“I’ve been involved in events like this for many years, all over the world and AUSTimber 2012 is the best I have experienced.” That quote from Robert Sanders, Market Development Engineer/Demo Operator, Caterpillar, summed it all up for the four-yearly feature event of the forest and timber industry, held on a specially designed site about 22km from Mount Gambier (the forestry capital of South Australia). Source: Timberman
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With the accommodation, spending and general visibility of AUSTimber attendees in Mt Gambier and the surrounding district, local people were impressed with the size of the event and the geographic extent of the industry and its participants. In fact, it was estimated the event was worth more than $12 million to the region.
Dozens of others were also high in praise of the event that “had it all”.
The specially laid out forest walk through the huge array of specialist forest machines gave a close-up insight for many who had never seen such forestry work before and it gave others a chance to see what the opposition was up to. Every facet of work was covered.
Organisers should be commended on the ease of access to virtually all areas, and to those who exhibited in the pavilions there seemed to be an almost never-ending stream of people checking out the services on offer.
The special biofuel and bioenergy section attracted a great deal of interest.
Right from the outset, the AUSTimber 2012 site was a hive of activity and the pace didn’t slacken off until the final bell.
The AFCA executive was pleased and proud of how AUSTimber panned out. AFCA manager David Drane said feedback had been very positive. “All of the machinery suppliers were extremely pleased with the layout of the forest walk and they were able to display their equipment working in a real forest environment.
“Undoubtedly all of the recognition of the success of the event needs to go to AUSTimber general manager David Quill and his team who worked so hard both in the lead up to and during the event.
“Added to the expo, the “Precision Forestry” conference, Contractors Hall of Fame induction dinner and the AUSTimber Welcome Dinner which attracted 650 people and raised $50,000 for charity, all contributed to a very busy few days in Mt Gambier,” said Quill.
The AFCA Board is expecting to be presented with an in-depth report on the whole event sometime during May and will subsequently make decisions on its future delivery.
