The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has released its annual report for the 2017/2018 year and in it  Chief Executive Officer Ross Hampton said the association has had a strong year, growing in membership, capacity, capability and influence. Source: Timberbiz He said that

Robots are likely to have a bigger role in timber processing as they take over work that is dirty, dangerous or difficult. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz That was a key message of Troy Krogh, regional director of Scott Automation & Robotics, to the WoodTech conference in Melbourn

Australia’s renewable timber and wood-fibre industry will be better prepared for future challenges and opportunities with the support of the Australian Government’s National Forest Industries Plan – Growing a better Australia. Source: Timberbiz Minister for Agriculture and Water Resou

The new owner of Nelson Forests OneFortyOne (OFO) has marked the settlement of its purchase with the announcement of two significant new initiatives – the establishment of a substantial fund for sedimentation research and a school leaver program that will provide trade apprenticeships

The Australian Forest Products Association SA Branch (AFPA SA) has welcomed the forest industries measures announced in the South Australian State Budget. Source: Timberbiz “It’s great to see that the SA Government has heeded the advice of AFPA SA provided during the state election ca

Timberlink has approved a $100 million upgrade program to its Australian sawmills. This generational investment will see the total processing capacity of the Australasian sawmilling company increase by more than 15%. Source: Timberbiz The investment will secure more than 1350 direct a

After the Federal government’s recent political spill a change has come that will certainly be welcomed by most of the forestry industry as well as Tasmanians. Richard Colbeck has been given the portfolio of Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources assuming responsibilit

Australia’s ‘new look’ government is due to launch the National Forest Industries Plan in September 2018. The plan is to be released by the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Senator Anne Ruston, who remains responsible for forestry.  Source: Timberbiz The developm

A new pilot program has been launched by Weathertex and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to understand the chemical changes that take place during the production of external timber cladding. Sources: FWPA, Timberbiz A collaboration between industry and academia, the intended

A recent article in ‘The Age’ shows how easy it is for the mainstream media to feed negative perceptions about the native forest industry, according to forestry writer and consultant, Mark Poynter. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz Mr Poynter, in an address to the National Timber Counci

The federal Labor Party has promised a forestry plan that emphasises science over environmental hysteria, and includes carbon farming and bioenergy as chief ways for the sector to fight climate change. Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz “Labor’s principle – it has to be informed by the fact

OneFortyOne Plantations(OFO) is consolidating its position as a new vertically integrated company, including potentially using bioenergy as it maps future growth in Australia and New Zealand. Source: Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz The company’s executive general manger – forestry,

A multi million dollar court action seeking damages from building products giant Carter Holt Harvey has been filed at the Auckland High Court. Sources: Newshub, Stuff NZ It is seeking at least NZ$40 million in damages on behalf of owners of properties constructed with Shadowclad. Shad

About 60,000 tonnes of plantation pine residue is up for grabs over two years in Western Australia. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz The WA Government has let a tender for the product, with the successful bidder or bidders expected to be announced this month. WA’s Forest Products Commi

The Federal and State Governments must learn from the Greek fire tragedy before we experience another Black Saturday bushfire in Australia. That is the stark warning from the Institute of Foresters of Australia. Source: Timberbiz and IFA Bob Gordon, National President of the Institute

Forests cover almost one-third of the world’s land area and over one billion people rely on them for their livelihoods. Source: Steve Nicholson, director of sustainability at Solaris Paper As of March 2017, nearly 450 companies had made 760 commitments to curb forest destruction in su

LINX Cargo Care Group, and its subsidiary C3 Limited, has been successful in its bid to acquire Pedersen Group, a market leading provider of wood chipping and wood yard management services to pulp and paper mills, and forest owners in Australia and New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz Peder

Leadbeater’s Possum (LP) should retain its status as “critically endangered” but more information and research is needed to finalise this designation, according to a federal government scientific body. Source: Phillip Hopkins for Timberbiz Future bushfires, triggered considerably by c

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) is launching a $10 million plan to turbo-charge forest industries in Tasmania, and specifically in the federal electorate of Braddon, ahead of the July 28 by-election poll. Source: Timberbiz “Forest industries are incredibly important

Bushfire policy, the nature of conservation and the implications for the timber industry form the key themes of a new book on native forestry. “Going ‘Green’: Forests, Fire and a Flawed Conservation Culture”, by forestry expert Mark Poynter was launched in Melbourne last Friday. Mr Po

Opportunities for Southern Tasmania – a private forestry forum for landowners, foresters, processors and land-use managers will be held at the Royal Hobart Showground, Glenorchy on 8 August. Source: Timberbiz The forum, from 6-9.30pm, will be addressed by keynote speaker Guy Barnett,

The controversy surrounding the harvesting of a coupe at a traditional timber town, Noojee in West Gippsland, highlights the issues facing the native forest industry. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz. A full hearing of the Federal Court, likely in February, will hear a claim by the Fri

A new online platform called AREMI identifies the location, availability and volume of biomass, and has been flagged as a pivotal tool to boost investment in Australia’s renewable energy sector. Source: Timberbiz Businesses and investors now have access to a data-rich platform which m

American group The Conservation Fund, which combines protecting forests and creating jobs in partnership with business, offers a model that Australia could follow. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz That was the key message of the Vice-President of The Conservation Fund, Robin Murphy, in

Australia now has the third highest number of tall buildings in the world made from wood. More than 50 buildings in Australia have been built from engineered timber in the past five years, with Australia now having the third highest number of tall buildings in the world made from wood

The Australian and Tasmanian governments are supporting advances in a sustainable and productive forestry industry with wood product innovation they hope will grow the sector. Source: Timberbiz Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Anne Ruston, and Tasmanian

The Victorian Association of Forest Industries Annual Dinner will be held on 19 October at the RACV Club, Melbourne. Source: Timberbiz One of the premier events for the state’s forest and wood products industry and of particular significance with 2018 being a state election year, the

Australia-based forestry company New Forests will use landmark Australian genetic technology to boost productivity in its tropical eucalyptus plantations. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz New Forests has forged a partnership with Gondwana Genomics, a private company founded in 2014 wit

Australia’s housing approvals surged in March, rising 9.2% compared with February, totalling 19,452 separate approvals. While the monthly data was positive, the big stories are that free-standing house approvals are still growing and Victoria’s approvals remain at record levels. Sourc

The new National Institute of Forest Products Innovation has kicked into gear in South Australia, with an inaugural meeting of its industry-driven advisory committee electing Tammy Auld as Chair and planning a workshop to discuss the research priorities and strategy with all intereste

Representatives from the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and the National Farmers Federation (NFF), including AFPA Chair Greg McCormack and NFF President Fiona Simson visited New Zealand to examine farm forestry operations near Rotorua. Source: Timberbiz The joint delega

513,811 bdmt – projected woodchip exports from Australia in April 2018, measured in bone dry metric tonnes, based on IndustryEdge’s unique vessel tracking and analysis -$23.03/m3 – the February 2018 discount for softwood log exports that were <15 cm diameter. Their exports averaged

Institutional investors, superannuation funds and trusts are a likely source of funds for a new venture by universities and industry that aims to establish tree plantations to meet Australia’s growing demand for wood. Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz The immediate focus is on Gippsland an

The Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI), has thrown its support behind its members’ drive to extend their contracts with VicForests, the state government’s commercial forestry arm. From Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz Tim Johnston, the chief executive of VAFI said processor

Six Gippsland sawmills have renewed pressure on the Victorian Government, urging Premier Daniel Andrews in an Open Letter to save jobs, protect regional communities and return confidence to the timber industry. Source: Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz The G6, as the new group calls itself

448,686m3 – Australia’s log exports in February 2018, dominated by 403,136m3 of softwood logs AUD14.895 million – the value of dressed sawn softwood imports to New South Wales in February 2018, on a free-on-board basis 12.4% – growth in the value of timber windows imported to Australi

VicForests said that it respected the sentiments of South Gippsland Shire Council, that voted against native timber harvesting in Mirboo North.  “We urge the Council and the community to continue talking with us,” Alex Messina, VicForests General Manager Corporate Affairs said.  “Ther

Australia’s woodchip exports totalled 580,785 bone dry metric tonnes (bdmt) in February 2018, with hardwood chips at 494,345 (bdmt). Softwood chips continued their recent strength, totalling 86,440 bdmt. Source: IndustryEdge, Timberbiz Latest data analysed for the Australian industry

Landscape-scale forest planning and security of supply are key demands of the Victorian forestry industry for the next generation of the 20-year regional forest agreements (RFAs). By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz All five Victorian RFAs, which are to be finalised by March 2020, must re

Victoria’s forest industry jobs and the environment have been assured certainty with the Australian and Victorian governments extending the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) for East Gippsland, Central Highlands and the North-East regions. Source: Timberbiz The extension of the three

Australia’s forestry industry is finding it difficult to attract qualified or experienced people to work in this interesting and rewarding sector. Source: Timberbiz This is despite the fact that Australia’s forest industry is a dynamic and sustainable provider of regional employment,

Year-on-year, Japan’s June imports of wooden kitchen furniture were up 12% but flat compared with the value of June imports while imports of wooden office furniture were down. Sources: Timberbiz, Lesprom As has been the case since the beginning of 2018, three suppliers accounted for m

Based on last year’s success, Stora Enso has announced a second Accelerator program in partnership with Aalto ENT and Vertical Accelerator. For startups, the program brings new opportunities as well as unprecedented access to Stora Enso talents and leadership, working side-by-side for

The latest addition to Swedish logging company WNK Skogsgallring’s collection of forest machinery is a brand new Ponsse Elephant forwarder, equipped with eight Twin Forestry T480 tyres. Source: Timberbiz When fully loaded with timber, the vehicle weighs 45 tonnes. With such a heavy ma

Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers’ (KIPT) annual report was released recently and the company has said that it was issued without any qualification or emphasis from the auditor. KIPT is a publicly listed company. Source: Timberbiz In a media statement KIPT said that its conservative

The largest ever New Zealand forest industry delegation to China’s showcase Global Wood Trade Conference has made the case for more investment in New Zealand forestry and timber processing. Source: Timberbiz Forest Owners Association President, Peter Weir told delegates at Chong

Funding of NZ$5.9 million will be given to landowners nationwide to plant 4574 hectares of trees under Te Uru Rākau’s (Forestry New Zealand’s) Afforestation Grants Scheme (AGS). Source: Timberbiz Eighty-three applications were approved in the 2018 round, with 2788 hectares being

Normally the trucks leaving OneFortyOne’s Jubilee Highway Sawmill are loaded with crates of timber for building houses. However, the sawmill team has recently dispatched two crates of donated goods to help farming families in drought-stricken NSW.  Source: Timberbiz OFO’s Maree Little

Every month, IndustryEdge publishes Wood Market Edge, Australia’s only forestry and wood products market and trade analysis, and supplies its customers with hundreds of unique data products, advisory and consulting services. Find out more at www.industryedge.com.au 608,599 bdmt – Aust

Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) is developing opportunities to improve the way industry statistics are collected in a number of key areas, such as safety. Source: Timberbiz A specific data-sharing portal has been established for the aggregation of safety data and FWPA is p