in environmental controls for growers across the country. Source: Timberbiz The High Court has determined that the Canterbury Regional Council had not justified a need for more stringent rules in place of those already set out by the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF). It was highlighted that if councils wish to impose local rules on forestry operations that are more stringent than the national standards, they must follow the process set out in section 32 (4) of the Resource Management Act (RMA). New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) chief executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, says the High Court’s decision speaks to the credibility of the NES-PF as a national environmental management tool for forestry. “Forest companies appealed Plan Change 7 (PC7) on the basis that there was a lack of evidence to justify local rules that are more stringent than the NES-PF,” Dr Heeg said. “Forestry is one of the few primary sectors with a targeted national environmental standard. This ruling confirms the primacy of that standard compared to local rules. “Growers now have certainty that the environmental rules set out under the NES-PF (now the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry – NES-CF) are appropriate for use across the country and that councils should exercise considerable care before departing from national standards. “The decision also ensures forest owners are operating to the same environmental rules throughout New Zealand.” The outcome stems from an appeal lodged by Canterbury-based forest companies, Rayonier Matariki and Port Blakely Limited, in December 2021 against proposed rule changes set out under Environment Canterbury’s (ECan) PC7. A specific sediment discharge threshold would have been imposed on Canterbury foresters under PC7 that differed from the national standard. “Forest growers were concerned that the proposed changes created two conflicting sediment discharge standards whereby Canterbury growers would be held to operate to new and higher local standards,” Dr Heeg said. “There was no evidence that this approach is required in the Canterbury Region. “Growers would also need to apply for costly resource consents if the imposed PC7 sediment discharge threshold were breached.” The judge also ruled the proposed changes for water yield management relating to new plantings of production forests were lacking in evidence to warrant change from the existing rules. “Under the existing Canterbury Regional Council rules, new production forests in sensitive catchments must comply with rules designed to ensure those forests have a negligible, or less than minor effect, on freshwater flows,” Dr Heeg said. “This is a very high standard that forest owners support. There is no evidence that it is not working properly or that more restrictions are needed.” Overall, the High Court decision sets a precedent; binding councils to the process of dealing with stringency under the NES-CF. “It should cause regional councils to think carefully about introducing alternative environmental rules at a local level without sufficient evidence about whether they are needed,” Dr Heeg said. “We hope this outcome will encourage better conversations and consultation between forestry groups, growers and councils in future.”  

Eleven new projects will share $4 million worth of funding in round three of the Australian Government’s Traceability Grants Program. The program supports collaborative projects that enhance traceability systems to support our agricultural export supply chains. Source: Timberbiz One of the recipients was the Advancing Transparency and Efficiency through State-of-the-Art Supply Chain Tracking for the Australian Forest Export Industry. The project will develop data standard protocols and frameworks for the forest industry that can be utilised across the supply chain and assist with traceability system development. The project will then use those protocols to develop a tracking tool to address the existing concerns raised by timber industry regarding the non-compliance of export logs. Deputy Secretary for Agricultural Trade and Regulation, Tina Hutchison, said that this latest round of grants continues the important work under rounds 1 and 2 to enhance the traceability of Australian agriculture commodities. “As with the first two rounds of this program, we’re proud to assist more Australian farmers and producers to improve agricultural supply chain traceability systems and access the opportunities which open up as a result,” Ms Hutchison said. “Beneficiaries from this round widely cover the agricultural sector- from first nations producers of native foods to wine, honey, pork, beef and sheep producers, seafood harvesters, timber exporters, and more. “These grants will help them maintain their competitive export edge and increase their ability to extend into lucrative export markets.” Prior to the launch of Round 3, the Government released the National Agricultural Traceability Strategy 2023 to 2033. The strategy contains 8 objectives and 11 priority areas for action. The Traceability Grants Program – Round 3 is funding projects that focus on the priority areas for action that include: Enhancing and supporting trust and adoption of agricultural traceability through demonstration of value-add and return on investment. Improving two-way, producer-consumer information flows to identify value-add creation and distribution opportunities and drive business development. Establishing a flexible and responsive agricultural traceability research and development agenda. The Traceability Grants Program is a part of the Modernising Agricultural Trade – Promoting Australia’s Clean, Green Brand initiative. Building on the outcomes of earlier rounds, the activities funded under Traceability Grants Program – Round 3 are expected to be completed by 30 June 2026.

A five-week forest protest in the Tarkine has intensified after activists attached themselves to a Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) car, leading police to swoop in and arrest them. Source: Hobart Mercury Bob Brown Foundation (BBF) protesters are currently maintaining a presence in the native forests bordering the Arthur and Frankland rivers, saying endangered species in the area, including Tasmanian masked owls, are being put at risk by logging operations conducted in forest coupe Frankland two A (FR002A). The organisation is calling on the Rockliff government to end native forest logging entirely. According to the BBF, three protesters, Ellie Martin, Ian McKenzie, and Alison Wardrop, “locked down” a road to a remote logging site on Friday morning. Ms Martin and Mr McKenzie attached themselves to an STT vehicle that had been “blocking the public road”, while Ms Wardrop, attached herself to the road itself. A Tasmania Police spokeswoman said police arrived at the scene about 8.30am, arresting three people and later charging them. The spokeswoman said a 67-year-old man from Northern Tasmania had been charged with trespass and fail to comply with the direction of a police officer. A 43-year-old woman from Victoria was also charged with trespass, as was a 71-year-old woman from the ACT. It brings the number of arrests recorded at the protest site over the past five weeks to a total of 17. STT general operations manager Greg Hickey said FR002A was a native forest regrowth coupe located on Permanent Timber Production Zone land and that protest activity there was creating “unnecessary safety risks for both protesters and forest contractors”. “Protest activity at FR002A has included site presence and gate and machinery lock-ons,” he said. “Protest activity has and continues to occur on various harvesting operations from time to time. Active protests will be managed in accordance with Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s well-established procedures.” Resources Minister Eric Abetz said forestry activities had to be approved by the independent forest practices regulator, the Forest Practices Authority. “[The BBF] will stop at nothing to end our sustainable native forestry sector and the many regional Tasmanian jobs it supports,” he said. The Liberals are proposing to make an additional 39,000ha of native forest available for logging, despite states like Western Australia and Victoria moving to end the practice entirely.

A group of TAFE NSW Tumut saw technician apprentices – including a 63-year-old trainee – have had a firsthand glimpse of one of the region’s powerhouse sawmills in action as part of a special visit last month. Source: Timberbiz The group of Certificate III in Saw Technology students, from sawmills across Australia, were recently given a guided tour of the nation’s largest soft wood sawmilling business, Tumut’s AKD. Part of an annual study tour using industry connections from the teachers at TAFE NSW Tumut’s Forestry Industries Centre, the visit enabled apprentices to see how a high-volume state-of-the-art softwood mill operated and gave AKD an opportunity to identify future talent. Saw technicians, also known as saw doctors, are an irreplaceable part of the timber industry, repairing, setting and sharpening saw blades for timber production, often working within fractions of millimetres. “This is the hub of the softwood industry in NSW and many of these apprentices haven’t seen anything like this before; it was a real eye-opener,” AKD saw shop supervisor Bill Stuckey said. “They got a real insight into how automation allows a log to be segregated, separated and broken down as sawn timber without a hand touching it. “There’s so much demand for saw technicians right now and for a young person that likes detail and working within tight tolerances, it’s a great career to get into.” Mr Stuckey said the local timber industry was still recovering from the disastrous 2019-2020 bushfires, which devastated more than a third of the region’s commercial forestry plantation area. TAFE NSW Tumut is one of only two forestry training providers in Australia, giving apprentice saw doctors from across the nation the skills and experience to forge long careers in the industry. Tumut and Tumbarumba are home to a global forestry industry, with nearly 18 per cent of the region’s workforce employed in the industry. One of the saw technicians who attended the visit was ex-builder Craig Schweikert, a 63-year-old from South West Rocks who is launching a new career when many are considering retirement. Mr Schweikert’s partner recently became a partner at Macleay River Hardwood, and he turned to TAFE NSW Tumut to give him the hands-on skills, knowledge and experience to work as a saw technician. “Retiring wasn’t an option for me and I’m still physically fit, so I decided to become a trainee at 63,” he said. “It was mind-blowing to visit AKD as I’d never had any exposure to softwoods before.”  

Pentarch Forestry’s pallet mill in Dandenong will cease operating next month due to a shortage of hardwood timber so 700,000 Australian-made hardwood pallets will be taken out of circulation thanks to a Victorian Government decision. Source: Timberbiz The mill, which had been operating since 1989 and was acquired by Pentarch in 2021, produced 700,000 hardwood pallets each year and employed 49 staff at its peak output. However, a lack of supply of hardwood caused by the closure of the native timber sector in Victoria means operations at the Dandenong South site will end. “This outcome is the result of the Victorian Government decision to end timber harvesting,” Pentarch Forestry CEO Paul Heubner said. “When the mill was acquired, we were confident that the Victorian Government had a workable plan for timber supply until 2030 followed by a transition into plantation, but they have failed to deliver on either promise. “The sudden decision to shut down the native timber sector has resulted in significant job losses for Pentarch and other hardwood suppliers, and now 700,000 pallets out of the supply chain each year. “It is another blow to our sovereign capability to supply domestic wood products and reduce our dependence on imports, which impacts the global timber economy.” The Dandenong pallet mill is one of several Pentarch Forestry operations which supply much needed and renewable hardwood timber products to the Australian and global markets. Hardwood pallets are an important part in the retail supply chain with their ability to safely handle heavy loads. The shortfall from the Dandenong Mill will now be replaced with pallets made with imported timber from jurisdictions that are unlikely to have the same sort of control and forest management practice as Australia.

Earthrings are 100% recyclable and compostable packaging rings designed to withstand moisture and make your beer look as good as it tastes. Source: Timberbiz The company says it has reinvented cardboard, making it rugged enough to stand up to soggy coolers and rainy fishing trips. Plus, Earthrings are totally biodegradable, so you can add them straight to the garden compost. Earthrings are designed to reduce packaging waste and are crafted from multiple layers of solid fibre cardboard with a biodegradable, moisture-resistant coating. These are 100% recyclable, compostable, and made with environmentally friendly inks, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic packaging. Earthrings provide several key benefits: Reduced Environmental Impact: they decompose naturally, helping to reduce landfill waste and ocean pollution. Versatility in Disposal: They can be easily recycled or composted, offering flexibility for consumers and minimizing negative environmental impact. Durability and Strength: Despite being eco-friendly, Earthrings are designed to securely hold and protect beverage cans. Reduced Packaging Waste: It is estimated this transition will divert 23,529 kg of packaging waste annually from the landfill.  

Södra is investing in a production line at Värö which will create a vegetable tanning agent from bark. This new tannin can be used to process leather in a more environmentally friendly way. Source: Timberbiz Scheduled to be commissioned in 2026, the plant will have the capacity to produce tannins for millions of square metres of leather. Södra’s Board of Directors has approved the project which will be an integral part of the Värö mill and is expected to be able to produce tanning material equivalent to millions of square metres of leather. “This investment decision fits well with our overall ambition to increase the added value from every tree and thus contribute to the profitability of our members’ forest estates,” explains Lotta Lyrå, CEO of Södra. Developing more environmentally friendly alternatives by making additional products from the forest is an excellent example of how we use our experience, knowledge and innovation expertise to make the most of the forest’s resources, she said. Since 2006, Södra Innovation, a business area within the member-owned forest group has been exploring how tannins found in the bark of trees can be efficiently processed and used as tanning agents. Using bark for tanning is not new, but Södra is now industrialising the process in which the tanning substance is leached from the bark and turned into a product for tanning leather. “With this new patented process, we can now make a product from an, until now, unused re-source. A product that can be used in a completely different industry and support the leather industry in its transition to more sustainable tanning methods,” says Catrin Gustavsson, Business Area Manager at Södra Innovation.

With the help of a drone equipped with its own portable mobile base station, a forestry machine has been remotely controlled via 5G in an area with limited connectivity. Source: The Fast Mode The test was carried out in a forest outside Västerås, central Sweden, as part of a research project involving Mittuniversitetet, Telia, Ericsson, Skogforsk, SCA, Volvo CE and Biometria, co-funded by Vinnova and the program for Advanced Digitalization. The project group passed a milestone in November 2021 when it was able to remotely control a timber loader at SCA’s Torsboda timber terminal outside Timrå in northern Sweden. After this success, the group set itself the challenge of using a drone equipped with its own portable mobile base station to extend 5G network coverage to an area where there would otherwise be none and to use that temporary connectivity to enable a forestry machine to be remotely controlled. At the beginning of May, successful tests were carried out in a forest in Virsbo outside Västerås, as Magnus Leonhardt, Head of Strategy and Innovation for Telia Sweden’s B2B business, explains. “We can now establish that it is possible to connect and remotely control large vehicles via a drone, which in practice acts as a base station in the mobile network,” Mr Leonhardt said. “This creates completely new and flexible opportunities to connect businesses that work in areas with insufficient network coverage. Apart from the forestry and agricultural industry, the technology can be used in disaster areas if normal mobile coverage is completely knocked out.” After a basic technical briefing, the forestry machine was transported to a clear-cutting site where it was connected using 5G technology mounted on a drone. During the test, the drone was approximately 500 meters from the forestry machine but created a coverage area extending up to 3 kilometres. The driver of the forestry machine was in Skogforsk’s remote control lab in Uppsala, roughly 80 kilometres away, says Petrus Jönsson, a researcher and deputy program manager at Skogforsk, who participated in the test. With the help of a drone equipped with its own portable mobile base station, a forestry machine has been remotely controlled via 5G in an area with limited connectivity. “In this test, we chose to remotely control a forwarder in a clearing to assess the connection via the drone,” Jönsson says. “In the next step, we want to test connecting and remotely controlling a soil preparation machine, which is a much heavier machine that operates in inaccessible terrain. The goal for us is to improve the working environment for the drivers, and soil preparation workers, in particular, operate in a very tough environment.” The project aims to investigate how drone technology and 5G technology could enable remote areas around Sweden to be worked with remote-controlled vehicles. Among other things, Mittuniversitetet’s researchers are studying the latency and reliability in data communication, which is very important when remotely controlling machinery, as Professor Mattias O’Nils explains. “We have collected data from the test with the drone and will now analyse and evaluate the results,” O’Nils says. “We will also do comparative studies with other types of connections such as Wi-Fi-based networks and explore further possibilities with 5G.”

New home sales nationally fell by 12.6% in May after the draw forward in sales in April due to increases in costs associated with National Construction Code (NCC) 2022. The HIA New Home Sales report is a monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states and is a leading indicator of future detached home construction. Source: Timberbiz “The changes to the NCC 2022 came into effect in Victoria and Queensland for any new home building contract signed from 1 May 2024,” HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon said. “These two states have seen a decline in sales in the month of May as a result of the pull-forward in April to get ahead of the cost increases due to NCC 2022,” he said. This was a repeat of the experience of New South Wales in September when it introduced its energy efficiency standards. Sales in the months thereafter fell as a result of this pull-forward. “The draw forward in sales distorts the new home sales dataset, which makes it difficult to ascertain the market trends,” Mr Reardon said. “The increase in the cost of construction driven by increased regulatory requirements, and higher interest rates, will further impede the goal of increasing the supply of housing and place more pressure on public housing requirements. “If governments want to increase the supply of homes, they need to, at the very least, stop making new homes more expensive.” He said that lowering the cost of delivering new homes to market was essential to achieving the Australian Government’s target of 1.2 million new homes over the next five years and improving housing affordability across the country. Sales in the month of May increased by 15.1% in New South Wales, followed by Western Australia (+14.6 %) and South Australia (+3.2 %). The other states recorded monthly declines in sales, led by Victoria (-41.0 %) followed by Queensland (-10.3 %).

The blame for the recent failure of the New Zealand Emission Trading Scheme auction can be laid squarely at the feet of the Climate Change Commission along with the previous Labour Green Government, reflecting a series of manufactured crises rather than a fundamental issue with the market, according to the Climate Forestry Association (CFA). Source: Timberbiz The quarterly ETS auction failed to attract any bids, following a partial clearance of units in March raising NZ$190 million and the unprecedented failure of all four auctions under Labour/Greens in 2023. Climate Forestry Association chief executive Andrew Cushen says the continued uncertainty in the market highlights the ongoing impacts of years of meddling by the previous Government. “What we are seeing play out is a natural response to the regular fiddling with settings, endless reviews and constant changes, which reflected a culture of interference from the Labour Government, the former Minister for Climate Change and the Climate Change Commissioner,” Mr Cushen said. “Although participants in the market are understandably gun-shy after so long without any clear direction for the ETS, today’s auction doesn’t affect the fundamentals. At its heart, the ETS is a market mechanism, and it is designed to deal with short-term issues like the ones we’re seeing. “Despite not clearing today, that shouldn’t mean we lose faith in what is essentially our most successful – and our one-and-only – tool for meeting our climate commitments and reducing our emissions.” Mr Cushen says that the Coalition Government really couldn’t be clearer that it supports the stable, long-term operation of the ETS in its current form. “Last week, at Fieldays, both Forestry Minister Todd McClay and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts restated the Government’s commitment to climate action and recognised that a strong and stable ETS is our most effective tool for achieving our climate targets,” Mr Cushen said. “It is widely recognised that the market is currently significantly undervalued. Consistent policy settings and a long-term commitment to stability – like that signalled by the Government – are needed to bring back confidence in the sector and certainty in the market. “The Emissions Trading Scheme needs a strong and rising market price. This will enable the local investments in reductions and removals that are essential to meeting New Zealand’s climate targets.” Mr Cushen said despite the Government’s signals, it could reinforce those assurances by clearing up some areas that have created confusion in the market. “The suggestion of a lowering price floor contained in the latest Ministry for the Environment consultation, which was presented without any obvious rationale, was not at all helpful for the market and the broader sector,” Mr Cushen said. “To really draw a line under this period of market uncertainty, the Government should announce that this suggestion will be dropped, and no further work done on its development. “Ultimately, the efficient and stable functioning of the ETS will support the climate action we need to meet our international targets, and ensure Kiwi taxpayers are not left footing the bill for ex-pensive offshore mitigations. “We were very pleased to see the Government back up its commitments on the ETS last week and hope to see them take more definitive action around the consultation, ahead of the next auction.”

Forico has released a fourth Natural Capital Report, now available to download free from the company’s website. Source: Timberbiz Forico also has a strong commitment to Natural Capital and believes it to be a fundamental requirement for a sustainable global economy. Recognised worldwide, the report is a leading illustrative example of nature-based reporting. The company is motivated to play a key leadership role in this opportunity for the sector, through the production of its Natural Capital Report, production of sustainable wood fibre and championing new methods and markets in carbon and biodiversity. CEO Evangelista Albertini has said the Natural Capital Report “represents a vanguard for Financial and Sustainability Teams everywhere, encouraging them to embrace and lead the change to direct decision-making in new, essential, and increasingly urgent, nature positive and planet friendly ways”. The 2023 Natural Capital Report can be downloaded from the Forico website at https://forico.com.au

Locally grown and manufactured timber will provide the building blocks for South Australia’s new technical colleges at Tonsley and Mount Gambier, as announced by the State Government. Source: Timberbiz “This announcement is great news for the timber manufacturing industry in South Australia, with the State Government leading by example and using mass engineered timber to build the technical colleges that will educate the next generation of our workforce,” said Mr Nathan Paine, Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA). “We wholeheartedly congratulate Premier Peter Malinauskas, Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven and Minister for Education and Training Blair Boyer for choosing to build these two new technical colleges from locally grown and manufactured timber. “This not only supports the State’s $3 billion forest industries, the over 21,300 people who directly and indirectly work in the State’s forest industries but will be reducing the carbon footprint of these buildings which will help South Australia achieve its net zero targets.” Mr Paine added that NeXTimber’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Tarpeena will be supplying the Cross Laminated Timber for these projects with every cubic meter for finished softwood storing 718kg of CO2-e, the only building product that is carbon positive. “We have an amazing opportunity here in South Australia to grow, process and build out of mass timber which will store carbon and deliver not just positive environmental benefits but buildings that provide healthier and happier spaces for people to live, work and play,” said Mr Paine. “Timber bas been the ultimate renewable building material, as it locks and stores carbon reducing the environmental impact on the construction industry, whilst delivering a sustainable, cost-effective building that has a positive impact on the well-being of those around it. “Mass timber building materials such as Cross Laminated Timber is the building material of the 21st Century and is a product being embraced by leading international architects, builders and designers to replace carbon-manufactured materials like concrete and steel. “Forestry is the industry that builds our nation, and with the State Government using locally grown and locally manufactured timber to build local facilities these projects are a true tick of approval for South Australia’s forest and timber industries.”  

The National Timber & Hardware Association’s 2024 Victoria & Tasmania Timber & Hardware Industry Awards have showcased the outstanding achievements and contributions within the industry and recognised the exceptional talent and dedication of all participants. Source: Timberbiz The winners were: Benalla Mitre 10 – Garden Department of the Year Takasho – Garden & Outdoor Supplier of the Year Jenkins Home Hardware – Retail Store of the Year Under 2500sqm Permewans Mitre 10 – Retail Store of the Year Over 2500sqm Provans Mitre 10 – Trade Store of the Year AAA Advanced Trusses – Best Frame & Truss Operation Meyer Timber – Trade Supplier of the Year Bremick – Retail Supplier of the Year Rebecca Cunningham, Dulux – Supplier Sales Representative of the Year Sarah Jenkins, Jenkins Home Hardware – The REAL Difference Award

Having killed off the native forest timber industry by edict, the WA government is now taking the next step to cement its hypocrisy in legislation. Reece Whitby, the Minister for the Environment has recently introduced an amendment to the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (WA) to “lock in this Labor government’s historic decision to stop the unsustainable practice of commercial native logging”. Specifically the Bill will: repeal the provision in section 55(1a) that allows timber production on a sustained yield basis to be a purpose for which indigenous state forest and timber reserves may be reserved. limit the regulation-making power in section 55(1a) so that timber production cannot be prescribed in the CALM regulations. amend section 55 to clarify that timber production does not include the removal of salvaged forest products arising from, or in anticipation of, prescribed activities or purposes.” So, in order to “stop the unsustainable practice of commercial native logging” the government proposes to ban sustainable timber production from a State Forest as a whole in favour of unsustainable timber production from a State forest when it is being used for mining. Bizarre. This comes just eight months after the WA Minister for Forests, along with other State and Commonwealth ministers signed up to “continued sustainable management of forests”. But timber production from salvaged forest products from mine sites is not quite what it seems. The government also has another State Agreement obliging it to supply logs to produce charcoal for silicon production. In the absence of firewood logs from the broader state forest, this means that regardless of quality, most of the salvaged timber from mine sites will be sold as firewood for domestic or industrial use. Bauxite operations in this State has so far removed the forest and most of the soil from 30,000 ha and fragmented 90,000 ha or 17% of the north-west jarrah forest ecosystem (coincidentally the same proportion as the Amazon rainforest clearing). Despite being in operation for nearly sixty years, the operation has yet to be fully assessed by the EPA. The wanton destruction of this unique forest, with only rudimentary environment oversight and totally inadequate reservation of even the remnants is unfathomable, and in the light of the recent proposals, the height of hypocrisy. Jack Bradshaw is a former manager of the Forest Management Branch of the Dept of Conservation and Land Management.

Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says he is committed to continuing to expose the hypocrisy of bans on the native hardwood timber industry after visiting Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) in Heyfield. Source: Timberbiz Mr Chester said ASH was ‘continuing to make an outstanding contribution to the social and economic life of Gippsland’ despite the illogical decision by the Labor Government to ban the harvesting of native hardwood timber. “All credit goes to the team at ASH who have worked hard to secure timber supplies from other sources and continued to invest in new technology that allows the business to successfully compete with imported products,” Mr Chester said. “I spoke in Federal Parliament again last week about the madness of shutting down the timber industry when it’s so important for our region and the nation. “It is hypocritical of city-based Labor, Greens and Teal MPs to be calling for a nationwide ban on native timber harvesting when the alternative is taking timber for countries with poorer environmental protocols. “I am at a loss to understand how it is a positive environmental outcome to transport hardwood timber long distances just because the Victorian Government has made a decision based on political science, and not environmental science.” Mr Chester said ASH was a world-class business that had been forced to adapt to the changes in state legislation, and he would support efforts to secure Federal Government funding for further improvements to facilities. “ASH has already adapted and modernised its worksite to employ people with mobility issues, including wheelchairs, and a higher proportion of female staff, which is a credit to the business, which continues to employ more than 200 locals,” he said. “The company has invested in modern technology to develop products which are now being used on major construction projects throughout Australia, including in several capital cities. “For example, ASH produces MASSLAM, which is a glue-laminated mass-engineered timber solution that is helping to decarbonise the construction sector and contribute to our national goal of achieving net zero by 2050. “The Victorian native hardwood timber industry has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. It’s now a sophisticated, world-class and environmentally sustainable industry that supports Australian jobs, protects our communities and wildlife from bushfires, and reduces our carbon footprint. It should never have been attacked by the Labor Party, but now we have to play with the cards we’ve been dealt. “That means continuing to extract every bit of value out of the wood supplies that are available and investing in the equipment to make it possible for a sustainable business to prosper in the future. “If the Federal Government is serious about its ‘Made in Australia’ policy, it would partner with companies like ASH, which are already manufacturing products that are in high demand.”