Issue 161

6494

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issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 1

Watertight cover in flood recovery

This Issue • Push for tougher anti-dumping laws • Floods could bring change in house designs

Timber trader back in business as plant and equipment are replaced

equipment – almost a total write-off.

Managing director Skene Finlayson said a watertight insurance cover had quickly put the business back on track within seven days, saving jobs and creating cash flows, even before the last mound of wet sludge was scraped from the timber yard.

“The insurers were very proactive; within a week we had our first progress payment and just a week later we received another substantial payment,” he said.

By JIM BOWDEN

Flood ravaged .. timber stocks will be replaced at Finlaysons timber yard in Brisbane.

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AS insurers prepare to pay out more than $2 billion for damage caused by floods and cyclones in Queensland – and the media chooses to highlight disputes over claims by victims – a good news story has surfaced for one of the state’s longestestablished timber traders.

Fourth generation timber merchant Finlaysons was one of the hardest hit in the Brisbane floods. The company’s state-ofthe-art joinery factory on 1.2 ha at Sumner Park was covered by up to 3 m of water which flowed through sheds and covered all moulders, joinery plant and

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issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

The Victorian Association of Forest Industries, representing the interests of the Victorian timber Industry

Victorian Association of Forest Industries Level 2, 2 Market Street Melbourne 3000 Tel: +61 3 9611 9000 Fax: +61 3 9611 9011 Email: info@vafi.org.au Web: www.vafi.org.au

Page 2 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

TRUST Unions push for TABMA if you tougher laws on want .. dumped imports

On the unions hit-list .. cheap imports from China.

Apprentices, trainees or cadets

IMPORTED wood products trading unfairly on the Australian market could be caught in an anti-dumping net proposed by trade unions, the general manger of the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia Simon Dorries said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under pressure to halt a flood of potentially dumped Chinese imports amid warnings that up to a million jobs are at risk.

Three powerful union leaders have called for tough “antidumping” laws to prevent China selling below-cost goods in Australia.

Mr Dorries said the engineered wood industry had sought unsuccessfully two years ago to seek anti-dumping action against Brazil and China “Customs authorities ruled there was dumping of some wood products from China but took the position that its effects were immaterial to the local manufacturers,” Mr Dorries said.

“Sure the volumes of wood products from China are not

Short or long-term staff recruitment OH&S training and independent audits WHS training and information Debtors control and collection Membership services Paul Howes .. call for tough antidumping laws.

huge, perhaps 5% of the market share here, but there is no doubt that the intention has been to drag down prices.”

Launching a public campaign last week, the Australian Workers Union, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and Construction, Forestry and Mining Union called for an overhaul of anti-dumping laws.

“We shouldn’t allow the Chinese government to dictate how our economy is run,” AWU national secretary Paul Howes said.

Contact us on Sydney – (02) 9277 3100 Adelaide – 0407 102 244 Perth – 0414 908 465 Brisbane – (07) 3254 3166 Hobart – 0407 102 244

www.tabma.com.au

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FLOOD REBUILD

Business, jobs back on track within seven days

From Page 1

An agreement was given to Finlaysons to replace equipment which included the mouldings plant, laser cutters and planers.

Also, a substantial claim on timber stocks was processed last Friday.

Scott Hastings, managing director of Austbrokers Premier Pty Ltd, which set up the insurance policy for Finlaysons through Vero Insurance [a subsidiary of SuncorpMetway], said the insurers, the insured and the loss adjusters had worked well together to produce a good outcome.

“This is a great, positive story about the benefits of a sound comprehensive insurance policy and about a company’s

Skene Finlayson .. business back on track.

survival after a natural disaster – and there are a lot more of them out there,” Mr Hastings said.

“We had the chief executive of Suncorp and his claims officer in Finlayson’s offices within a

week after the floods hit. They discussed the impacts of the flood with company chairman Mal Finlayson and his sons Skene and Michael and it was smooth running from there.”

The quick processing of the claims also allowed continuation of operations of the Finlayson pine mill at Yarraman where production work and jobs are totally reliant on the Sumner Park facility.

The drafting of the insurance policy took into account all aspects of the Finlaysons business – the fact that the Yarraman pine mill is totally dependent on the Sumner Park operation and that there are interdependencies between the different divisions of the company that can impact heavily on all aspects of the business.

ForestWorks performs a range of industry wide functions acting as the channel between industry, Government and the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

Core services: • Skill Standards • Material Development

‘Companies need to be sure they are getting the right responses from their insurance policy which is, in fact, a legal contract between the insured and the insurer, and that they make sure everything in the policy is delivered to them’ – Scott Hastings

• Networks • Strategic Skills Planning • Project Management • Data Collection • Research • Industry Advice • Career Advice

“The Finlaysons case shows that companies need to be sure they are getting the right responses from their insurance policy which is, in fact, a legal contract between the insured and the insurer, and that they make sure everything in the policy is delivered to them,” Mr Hastings said.

Meanwhile, John Titmarsh of Gill and Co has scotched rumours that the company’s timber yard at Rocklea is to close after it was inundated by flood waters.

Buildings collapsed in the yards as timber packs floated

• Adult Learning Expertise

VICTORIA PO Box 612, North Melbourne 3051 Tel: (03)9321 3500 Email: forestworks@forestworks.com.au NEW SOUTH WALES PO Box 486, Parramatta 2124 Tel: (02)8898 6990 Email: smukherjee@forestworks.com.au TASMANIA PO Box 2146, Launceston 7250 Tel: (03)6331 6077 Email: wfoss@forestworks.com.au BRISBANE PO Box 2014 Fortitude Valley 4006 Tel: (07)3358 5169 Email: bharle@forestworks.com.au

Cont Page 10

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issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 3

industry news

Floods could ‘lift’ future design of houses to new level of technology Is this the end of the single-storey low-set home?

A DRAMATIC change in house design is likely as Queensland’s new reconstruction authority faces a $6 million repair bill after floods and a cyclone rendered three-quarters of the state a disaster zone.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority will have wide-ranging powers to declare designated reconstruction areas where rebuilding can be fast-tracked. It will have the ability to intervene in building approvals which will impact on future house design in flood-prone areas.

The Premier Anna Bligh will oversee the disaster recovery effort as minister for reconstruction.

“The authority will work

Systems-built construction .. creating the entire house on a factory line in modular forms.

Dr Peter Skinner .. the case for multi-storey buildings.

together with local government to expedite reconstruction works in the first instance,” Ms Bligh said.

Architects and design engineers

Dr Peter Skinner, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland’s School of

will work with the new authority on how high-tech building methods can ‘lift’ house construction up and away from severe weather events.

Cont Page 6

TimTech Chemicals!

The locally owned company that brought competition back into the Australasian market is 10 years old.

A big thank you to the Australasian timber industry for your support over the last 10 years!

When we started in 2001 the big boys didn't want us in their cosy market and pulled a few dirty tricks. Fortunately they failed to get rid of us. It hasn’t been easy, but thanks to our loyal customers, our great team and innovative technology TimTech is still growing.

TimTech is 10 years old, better and stronger, with patented technology, top people and excellent service.

TimTech.... Still putting Values and Value into timber protection on both sides of the Tasman.

Page 4 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

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events

WHAT’S ON? MARCH 4-5: Forest Industry Engineering Association Residues to Revenues Conference (incorporating Green Energy Expo), Bayview Eden Hotel, 6 Queens RoadMelbourne.

Call 1800 126 398 to register or www.woodresiduesevents.com 22-24: Domotex Asia-China Floor Fair. Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China.

Leading world fair for floor coverings provides a complete overview of the Asian and global market. Showcases a wide array of high quality products. Contacts: Australia – Terry J. Newman Pty Ltd, PO Box 4091, Manuka ACT 2603. Tel: 61 2 6100 8698. Mob: 61 409 407 877. China – Ecquality Timber Products Co. Ltd, Building 1, Balidian Industrial Zone, Balidian Town Wuxing District, Huzhou City.

Zhejiang Province, China. Tel: 86572-228-3097, 86-572-228-3098. www.ecqualitytimber.com 30-31: Residues to Revenues.

Technologies to improve wood wastes utilisation. Rotorua, NZ. Visit www.fiea.com.nz

APRIL 4-5: Residues to Revenues.

Technologies to improve wood wastes utilisation. Melbourne. Visit www.fiea.com.nz 5-7 Dubai Woodshow. The premier wood and woodworking machinery show in the Middle East. National supply groups from France, Malaysia and other Asian countries and USA are exhibiting, as well as key regional distributors

such as Chabros and Al Nibras, major machinery suppliers from Germany and Italy including Homag and Biesse among others and specialist surfaces producers such as Danzer and Schattdecor AG. Registration information www.dubaiwoodshow.com Contact: Strategic Marketing and Exhibitions. Tel: + 971 4 28 29 299. Fax: + 971 4 28 28 767. Email : sales@dubaiwoodshow.com / amiri@strategic.ae 8: South Eastern Australia 2011 Farm Forestry and Firewood Expo, Bendigo, Vic. City of Greater Bendigo’s Huntly plantation, north of Bendigo.

NORTHERN United Forestry Group (NUFG) - a not-for-profit community group with a focus on growing trees for sawlogs and firewood - will host the expo at the Huntly plantation, north of Bendigo.

Some trees (all hardwoods) within the Huntly plantation that need to be thinned will be available for demonstration purposes. Contact: Mal Brown, Northern United Forestry Group. Tel: (03) 54352588.

Mob: 0419 108 817.

MAY May 21-June 5: Forest biomass four-nation industry study tour.

New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Finland. Includes LIGNA Hannover Wood Fair, Germany.

Email: francip@optusnet.com.au 25: Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) and New Zealand Institute of Forestry Conference (ANZIF 2011). Auckland NZ. Theme: ‘Pacific Forestry’. Visit www.anzifconference.co.nz

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30-June 3: LIGNA Hannover Wood Fair.

25-June 4: LIGNA industry tour (Germany, Italy, Austria).

JUNE 15-17: SawTECH 2011. Sawing technologies to improve mill performance. Brisbane. Visit www. fiea.com.nz 21-23: SawTECH 2011. Sawing technologies to improve mill performance. Rotorua, NZ. Visit www.fiea.com.nz

JULY 13-14: Carbon Forestry 2011.

Key investment drivers and future business opportunities. Auckland, NZ. Visit www.fiea.com.nz

SEPTEMBER 5-7: NZ Forest Industries Expo 2011. Venue: Rotorua Energy Events Centre, Rotorua. Forest industry leaders and companies from across the world are booking their tickets to participate in the expo (FI2011) and make the most of the 2011 Rugby World Cup while they’re there. Exhibition sites have already been booked by a number of NZ and Australian companies, and inquiries being received from Canada, China, Vietnam and Austria. The expo will showcase the best that Rotorua, the wider Bay of Plenty region and the rest of New Zealand has to offer when it comes to forestry and wood products. Contact: Dell Bawden.

Tel: +64 73627865. Mob: +64 274745485. Email: office@bawden.co.nz Website site: fi2010.co.nz

SUSTAINABLE. RESPONSIBLE. The National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) is striving for an ecologically sustainable Australian society achieved through dynamic, internationally competitive forest industries.

NAFI’s mission is to represent the interests of members by promoting the environmental sustainability and the prosperity of Australian forest industries.

National Association of Forest Industries Ltd (Est. 1987) PO Box 239, Deakin ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6285 3833.

Fax: (02) 6285 3855 Web: www.nafi.com.au

issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Off-site assembly shapes new-look building industry From Page 4

Architecture, says the singlestorey house is coming to an end.

He’s pushing for tall, multistorey, narrow houses with a northerly orientation.

These raised Amsterdam canal-style houses would have environmental and practical benefits by occupying less land and exposing tropical rooms to cooling cross-ventilation.

“It’s something I’ve been promoting for a long time here in Brisbane and I think the floods could give it an impetus,” Dr Skinner says.

“In a multi-storey dwelling – say four or five floors – residents could stay on site and move belongings to a higher elevation if floodwaters threaten.”

To make this happen, though, he says height limits (8.5m for residential dwellings in Brisbane) need to be either altered or, preferably, abolished.

“My view is that there should be no height limit. I would really limit site coverage rather than height. I think 30% building coverage on a site would be good.”

The timber industry is already presenting ideas to state building authorities and town planners that include systemsbuilt construction where the entire house is created on a factory line in modular forms and shifted to building sites.

Taking a cue from the automotive industry, the systems-built concept greatly reduces overall build time while increasing construction quality and build consistency.

Already commonplace in areas such as Europe and Dubai, systems-built homes are assembled in a climate-

Page 6 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

Ray O’Rourke .. Japanese robotic technology.

controlled factory and consist of anywhere from four to 10 or more modules. These are transported to a job site 7090% complete. Once the home reaches the job site, the modules are lifted onto the home’s foundation by crane.

A finish crew then completes the home by tying in the roof sections, siding and interior finish. After the home is set, additional features such as garages, porches and decks are completed.

In the UK, offsite manufacturers are making bold steps to infiltrate the house building sector as the industry struggles to make efficiencies in the wake of government spending cuts.

Richard Ogden, chairman of trade body Build Offsite, says off-site manufacture is already shaping the new-look house building industry.

“New people are coming into the market inspired by the opportunities in housing.

These are people we would not consider regular house builders that are preparing to storm the market,” he said.

Meanwhile, Laing O’Rourke, one of the world’s largest Cont Page 7

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industry news

Timber rebuild option in Christchurch From Page 6

construction companies with offices across Australia, the UK, Southeast Asia and the United Arab Emirates and a managed turnover of $7 billion a year, is hatching plans to launch a housing manufacturing business that will use Japanese robotic technology.

The firm has been examining the use of modular housing for several years, but any decision to invest in a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant will depend on the company’s confidence in demand for the products.

The chairman of Laing O’Rourke Ray O’Rourke was impressed by the output of a plant run by Sekisui Heim when he visited Japan in 2006.

“This employs about 450 people, generates sales of £2.1 billion and is the system we want to bring to the UK,” he said It is based on a timber and steelframe system that produces actual rooms, rather than flatpack kits, and is a more highly automated production method than any presently in production.

It is only used on a tiny scale in the UK. The manufacturing of standardsized bathroom and kitchen ‘pods’ to slot into so-called cookie-cutter designs for purpose-built flats and public buildings has benefited in recent years from the large number of public-private partnership initiatives to build hospitals and student accommodation and this concept is being transferred to domestic housing.

[Ray O’Rourke was in Townsville last year to mark the opening of Laing O’Rourke’s North Queensland office].

In New Zealand, the construction industry is seriously considering timber as a rebuilding option after the Christchurch earthquake, even for multi-storey buildings.

In the city, where brick and stone lie in ruins, neighbouring timber buildings stand largely unaffected.

Professor Andy Buchanan of

Factory construction .. taking a cue from the automotive industry.

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Canterbury University says new engineering techniques allowing multi-storey buildings to be constructed of wood can mean buildings surviving major earthquakes with very little damage.

“Because of its weight to strength advantage combined with its natural flexibility, timber buildings can perform just as well as concrete or steel buildings,” he says.

While he believes well designed steel and reinforced concrete buildings can perform well, in contrast New Zealand engineers have long known the dangers of un-reinforced masonry.

issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 7

passages

Revered industry figure had distinguished military career

Death of Harold Marshall has broken strong link with state’s timber history A STRONG link in the chain of timber history in Queensland was broken on February 11 with the death in Maryborough of revered industry identity Harold Walter (Hal) Marshall, 87.

Born in Tasmania, Mr Marshall was best known in industry for his service to Maryborough timber company Wilson Hart & Co Ltd. He was appointed company secretary in 1965 and general manger in 1975, a position he held until 1981.

Like many public companies, when they became profitable and had valuable reserves they were subject to takeovers.

In Mr Marshall’s words: “We withstood the first takeover by a Sydney company but in 1978 we were acquired by Carricks

Page 8 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

Harold Marshall .. service to industry and the military.

Ltd and I was transferred to Brisbane head office as general manager of the timber division of Wilson Hart. In 1978 I was appointed manager of management services which was really a trouble shooter

for anything that went wrong between Cairns and Melbourne in mills, hardware, furniture, engineered products, bricks, electric poles, timber yards or plywood mills”.

Under his management, the company was introduced to engineered wood products, timber lamination, brick manufacture and house building. His career with the firm took him to many countries including New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Egypt.

A distinguished military career began when Mr Marshall at the age of 18 joined the Army after leaving high school. He was competent in all army training including motorbikes (Don R) and tracked units (Bren gun carriers and tanks).

He trained at the Canungra (Qld) commando training centre, returning to the 1st Australia Parachute Battalion at Mareeba. He was a member of the Z Special Unit, also known as Z Force or the Services Reconnaissance Department, a joint allied special forces unit formed during World War 2 to operate behind Japanese lines in southeast Asia.

Predominantly Australian, Z Force was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that included British, Dutch,

New Zealand, Timorese and Indonesian trained personnel operating predominantly on Borneo and the islands of the former Netherlands East Indies.

The unit carried out a total of 81 covert operations in the South West Pacific theatre, with parties inserted by parachute or submarine to provide intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare.

He met his wife, Helen (‘Betty’) during his military training at Mareeba and married her on Australia Day 1946.

After the war, and before joining Wilson Hart, Mr Marshall worked as a finance clerk with one of Tasmania’s largest cooperatives, the Duck River Butter Factory. Four years later he moved to Brisbane to work for Shell as a department officer, returning four years later to Duck River as accountant where he remained for the next 12 years.

Since his retirement in 1982, Mr Marshall enjoyed golf and fishing and attending TAFE courses to update his accountancy skills. Rotary was one of the loves of his life and he was a 100% attendee for 30 years passing through most of the offices of that order.

In his own eulogy, Mr Marshall wrote: “As I now lay beneath the Australian flag I feel proud of the honour because I was no hero but I was a soldier who walked with heroes.

“Now the Great Architect of the Universe has called and I must go. To all my friends and acquaintances I say goodbye”.

Harold Marshall is survived by his wife Helen, daughter Helen and her husband Tony Schmidt, son Brent and his wife Pam, six grandchildren and five great grand children. – JIM BOWDEN.

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events

NZ forum offers opportunities for carbon forestry A CARBON forestry forum in New Zealand in July – the first event of its type – will profile key investment drivers and future business opportunities in the sector.

The international event is being hosted by the Forest Industry Engineering Association on July 13 and 14.

For better or worse, New Zealand is leading from the front in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. It has taken the plunge by introducing a nation-wide mandatory carbon pricing scheme. To meet its obligations during the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period, New Zealand bought into an emissions trading scheme.

Timber & Forestry e-news is the most authoritative and quickest deliverer of news and special features to the forest and forest products industries in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Weekly distribution is over 6,400 copies, delivered every Monday. Advertising rates are the most competitive of any industry magazine in the region.

Timber&Forestry e-news hits your target market – every week, every Monday!

Henry Derwent

PUBLISHER Dennis Macready admin@industryenews.com.au CONSULTING EDITOR Jim Bowden Tel: +61 7 3256 1779 Mob: 0401 312 087 cancon@bigpond.net.au

‘The landscape is changing rapidly’ Forestry was the first sector to enter the ETS and a key feature of the scheme is the ability to generate and sell carbon credits into the international carbon market. There is growing recognition among the wider community of new business and investment opportunities for forest and land owners, investors and those wishing to get into the emerging market of carbon trading.

“The landscape is changing rapidly,” says FIEA director Brent Apthorp.

“Financial institutions are increasingly being asked for advice on how to get into and trade in the carbon market.

Corporate entities are also looking to acquire larger volumes of carbon credits to manage their long-term emissions liability.

“With this in mind, Carbon

HEAD OFFICE Custom Publishing Group Unit 2- 3986 Pacific Highway Loganholme 4129 Qld, Australia

Richard Stanton

Forestry 2011 has been set up to help answer key questions on carbon pricing, the operation of the carbon market and carbon forestry as a new asset class.”

International experts at the forum will include Henry Derwent, CEO, International Emissions Trading Association in Switzerland; Richard Stanton, CEO, A3P; Murali Kankasabi, managing director, Environmental Financial Products, USA, and a former vice-president of the Chicago Climate Exchange; and Anthony Hobley, global head of climate change and carbon finance for Norton Rose, Australia.

Further details on the event and programme can be found on www.carbonforestryevents. com

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ADVERTISING Tel: +61 7 3256 1779 cancon@bigpond.net.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Leigh Macready production@industryenews.com.au

Opinions expressed on Timber & Forestry e news are not necessarily the opinions of the editor, publisher or staff. We do not accept responsibility for any damage resulting from inaccuracies in editorial or advertising.

The Publisher is therefore indemnified against all actions, suits, claims or damages resulting from content on this e news. Content cannot be reproduced without the prior consent of the Publisher- Custom Publishing Group.

issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 9

FLOOD REBUILD

Insurers likely to pay over $2.5bn for damage from Qld floods and cyclone From Page 3

and broke through the roofs and machinery and equipment, uninsured in the flood-pone area beside the Oxley Creek, were destroyed.

“We’re selling timber from the site already but it will be a big job of replacing plant and equipment. We only had power back on last Friday,” Mr Titmarsh said.

“We should be back in operation

by Easter, but in the meantime our main clients are being serviced from the Cleveland site.”

Australian insurers expect to pay out more than $2 billion for damage caused by Queensland floods while Cyclone Yasi could cost another $500 million, the Insurance Council of Australia says.

Floods do their worst at the Sumner Park wood processing facility of Finlaysons.

The floods killed at least 35 people, swamped 30,000 homes, shut mines and wiped out roads, rail lines and bridges in the state. The floods were followed by the massive Cyclone Yasi, which devastated forest plantations and sugar

and banana crops.

“I would expect we would be approaching a final figure in the next three months,” Karl Sullivan, the council’s general manager of risk and disaster told a parliamentary inquiry.

The latest damage estimates came as the northern city of Darwin was battered by a new category 1 cyclone, which drenched the city with flooding rain and which threatens to intensify as it moves to the west along the coast.

Mr Sullivan said insurance companies had so far received 43,000 claims for the Queensland floods and 30,000 claims for Yasi. Residents from the southern Queensland towns of Charleville and Roma are reporting difficulties getting their insurance claims paid.

Suncorp-Metway has a natural hazard allowance of $460 million and an aggregate reinsurance cover of $400 million if events over $10 million exceed $300 million.

Eucalyptus trees identified as carbon sinks WHICH came first, fire-tolerant plants or more fire-prone climates?

Researchers in Australia have evidence that a unique growth pattern that also happened to allow plants in the eucalyptus family to survive major fires evolved more than 50 million years earlier than previously

thought – before the world’s climate got hotter and drier in the earliest portion of the Paleogene period, between 60 and 62 million years ago.

As scientists predict climate shifts in the coming century, the Australian researchers suggest groves of eucalyptus trees might be the answer to carbon

sequestration in the Earth’s more arid regions as climate change makes forest fires more common.

Eucalyptus and related Myrtaceae plants are known for being able to recover from high intensity fires much better than other plants. In most woody plants, buds lie dormant

beneath the bark. In the eucalyptus family of plants, the buds are located deeper within the tree’s wood, protected by the full thickness of the bark.

That leaves them safe to resprout after fire has burned off the exterior branches in cases where other types of plants would be destroyed with nothing left to regenerate.

Be SURE about INSURANCE Trusted brokers to the timber industry since 1985

Tel: (07) 3010 1823 Mob: 0419 754 681

Page 10 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

Contact Alan Jones Email: alan.jones@premier.austbrokers.com (Licence No. 238123)

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FLOORING

Asia flooring market goes through the roof

Region consumes more timber each year than several countries can harvest: dramatic trends at Domotex fair

IN the near future Asia will not be able to meet its domestic demand for floor covering, it will consume more timber each year than several countries can harvest, and the balance of supply and demand will shift from the West to the East.

Spotting and acting on emerging trends is how companies take advantage of market opportunities. Major changes will profoundly reshape the global economy and by extension the floor covering industry in a surprisingly direct manner. This will be the focus of the Domotex Asia-China Floor Fair in Shanghai next month.

According to new research, more than 70 million people are joining the ranks of the middle class each year, virtually all in emerging countries.

Floor and more floors .. Asia’s market for floor coverings could eclipse the US hard surface floor sales by more than 25 billion square feet.

By the end of the decade the globe’s middle class will have doubled and emerging markets will no longer be suppliers of low-cost goods and services but will have evolved into powerful consuming

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economies, with huge demand for goods and services. Half of the world’s work force and half of the world’s new construction will take place in their emerging markets.

By the end of the decade,

54% of the world’s urban population will reside in Asia’s cities creating the largest work force ever known. Already Asia’s labour productivity is growing five times faster than in the West. By 2025, nearly 2.5 billion Asians will create an unprecedented shift in supply and demand for raw materials and finished products, not the least of which will be floor covering for the billions of square feet of new construction required to support the urbanisation.

If estimates are correct, Asia will add more than 30 billion square feet of new floor space a year to support its migrating populations.

Don’t give traders who rort the system a licence to sell wood that threatens the lives and livelihood of our workers.

Face the facts.

FACT: All EWPAA structural plywood and Type A bond exterior plywood have an emission class of E0 or E1 certified under a JAS-ANZ accredited system.

FACT: All EWPAA products have a 50-year durability guarantee and all EWPAA members carry liability insurance up to $10 million.

FACT: All EWPAA products can gain extra Green Star rating points – one for low formaldehyde emissions (E0 or E1) and one for super E0 in office fit out.

FACT: Not all imported LVL and plywood meet these requirements. In fact, laboratory tests show many imported products are continuously failing Australian standards for emissions and bonding strength and are life threatening.

FACT: Manufacturers, agents and suppliers trading in inferior quality, unlabelled and non-compliant plywood risk damage to their business, media exposure and high penalties under Australian law.

Don’t risk it.

Specify EWPAA products stamped with the approved certification.

Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia Plywood House, 3 Dunlop Street, 4006 Queensland Australia Tel: 61 7 3250 3700 Fax: 61 7 3252 4769. Email: inbox@ewp,asn,au Web: www.ewp.asn.au

issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 11

WATER RESEARCH

CSIRO measures forest plantation impact on catchment stream flows CSIRO has developed new tools to help government and industry water management agencies better estimate how forest plantations affect stream flows in local catchments.

Undertaken by a team of CSIRO scientists for the National Water Commission and Forest and Wood Products Australia, the project developed modelling tools to provide greater confidence in estimating the impact of new plantations on catchment stream flow.

Australia’s blueprint for water reform – the National Water Initiative (NWI) – recognises that a number of land-use change activities have the potential to intercept significant volumes of surface and/or groundwater now and in the future.

The commission commissioned CSIRO to develop tools that can be used by governments to meet their agreed interception commitments under the NWI and assess the impacts of large-scale forestry plantations on water availability.

The tools assist governments to identify threshold levels to trigger planning, management and/or regulatory measures to appropriately account for forestry plantation water use.

“Climate, vegetation, soil, geology and other features

Dr Matt Gilfedder .. plantation expansion has an impact on catchment stream flow.

CSIRO modelling tools will provide greater confidence in estimating the impact of new plantations on catchment stream flow.

can all combine to make a difference to how much water finally flows into streams,” says project team leader CSIRO’s Dr Mat Gilfedder.

Dr Gilfedder’s team focused initially on improving the confidence in the modelling approach by analysing measured data from 16

catchments around Australia.

“From this we were able to see that plantation expansion has had an impact on catchment stream flow,” Dr Gilfedder said.

The team also developed modelling tools that can account for variability in tree growth and management, such as planting date and location,

as part of a catchment water model. These tools can be used to help predict the variation in impact on catchment stream flows of changes in plantation area scenarios.

“The work gives us a better understanding of the impact that plantations can have on local and downstream water supplies, particularly how that impact is likely to vary depending on location within a catchment.”

The research will help forestry industry, water resource managers, catchment managers and government agencies to manage the impacts of plantations on water availability.

‘Heros’ champion career in forest industries

A NATIONAL industry careers advertising campaign aiming to increase awareness of the opportunities in the forest and wood products sector will be launched by Forest and Wood Products Australia next month.

Market research has shown that many people do not consider a career in the forest and wood products sector because they don’t know anything about it.

The campaign will showcase the diverse range of careers

Page 12 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

within the industry and how real people in real roles are making a difference to their community and to their own lives.

The campaign will focus on ‘five heros’ that include a leading hand, production scheduler, forest carbon specialist, regeneration forester and harvesting manager. These heroes will appear at domestic airport billboards and online as well as in airline magazines and national newspapers.

“While it is recognised that some parts of the industry are suffering and are not actively recruiting, this program is about addressing the long-term skills shortages that face the sector and is aimed at helping job seekers get a better understanding of the diversity of the sector in terms of employment opportunities, depth of industry and geographical location,” FWPA managing director Ric Sinclair said.

Organisations wanting to be involved by having a dedicated company page at no cost, on growingcareers.com.au, can advertise themselves as a potential employer.

Participating companies will be able to provide a short company description, logo and a link to the employer’s website.

Contact Melissa Houghton. Email: melissa@ sustainabilityatwork.com.au

Advertising: Tel +61 7 3256 1779 Email: cancon@bigpond.net.au

SAWMILLING TECHNOLOGY

Higher production speeds, increased recoveries focus at SawTECH series Reducing sawing costs to remain globally competitive TO remain internationally competitive sawmills must continue to look closely at tools and technologies that can increase lumber yields and improve grade recoveries.

The SawTech 2011 series in June will focus on how sawmills can achieve higher production speeds out of their saw-lines, lower the service or maintenance requirements of equipment and reduce the sawing costs for their operation.

The good news out there at the moment is that the lean market and trading conditions over the last couple of years has seen the development of some of the most sophisticated sawing technologies and saw designs seen in recent times.

SawTECH 2011 to run in Brisbane on June 15 and 16 and in Rotorua on June 21 and 22 has had a major overhaul. A large cross section of sawmillers in both countries have had input to the redesign.

In addition to sawmill optimisation, saw selection and operation, previous technology events on mill maintenance, log and lumber scanning and lumber quality control have all been built into the new program.

“There will be much greater emphasis on the practical issues of selecting and running saws, low cost improvement tools and on smaller to medium sized operations,” says FIEA director Brent Apthorp.

“The common theme when speaking to industry was to focus on how to get the best out of the resource and operation rather than major investment in new plant. A better understanding on how saws within the mill are being selected, maintained and

Germany, Austria, Finland, New Zealand and Australia. Local companies that have worked with the technologies will also be outlining how the equipment was selected, installed and used and what it’s meant operationally and financially to their own company.

“The focus is on practical and inexpensive tools that can be immediately put into practice by sawmillers and sawdoctors,” Mr Apthorp said.

“The format has also been re-jigged so in addition to presentations, displays and managed exhibitions, more time can be spent with the independent experts that are coming into Australia and New Zealand.

“Time has been set aside where specific issues relating

What’s it all about? Sawmillers will look closely at new tools and technologies at SawTECH

There will be much greater emphasis on the practical issues of selecting and running saws, low cost improvement tools and on smaller to medium-sized operations

Dr Gary Schajer .. troubleshooter from British Columbia.

Joe Shields .. practical ‘handson’ sessions.

operated and how to get the most out of each saw centre was also high on the list of priorities.”

With this in mind, a large focus for SawTECH 2011 will be on practical ‘hands on’ sessions; three international sawmilling ‘gurus’ from North America will be involved – Dr Gary Schajer from the University of British Columbia, Warren Bird from California Saw and Knife Works and Joe Shields from USNR. They will work

closely with local sawmillers to outline an array of methods for assessing, maintaining and troubleshooting circular and band saws to achieve optimum performance in the mill.

In addition, new technologies in primary log breakdown, secondary processing, saw machine centre improvement and lumber trimming, sorting and stacking systems are going to be profiled by some of the major technology providers from Canada, the US,

Advertising: Tel +61 7 3256 1779 Email: cancon@bigpond.net.au

to saws or sawing operations can be resolved and discussed among small groups of local sawmillers.

“In New Zealand, delegates will be able to visit a local training sawmill where common alignment techniques will be demonstrated on the carriage and primary breakdown, resaw and edger operations”.

In line with the current economic environment, significant discounts on event registrations have been set up so three or more staff from one operation can attend. Full details are available at www. sawtechevents.com

issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 13

FOREST CERTIFICATION

Classifieds Position Vacant

Structural Engineer

Reports to General Manager Responsible for • Providing Technical support to the Australasian (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea) plywood, Laminated Veneer Lumber, Particleboard and Medium Density Fibreboard manufacturing industries.

• Co-ordinating the EWPAA Research & Development activities • Development of Standards and Codes • Development of Technical Publications and Software • Answering of Technical enquiries from members, suppliers and general public • Providing design advice and undertaking basic structural design Location 3 Dunlop Street, Newstead, Queensland 4006 Purpose To provide high level Technical Support to meet the EWPAA Quality Policy, Goals and Objectives as established by the EWPAA Board of Directors Key Accountabilities • Technical Support • Research & Development • Standards and Codes • Maintenance / Development of Technical Publications and Software

Selection Criteria

Experience & Qualifications • Bachelor Degree in Structural Engineering or equivalent • Managerial Experience • Experience in the design of Timber Structures • Understanding of plywood and LVL as a building material • Knowledge on Wood Products manufacturing Personal Attributes • Strong communication and leadership skills • Ability to delegate efficiently • Capacity to plan and monitor personal work program • Ability to work unsupervised Competencies • Proven ability to speak / lecture in public • Proficient report writing skills • Ability to use Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access

Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia Plywood House, 3 Dunlop Street, Newstead 4006, Queensland, Australia Tel: 61 7 3250 3700. Fax: 61 7 3252 4769 Email: inbox@paaa.asn.au

Web: www.ewp.asn.au Page 14 | issue 161 | 21.02.11

Hands off our forests .. forest workers protests in Adelaide.

Government plan to sell off forests referred to senate Forest workers fear loss of jobs EMBATTLED forest workers in the southeast of South Australia have been given a glimmer of hope – the controversial sale of state forest assets has been referred to a senate inquiry.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon secured a federal inquiry which will report by April, but any recommendations will not be binding on the Rann government. ``I believe the decision by the South Australian Government to forward sell more than 100 years of timber harvesting needs to be thoroughly reviewed because it will have a significant impact on the southeast,’’ Senator Xenophon said.

Forestry workers, timber communities and sawmills have been united in their opposition to the sale; a recent rally attracted more than 60 logging trucks and 3000 people to the steps of state parliament in Adelaide.

Protesters called out ministers inside Parliament House as they

prepared for the first sitting day of the year, in particular Premier Mike Rann and former Treasurer Kevin Foley.

“What do we want, no sale, when do we want it, now,” was the catchphrase of the day.

Protest organisers and mayors from the region addressed the crowd.

Forest workers say 5000 jobs in the state’s timber industry would be put at risk. They also fear any buyer of the estimated $2.8 billion resource will send logs offshore for processing, causing the shutdown of sawmills and supporting businesses.

Already, 10,000 tonnes of unprocessed logs each week are being exported from Portland to Korea, and log exports out of Port Adelaide have begun.

The Senate Rural and Affairs References Committee will call for submissions and will hold public hearings into the matter.

They will deliver their report by April.

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Classifieds TENDERS – FORESTS NSW Tender of six softwood plantation harvesting and haulage services contracts - Northern NSW Buy and Sell Description: Forests NSW is inviting tenders for softwood plantation harvest and haulage contracts in Northern NSW. Six (6) parcels totalling 125,000 tonnes per annum are offered.

The contracts are offered for commencement 1 October 2011 with a maximum term of 6 years and are supported by existing long term log sales agreements.

Parcel Number

Contract Type

Tonnes Per Annum

Plantation Indicative Type Location

1

Harvest

50,000

Radiata & Southern pine

Casino

2

Harvest

50,000

Radiata & Southern pine

Grafton

Further information is available at www.sites. google.com/site/fnswtender, www.tenders. nsw.gov.au/nsw or via email to kelly.passaro@ sf.nsw.gov.au

3

Harvest

25,000

Hoop pine

Casino

4

Haulage

50,000

Radiata & Southern pine

Casino

Tenders close 2.00pm Thursday 24 March 2011.

5

Haulage

50,000

Radiata & Southern pine

Grafton

For more info Contact: Kelly Passaro E-mail: kelly.passaro@sf.nsw.gov.au

6

Haulage

25,000

Hoop pine

Casino

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issue 161 | 21.02.11 | Page 15

Timber & Forestry e news is published

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