Ric Sinclair
Members and other stakeholders have embraced FWPA’s recently established Interest Groups industry engagement structure, with over 480 people becoming involved and 33 groups formed to date, exploring topics as diverse as bioenergy, bushfire tools and building standards. Source: Timberbiz
Under FWPA’s new industry engagement model, members and non-member stakeholders have the opportunity to be involved in the new Interest Groups.
The groups are made up of people from across the industry identifying a common issue – whether that be region, species or product-specific.
Going forward, they will improve collaboration and develop investment proposals to help advance industry through research, market development or other joint activities.
After contact with more than 2000 members and stakeholders, calling for participation, almost 480 responses were received and a total of 33 Interest Groups were established.
FWPA Managing Director Ric Sinclair thanked everyone involved.
“If any of the groups are of interest to you, I’d encourage you to join – with the exception of a handful of statistics groups, the groups are open to all – and we’d welcome your participation,” he said.
Each of the Interest Groups falls under one of FWPA’s five strategic priorities:
Promoting the advantages of wood products
- Native forest management social licence;
- Timber framing versus other materials;
- Industry careers;
- Marketing and promotions; and
- ForestLearning curricula program.
Aligning products to market needs
- Cladding (including mid-rise applications);
- Building standards and codes;
- Design for assembly/prefabrication;
- New generation timber framing;
- Durability advisory group/standards;
- Industry standards; and
- Safe alternatives to methyl bromide treatments.
Assisting value chain optimisation
- Harvester head data use;
- Resistograph technology;
- Log scanner code of practice;
- Small log processing program;
- Supply chain optimisation – strategic level;
- Bioenergy and biomaterials; and
- Enhance harvesting systems/harvesting heads.
Increasing resource availability and reducing risk
- Estate modelling and planning;
- Forest industry herbicide research consortium;
- Bushfire tools; Genetics and tree improvement;
- Water use and access; and
- Forest valuation methodologies including proposed Timberland index.
Impacting decision making and industry capability
- Hardwood statistics series (limited to contributing companies at this stage);
- Softwood statistics series (limited to contributing companies at this stage);
- Forest statistics series (limited to contributing companies at this stage);
- Industry statistics and economics;
- Regional and collaborative leadership;
- Natural capital accounting;
- Socio-economic impacts of the sector; and
- Market analysis and forecasting.
