Australian timber industry news

Ponsse is launching the ExtendedLIFE project, funded by the EU’s LIFE Program. The project aims to extend the service life of used forest machines and increase the reuse of machine components. As part of the project, Ponsse will establish a Refactory in Iisalmi, Finland, where used machines can be refurbished or dismantled and recycled on an industrial scale. Source: Timberbiz “Our goal is to significantly extend the lifetime of forest machine components and improve the efficient use of materials. We aim to even double the service life of key components and achieve substantial environmental benefits in line with our sustainability targets,” Katja Paananen, Chief Responsibility Officer at Ponsse said. The ExtendedLIFE project develops new solutions that enable more efficient refurbishment, reuse and recycling of forest machine components. Ponsse has already established circular economy processes for forest machine components. In 2010, a remanufacturing unit was established in Iisalmi, where components are refurbished for reuse. The operation has gradually expanded. In 2025, the volume of refurbished or reused spare parts reached 222 tonnes. Through the ExtendedLIFE project, these operations will be further expanded and developed on an industrial scale. The project also includes the development of a digital marketplace for remanufactured components and training for personnel, dealers and value chain partners in circular economy and remanufacturing practices. “As a result of the development work, a new Refactory concept will be created, enabling forest machines to be refurbished, dismantled and recycled as efficiently as possible. The Refactory will be established near Ponsse’s service and logistics centre in Iisalmi during 2026. The project is expected to increase employment in Iisalmi in areas such as machine dismantling and installation work,” said Ville Ohukainen, Circular Economy Coordinator at Ponsse. Ponsse is utilising digital tools and AI-based solutions in the project to anticipate maintenance needs and direct components for refurbishment, reuse or recycling. “For Ponsse customers, the project will primarily be visible through improved availability of refurbished and remanufactured spare parts. This will provide more cost-effective options for machine maintenance and support the long service life of forest machines,” Ohukainen said. ExtendedLIFE is a project funded by the EU’s LIFE Program in which Ponsse develops the remanufacturing and recycling of forest machine components on an industrial scale. The aim is to extend component lifetimes and significantly reduce the use of materials and emissions. The project’s total budget is approximately EUR 5 million, of which 60% is funded by the EU’s LIFE Program.

The post Ponsse extends the life of its machinery recycling and reusing appeared first on Timberbiz.

According to Growth Market Report, a market research firm based in India and USA, the global sustainable timber chain-of-custody platform market size reached $US1.15 billion in 2025, reflecting robust expansion driven by rising demand for traceable and eco-friendly timber products. Source: Growth Market Reports The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2026 to 2034, with the market size expected to reach $US3.64 billion by 2034. This impressive growth is primarily fuelled by stringent regulatory frameworks, increasing consumer and corporate awareness about sustainability, and the proliferation of digital transformation initiatives within the global forestry sector. As per Growth Market Report’s latest research, the market is undergoing significant transformation as stakeholders across the value chain prioritize transparency and accountability in timber sourcing, processing, and distribution. The enforcement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) beginning in 2025 has served as a major catalyst, compelling businesses across the supply chain to invest urgently in credible, auditable digital chain of custody solutions. The Sustainable Timber Chain-of-Custody Platform Market is emerging as one of the most influential segments supporting responsible forestry and transparent global trade. As governments strengthen environmental regulations, consumers demand ethically sourced wood products, and corporations commit to sustainability targets, digital chain-of-custody platforms have become essential tools rather than optional technologies. These platforms document every stage of a timber product’s journey—from certified forests and sawmills to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and end users—ensuring that sustainability claims can be verified with confidence. Modern timber supply chains often span multiple countries and involve dozens of stakeholders. Without digital visibility, verifying legal harvesting practices, certification compliance, and product authenticity becomes increasingly difficult. Sustainable chain-of-custody platforms solve this challenge by creating secure, traceable, and auditable records that improve accountability while reducing fraud and operational inefficiencies. A sustainable timber chain-of-custody platform is a digital ecosystem that tracks certified wood products throughout every phase of the supply chain. Instead of relying on fragmented paperwork and disconnected databases, these platforms consolidate information into a centralized or distributed digital environment where authorized stakeholders can monitor product movement, verify certifications, and demonstrate compliance. Each transaction, including harvesting, transportation, processing, manufacturing, storage, export, and retail, is digitally recorded. The result is a complete lifecycle history that helps organizations prove responsible sourcing while simplifying audits and regulatory reporting. Rather than replacing certification programs, these platforms strengthen them by making certification records easier to validate and significantly more difficult to manipulate. Global timber markets are evolving beyond price and product quality. Buyers increasingly evaluate suppliers based on sustainability credentials, legal compliance, biodiversity protection, and environmental responsibility. Illegal logging continues to threaten forests, wildlife habitats, and local communities. Consequently, regulators are introducing stricter due diligence requirements for imported timber products. Businesses now require accurate documentation demonstrating legal origin and sustainable harvesting practices. Digital chain-of-custody platforms provide the transparency needed to meet these expectations while building trust among manufacturers, retailers, investors, and environmentally conscious consumers. Traditional recordkeeping methods often involve manual documentation that is vulnerable to human error, delays, and document loss. Digital platforms modernize forest management by integrating technologies such as cloud computing, GPS mapping, mobile applications, digital certificates, and automated reporting. Field inspectors can upload harvesting data directly from forests using mobile devices. Transportation companies can update shipment status in real time. Processing facilities can record material transformations instantly, creating uninterrupted digital records from forest to finished product. This continuous information flow improves operational efficiency while significantly reducing administrative complexity Blockchain technology has become an important innovation within sustainable timber tracking. Because blockchain records cannot easily be altered once validated, they provide a highly secure digital ledger for documenting timber transactions. Every movement of certified wood can be recorded with timestamps, participant identities, and verification data. This creates a trusted audit trail that strengthens confidence among buyers, regulators, certification agencies, and financial institutions. Although blockchain is not mandatory for every chain-of-custody platform, its ability to enhance data integrity makes it increasingly attractive for complex international supply chains. Artificial Intelligence is transforming timber traceability beyond simple tracking. Advanced analytics can identify unusual transaction patterns, predict compliance risks, detect documentation inconsistencies, and optimize logistics planning. Machine learning algorithms analyse thousands of supply chain records to identify anomalies that may indicate fraud or certification irregularities. AI-powered forecasting also helps manufacturers estimate timber availability, optimize procurement strategies, and reduce material shortages. As datasets continue expanding, predictive intelligence will become an increasingly valuable competitive advantage. Environmental legislation across many regions is becoming more comprehensive. Authorities increasingly require importers, manufacturers, and distributors to demonstrate legal sourcing through verifiable documentation. Digital chain-of-custody platforms simplify regulatory compliance by generating standardized audit reports, maintaining secure transaction histories, and reducing manual paperwork. Government-supported digital forestry initiatives are also encouraging modernization among forest operators, helping accelerate market adoption while improving national resource management. Corporate sustainability reporting has evolved from voluntary disclosure into a strategic business function. Investors, financial institutions, procurement teams, and consumers now expect measurable evidence supporting environmental commitments. Chain-of-custody platforms generate reliable sustainability data that organizations can incorporate into environmental reporting frameworks. Metrics related to certified sourcing, carbon impact, supplier compliance, and responsible procurement become significantly easier to monitor and communicate. This capability enhances organizational credibility while strengthening relationships with environmentally focused stakeholders. Cloud computing has made advanced timber traceability systems accessible to organizations of all sizes. Small forestry businesses, independent sawmills, exporters, and furniture manufacturers can implement scalable digital solutions without investing heavily in on-premise infrastructure. Cloud deployment enables secure collaboration among geographically distributed participants while supporting automatic software updates, centralized data management, and remote accessibility. As cloud technologies mature, implementation costs continue declining, encouraging wider market participation. Despite strong momentum, several operational challenges remain. Many forestry operations continue relying on legacy documentation systems that require significant modernization. Data standardization across international supply chains can also be difficult because participants often use different software environments and reporting formats. Digital literacy varies considerably among smaller suppliers, particularly in developing regions. Initial implementation costs, cybersecurity concerns, and integration with existing enterprise systems also require careful planning. However, continuous technological improvements and increasing […]

The post Global sustainable market reflects robust expansion appeared first on Timberbiz.

FSC has blocked four certificate holders for making false claims and engaging in fraudulent activities. These blockages are based on evidence gathered during the birch plywood transaction verification (TV) loop. Source: Timberbiz In May 2026, FSC blocked these certificate holders, in addition to the four certificate holders blocked in October 2025. The blocked companies are: Xuzhou Discover International Import & Export CO., LTD (FSC-C159783) for selling non-conforming birch plywood to customers while reporting zero sales of FSC materials to their certification body between 2020 and July 2024. Xuzhou Huayu Wood Industry Co., Ltd (FSC-C181040) for selling non-conforming birch plywood to customers while reporting zero sales with FSC claims to the certification body, including during the TV period between July 2022 and June 2023. Xuzhou Shelter Import & Export Co. LTD (FSC-C180645) (henceforth referred to as Xuzhou Shelter) for selling plywood products with false FSC claims in 2023 to Shelter Forest International Acquisition, Inc. (FSC-C146872), even though they declared no sale of FSC materials in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Furthermore, the organization repeatedly failed to cooperate with required oversight activities, including refusing to provide the required TV data, limiting access to Assurance Services International (ASI) during the October 2024 assessment, and subsequently becoming unreachable to their certification body and ASI. Shelter Forest International Acquisition, Inc. (FSC-C146872) (henceforth referred to as Shelter International) for knowingly purchasing materials with false FSC claims from Xuzhou Shelter Import & Export Co. Ltd. (FSC-C180645), the organization identified in the preceding bullet. Shelter International also hindered the investigation by repeatedly refusing to provide the required transaction documents to its certification body and was eventually terminated by their certification body.   Originally launched by Assurance Services International (ASI) in 2023, the birch plywood TV loop included 78 certificate holders and analysed transaction data from July 2022 to June 2023. This TV loop started with traders and downstream buyers and then expanded to include the supplying sectors. It is a part of FSC’s Eurasia Integrity Workplan, which focuses on identifying and addressing various integrity risks in FSC-certified birch supply chains in the Eurasian region. Within the Eurasia Integrity Workplan, FSC and ASI initiated another TV loop in 2024 with a focus on birch wood panels for certificate holders with physical possession of certified material in the Eurasian region. Findings from the Eurasia birch wood panel TV loop supported the observations from the birch plywood TV loop. To protect the integrity of FSC certified birch plywood supply chains, FSC is implementing measures to strengthen the certification system. For instance: Delivering on the Advice Note, Public disclosure of ‘no FSC sales’ (ADV-STD-20-011_15_V1-0), FSC has introduced a new feature FSC Public Search, which lists the certificate holders who reported ‘No FSC Sales’ to their certification bodies during a specified evaluation period. Strengthening the supply chains of solid wood, veneer, or wood panels, as well as FSC-certified bamboo products in China by making annual audits mandatory for all certificate holders even if they did not buy or sell any FSC-certified materials through the Advice Note Remove option for waiving surveillance audit (ADV-STD-20-011-12_V2-1), available in page 10 of this document. FSC encourages certificate holders and stakeholders to strengthen due diligence by checking FSC Public Search for organizations declaring ‘No FSC Sales’ and confirming this with their suppliers. This way, any potentially fraudulent activities will be detected, thereby ensuring that non-certified birch products do not enter FSC-certified supply chains.

The post Four certificate holders blocked by FSC for false claims appeared first on Timberbiz.

The first accredited, long-form Prefabrication Installation qualification delivered through Melbourne Polytechnic’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence was launched yesterday. Source: Timberbiz The Certificate III in Prefabrication Installation will train students for careers building prefabricated homes. Students will receive hands-on training and flexible blended learning. These skills are needed to work with modern methods of construction (MMC). The qualification was developed in consultation with industry through the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence. It will be hosted at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Heidelberg West campus. “The Certificate III in Prefabrication Installation is the first-of-its-kind in Australia, established to prepare workers with the right tools and confidence needed for a career in modern methods of construction,” Melbourne Polytechnic CEO Frances Coppolillo said. The Centre of Excellence is a national hub for training, research and innovation across Australia’s building industry. Victoria is already home to more than 200 companies specialising in MMC, spanning design, manufacturing, transport, assembly and installation. Alongside the new Certificate III qualification, the Centre of Excellence is already delivering four industry-designed short courses. These help existing workers and businesses adopt modern methods of construction. The $50 million Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence is jointly funded by the Federal and State governments. “Building more homes, more efficiently starts with building the skilled workforce Australia needs,” Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said. “This new qualification will help more Australians develop the practical skills needed to embrace modern construction methods and deliver more homes, faster.” To find out more about national TAFE Centres of Excellence, visit www.vic.gov.au/national-tafe-centres-excellence  

The post Certificate III in prefab installation to train students in Melbourne appeared first on Timberbiz.

The world’s best and brightest in housing are invited to help build more high-quality homes, faster for the people of NSW using Modern Methods of Construction. Source: Timberbiz An Expression of Interest (EOI) is now open for businesses to establish or expand a manufacturing facility in NSW to produce prefabricated building components or large-scale modular housing, specifically for higher density housing types, including developing designs from the mid-rise pattern book. The State Government is set to turbocharge the way homes are built in NSW, unlocking the potential of MMC and lifting productivity in the building sector. Through the Modern Methods of Construction Industry Expansion Program (MMCIEP), the State Government is inviting businesses with expertise in advanced manufacturing, prefabrication and modular construction to invest in NSW and help transform the way homes are built. The program aims to grow local manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, create skilled jobs and accelerate the delivery of more homes across the state. The State Government will consider supporting the development of the facility through financial support, through the provision of suitable land, by agreement to purchase output from the facility, including housing and other public facilities, as well as considering alternative proposals where these represent value for money for taxpayers and will support the development of a sustainable industry in NSW. The EOI is the first stage of a two-stage procurement process, and proposals will be assessed on commercial readiness, demonstrated capability and capacity to deliver at scale. The launch follows the opening of the Housing Innovation in Construction Fund and Housing Innovation Network Grants Program, representing almost $4 million in investment to help grow the local MMC sector, commercialise new technologies and bring more innovative manufacturers into the NSW housing market. The Government is also investing $1.6 million to establish a new regulatory framework and introduce a certification system for MMC, formally recognising prefabricated buildings in NSW law and integrating MMC into the planning approvals system, as well as reforming procurement to open up more opportunities for MMC projects in NSW, using the Government’s purchasing power to help grow a strong and sustainable MMC industry. Together, these reforms are designed to give industry the confidence to invest in NSW, expand manufacturing capability and build a sustainable pipeline of modern construction projects for years to come. This is part of the State Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more high-quality homes and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live in the communities they choose. The EOI closes at 3:00pm AEST on Wednesday, 29 July 2026. Businesses can access the EOI documentation and apply through the NSW Government’s tendering portal.

The post Expressions of interest invited to build faster homes in NSW appeared first on Timberbiz.

When Komatsu’s Nigel Howard found out that his friend and mentor, forest industry icon Col McCulloch had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease it didn’t take him long to realise that being frustrated couldn’t help. The best thing he could do was to get on his bike and do something useful. Source: Timberbiz Next month, Mr Howard will set off on his BMW GS 1300 Adventure to undertake a 20,000 km, 38-day motorbike trip around Australia aiming to raise $150,000 for the fight against MND. As well as raising vital funds, Mr Howard is looking to start conversations and bring the timber and forestry community together. “Col told me about his diagnosis over a coffee. Like a lot of people I’d heard of MND but the reality didn’t really set in until we talked” he said. “When I started having conversations with other people in the industry, I discovered Col’s story isn’t unique – far too many people have a mate, a parent, a colleague or a spouse afflicted by the beast.” Mr Howard said it was an easy decision to bring together his passions of motorbike riding and the forest and timber community to plan the MND Beast Challenge. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned working in forestry, it’s that people show up when they’re needed. Every kilometre I ride is for people like Col, for families living with MND and for the hope that one day research can provide the answers we’re looking for,” he said. Mr Howard knows that one bloke on a motorbike isn’t going to cure the disease. But if the MND Beast Challenge can raise awareness, raise funds and get more people talking about the disease, then it will be worth every kilometre. He sets off from Daylesford on Thursday 20 August. To learn more about the MND Beast Challenge and to make a donation, head to https://www.mndbeastchallenge.com.au/

The post Riding for Col McCulloch’s fight with MND appeared first on Timberbiz.

Juken New Zealand (JNZ) has concluded consultation with employees regarding the future of Northland Mill and has made the difficult decision to proceed with the closure of the mill Yasufumi Tsuchiya Director of Juken New Zealand said in a statement. Source: Timberbiz This decision follows an extensive process to identify a buyer or alternative arrangement that would allow the mill to continue operating in a financially sustainable way. Over recent months, Mr Tsuchiya said the company explored a range of options, including a sale process and other potential business arrangements. Despite those efforts, we were unable to identify a viable pathway forward. The decision relates to Northland Mill only. The Northland Mill produces veneer only. Triboard and Strandboard produced at Triboard Mill and J-frame, J-ply and solid wood produced at Wairarapa Mill are not impacted by this announcement. The process to explore a potential sale of Triboard as a going concern remains ongoing. Mr Tsuchiya said in the statement that before reaching the decision about the Northland Mill, the company undertook a formal consultation process with employees and union representatives. He said they carefully considered the feedback received and would like to thank everyone who participated in that process. Mr Tsuchiya said that the company recognised the significance of this announcement for its employees, their whānau and the wider Northland community. Many people have dedicated years of service to Northland Mill, and he acknowledged the impact this decision will have. The focus now is supporting affected employees through the next stage of the process. This includes discussions about redeployment opportunities across JNL, as well as access to a range of services including financial advice, wellbeing support, and employment and training opportunities. The current plan is for the mill to close by 21 August 2026. Production activity will gradually reduce over the coming weeks as remaining work is completed. While the decision has been made to close Northland Mill, the company remains open to conversations with potential buyers and continues to explore opportunities relating to the land and assets. Further updates will be forthcoming if there are any developments. JNL said that it remains committed to New Zealand and to maintaining a sustainable forestry and manufacturing business here. Decisions relating to the Kaitaia mills have been made with the long-term viability of the wider business in mind.

The post Northland Mill closure imminent as it fails to find a buyer appeared first on Timberbiz.

The new owners of one of Tasmania’s largest farms, which they plan to turn over to a pine plantation claim the property, is “low-quality, degraded land” and not currently being used for food production. Source: Timberbiz Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week announced the approval of the sale of Tasmania’s largest farm, Rushy Lagoon, to UK-based forestry investor Gresham House. The 22,000-hectare property will be converted from an agricultural estate into a $142 million pine plantation and carbon project. The Australian Forest Products Association has welcomed the sale, saying the plantation project will expand Australia’s sovereign capability in sustainable timber production. The project will combine commercial softwood plantations on low productive land with large-scale conservation and ecological restoration and sustainable grazing. This is expected to provide a major boost to Tasmania’s forestry industry. The Radiata Pine trees produced by the project are expected to be processed locally by Tasmanian-based sawmills and supplied into the Australian market. This will alleviate some of Tasmania’s wood supply pressures and help divert harvesting away from native forests. It is expected to stimulate the local economy, creating jobs for contractors, sawmill operators, field surveyors and planting crews. In addition, sustainable agricultural activities will continue in designated areas across the property. Direct benefits are expected to include: More than 190 new jobs over the life of the project. Production of approximately five million tonnes of timber and 3.2 million ACCUs. Timber will be grown under Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and be processed by Tasmanian sawmills to help offset a critical shortage of construction timber in the Australian housing market.   However, farmers groups have criticised approval of the sale, claiming the project would turn productive farmland into a monoculture pine plantation in return for carbon credits. TasFarmers will hold a community meeting on Friday, 17 July at the Scottsdale Mechanics Institute, and have invited concerned members of the public to help send a message to the Prime Minister that they want the deal reversed. But a spokesman for the Tasmania Natural Asset Trust, an investment platform managed by UK forestry giant Gresham House, told The Mercury in Hobart “This is low-quality, degraded agricultural land, not prime farmland, and it isn’t currently in broad food production: dairy operations have historically used around 14% of the property, with current use around 5% of the land.” The areas proposed for plantation forestry on Rushy Lagoon are on areas classified as marginal, Class 5 and 6 under the Tasmanian Land Capability Classification System (Class 7 being the poorest), by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Tasmania.” The spokesman told The Mercury the operation would combine commercial softwood (Radiata Pine) plantations on low-productivity land with large-scale conservation, ecological restoration, sustainable grazing and potentially other agricultural opportunities. The spokesman said agriculture would remain an important part of the property. “Sustainable grazing will continue on land best suited to farming, and additional agricultural opportunities are also being explored. “This is not a choice between food and timber – Australia needs both.” The spokesman also addressed claims that a local buyer was locked out of the sales process for the 21,744ha property. “The property was widely marketed to the agricultural sector on several occasions from 2018 onwards. However, the vendor [the estate of New Zealand farmer Allan Pye] was unable to secure a sale at independently assessed market value,” he said. “Following these unsuccessful sales processes, Gresham House entered into a purchase agreement with the vendor. “Gresham House itself did attempt a separate sale process for the dairy operation but received no conforming bids.” The spokesman said agronomist and technical advisers attributed the limited interest to poor infrastructure, soil quality and distance to market, and supported a change in land use to forestry. But the National Farmers’ Federation has questioned the approval process behind the sale which it says has left stakeholders questioning the logic behind the decision. “We’re concerned that there were buyers that were potentially disadvantaged in the process of allowing the sale to a foreign forestry fund,” Mr Guerin said. “We are calling for a review of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s (CEFC) mandate. “It’s imperative that these processes are transparent. “We need to understand whether various conflicts of interest were addressed through the appropriate mechanisms, including the fact that a CEFC Director sits on the Foreign Investment Review Board which is supposed to assess the decision independently.” Mr Guerin said the community’s desires had not been respected. “We echo TasFarmers’ concerns that the decision goes against what 99% per cent of surveyed Tasmanians wanted for Rushy Lagoon,” Mr Guerin said. “Australian farmers must be consulted, given choices, and listened to. “There must be a balance between emissions goals, food security, and farm profitability. “We always want to see agricultural land being used for its best purpose. We must ensure that is the case in the sale of Rushy Lagoon,” Mr Guerin said.  

The post Rushy Lagoon is not a choice between food and forestry appeared first on Timberbiz.

The Neville Smith Group has confirmed its full support for the Forest Congress Shared Vision Statement, joining Palawa Elders, scientists, environmentalists, industry and community leaders in a common position on the future of Tasmania’s forests. Source: Timberbiz The statement calls for an immediate end to old-growth logging, responding to a Palawa-led call to protect these forests as enduring cultural treasures, alongside the ongoing, responsible management of Tasmania’s native forest resources. “After three years of collaborative Forest Congress stakeholder engagement, the Neville Smith Group (NSG) has formalised its commitment to the shared future vision for Tasmanian forestry,” Andrew Walker, CEO of Neville Smith Group, said. “We support a Palawa-led, whole-of-landscape, pragmatic, science-backed, long-term proposition for native forestry in Tasmania, not an ideological one. Indigenous voices were absent from previous agreements, including the Tasmanian Forest Agreement, and Palawa leadership belongs at the centre of forest management going forward, alongside forest scientists, growers, landowners, processors and local communities. “This finds the right balance between protecting old-growth forests as cultural and ecological treasures, whilst securing the long-term future for native forestry, meeting national timber demand, and supporting regional Tasmanian communities. “NSG is a majority plantation and ongoing regrowth native business, established 25 years ago, on the basis of processing smaller, younger certified logs. The Plantation Nitens logs were previously destined only for wood chip export, now elevated up the value chain via cutting edge technology. “After a deliberate 4-year transition period to majority plantation supply, our native regrowth log supply has now been re-balanced to align with our Tasmanian sawmilling capacity. “We have recently advised our former Victorian customer, that the previous short-term surplus of native regrowth logs will not be available from 31st July 2026 onwards. “By ending old-growth supply (currently less than 3% of total supply to NSG), it removes a remaining point of contention, paves the way for innovation, investment and additional on-island processing in Tasmania. “We have formally notified Sustainable Timber Tasmania of our decision to not receive old-growth logs, with immediate effect. “Australia is a net annual importer of timber products, and we must ensure that native forests in lower regulatory global jurisdictions are not deforested, to meet our insatiable national timber demand. Tasmania manages its forests as well as anywhere in the world, and the regeneration of our native forests after harvest is testament to our sustainable practices. “The continuation of renewable native regrowth and plantation resource bases underpins the perpetual supply of wood-based products for housing, commercial projects, manufacturing sector, and strengthens our national resilience. As the largest plantation hardwood sawn timber processor in Australia, future investment and further industry transition is only possible with log supply security. “Wood is the ultimate renewable, healthy forests mean healthy communities. “We call on the Tasmanian and Australian Governments to join communities and industry in supporting a lasting transition, one that backs Palawa-led cultural practice, restores landscapes, supports regional communities and secures the future of the best-managed native forests in the world.”

The post Neville Smith Group to stop accepting old-growth logs appeared first on Timberbiz.

Forest certification is meant to ensure forests are being managed responsibly. But in Australia, questions remain about the benefits it delivers beyond legal compliance. Australia’s forest debates are full of confident claims. Some argue that native forest harvesting can be sustainable if properly regulated and independently certified, while others argue that certification mainly gives a social licence to forest logging that should no longer occur. Both those for and against native forest harvesting often speak with certainty. And both are at the whim of the forest certification process – the tool that verifies timber and wood products come from responsibly managed, sustainable forests. But there is a more basic question we have not answered well enough: what does forest certification actually do? In research I recently published with colleagues, we reviewed the literature on forest certification in Australia, hoping to understand whether it delivers benefits beyond existing legal requirements. This idea – understanding about benefits that would not have otherwise been realised without it – is known as ‘additionality’. Put simply, are certified forest managers doing things they would not otherwise have done, or are they simply complying with the law? Certification reassures markets, governments and the public that forest products – things like timber and wood chips – come from responsibly managed forests. It can influence procurement, market access, corporate reputation and public trust. In contested areas like native forestry for timber production, certification becomes part of the evidence people use to judge whether forest management is acceptable. But some stakeholders argue that existing laws don’t go far enough to ensure environmental and social outcomes, making certification’s contribution beyond the legal baseline particularly important. So, we need to know whether certification is simply a compliance badge or whether it produces real environmental, social and governance benefits. The answer is mixed. Certification has introduced regular third-party audits, more formal planning systems and stronger expectations around transparency. These are not trivial benefits. Certification can make forest managers document decisions more carefully, respond to concerns from conservation groups and demonstrate how environmental risks are being managed. It can show whether procedures are followed, non-conformities are identified (e.g. inadequate protection of threatened species habitat), and corrective actions are taken. But that is not the same as showing whether biodiversity, habitat quality, regeneration, water values or ecosystem conditions are improving over decades because of certification. When it comes to long-term ecological outcomes, the evidence is much thinner than many people might expect. That doesn’t mean certification has no ecological value. It means we often lack the right kind of evidence to prove it. Are we ticking a box or making a difference? Imagine a forest manager is certified and complies with all relevant legal and certification requirements. At a later date, spatial analysis might show that parts of the certified forest overlap with areas identified by researchers as having high conservation value, meaning timber harvesting, even when certified, should not have occurred in that ecosystem. While this doesn’t automatically prove a breach in certification rules or a failure of certification itself, it highlights that the legislation doesn’t go as far as some conservation scientists, communities or advocates think it should. At best, certification can strengthen procedural recognition. Whether it supports more substantive change depends on how forest managers implement those requirements and whether they track those changes. The missing piece in Australia is long-term monitoring. Asking the right questions Australia has excellent forest scientists, remote sensing capacity, and biodiversity expertise. We have also had important monitoring programs, including FORESTCHECK in Western Australia, the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval Monitoring Program in New South Wales and Victoria’s forest monitoring systems. But these efforts have not yet been brought together into a national research agenda capable of testing forestry sustainability – or certification additionality. At best, certification can strengthen procedural recognition. Whether it supports more substantive change depends on how forest managers implement those requirements and whether they track those changes. The missing piece in Australia is long-term monitoring. Asking the right questions Australia has excellent forest scientists, remote sensing capacity, and biodiversity expertise. We have also had important monitoring programs, including FORESTCHECK in Western Australia, the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval Monitoring Program in New South Wales and Victoria’s forest monitoring systems. But these efforts have not yet been brought together into a national research agenda capable of testing forestry sustainability – or certification additionality. That means comparing harvested and unharvested forests, forests under different regulatory settings, areas before and after changes in certification standards, and forests managed for fire, drought, invasive species or climate change. This work is difficult. But without it, claims about sustainability will remain vulnerable. Certification as an opportunity, not an obligation The forest industry also has to be candid about this. For decades, certification has been used to demonstrate that forest management is responsible and independently audited. But it could have been used more strategically to generate public evidence about ecological performance. Certification should help forest managers move from “trust us, we’re certified” to “here is what long-term monitoring shows”. But even that won’t end Australia’s forest wars. Some conflicts are about values, not only evidence, and some oppose native forest harvesting in principle. But better evidence will improve the debate. For forest policy makers and research funders, this is the opportunity – Australia needs a proactive forest research agenda. Certification should not be treated only as a market instrument. It should also be treated as infrastructure for public learning. The additionality question is deliberately uncomfortable. Are we certifying forests simply to comply with the law? Or are we using certification to drive measurable improvements in forest condition, transparency, accountability and public trust? The answer should be the latter, and forestry needs the evidence to prove it. This article was first published in Melbourne University’s Pursuit magazine (https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/). You can read the original there. Dr Alex Van Der Meer Simo Is a Research Fellow in Forest Certification, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne

The post Opinion: Dr Alex Van Der Meer Simo – what are the benefits of forest certification appeared first on Timberbiz.

The extraordinary height of the world’s tallest tropical trees does not make them more vulnerable to drought than smaller trees, a new study has revealed. Source: Timberbiz The research overturns a widely held and untested scientific belief that the higher a tree grows, the harder it becomes to move water from the soil to its leaves – potentially increasing its vulnerability to drought stress. The international team, led by researchers at Cardiff University and the University of Exeter, studied five species of dipterocarps in the rainforests of Malaysian Borneo, observing how the trees adapted their woody anatomies as they grew to ensure a regulated water supply from root to leaf. Their findings, published in the Journal Science, reveal the tallest rainforest trees suffer no more than smaller trees during drought events, challenging decades of ecological theory which the team says must now be re-evaluated. Understanding tall trees is vital, because the tallest 1% store more than half of above-ground carbon in forests. These trees are therefore rare and play an important role in the planet’s rainforests capacity to combat climate change by storing and absorbing carbon. “As a tree becomes taller, keeping its leaves hydrated becomes more challenging. Existing predictions suggest an impaired hydraulic system places them at higher risk of dying due to drought. That prediction is included in some models of climate-change impacts, and our study suggests this may not be correct,” said lead author Dr Paulo Bittencourt from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Reaching heights of up to 100 metres tall, Dipterocarps dominate the rainforests of southeast Asia, storing vast amounts of carbon and helping to protect and shape their surrounding ecosystems. The researchers witnessed how these colossal trees protected themselves against the effects of drought by widening their internal water carrying vessels and adjusting their leaf physiology. “Trees contain lots of thin, hollow vessels and like drinking through a straw they draw water upwards by creating low pressure at the top,” said the study’s co-author Professor Lucy Rowland from the University of Exeter. “Unlike drinking straws, these vessels have evolved intricate adaptations that can maintain the water in liquid form, even under the extreme low pressures required to move it above 10 metres. “However, a widely accepted theory suggests that in tall trees, the sheer length of vessels and the effects of gravity limit water transport, photosynthesis and growth. “Our results challenge this by showing that the hydraulic systems of very tall Dipterocarp trees are perfectly evolved for their height and should not suffer more than small Dipterocarp trees exposed to the same drought conditions.” The researchers examined Dipterocarp trees ranging from 7 to 71 metres tall in Malaysian Borneo and measured a variety of characteristics at multiple positions along each tree. They found taller trees compensate for their height in various ways, including water-carrying vessels that grow wider nearer the ground and leaves which have adapted to withstand greater water stress before wilting. They also measured trunk growth rates before, during and after the strong El Niño drought period of 2023-2024. “As a Malaysian researcher co-authoring this study, showing that even the tallest of these trees are hydraulically resilient to drought is a finding I hope will strengthen the case for protecting these forests under a changing climate,” said co-author Palasiah Jotan, a Malaysian PhD student studying in The Czech University of Life Sciences. The research team included Sabah Forestry Department (Malaysia), the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Aberdeen, as well as institutions from the Czech Republic, Spain, Brazil and the USA. More research is now needed to investigate the hydraulic systems and drought resilience of other tall trees and so we are expanding this work to test its generality across the tropics, repeating, for example, in the giant Amazon trees.

The post Tall trees have evolved to pump water to the top appeared first on Timberbiz.

Over the centuries, Europe’s forests have been optimised for timber production. The result is often very orderly, uniform stands lacking old, decaying trees or natural clearings. This monotony can pose a problem for biodiversity. Source: Timberbiz Researchers from the Biocentre at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany, together with researchers from the Universities of Marburg and Munich and the Bavarian Forest National Park, have now investigated in the BETA FOR project how targeted interventions to restore a more varied forest structure affect the diversity of bats and birds. The results have been published in the journal Current Biology. The team led by forest ecologist Professor Jörg Müller shows that when humans create gaps in the forest canopy and leave deadwood lying on the forest floor, this increases the diversity of both species groups at the forest landscape level. However, birds and bats react differently to changes in their habitat. Birds behave like homebodies: they occupy fixed territories if they find everything they need there – from nesting sites to food. They benefit when their established forest area has a structure that is as complex as possible, with deadwood and gaps. Bats, on the other hand, are like commuters: in a single night they cover long distances, visiting various ‘specialist shops’ along the way. Sometimes they hunt insects in a dark, dense corner of the forest; at other times they use light-filled gaps as entry corridors. For them, it is important that the individual sections of forest differ spatially from one another. Which species appeared The Würzburg study shows how diversity increases through gaps in the canopy and deadwood. In the case of bats, an average of two new species were found in more disordered forests. “That sounds like a small number, but it is actually significant because there are only 25 bat species in Germany in total,” says PhD student Clara Wild, the study’s first author. The more structurally diverse forests attracted species such as the northern bat or the parti-coloured bat, for example. Both otherwise prefer open terrain and are rather rare in dense, uniform forests. Birds benefited particularly strongly from local interventions, such as artificially created forest gaps with deadwood. In their case, it was primarily so-called functional diversity that increased – that is, species with very distinct lifestyles were added – such as deadwood specialists like various endangered woodpecker species. The researchers conducted the study in six regions in Germany: near Lübeck, in the Saarland, in the University of Würzburg’s forest, near Passau, in the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park and in the Bavarian Forest National Park. In total, they studied 234 precisely defined forest plots measuring 50 by 50 metres. There, they deliberately manipulated the forest to create more diverse structures: in some areas they created gaps in the canopy, in others they placed deadwood such as tree stumps or fallen trunks. They then studied how species diversity changed over the following four to seven years. To find out which animals live in the forest plots, the researchers used acoustic monitoring. At times when the animals are most active, recorders captured their calls or songs. These invisible spies monitored the forest over a three-month period without the animals being disturbed by human presence. In this way, the research team identified a total of 17 bat and 72 bird species. “Our results show that we can promote biodiversity even in previous monotonous, species-poor forests,” explains Clara Wild. “Through small interventions that increase structural diversity, we can create valuable niches. This makes the forest more diverse and attracts pest controllers such as birds and bats alike.” The new findings provide further guidance for the forestry sector. “A structurally rich forest is much more resilient to climate change thanks to its diversity,” says Jörg Müller. For forestry operations, this means having the courage to leave gaps. “Leaving deadwood in the forest may cost some timber yield in the short term, but it ensures the long-term stability of the entire ecosystem.” Publication: Restoring structural complexity in temperate forests increases bat and bird diversity. Current Biology, 20 May 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.04.058

The post Disorder brings more life to the forest appeared first on Timberbiz.

Wildfires in recent years have ravaged millions of hectares of forest land, destroyed thousands of homes and claimed hundreds of victims. Globally, nearly all of the worst years for forest fires on record have occurred since 2020. Source: Timberbiz And fires are now the largest driver of forest loss around the world. Urgent and coordinated action is required to prevent further devastation, but with a number of factors fuelling the intensity of the fires – including climate change impacts and human activity – there is no one easy answer. But here’s what we do know: responsible forest management helps mitigate fire risks and protects communities and ecosystems from wildfires’ devastating impacts. FSC’s core principles require that forest managers assess risks related to natural hazards, including wildfires, and that they implement activities that help mitigate those risks. In practice, these activities may look different in each country, depending on the environmental conditions, risks and characteristics of each region. FSC’s national forest stewardship standards for different countries account for these differences. For example, in northern Spain, where the Devesa da Rogueira became the country’s first forest to receive FSC certification in 2020, community members who managed the forest regularly cleared vegetation that could fuel fires. Two years later, a large wildfire scorched more than 11,000 hectares in the area but left the Devesa da Rogueira forest largely untouched. In Guatemala, communities have invested in patrolling the boundaries of FSC-certified concessions, build and maintain fire gaps and consistently monitor the area through GPS technology and the use of drones. A 2018 study found the managed forest lands had practically no fire incidents over the span of a decade. Portugal’s 2017 wildfires, which scorched through more than 500,000 hectares and killed more than 120 people, also highlighted the critical need for enhanced forest management activities and led to a variety of management initiatives since then. In FSC-certified forests there, managers have for years proactively worked on responsible forest management, implementing actions to increase fire resistance and ecosystem resilience, including by controlling invasive species and promoting the regeneration of native species. Forest management practices around the world that can help prevent fires can also include procedures such as controlling visitor activities, removing trash, creating space that firefighters can use in the event of a rapid fire, and maintaining buffer zones between public roads. Across the world, FSC certification means that forests are managed in ways that protect ecosystems and enhance forest resilience – because healthier forests not only help reduce the risks of high-severity wildfires but also allow for ecosystems’ faster recovery.

The post Responsible forestry as a risk mitigation tool appeared first on Timberbiz.

Swedish furniture company IKEA says it has ‘nothing to hide’ with its forestry operations and is proud of what it is doing in New Zealand. RNZ reported in December that rural communities were concerned about the extent of new forestry plantings in in Central Hawke’s Bay. Locals pointed to worries about fire risk and the loss of jobs and communities due to the land use change from farming to forestry.Source: RNZ Earlier this month, IKEA gave media and some farmers a tour of two forestry blocks. Ingka Investments Forestland country manager Kelvin Meredith told RNZ that IKEA was proud of its work in New Zealand. “You know, we’re doing something different. We’re doing large set asides, we’re passionate about biodiversity and different species. We’ve got nothing to hide. We’re an open book. “We don’t need to wave the flag how great we are, but we like to think we’re a good neighbour, and we communicate well,” Meredith said. He also addressed concerns about job and community losses, saying IKEA was employing locals for planting and pruning, and on many properties had subdivided off farmland and houses to keep people living in the area. Since August 2021, IKEA’s parent company Ingka Investments has been buying farmland to convert to forestry, and existing forestry blocks around New Zealand as part of IKEA’s sustainability strategy. IKEA owns 500,000 hectares of forests around the world, and 43,000 hectares in New Zealand. In Central Hawke’s Bay, IKEA has converted six farms into trees since 2021, which it believes makes it the largest forestry owner in the district. More than 1.8 million hectares of New Zealand is planted in pine trees with many farms having been converted since 2008 to earn carbon credits after the Emissions Trading Scheme was introduced. However, IKEA told RNZ none of its trees have been planted for carbon credits, although they may look at ‘some form of offsetting in the future’.   The first block on the tour is about 15 minutes from Waipukurau, where IKEA bought 850 hectares in 2025. The forestry site borders a large wetland swamp area, and forest manager Blake Jones told RNZ they were investing in the wetland and also creating a 10 hectare ‘setback’ of native trees. “The long-term vision is to have this whole wetland… planted on the boundaries right around it and have it as a beautiful wetland that serves as a bit of a bit of a sink for this whole catchment. “You’ve just got nutrients, sediment, water retention … the wetland serves as a bit of a filter for the environment,” he said. Further down the road is a 650-hectare block of two-year-old pine trees near Wallingford Station. Ingka Investments forestland country manager Kelvin Meredith said the company has subdivided off some of the best farmland and buildings. “We try and keep, in a lot of situations like this property, 100 hectares that the farm owner still owns. “Wallingford Station, he owned a big chunk of land and he’s still there, his family’s still there. “We’ve subdivided off and kept the houses, another young family’s moved in. Their kids are going to the local schools. “A lot of the angst that’s been created is that we shift the profile of the community – the rhetoric is we destroy the community. We don’t. We change a little bit of the dynamic,” he said. Ingka Investments forestland operations manager Dylan Foster said the company has invested in growing timber in New Zealand because it’s stable, safe and low corruption, and has well researched production capacity for commercial forestry. When asked if IKEA planned to convert more farmland to forestry, Foster said that was not its strategy as IKEA needed a variation of different tree ages in its portfolio. “I wouldn’t say there’s a plan to… I think if the right farm came up, we’d definitely look at, but I can say the focus is more actually on standing forests, just to mix our age class up,” he said. Of the 42,705 hectares of land bought by IKEA in New Zealand, 23,838 hectares was converted from farmland to forestry, while 17,175 hectares was existing forestry. And of the total estate, 31,500 is productive forestry and the rest is in set asides which include riparian, indigenous vegetation, and roading. Foster said 60% of the timber would end up on the export market to China, India or Korea, while the other 40% goes to domestic markets. ‘We are not anti-forestry’ There is no nationwide database showing who owns what land and if its use has changed, so several years ago Beef and Lamb New Zealand began monitoring whole farm sales for conversion to forestry. The organisation said at least 300,000 hectares of sheep and beef was sold to forestry interests since 2017. “Our big concerns are the scale and the pace of change,” Beef and Lamb spokesperson Julian Ashby said. “We are not anti-forestry. We really believe forestry has a legitimate place in New Zealand’s landscape, but that issue is we are seeing whole farm conversions really change the face of New Zealand at a dramatic pace. “You’re not just losing your farmland to grass, you are losing stock numbers, jobs, local spending, processing throughput, full roles, you know, rural services – everything is up for grabs in this kind of current policy incentives that we have.” IKEA said under its business model, that was not the case. Meredith told RNZ it employed 250 staff across its New Zealand forestry operations, but during planting programs that increased to about 800 people. “There’s obviously quite intense around planting for a few years. So planting, coming back to release them. There’s a little quiet period for about two years and then we start into a pruning phase. “We’ll be pruning for the next 10 to 12 years,” he said. The Climate Change Commission estimates another 900,000 hectares of New Zealand will be converted to forestry by 2050, which Beef and Lamb said will cull roughly 20% of current […]

The post IKEA says its work in NZ is an open book appeared first on Timberbiz.

Mountain bike riders and adventure seekers can explore more of the best riding experiences in NSW through the launch of a new online MTB hub showcasing State forest trails. Source: Timberbiz Forestry Corporation has created a new online resource www.mtbliveshere.com.au promoting the extensive State forest mountain biking network. All trails and mountain bike parks, which operate under forest permits, are featured in the new MTB hub bringing together trail information, mapping and destination imagery to highlight world‑class mountain biking trails and infrastructure in NSW State forests. “NSW State forests are home to an incredibly diverse range of mountain bike experiences, from purpose‑built trail networks to scenic cross‑country rides through working forests,” Visitor Experience Manager Steve Pickering said. “This new hub puts all that information in one place, making it easier for riders to find trails that suit their style and skill level while showcasing the unique landscapes and communities that surround our forests.” The hub features trails and destinations right across the state, including popular riding areas such as Ourimbah State Forest on the Central Coast, the Watagan Mountains near Lake Macquarie and forest‑based trail networks in regional NSW that combine flowing singletrack in scenic natural settings.  Wherever you are, there is bound to be a mountain bike park near you Designed as both a planning tool and a source of inspiration, the MTB Hub helps riders explore the diversity of forest‑based trails from adrenaline‑fuelled descents to family‑friendly loops and long‑distance adventures. Visit NSW State Forests is also calling on the mountain biking community to help showcase these experiences by sharing images captured in State forests. Keen riders are encouraged to submit their photos to story@fcnsw.com.au with selected images featured to promote mountain biking destinations across the state.  

The post New resource to promote NSW state forests appeared first on Timberbiz.

Across the Mallee, rehabilitation works have now been completed at all major bushfire sites from the 2025–26 fire season, marking a key milestone in the region’s recovery. Source: Timberbiz More than 63,000 hectares burned across the district, including fires at Baring and Colignan, as well as across Wyperfeld National Park at North–South Track, Boinka and Freeway Track. While these fires were successfully contained, suppression efforts required extensive control lines to help stop the spread of fire and protect communities, infrastructure and environmental values. Control lines play a critical role during bushfire suppression, providing safe access and helping slow or stop fire spread. However, without rehabilitation, these temporary earthworks can leave lasting impacts on the landscape. In recent months, Forest Fire Management Victoria crews and contractors have completed rehabilitation works across all major firegrounds. In total, crews restored approximately 183 kilometres of control lines, including around 70 kilometres constructed during the Boinka fire alone. Rehabilitation is about more than tidying up after fire – it reduces long-term impacts and supports natural recovery. Works included reshaping disturbed ground, returning vegetation and organic material to the landscape and stabilising access points to reduce erosion and prevent unauthorised vehicle access. These activities help to: reduce erosion and dust limit the spread of weeds and pest animals protect cultural heritage values support regeneration of native vegetation.   This program was delivered through close collaboration between operational crews, planners, contractors and Traditional Owner representatives, ensuring works were completed safely, effectively and with respect for cultural heritage values. Completion of these works marks the transition from emergency response to long-term recovery, supporting restoration of fire-affected landscapes while reducing future risks.

The post Rehabilitation works across the Mallee appeared first on Timberbiz.

Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) is funding Australia’s first material-agnostic embodied carbon platform, measuring one million homes to prove timber can deliver 1.2 million new dwellings and 43% emissions cut. Source: Timberbiz Australia must build 1.2 million new homes by 2030 while cutting national greenhouse gas emissions by 43% and Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) is backing new research to prove timber can deliver both at once. The three-year project, titled Timber-Led Decarbonisation of Australian Housing: Evidence and Industry Translation, is funded through AFWI’s Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It will create Australia’s first integrated, material-agnostic platform capable of measuring and comparing the embodied carbon of residential buildings, using as-built data from approximately one million Australian homes built since 2019 rather than theoretical estimates. The project is led by Rhianna Robinson, National Research and Technical Manager at the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia (FTMA), with project partner CarbonTrace. Mrs Robinson said the absence of transparent, comparable carbon data was a growing risk to timber’s market access. “We can’t manage what we can’t measure,” Mrs Robinson said. “Timber is uniquely positioned to support both housing delivery and decarbonisation through its low embodied emissions and stored biogenic carbon, but the industry currently lacks a centralised, credible and policy-aligned evidence base to quantify and communicate these benefits at scale.” Embodied carbon, the emissions generated in manufacturing and constructing a building, is climbing the industry’s agenda as homes become more efficient to run and construction materials account for a growing share of a dwelling’s lifetime carbon. Sustainability reporting and ESG requirements are pushing builders, developers and specifiers towards reliable, comparable data, yet no centralised system currently measures those emissions consistently across Australian housing. To close that gap, the project will feed detailed product-level timber data into the national housing database run by CarbonTrace, before building a freely accessible online tool allowing users to compare the carbon performance of competing materials on like-for-like Australian data. CarbonTrace co-founder Tom Petty, a builder and architect, said measurement was the precondition for any credible emissions cut. “Data is key to the decision-making around emissions reduction,” Mr Petty said. “This data needs to flow into design teams without friction and ideally in real-time.” More than 60 industry, government and research organisations co-designed the project, including CarbonTrace, FTMA, the Green Building Council of Australia, CSIRO, Master Builders Australia, Forest & Wood Products Australia, Timber Queensland, Hyne Group, MiTek, Multinail and the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. The work forms part of a wider AFWI push to connect the full forest-to-market value chain. AFWI Executive Director Dr Joseph Lawrence has described housing as one of the clearest areas where Australian timber can deliver immediate national benefits, giving the $23 billion industry a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to unite research, manufacturing and construction. “That’s where we see a real opportunity for Australian timber to be ramped up, for engineered wood to be ramped up, to be producing faster, safer and higher-quality housing, all made here,” Dr Lawrence said. “So, we can solve all the potential crises we are facing around shortages.” Over three years, researchers will assemble Australia’s most comprehensive embodied carbon dataset for residential construction, run scenario modelling comparing timber with conventional materials, and translate the findings into practical guidance, policy recommendations and education resources. Project partners estimate the education, and engagement work will reach more than 80,000 industry stakeholders through an online decision-support tool, technical reports, factsheets, webinars, workshops, case studies and a residential decarbonisation roadmap. Mrs Robinson said the long-term aim was to strengthen timber’s adoption, support net-zero housing pathways and secure timber as a preferred material in Australia’s residential market as the country chases its housing and emissions targets. For more information visit: Australian Forest and Wood Innovations: https://www.afwi.au/

The post AFWI funds first embodied carbon platform to measure one million homes appeared first on Timberbiz.

Time is running out to save two significant mills in Kaitāia from closure say Northland Regional Council (NRC), Far North District Council (FNDC) and Northland NZ (NNZ) who are calling on central government step in to limit job losses, as NNZ continues to work with potential investors. Source: Timberbiz Juken New Zealand, a Japanese-owned company, announced earlier this year it was seeking expressions of interests to buy its two mills in Kaitāia – Northland Mill and plant. That offer process closed at the end of May. Government investment would see good financial returns, jobs and capability retained in the region, and it would protect our forestry industry, while closing the Northland Mill and Triboard plant would devastate the Far North town and Te Tai Tokerau Northland, says Head of Investment at NNZ, Tui Rutherford. “Conservative modelling predicts that investing right now will generate a good return over five years on an initial government investment. Acting soon also avoids economic damage and disruption which will cost the government dearly in the long term,” Mr Rutherford said. Northland NZ understands that while no outright buyers were found for either mill before the offer deadline, the Triboard plant did receive an expression of interest in continuing its operation and an expression of interest was received for the Northern Mill site, from an experienced operator. Interest in the Northern Mill centres on site plans to upgrade equipment and modernise the operation to fulfil their target market. NRC, along with FNDC, is backing Northland NZ to facilitate discussions that firm up both deals, says Pita Tipene, Chair of NRC. “This includes working on a consortium of investors to back the commercial upgrade plans for the Northland Mill site. That model would require investment by the government,” Mr Tipene said. The proposed Northland Mill redevelopment would make use of skilled staff, the existing site, site permissions and some existing infrastructure. The opportunities presented by the Northland Mill site are underpinned by a strong and sustainable forestry resource, experienced workforce, and access to domestic and export markets, says Far North Mayor Moko Tepania. “There is a significant opportunity to build on these assets, which are supported by experienced operators and well-established infrastructure,” Mr Tepania said. Alongside the modernised mill, a second operation is proposed – turning the waste and low-grade wood into woody biomass biofuel. This operation is also expected to employ some of the existing workforce. Early government investment in both proposals would help secure a successful transition of the milling operations, retain jobs, and provide a financial return to the government, says Mr Rutherford. “The regional economic agency is working alongside the councils to ensure potential investors understand the strategic value of the operations within Northland’s wider forestry system, along with the robust returns forecast.” Investors interested in this project can contact Head of Investment at NNZ, Tui Rutherford directly at – tui.rutherford@northlandnz.com

The post NZ councils working to save mills appeared first on Timberbiz.

A recent community meeting in Bombala to address a growing concern of local farmland sales to corporate entities for carbon forestry projects (both environmental plantings and plantation forestry methods) featured guest speaker, forestry industry expert, Rob de Fegely. Source: Monaro Post Other speakers at the June meeting were local farmers John Murdoch, John Jeffreys and Ben Mooney. Together they spoke to the community about concerns relating to a loss of productive farmland, reduced rural employment, outside corporate involvement and uncertainty about long-term impacts. Mr de Fegely provided an insight into the regional forestry hubs established under the National Forestry Industry Plan 2018. Mr de Fegely is the manager of the South East Forestry Hub, which supports forestry industries in southern NSW and the ACT to help grow a positive future for the region’s communities and environment. He also sits on the board of Forestry Corporation NSW and chairs the Public Forest Agency in Tasmania. There are 11 regional forestry hubs across Australia. These hubs work with industry, state and local governments, and other key stakeholders to prepare and provide the government with strategic planning, technical assessments and analyses that aim to support growth in the forest industries in their region. Mr de Fegely began his career on the Monaro in 1980 growing radiata pine in the Coolangubra, Bucky Springs, Pericoe and Rockton areas. “In my time as a career forester over 40 years, the challenge between farming and forestry has been around for a long time and its history that we haven’t actually blended together,” he said. “In Scandinavian countries and parts of Europe, you’ll find that forestry and farming are very close neighbours and they work together really well.” He recalled however the years he spent in Bombala were productive and produced good outcomes. “In the eight-and-a-half years I was here, when we were planting blocks that were basically cleared as farmland under early development in the late 1800s and early 1900s and for a raft of reasons those farms had become quite marginal mainly due to rabbits, the first World War, the loss of a generation of farm workers and then the Depression and again the second World War … those poorer quality farms fell away and were purchased by a corporate entity from the Philippines. “That was an interesting process as when re-developing those old farms in the mid-80s – by clearing all the tea trees and wattles – it suddenly looked like a farm again, but it was all granite soil and very low nutrient, so turning it back into forest was probably a sensible land use decision. “I don’t think in the eight-and-a-half years I was here, anyone seriously said to me I shouldn’t be planting that pine. So pine and forestry and Bombala and farming had worked together really well in those early years,” he said. Mr de Fegely then pointed out challenges within the industry. “The challenge has always been, despite the fact Australia is the seventh most forested country in the world, it is a net importer of wood products,” he said. “We import more than $7 billion worth of wood products a year. A lot comes from New Zealand, particularly pine framing. We get hardwood, particularly from Malaysia and the tropical rain forest, and we import paper products as well because all our paper mills have shut.” He said there are two drivers pushing the carbon debate. The first is a demand to be self-sufficient and secondly, achieving net zero such as carbon credits and cheap wood. As South East NSW Forestry hub manager, Mr de Fegely said this government funded scheme is designed to improve wood production, as Australia is not producing enough. He said within the South East hub, 60% of the land is forest and 50% of those forests are in national parks, by international standards a very high percentage.

The post Rob de Fegely addresses concerns of farmland sales appeared first on Timberbiz.

Tasmanian farmers have reacted with anger and disbelief at the Federal Government’s decision to allow 22,000 hectares of prime dairy and beef country in the state’s north-east to be transformed into a pine plantation. Source: Timberbiz Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week announced the approval of the sale of Tasmania’s largest farm, Rushy Lagoon, to UK-based forestry investor Gresham House. The 22,000-hectare property will be converted from an agricultural estate into a $142 million pine plantation and carbon project. The Australian Forest Products Association has welcomed the sale, saying the plantation project will expand Australia’s sovereign capability in sustainable timber production. However, TasFarmers President Nathan Cox said the decision was a betrayal of Tasmanian agriculture and a breaking of the social contract between government and the Australian people by greenlighting the use of taxpayer money against Australian farmers. “This is a disgraceful outcome for Tasmania and for Australian food security,” Mr Cox said. He said the Federal Government had broken its covenant with the Australian people by agreeing to turn productive farmland into a monoculture pine plantation “so a foreign investment fund can tick a carbon abatement box”. Tasmanian Forest Products Association Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel said while there has been public debate surrounding the transaction and the Foreign Investment Review Board process, the conversation also provides an opportunity to recognise that agriculture and forestry are not mutually exclusive industries. “Tasmania’s future prosperity is dependent on evidence-based land use decisions that recognised the strengths of both industries,” Mr Steel said. “Agriculture and forestry are not competing land uses they are complementary industries that have successfully coexisted across Tasmania for generations.” “Farmers make practical decisions every day based on soil capability, rainfall, topography, market conditions and the long-term sustainability of their businesses. In many cases, integrating forestry into farming operations provides additional income, strengthens business resilience and ensures land is used according to its natural capability.” Mr Steel said the guiding principle should remain simple: the right tree, in the right place, at the right scale. “Highly productive agricultural land should continue producing food and fibre, with suitable areas supporting forestry without compromising agricultural output,” he said. “That balanced approach delivers multiple benefits, including regional employment, investment certainty, environmental outcomes and diversified income streams for landholders.” As a renewable industry, forestry also plays an increasingly important role in supplying sustainable timber products to meet growing demand for low-emissions building materials. “Our forestry sector is built on renewal where forests are grown, harvested and regrown, supporting a renewable biodegradable resource that’s increasingly important as markets shift toward lower emissions materials,” Mr Steel said. “The discussion surrounding Rushy Lagoon reinforced the need for balanced and informed land use policy. “A strong future for regional Tasmania depends on recognising that agriculture and forestry can coexist successfully. They operate side by side, supporting regional communities, creating jobs and contributing to the state’s long-term prosperity,” Mr Steel said. Rushy Lagoon, together with the neighbouring East Wyambi, spans almost 22,000 hectares between Gladstone and Musselroe Bay and has run dairy and beef cattle at a capacity of around 85,000 DSE, supported by 1,170 hectares of developed irrigation and more than 12,500 megalitres of water entitlements. Gresham House’s reported offer of more than $100 million sits well above TasFarmers’ own estimate of the property’s $70–80 million market value, a gap the organisation says points squarely to government-backed financing tilting the paddock in favour of a foreign buyer using everyday Australians ‘ money. “We have real, unanswered questions about why funding was committed to this deal before the sale and why a foreign forestry fund could outbid every Australian farmer at the table,” Mr Cox said. “The treasurer’s excuse relating to the classification of farmland holds no water, as highly productive dairies have operated on Rushy for many years; any good farmer knows that cannot happen on poor or second-rate land. These comments are a smoke screen for his poor decision-making. “TasFarmers has raised the glaring conflict at the heart of this process: the Clean Energy Finance Corporation stands to benefit financially from carbon plantations like this one, and a CEFC director sits on the very Foreign Investment Review Board that was supposed to assess it independently. Tasmanian farmers cannot compete against their own government. “Our community survey found 99 per cent of respondents opposed this sale. Dorset Council has warned it creates an unfair playing field for local farmers and puts regional dairy pick-up runs and beef processing jobs at risk. Coalition members from Senator Colbeck to Senator Askew to Shadow Agriculture Minister Darren Chester have all raised the alarm. The only people who seem untroubled by any of this are the ones who signed off on it.” Mr Cox said TasFarmers would now demand the public release of the full FIRB assessment and financing arrangements behind the sale, and called on the Government to explain what safeguards, if any, were applied. “Tasmanian farmers deserve transparency, not a sneaky decision snuck out the back door during the winter recess. We will be pursuing this through every avenue available, including calling for a parliamentary inquiry into how a foreign carbon-forestry fund was allowed to outbid Australian farmers for our largest and most productive farm.” “TasFarmers and local interested parties and politicians have reached out over and over again to our federal Agricultural Minister, FIRB, and the Treasurer only to be stonewalled by meaningless responses. “For something that is so important, these responses and today’s announcement demonstrate the Treasurer did not have the national interest at heart, and that ideology drove this decision”.

The post Tasmanian farmers unhappy with Rushy Lagoon decision appeared first on Timberbiz.