The 2020 Forest Industry Awards and Gala Dinner has been deferred due to the national COVID-19 crisis. The awards and dinner were scheduled to be held in June at Parliament House in Canberra, but AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said with the restrictions on social gatherings and movements for a

The bushfires royal commission has delayed its opening hearing as coronavirus restrictions force a move to virtual meetings. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements and the separate state bushfire inquiries have suspended face-to-face meetings with fire-affect

Some ecologists and conservationists, opposed to timber harvesting, are trying to use bushfire disasters as a lever to stop native forest harvesting, but their case is based on opinion, beliefs and selective science. Sources: Hon Assoc Prof Kevin Tolhurst AM, Fire Ecology and Manageme

Last week, a disparate group of 19 scientists presented an ‘open letter’ to the Parliament of Australia calling for an immediate nationwide cessation of all native forest timber production as a response “to the climate, fire, drought and biodiversity loss crises̶

If a week is a long time in politics, then 24 hours is an even longer time in a world effectively shut down by COVID-19. There is the occasional trickle of good news, but that is rare. This current crisis comes on the heels of the devastating bushfires during December and January and

Resolute Forest Products provided an update on the impact of the COVID-19 situation to its business. The company expects to continue to operate in all of its business segments – pulp, tissue, wood products and paper – in Canada and the United States. But the company expects to take ce

Last week US President Trump signed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” into law. The provisions of the bill will go into effect on 2 April 2020. This legislation is designed to protect families and workers hit by the spreading coronavirus. Included in the package were sever

Just months ago, Americans watched cautiously from a distance as the COVID-19 contagion caused a nearly unimaginable scenario by upending China’s entire economy and social structure. It seemed like a situation right out of a dystopian movie set; something both fantastical and horrifyi

Building sites have been deemed essential activities by the Federal Government and spared from the tight restrictions placed on restaurants, pubs, clubs, cinemas and other non-essential businesses. Source: Timberbiz However, while business continues as usual, some in the industry are