The Indonesian government has revoked 3 million ha forest permits in a press statement Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the government has revoked 192 forestry sector permits covering an area of 3,126,439 hectares because companies that have the permits have not carried out

Japan’s Sumitomo Forestry Co and Kyoto University plan to send samples of wooden material to the International Space Station to conduct experiments on their practicality for use in spacecraft engineering. Source: Taipei Times Their aim is to launch the world’s first wooden satellite n

Cambodia begins the new year as the first nation in Southeast Asia to publish a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The roadmap, known officially as a “Long-term strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN)” was submitted to the United Nations Convention on Climate Chang

Despite a record number of consents for new homes issued last year in New Zealand, construction could still be delayed due to lack of workers and materials, builders say. Source: RNZ There were 48,522 new homes consented in the year to November 2021. Building Industry Federation chief

A biological control agent for giant willow aphid has been identified and tested by Scion entomologists, approved and released in New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz Giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus), or GWA, was first reported in New Zealand in 2013. The aphids feed on willow sa

Omicron is playing havoc with some of Australia’s largest freight logistics providers which have been forced to introduce levies to cover the rising cost of pandemic-related staff shortages. Source: Sydney Morning Herald ASX-listed logistics giant Qube started charging its customers a

The ANZ World Commodity Price Index eased 0.2% in December as stronger prices for dairy, meat and aluminium were not sufficient to offset lower returns from the forestry and horticultural sectors. Sources: New Zealand Herald, Timberbiz The index still finished the year up 24% year-on-

The Victorian Liberal-Nationals Coalition leadership team is drafting legislation to block anti-logging activists using the courts to delay or halt native timber harvesting. Source: Weekly Times Former harvest and haulage contractor and Coalition assistant forestry spokesman Gary Blac

Forest and Wood Communities Australia wants the Andrews Government to close the loophole in the Sustainable Forests Act which has enabled activist vigilantes to devastate the livelihoods of regional Victorians. Source: Timberbiz Unlike the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Section 347)