Issue 220 Timber

6748

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 1

Interest rate cut drives recovery

This Issue •F iji brand fills global need for mahogany • EWPAA ‘one-stopshop’ for certification

Major boost to consumer confidence could spark activity in housing sector

inflation data; economists had widely predicted a cut of only a quarter percentage point. The last interest rate cut was in December.

“This decision is based on information received over the past few months that suggests that economic conditions have been somewhat weaker than expected, while inflation has moderated,” Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released figures showing the annual inflation rate to March was 1.6%, down sharply

Spark of hope .. interest cuts herald housing recovery.

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THE Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates will provide a major boost to consumer confidence and assist the recovery of the housing sector, according to the Master Builders Association.

Australia’s central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point on May 1, a larger-than-expected cut that comes amid a slump in the housing market and lacklustre growth in the nation’s economy outside the booming mining sector.

The decision to lower the official cash rate to 3.75% follows the release of relatively weak

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

Overseas interest as SA goes ahead on softwood sale $700m state asset on the block

THE South Australian government will push ahead with the sale of the state’s forestry assets but won’t reveal the going price for a century of timber production.

Treasurer Jack Snelling last Tuesday said the government would set a reserve price for up to three harvest cycles from the southeast forests and would abandon the sale if offers fell short.

Indicative bids have been rolling into the state’s Treasury office and it is understood there is significant interest from global timber investment funds.

It is believed up to eight bids had been received by last week’s close for the $700 million asset, according to the Australian Financial Review.

The sale of cutting rights for three harvests from the topquality estate in the Green Triangle is regarded as one of the best softwood growing regions in the Asia-Pacific.

The Review says UBS, which is handling the sale on behalf of the cash-strapped state, spent the past two weeks in North America chasing buyers, with feedback said to be positive.

Government will retain ownership of the land and any water and carbon rights The investment bank will take a few weeks to assess bids, with final offers due late July.

Hancock Natural Resource Group already controls assets in Victoria and Queensland and would have cost advantages given its location.

Jack Snelling has guaranteed there would be no job losses among the state’s 200 govern-

Page 2 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Jack Snelling .. guarantees no job losses.

ment forestry workers and cited an independent assessment of the sale which found there would be no significant economic, social or environmental impacts.

He said the government would retain ownership of the land and any water and carbon rights.

“All that the government proposes to sell is harvesting rights,” Mr Snelling said.

“I am satisfied there will be minimal impact on the southeast community from the forward sale of forest rotations and it is in the interests of the state to proceed.

“I believe that unwarranted fear and uncertainty in the southeast is doing more damage to the economy in the southeast than the sale itself could ever do.”

But opposition treasury spokesman Iain Evans said the state government had “sold out” the southeast with a decision that would have a big impact on employment in the area, with local mayors suggesting it could cost up to 3000 jobs.

Cont Page 10

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

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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: edown@forestworks.com.au

BRISBANE

PO Box 2014 Fortitude Valley 4006 Tel: (07) 3358 5169 Email: bharle@forestworks.com.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Unit 2/191 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide 5006 Tel: (08) 8219 9028 Email: michelle@forestworks.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Cut is great news for housing affordability: Master Builders From Page 1

from 3.1% a year earlier. The reserve bank’s target inflation rate for the year was 2-3%.

The bank cited the inflation data and a subdued housing market as reasons behind its decision. Glenn Stevens also noted slowing growth in the world economy, singling out the more moderate pace of growth in China and continuing tough conditions in Europe.

Sales of new homes fell to their lowest level in more than a decade in March, dropping 9.4% from a month earlier, according to the Housing Industry Association. Housing prices in the country’s capital cities for the first quarter of 2012 were down 4.5% from the same period a year ago.

‘For consumers and the industry to benefit from the RBA decision, it is essential that banks pass on the cut’ – Graham Cuthbert

HIA chief economist Harley Dale had called for the bank to cut rates by half a percentage point.

“The Bank needs to send a clear signal that it is back on the case of assisting an economy that is clearly weaker than it anticipated in 2012,” Mr Dale said.

Master Builders Queensland executive director, Graham Cuthbert, said the decision to cut rates had certainly been welcomed by the association.

“This is a very positive decision for the building industry and one Master Builders strongly supports as it is crucial to ensuring a continued recovery,” he said.

“February 2012 building approval figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics tell us the building industry has just commenced a slow recovery and we welcome any measures that will encourage this upswing further.”

Mr Cuthbert said the rate cuts in November and December last year had helped the modest but stable levels of private sector housing growth in Queensland during January. A further cut this month was a welcome measure to encourage growing activity levels.

“By cutting rates this month, the RBA is helping to strength-

Graham Cuthbert .. positive decision for the building industry.

en consumer confidence, which we hope will in turn stimulate building activity and help to provide stability for our industry,” Mr Cuthbert said.

“The cut is great news for housing affordability, as it should allow more people to consider building a new home. However, for consumers and the industry to benefit from the RBA decision, it is essential that banks pass on the cut.

“A decision to not pass on the cut, particularly in the face of the current global economic uncertainty, would severely impact consumer confidence and be a blow for the

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“The industry has faced some tough times over the last few years and we hope this latest decision will be a positive start for 2012 and a sign that a recovery is finally on its way.”

Meanwhile, Victoria’s firsthome buyers are expected to flock to the market ahead of the financial year’s end, before bonus buyers grants of up to $19,500 expire.

The Victorian Budget, announced last Tuesday, will not continue to fund the statebased bonuses, which gave $13,000 to first-time buyers building in metropolitan Melbourne and an extra $19,500 for those building in regional Victoria for a home up to $750,000. The federal government’s $7000 grant to first-time buyers remains in place.

The Victorian government bonuses will expire on June 30.

Instead, stamp duty for firsthome buyers will be cut 20% from July 1. This will cut duty on a median-priced Melbourne home, of $565,000, by $5794 to $23,176. A further 10% cent will be cut from January 1, 2013.

Cont Page 4

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 3

INDUSTRY NEWS

Market rush by first-home buyers as bonus grants expire in Victoria From Page 3

The bonus was slated as a short-term measure when it was introduced in 2009, but industry leaders appealed for it to continue in the budget lead-up given the weak market and to improve affordability.

Spike in inquiries and sales expected in the weeks leading up to June 30 when the bonus ends

He said once the funds were discontinued, stamp duty cuts, while welcomed, would not be enough to bolster new-home construction.

“In a time when buyer sentiment is low, this is a negative for people wanting to buy in the city but particularly for those in regional areas,’’ he said. “We cater out projects to that firsthome buyers market and less incentives for those buyers will impact sales,’’ he said, noting

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Integrated Development director Matthew Belford said he expected a spike in inquiries and sales in the weeks leading up to June 30 when the bonus ends.

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Carpenters and admirers enjoy a barbecue breakfast during National Carpenters Day celebrations in Sydney last year.

on July 20 will again celebrate the contribution that carpenters make to our environment, business and community.

What a great way to end a week – turning up to a free Friday barbecue with a few mates, having some fun and getting the chance to win prizes on the day and enter the draw for the major prize.

Industry is invited to enter this year’s National Carpenter of the Year or National Apprentice of the Year competitions.

Many great prizes are on offer for both competitions, including a $1000 travel voucher.

National Carpenter of the Year state finalists will be flown to Melbourne to participate in the Carpenters Nail It

Harder Challenge.

The overall winner will be awarded the title of National Carpenter of the Year 2012.

Visit National Carpenters Day at www.nationalcarpentersday. com or for details about hosting a barbecue call (03) 9597 0948 or email info@carpentersday.com.au

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events

WHAT’S ON? MAY

istration before May 21).

6-10: IRG 43 annual meeting (International Research Group onWood Protection).

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Official host Malaysian Timber Industry Board. Tel: +603-9282 2235. Fax: +603-9284 6214.

Email: irg43@mtib.gov.my

JULY

22: Knowledge Tree Series - introduction to Green Star and FSC project certification.

Venue: Hurleys Arkaba Hotel, 150 Glen Osmond Road, Fullerton, SA. Topics include what is FSC and why is it important?; Green Star and the timber credit steps involved in chain of custody certification; FSC chain of custody for project certification. RSVP by May 11. Event fully supported

by TABMA and presented at no cost. Tel: (02) 9277 3100 JUNE 18-19: Frame Australia 2012 conference and exhibition – Park Hyatt, Melbourne.

Major national event for engineered timber and building pre-fabrication. The expanded program will include a focus on building and construction with increased dialogue and information exchange on residential and commercial building trends, and awareness of new BIM digital model technology. Delegate registration available online.

Visit www.frameaustralia.com (save $100 with early bird reg-

20: National Carpenters Day. Tel: (03) 9597 0948. Fax: (03) 9597 0958. Email: info@carpentersday.com.au AUGUST 22-23: Carbon Forestry 2012. Auckland NZ. Forestry is New Zealand’s largest potential carbon sink and, as the ETS continues to grow in importance to NZ businesses, so does its investment future. A raft of new legislation, a dramatic drop-off in carbon trading and pricing during 2011, the banning of some international emissions units and uncertainty around the future alignment of New Zealand and Australia’s trading schemes has changed the landscape significantly.

It’s led to uncertainty in the marketplace about the immediate future and opportunities that exist in carbon forestry.

Visit www.carbonforestryevents.com OCTOBER 10-11 (Rotorua) and 16-17 (Melbourne). Improving international cost competitiveness through smart science, research and technology.

New Zealand and Australian forest products companies face increasing competition from low cost producers, and from lower cost, better

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performing non-wood products. Low costs and high fibre recovery, achieved through process innovation, are prerequisites to competing in today’s global forest product markets.

This Australasian technology event will provide local forest products, wood processing and manufacturing companies with a unique opportunity. Visit www.woodinnovationsevents. com NOVEMBER 3: Queensland Timber Industry Awards Night – Victoria Park Function Centre, Brisbane.

28-29: ForestTech 2012 – Improving Wood Transport and Logistics. Melbourne and Rotorua December 4-5. Focus on improving transport and logistics in the forestry sector.

It will build on the excellent program designed by the Forest Industry Engineering Association along with forestry companies and logistics specialists.

The program will target key decision makers from forestry and wood products companies.

It will provide long overdue and practical updates on innovations, strategies and technologies that are being used by forest products companies to improve planning, logistics and operations within the wood supply chain. Visit www.foresttechevents.com 30: Australian Timber Industry Dinner – Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney.

Australia’s forest, wood, pulp and paper products industry now has a stronger voice in dealings with government, the community and in key negotiations on the industry’s future, as two peak associations have merged to form a single national association.

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has been formed through the merger of the Australian Plantations Products and Paper Industry Council (A3P) and the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI).

AFPA was established to cover all aspects of Australia’s forest industry: - Forest growing; - Harvest and haulage; - Sawmilling and other wood processing; - Pulp and paper processing; and - Forest product exporting.

For more information on the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) or to enquire about membership , please call (02) 6285 3833.

issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Product mix change ‘sensible move’ at Hyne’s Mary Valley hoop pine mill Structural timbers will be processed at Tuan facility THE Hyne araucaria softwood mill at Imbil is about to concentrate solely on what it does best – producing high quality appearance grade timbers for the furniture and components market.

Located in the Mary Valley in southeast Queensland, the sawmill, kilns and dry mill facility processes Araucaria (hoop pine) from commercially grown plantations and has an annual log throughput of around 225,000 cub m.

The Imbil sawmill owes much to visionary Lambert Hyne, a third generation of the Hyne family. His recognition of the potential of the softwood plantation industry led him to commence sawing hoop pine thinnings in the Mary Valley as early as 1947

Structural hoop pine products will now be processed at Hyne’s Tuan sawmill near Maryborough which was re-built and upgraded in 2002 to process

Page 6 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Mount Grainger in the Mary Valley rises as a backdrop to the Hyne softwood mill at Imbil.

more than 700,000 cub m of logs annually into high strength structural softwood framing.

“A downturn in the building industry, the high Australian dollar, cheap imports and the incoming carbon tax have resulted in some rationalisation at Imbil, but the decision to move structural material to Tuan is a sensible and obvious one,” Hyne joint CEO Christ Robertson said.

“Historically, Imbil has been a

mixture of structural and appearance grade operations,” he said.

“But with our super cut line that carries out all optimising, docking, component docking, dressing, packaging and containerisation for domestic and export markets, the mix doesn’t make sense in the current environment”.

These changes will mean that only one of the current two green mill shifts will be required

at the Imbil mill, resulting in some job cuts. All other operations remain at their current levels.

Earlier this year Hyne’s mouldings facility at Virginia in Brisbane was relocated to Imbil to help offset some job cuts and make the company more freight efficient.

After the changes are completed at Imbil, employment will still total 100 full-time positions plus another 70-80 contract employees involved in logging, freight, logistics and general mill services.

The Imbil sawmill owes much to visionary Lambert Hyne, a third generation of the Hyne family that founded the sawmilling dynasty at Maryborough on the banks of the Mary River in 1882. Lambert’s recognition of the potential of the softwood plantation industry led him to commence sawing hoop pine thinnings in the Mary Valley as early as 1947.

Hyne employs more than 400 full-time staff and contractors at its Imbil, Melawondi and Tuan operations.

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EVENTS

NZIF conference will focus on the world demand for wood buildings NEW Zealand has a well earned reputation as a leader in growing sustainable plantation forests.

“But in an increasingly competitive international market place it is important to take the next step and increase innovation within our timber-related industries,” says Phil Taylor, committee chairman of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry conference which will be held in Christchurch from July 1 to 4.

“Engineering solutions can drive improvements through the value chain from growing, harvesting, and use of timber products,” Mr Taylor said.

“The sector faces predicted growth in harvest volumes, rising demand for structural logs, increasingly steep harvesting terrain, and growing national and international interest in wood buildings.

“Against this context, the 2012 NZIF conference will discuss

Innovative .. prefab processes can help deliver more competitive, higher quality and new timber buildings.

als, and how the government change the way timber struc-

tures are delivered to market.

Mr Betz has an honours degree

in timber structure design and prefabrication from Rosenheim University in Germany and holds a Masters of Engineering in wood technology focusing on the industrial engineering of wood manufacturing operations.

Conference speaker Dr Martin Gribble, who has 10 years’ experience as a practicing civil engineer, will outline a new project that looks at the impact of logging trucks on roading networks. He will address the issue of whether logging trucks have an unreasonable impact.

Engineering solutions can add value and improve performance within New Zealand’s plantation forest, wood processing and building sectors how engineering solutions can add value and improve performance within New Zealand’s plantation forest, wood processing and building sectors.”

Christchurch timber engineer and prefab consultant Johann Betz will shed light on how innovative prefab processes can help deliver more competitive, higher quality and new timber buildings (residential and commercial), while simultaneously raising the productivity of the construction industry and creating skilled jobs.

The focus of the presentation will be on specific steps prefabricators, design profession-

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

Victoria commits to timber plan in Budget that supports forest sector VICTORIA’S 2012-13 Budget is a responsible plan that continues the government’s investment in the infrastructure of rural and regional Victoria, despite difficult budgetary conditions, and shows support for the local forest and wood products industry.

“Support for innovation and rural infrastructure is vital if we are going to have a sustainable future for a local forest and wood products industry producing low-carbon goods into the future,” the chief executive of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries Lisa Marty said.

“Substantial investment in rural and regional roads, and support for economic diversification in the Latrobe Valley shows this government supports this goal.

“Our industry relies on regional and rural infrastructure, and we appreciate the investment for $160 million each year over four years to provide $1 million grants for roads and bridges, and $60 million for the Better Regional Roads program for road connections between Melbourne and regional Victoria.”

The government has also committed to the Timber Industry Action Plan, designed to help provide the forest and wood products industry, with security and an incentive for investment. An extra $19.5 million was provided for biosecurity, which includes extra funding for improved forestry biosecurity.

Mrs Marty also welcomed the $58 million commitment to lo-

Lisa Marty .. forest industry relies on regional and rural infrastructure.

cal manufacturing.

“About 85% of the Victorian forest and wood products industry’s workforce is in processing and manufacturing roles, and their products support a number of value-adding industries, such as furniture making,” she said.

“With difficult trading conditions and a high Australian dolAn extra $19.5 million was provided for biosecurity, which includes extra funding for improved forestry biosecurity lar, the right leadership, policies and funding to support a productive, innovative and competitive local manufacturing sector in Victoria are crucial despite the tough budgetary environment.”

This initiative includes $25 million to provide incentives for local manufacturers to invest

in new technologies and $9 million for small manufacturers to provide better access to information and government programs.

The government has also announced its intention to strengthen the competition between public and private providers of vocational education and training. TAFEs and private providers, such as Timber Trading Creswick, will now receive the same training subsidy rates, removing a traditional advantage held by TAFEs. Concurrently, the rates of course subsidies are being altered. The new course subsidy levels will range from under $2 to over $10 an hour of training, with higher average hourly rates being provided to foundation and apprenticeship qualifications, and lower rates to most diplomas and higher qualifications.

Lower level certificates with smaller perceived direct vocational benefits will also generally receive lower subsidies.

Most courses relevant to the forest and wood products industry will receive a subsidy at or near the $10 an hour mark.

The Victorian TAFE Association has been critical of these decisions, claiming they and other changes amount to a reduction of more than $100 million in TAFE funding each year, potentially causing courses to be cut and facilities to close, although as yet there is no specific information on what the actual impacts of this may be.

Native forest review drags on in Tasmania NEGOTIATIONS to finalise the boundaries of new native forest reserves under Tasmania’s peace deal have not started yet, despite the June deadline.

Forestry and environmental groups met early last week for the second time since they received a comprehensive review

Page 8 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

of the forest industry. The West Report outlines the conservation value of 572,000 ha of forest proposed for protection from logging. The parties say they have only been negotiating measures to ensure any agreement lasts.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Life-saver .. government boosts funds to support workplace health and safety in New Zealand.

Government safety help welcomed by forest owners in NZ

THE New Zealand Forest Owners Association has welcomed the boost in government funding and support for workplace health and safety improvement.

The industry’s health and safety committee chair Sheldon Drummond says the announcement by Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson of $37 million in extra funding couldn’t have come at a better time.

He says a safety culture initiative now under way in the sector is already being helped by the government’s focus on improved workplace safety, with the Department of Labour focusing its efforts on five priority sectors, including forestry.

“Since the mid-1990s we have succeeded in reducing our accident and fatality rates, despite a bigger log harvest, much of it in more difficult terrain than in the past,” Mr Drummond said.

“But since the mid-2000s, accident and fatality rates have levelled out. It is our firm belief and absolute commitment that we can do better. So, hand-inhand with ACC and the Department of Labour, we are working to embed a safety culture in our forests.

“We have nearly finished a

complete revision of the forest operations code of practice, introduced certification for some high-risk jobs and will be hiring a safety expert to roll all this out.”

Mr Drummond said the forest industry’s drug and alcoholfree workplace policy was innovative and bold and had been widely adopted by forest owners and contractors.

“Initiatives like these are not easy to implement, but they have massively improved our workforce’s performance and wellbeing. Also the long-term benefits greatly outweigh the short-term costs.”

Scion (New Zealand Crown Research Institute) specialises in field-oriented studies that build an understanding of interacting risk factors that can lead to incidents and injuries.

Scion has found that musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the most prevalent and costly injury in sawmilling. Interventions to address MSD are being demonstrated and discussed on site with individual sawmills during regional visits funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation.

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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 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

State government has ‘sold out’ the southeast, threatened jobs

From Page 2

lia’s southeast, he said.

The sell-off was first proposed in 2008 when the government said it was necessary to help offset the impact of the global financial crisis on the state’s finances.

He said there was little doubt the harvests would fall to overseas interests with a price likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars, money, he said, the government would use to fund the Adelaide Oval upgrade.

“It’s crystal clear: we are selling the forests to pay for Adelaide Oval,” he said.

The SA government’s decision came after a Senate inquiry into the plan found there was no compelling case for the sale.

The Senate’s rural affairs committee said the final decision was a matter for the SA government but urged it to have regard to the impact on those affected by the sale.

InSurAnce..

It’S All In the SelectIon

‘The proposal was clearly made with little consultation with key stakeholders in South Australia’s southeast’ – Nick Xenophon What price? Buyers are circling South Australia’s softwoods assets.

South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon, a committee member, went further, recommending the sale be

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abandoned.

The proposal was clearly made with little consultation with key stakeholders in South Austra-

However, the plan met with widespread opposition, especially from southeast communities who feared major job losses.

China leading driver for timber products

A RECENT study by leading timber market analysts shows that both China and the rest of Asia will remain the leading growth drivers for global timber products.

Europe and the US, however, can expect to lag behind.

British Columbia alone sent softwood lumber to the value of $1.1 billion to China in 2011, according to a Campbell Group analysis. This was a 60% yearon-year increase over 2010.

The same period saw a 42% cent increase in log exports from the US West Coast.

China is now the largest importer of US logs, taking a full 46% of logs produced in the US. According to analysis by RISI, flagging demand in Europe and

the US has been more than compensated for by rising demand in China. Both EU and US paper producers are struggling with over capacity for a large number of paper grades, putting downward pressure on paper prices.

Kimberly-Clark, for example, recently closed down its Everett facility in Seattle in Washington State and laid off more than 760 employees. Similarly, NewPage, one of the world’s major fine paper companies, recently filed for Chapter 11 protection, despite receiving a generous $USD50 million government subsidy for a ‘biorefinery’ plant, which it later shelved.

– World Growth newsletter.

editorial inquiries tel: +61 32661429 Page 10 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

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CERTIFICATION

Chain of custody for Tarpeena

EWPAA ‘one-stop-shop’ for certification standards THE peak body representing engineered wood producers in Australia and New Zealand has delivered chain-of-custody certification to 39 businesses and more than 60 sites with the latest at the Tarpeena mill in South Australia.

The Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia is now considered a ‘one-stopshop’ for a range of audited certification standards including chain-of-custody and certification aligned to the Australian Wood Packaging Certification Scheme.

AWPCS ensures that Australian treatment providers and wood packaging manufacturers produce material that meets the ISPM 15 standard for exports.

ISPM 15 is the international standard for phytosanitary

measures and represents the first international commoditybased standard for regulating wood packaging material used in global trade.

Tarpeena mill operated by Gunns Timber Products is the latest to be certified with chain of custody by EWPAA. Technical manager for Gunns Ltd Dr Trevor Innes complimented EWPAA on the efficient delivery of the CoC certification – “we were pleased to get that one ticked off.”

Mr Innes said the certification would apply to woodchips and reject logs at Tarpeena. He said all of Gunns’ pine processing facilities were now chain-ofcustody certified. This embraced sawn dry and green timber, treated wood, sawdust and shavings, woodchips, bark

and reject logs.

“Our customers and larger retail clients are now all looking for some kind of environmental certification,” Mr Innes said.

Chain of custody basically tracks a wood or forest product from its origin in a certified forest through to its end use as a wood or forest product by the consumer. CoC covers all intermediate steps such as harvesting, transportation, primary and secondary processing, manufacturing, re-manufacturing, distribution and sales.

The Tarpeena operation is Gunns Timber Products’ premier manufacturing facility located on a 40 ha site with a 520,000 tonne sawlog capacity supplied mostly by Gunns’ own plantation resource.

The Tarpeena facility provides economic support to many businesses in the local area.

Tarpeena uses the latest high speed scanning technology that optimises boards using ultra violet readable barcode data printed on the board after it passes through the stress grader in the dry mill.

The dry mill building itself covers 4090 sq m with clear spans of over 30 m constructed using Gunns’ laminated beam products. Tarpeena provides mainly structural framing timber to the Australian domestic building industry and also supplies the company’s treatment facility at Kalangadoo, 50 km north of Mount Gambier, with most of its timber products for preservation treatment.

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* Australia’s formaldehyde emission classifications are close to naturally occurring levels in wood. Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in many foods. Smoked fish, for example has a formaldehyde concentration (ppm) of 1.0

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 11

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www.industryedge.com.au Page 12 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

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FOREST ENVIRONMENT

Role for forestry in national strategy to protect ‘at-risk’ koala populations Industry recognises threat to iconic species

AUSTRALIA’S most at-risk koala populations are to be included on the national list of threatened species and the forestry industry is positioned to play a complementary role in this national strategy to enhance koala conservation through existing regulatory frameworks for sustainable forest management.

The Environment Minister Tony Burke will list koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT as vulnerable under national environment law.

This follows a rigorous scientific assessment by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee which has gathered information from a variety of experts over the past three years.

Koala numbers vary significantly across the country; while koala populations are clearly declining in some areas, there are large, stable or even increasing populations in other areas.

In fact, in some areas in Victoria and South Australia, koalas are eating themselves out of suitable foraging habitat and their numbers need to be managed.

“But the Queensland, NSW and

Friendly forests .. koalas not as sensitive to forest harvesting as previously thought.

ACT koala populations are very clearly in trouble, so we must take action,” Tony Burke said.

A fact sheet has been developed to inform industry, developers, landholders and landowners of any changes resulting from this listing.

The forest industry has made a submission to the government’s inquiry into koala populations and recognises that the iconic species is under threat from a number of factors such as feral animals, road accidents, habitat clearing for urban development and disease The first experimental study of the effects of forest harvesting on koalas was undertaken

by State Forests NSW in 1997.

The setting was the extensive (0.5 million ha) Pilliga forests in the northwest plains of the New England region which have a long history of wood production, but which also contain a large and previously unstudied population of koalas.

The principal aim was to determine the response of koalas to selective logging and thinning of white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla) within a mixed white cypress-eucalypt forest.

Thirty Koalas, five in each of six areas, were radio-tracked for a year to determine their movements, home-range sizes and tree preferences. Three of these areas were logged selectively after five months; the remaining areas were left undisturbed as controls.

Home-range sizes for males and females were similar (about 10-15 ha). Koalas used the white cypress extensively for day-time shelter but the animals displayed strong preferences for the foliage of red gums (mainly Eucalyptus blakelyi and E. chloroclada) and the Pilliga box (E. pilligaensis) as a food source.

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Koalas continued to occupy all or part of their previous homeranges following selective logging, and home-range sizes remained similar between logged and unlogged areas. Similar proportions of breeding females were recorded in logged and unlogged areas.

These results suggest that the koala may not be as sensitive to logging as previously thought.

Research collaborators from a range of institutions have documented koala health and disease status, genetic composition of the population, and predicting the distribution of suitable habitat for koalas in the region.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries has welcomed a $1.86 million state government project to collect new information on threatened species.

Chief executive Lisa Marty said the industry was focused on the sustainable management of the state’s forests for environmental, social and economic values, and these surveys would help the industry and community better find this balance.

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 13

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FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

Industry needs robust harvest and haulage research program Contractors carry unfair investment, risk burden

RECEIVED a couple of emails this week suggesting I had been a bit harsh in some of my criticism in my last column – even though I awarded gold stars to four of the industry’s finest.

Fair enough if that is what some think.

But I reckon most see significant challenges facing the industry given the quiet time on the new housing front, cost pressures and policies coming out of the federal government – but I won’t get going on that again this time!

So let’s look at what I think has got to be one of the great successes of the industry in recent years and likely to continue to be so if we are going to capitalise on the massive environmental and climate change abatement credentials of timber, grow the market share and improve the industry’s international competitiveness.

Thanks to the roles played by the consummate, polished and strategically clever chairman Ron Adams and quietly unassuming and efficient managing director Ric Sinclair, FWPA has moved on to centre stage as the entity of increasing influence and positive advocacy for the industry I am talking about the leading role in industry affairs played

by Forest and Wood Products Australia.

The industry demonstrated great vision a few years ago by essentially taking over ownership of what was a federal government run research and de-

Let’s not horse around .,. strong research effort in harvesting and haulage will pay real dividends in terms of increased productivity and reduced costs and should not be left just to machinery and equipment manufacturers.

velopment corporation. Given the recent track record of the government (here I go again) that was a really smart and liberating move by the industry.

Since that time and in no small measure thanks to the roles played by the consummate, polished and strategically clever chairman Ron Adams and quietly unassuming and efficient managing director Ric Sinclair, FWPA has moved on to centre stage as the entity of increasing influence and positive advocacy for the industry.

FWPA’s generic marketing work via Wood Naturally Better and Wood Solutions (have a look at the websites if you are not familiar with them) has been a stand-out success. Also, FWPA’s willingness to take control of critical standards and codes development when it looked like the industry was about to drop the ball is just another example of the impressive role played by the Ron and Ric Show – also well done to everyone else involved.

However – and there is always a however – to some degree, and without wanting to sound really crass, FPWA is a money

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Deep in the Woods with ..

and research projects by way of a complicated web of committees and processes that I don’t even want to try to understand.

What does worry me more than a little is that, if you look at the FWPA website, lots of money goes to assisting research and development at the products-end of the business.

Fair enough you might say – timber products marketing, improved building codes, greater confidence from specifiers and development of more sophisticated timber products is all good. But if you go back to the fundamental issue now widely acknowledged of declining industry competitiveness and It has been all too easy for forest owners to target contractors and slash rates to contain costs. Further research and innovation will assist the contractor community

Cheryle Forrester laundering machine that might make others in that business with not so pure intentions blush. Essentially, FWPA takes compulsory levies paid by forest growers, sawmillers, wood processors and importers, gets matching funding from the federal government and redistributes the money to marketing

productivity and look at the cost ‘hot points’ along the supply chain you have to say that in relation to forestry activity and costs log harvesting and haulage are critical areas for attention.

Certainly northern hemisphere experience and productivity improvements dramatically demonstrate that strong research and development effort in harvesting and haulage pay real dividends in terms of increased productivity and reduced costs.

Also, to give it its rightful due, the CRC for Forestry in Tassie Cont Page 16

issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 15

FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

Walking harvester ahead of its time Display marks John Deere’s 175th anniversary

THE world’s first prototype walking forest machine is creating a lot of interest at the John Deere pavilion in Moloine in Rock Island County, Illinois, USA. Only one of two in existence, the walking harvester was designed by John Deere’s research and development unit in Finland in the 1990s but was ahead of its time and never reached the production phase.

Manufactured in 1994, the walking harvester machine on display was the first to be equipped with a harvesting head and accumulated about 2000 working hours during testing. Sensors in the machine’s legs reacted automatically to soft, sloping, or uneven terrain, while a computer control system distributed weight and support equally to all six legs.

The machine simply walked over obstacles that crossed its

A walk in the forest .. John Deere’s walking havester machine.

path, and the machine operator was able to adjust the ground clearance and height of every step.

“Although the walking harvester never reached full production, innovations such as these demonstrate John Deere’s for-

ward thinking and commitment to developing solutions for the types of challenges loggers are facing out in the woods – not only here in the US but all around the world,” manager of John Deere forestry product marketing Cliff Caudill sad.

“The walking harvester prototypes helped pave the way for future developments in productive and environmentally friendly machines,” Mr Caudill said.

“For example, the automation and stability system technology used in developing the concept underwent further development and is now applied in all of John Deere’s forest equipment. Due to progressive development work on the control systems, hydraulics and transmission, modern John Deere harvesters cause less burden on the terrain.

The new display at the pavilion was opened in February celebrating John Deere’s 175th anniversary. In addition to the walking harvester, also on display is the John Deere 643K wheeled feller buncher with lifelike full trees gripped in its FD45 felling head, giving visitors a sense of what the machine would look like in action.

New research focuses on steep terrain log harvesting

GROUND-based harvesting systems potentially have lower costs than cable systems, but can also cause more environmental damage.

The CRC for Forestry has re-

leased a bulletin on steep terrain log harvesting (Number 21, January 2012) by Mohammad Ghaffariyan, Mauricio Acuna and Peter Ackerman. The article examined some of the new ground-based logging sys-

tems used in Europe and North America. Felling, processing, forwarding and skidding activities are included.

Results from recent research studies and publications are

presented in tables for each activity, with information presented for a number of variables including machine or system, area, productivity per machine hour, slope and tree size. Visit: www.crcforestry.com.au

Pruning the costs for contractor ‘bunnies’

From Page 15

has done some great work.

But with the closure of the CRC looking likely because of the abdication of its funding responsibility by the federal government and an emphasis

by FWPA on the products-end of the spectrum, I fear that harvesting and haul research will be left to the resources of machinery and equipment manufacturers.

Page 16 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Admittedly they have been doing good work, for example on more power output with lower fuel consumption, catalytic reductions to reduce engine emissions, and other things like improved mobility and enhanced operator ergonomics, but we still need to see ongoing research supported by FWPA. A robust harvesting and haulage research program will also mean that forest contractors might not continue to be the

bunnies when costs need to be pruned.

It has been all too easy for forest owners to target contractors and slash rates to contain costs. Further research and innovation will assist the contractor community already carrying a disproportionate amount on the investment burden and risk to continue to contribute to efficiency and productivity outcomes of vital importance to the profitability of the industry.

So the message to FWPA is ‘well done!’ – you are an ornament to the industry, but make sure harvesting and haulage related research gets its fair shake of the sauce bottle.

Yes, your emails are welcome.

Send them our editor at timberandforestenews@bigpond. com Catch you again in a couple of weeks.

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FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

Tigercat earned its stripes at AusTimber site demonstration New forwarder impresses in clear fell pine operation

AUSTimber 2012 was a great show for Tigercat and cohosts Forest Centre (NSW, Queensland and WA dealer) and Onetrak (dealer for Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania).

Along with Tigercat management, engineering, sales, marketing and field personnel and forest Centre and Onetrak team members, representatives from Tigercat dealers across the southern hemisphere attended the event, including AB Equipment in New Zealand, AfrEquip in South Africa and Tracbel in Brazil.

Tigercat demonstrated at two sites. The clear fell pine site consisted of tall, heavy, mature pine in the range of 1.5-5 cub m (average piece size was estimated at 2.7 cub m).

The site was harvested with a new 1075B forwarder and an LH855C harvester belonging to Galzon and operated by Shane Shiel. The pine operations were very well received with favourable comments from attendees on both the layout of the inforest demonstrations and the machines themselves, which easily handled the heavy timber.

The second site was a treelength blue gum operation with in-field flail/chipping courtesy

On the prowl .. the Tigercat 635D skidder.

of CBI. Tigercat demonstrated the 855C carrier fitted with 2000 series shear. The shear was redesigned in 2008 specifically for Australian blue gum applications. A 635D skidder pulled to the flail. Both the 855C and the 635D units are owned by local company G & R Logging.

A 630D also worked the blue gum site. It is owned by Casegrande, part of the Kevin Morgan group of companies.

“The blue gum site was well laid out for in-field chipping operations and safely provided a great insight into the actual technique required,” factory

sales representative for Australasia and southeast Asia Glen Marley said.

“The 855C feller buncher fitted with the well regarded DT2002 high speed shear was the one of the stars of this exhibit.”

Also on site was an H845C harvester (owned and operated

by Todd Gelletly from Barham) demonstrating full-stem debarking in the small piece size blue gum. The new Tigercat 215 loader was mounted on the CBI flail unit.

Gary Olsen, international factory sales representative, said AusTimber had now become a well-recognised and profes-

sionally run dynamic show since the first one he attended in Albury in 2000. “Interest in our products seemed to be very strong and with the blue gum expansion set to kick off with increased export volumes predicted out of the Mount Gambier and Portland regions, it all augers well for a bright future,” he said.

Before and after the show, many of the Tigercat personnel visited customer operations in the Albany, Manjimup and Bunbury regions of Western Australia, the green triangle region of South Australia, the Tumut, Tumbarumba, and Bombala regions of New South Wales and the Maryborough and Imbil regions in southeast Queensland.

Special thanks to all the Tigercat customers that helped out with machines and operators.

Tigercat Industries designs and manufactures premium quality forestry and off-road equipment with manufacturing facilities in Canada and worldwide distribution. The diverse product range includes complete full-tree and cut-to-length harvesting systems, a growing line of land clearing and vegetation management equipment and specialised off-road industrial and material handling machinery.

Komatsu wins $200m contract for machines in Brazil KOMATSU Forest has signed a major deal with the new Brazilian pulp mill Eldorado Brasil in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. In its entirety, the contract is worth about $US 200 million.

The agreement covers the delivery of 120 machines, includ-

ing large numbers of Komatsu PC200F-8 excavators - equipped with Komatsu 370E harvesting heads - and Komatsu 890.3 forwarders.

Komatsu Forest faced tough competition when bidding for the contract. Central to Eldora-

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do Brazil’s choice of Komatsu Forest was the offer of a package solution comprising carriers, harvesting heads, and forwarders that are well adapted to Brazilian conditions.

The new Eldorado Brasil pulp and paper mill is the world’s

largest, and when production is commissioned in the last quarter of 2012, Eldorado Brasil will have an annual output of 1.5 million tonnes of bleached pulp. The raw material will be sourced exclusively from eucalyptus plantations.

issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 17

Fiji pure brand fills global need for legal, sustainable mahogany supply

Maximising returns for all major stakeholders A BRANDING and mandatory compliance protocol process for Fiji pure mahogany will ensure sustainability, legality, and the socially responsible use of this new hardwood brand.

The Fijian government believes this fills a global need for exceptional quality legally and sustainably harvested mahogany.

The brand is being filed in 28 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union and Hong Kong, to protect the intellectual property rights for the first brand to be beneficially owned by a sovereign nation – Fiji. The brand and the mandatory and enforced protocol will ensure compliance with the numerous environmental laws, including the United States Lacey Act. “The development of the Fiji Pure Mahogany brand will go toward maximising returns for all major stakeholders in a sustained manner and most importantly the present and future generations of the people of Fiji,” says Prime Minister

Fiji has committed to sales of the sustainable volumes of high grade mahogany to Sustainable Mahogany Industries Ltd, which produces the bodies and necks of Gibson guitars Voreqe Bainimarama.

“But we must establish a foundation for Fiji pure mahogany that is credible, that is trusted, and that the indigenous landowners, consumers, business-

Page 18 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Landmark ceremony .. Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama marks the Fiji Pure Mahogany brand.

es and governments around the world respect.”

The announcement at the Sustainable Mahogany Industries factory in Fiji (the first company granted a license to use the Fiji pure mahogany brand) included US Ambassador to Fiji Frankie Reid, Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and chief executive of Gibson Guitars, Pembroke Jenkins, past president of the US. Hardwood Manufacturers Association and members of Fijian landowning units.

“The Fiji Pure Mahogany brand is a win for both our countries, and it is a win for the planet,” US Ambassador Frankie Reid said.

“In this day and age, environmental stewardship is more important than ever. Here in Fiji, we are taking a great

step forward.”

Ambassador Reid also commented on the socially responsible contributions the mahogany is making to Fijian workers, in particular women, who have high-quality jobs.

The Bainimarama government has been working diligently to create this new standard for the mahogany industry. In March 2010, the Fijian government passed the Mahogany Industry Development Decree, which made Fiji Hardwood Corporation Ltd the forestry management company, and established the Mahogany Industry Council to license mahogany purchasers and sawmill operators, and direct the development of the industry.

Only four years ago, Fiji replanted zero mahogany trees;

today, more than 1000 ha of mahogany has been replanted.

The Mahogany Industry Licensing and Branding Decree passed in December last year established the chain of custody protocols, harvesting code of practice, minimum production and packaging standards, inspections Fiji has committed to sales of the sustainable volumes of grades 1 and 2 mahogany to Sustainable Mahogany Industries Ltd, which produces the bodies and necks of Gibson guitars. Applications for licenses to purchase Grades 3, 4, and 5 mahogany are being reviewed.

Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said Fiji had created value in the brand by making a product that is sustainable and socially responsible and will create jobs for people in Fiji.

The move by the Fijian government to create this much-needed mahogany brand standard has been roundly praised as unique. Corruption and mismanagement of mahogany resources around the world has led to a breakdown in the supply chain. Fiji is positioned to fill the void.

“The Fijian Government is taking bold steps in ensuring that its mahogany resource is both legally harvested and sustainably managed,” says Pem Jenkins, president and owner of Turn Bull Lumber Co and Oceania Hardwoods.

“This is important to world lumber markets and this effort should make Fiji the leading producer of legal genuine Mahogany in the world.”

– PR Newswire, Suva, Fiji.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Innovation turning wood waste into bio-fuel for transportation Benchmark for broader range of biomass processes

A NEW public-private partnership is set to drive revenue for the forest products industry in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Montreal-based pulp and paper company Domtar is partnering with Battelle, an independent research and development specialist in Columbus, Ohio, to test a new technology that rapidly converts wood waste into crude bio-oil and gas.

The newly formed provincial Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) is playing its part by providing up to $6 million in funding for the project. The chosen test site is Domtar’s mill operations in Dryden, Ontario.

‘It’s not something that can be applied just to paper mills. We can see these distributed across any operation with a natural wood supply, or other types of fiber for that matter – Lorne Morrow Known as fast pyrolysis, the technology applies heat without the use of oxygen to convert the biomass – in this case rejected wood chips. While pyrolysis is not an entirely new process, Battelle changed the playing field significantly by designing smaller reactors

Opening doors .. wood waste being converted into crude bio-oil and gas.

that chemically and molecularly modify the oil produced to generate greater market value, explains Charles Lucius, vice president of energy, environment and material sciences at Battelle.

With this design innovation, operations can easily convert the systems on their existing sites to produce bio-oil for commercial use in transportation fuel, plastics and chemical production, he says.

“This has been specifically developed for small scale, distributed implementation,” Mr Lucius said.

“We’re not trying to mirror the petroleum industry here.

Rather, we are looking at the economic advantages of collocating smaller systems with nearby biomass sources. Because it is small, it can easily be deployed in combination with other activities, so you don’t have to drag materials great distances for processing.”

The partnership is definitely a timely one for Northern Ontario operations, notes Lorne Morrow, chief executive of CRIBE in Thunder Bay. “If you look in this region, 80% of the mills are down,” he said.

“We want to make sure the re-

maining ones are still here.”

For those mills still in operation, it is essential they bring in new revenue streams, he adds.

“This makes sense because they have the room and the power, so it’s a natural fit to add a secondary wood flow to their primary one. In this way, they can add value to a resource that is typically burned as hog fuel. In addition, the Battelle technology is not a hugely capital intensive process and more energy efficient than more traditional [biofuel] approaches.

We could see these distributed across a variety of operations.”

The balance of this year will be spent on verifying the validity of the system design on a limited scale. Part two will expand production to a full-scale plant operation. If all goes according to plan, the project will serve as a benchmark for a much broader range of biomass-related processes and markets.

“It’s not something that can be applied just to paper mills,” Mr Morrow says. “We can see these distributed across any operation with a natural wood supply, or other types of fiber for that matter.”

As Mr Lucius notes: “It’s opening doors to what could be a significant commercial success story.”

Forest managers don’t see climate change as potential threat RESULTS from a new survey

by Canada’s Centre for International Forestry Research suggest that forest managers and policymakers do not perceive climate change as a major threat to production forests in tropical countries.

This perception may be impacting on implementation measures to facilitate the adaptation of tropical production forests to climate change, Toronto-based CIFOR says.

“The fact that climate change ranked below other threats to

forests [in the survey] explains why respondents rarely consider climate change in their long-term forest planning and management,” principal scientist Manuel Guariguata said.

The survey, conducted on both natural and planted for-

ests in tropical parts of Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific showed climate change adaptation measures that would ensure the continued productivity of forests were rarely implemented by most forest managers.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Items provided in this section of Timber & Forestry E news are drawn from a number of sources. The source of the item is quoted, either by publication or organizations in line with the practice of fair reporting.

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 19

HOO-HOO J1V CONVENTION

Bunbury Hoo-Hoo convention lifts profile of forest industries JlV gathering in WA just the cat’s whiskers

By JIM BOWDEN THE cat’s in the West .. and so were about 60 Australian, NZ and American delegates to the Hoo-Hoo International Jursidiction lV Convention held last month in Bunbury, in the heart of Western Australia’s southwest region – one of the fastest growing economic areas of the state.

The JlV ‘Cat’s in the West’ Convention at Bunbury’s Sanctuary Resort from April 26 to 29 brought international attention to a sector of the forest industry that employs more than 5500 people in regional areas and delivers economic benefits of up to $1 billion annually to the state.

The convention, hosted by Leschenaultia Club 274, included a visit to the woodchip loading facility of WA Plantation Resources (WAPRES) on land leased from the Bunbury Port Authority.

‘It’s hard to grow [Hoo-Hoo] membership in the current economic climate, but grow we will’ – Val Fennell, new JlV Hoo-Hoo president WAPRES has a large and secure share of the wood fibre industry in Western Australia; it exports around one million tonnes of woodchips to Japan every year and manages thousands of hectares of sustainable FSC certified blue gum plantations across the state’s southwest.

The company owns two permanent chipping facilities – the Bunbury and Diamond chip mills located 11 km south of Manjimup – and operates a mobile in-field chipper to pro-

Page 20 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Top cat .. Val Fennell, newly-elected president of Hoo-Hoo International Jurisdiction 1V (centre) and Lew Parsons of Wokurna Forestry, secretary of Mount Gambier Hoo-Hoo Club 214, and his wife Robyn, promote the Mount Gambier Hoo-Hoo Museum at AusTimber. Mount Gambier Club will host the JIV convention in April next year.

cess logs onsite at the plantations.

Delegates also toured Wespine Industries, the state’s largest radiata sawmill with an annual capacity of 200,000 cub m a year, and the pole treatment plant operated by Koppers Australia, part of the Koppers group headquartered in Pittsburgh, USA, a global integrated producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products.

The convention elected Val Fennell, a member of a family of long-established logging contractors, as new Hoo-Hoo JlV president, the second woman to hold the title.

Val of Mount Gambier Hoo-Hoo Club 214 succeeds Heather Gattone of Crescent Timber and Hardware, Sydney, who takes the position of Hoo-Hoo chair. But Val still holds the honour of being the first female president of a Hoo-Hoo club in the jurisdiction.

Well addressed .. Ray Lamari, vicegerent Area 4,from Far North Queensland Club 261 (left) congratulates Alan Jones, president of Brisbane Hoo-Hoo Club 218 who was presented with the J1V President’s Address Award.

Brisbane Hoo-Hoo Club 218 member Pieter Verlinden moves up as first vice-president of JlV. G&R Logging at Mount Gambier, SA, was established 21 years ago by Val and her hus-

band Graham and brother Ronnie Milsson. The forest contracting business is now managed by Val’s son Barry and daughter Wendy and harvests forests owned by Forestry SA, Global Forest and South West Fibre, a blue gum processing and export company based in Portland, Vic. The family’s forest contract work extends to the Green Triangle region, which contains around 20% of the nation’s plantation estate – almost 300,000 ha of radiata and 150,000 ha of blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) plantations.

G&R Logging’s equipment includes Komatsu (Timber Pros) forwarders and Volvo harvesters.

Val Fennell said as new JlV president she would concentrate on maintaining membership and promoting friendships and fraternalism through the club circuit and within the industry.

“It’s hard to grow membership in the current economic climate, but grow we will,” Val vowed.

“One of our chief tasks is to reactivate Townsville Hoo-Hoo Club in north Queensland.”

Val hopes potential revivers of the club will attend the next JlV convention now confirmed for Mount Gambier from April 11 to 14 next year.

In fact, members of Far North Queensland Hoo-Hoo Club 261, based in Cairns, travelled more than 3400 km to Perth and drove a further 175 km south to attend the Bunbury convention.

The club was rewarded with the JlV Attendance Award and member Ray Lamari, Cont Page 21

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HOO-HOO J1V CONVENTION

US lumberman wins Hoo-Hoo challenge structure as the game progresses. Named, Jenga, which is derived from the Swahili word meaning ‘to build’, the game is lost when a tower collapses.

New Zealanders making the trip to convention were John Scholtens of Waitakere City, west of Auckland, vicegerent Area 8, and Graham and Ian McGregor of Auckland Club 248 and Ian’s wife Ali. Social events during the convention included lunch at the Dardanup Heritage Park to inspect one of the finest collections of heritage items dedicated to the pioneers and the

From Page 20

vicegerent Area 4, was presented with the JlV Vicegerent Award.

Another long distance traveller to the convention was Alan Jones, president of Brisbane Hoo-Hoo Club 218, who hopscotched to Bunbury after a visit to New Zealand, a return to Brisbane, and then a quick dash for the flight to Perth.

Alan represented his club well and presented a top report on 218’s charity efforts that include participation in this year’s Queensland Variety Bush Bash event to raise funds for underprivileged children.

He returned to Brisbane with the JlV President’s Address Award to be placed with the many JlV awards won by Club 218 over the years.

Mount Gambier Club 214 won both the Club Newsletter and Media awards and Ballarat Club 256 members received

Delegates to the J1V Hoo-Hoo Convention in Bunbury inspect the woodchip loading facility of WA Plantation Resources at the Port of Bunbury.

special mention for their efforts to gain media coverage for Hoo-Hoo. The Hoo-Hoo Challenge Award was presented to amiable giant Gary Gamble, a US lumber merchant from Ukiah, California, a regular attendee at JlV events, who represented the iconic Black Bart Club. Gary is

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At the controls .. JlV Ho-Hoo president Val Fennell inspects a Tigercat skidder during a visit to Tigercat’s factory in Canada.

a former Grand Snark of HooHoo International and is listed as Rameses 95.

The purpose of the challenge is for contestants to remove a timber block from a tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable

equipment they used to develop the state over the past 120 years and a visit to the Cat’s Walk, an environmental, tourist and community project established by Leschnaultia Club in the unique Tuart Forest National Park.

A matter of balance .. delegates to the JlV convention in Bunbury take on the Hoo-Hoo Challenge – to erect timber blocks as towers and avoid a collapse of the structures.

issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 21

Knowledge Tree Series

Int roduction to Green Sta r® and FSC Project Ce rtification Are you in the construction, timber supply, development or contracting industry? Do you want to understand FSC and how to gain competitive advantage? Have you been asked to work on a Green Star® job and supply FSC Certified Products? Then come along to our free information breakfast specifically targeted to you to help you grow your FSC Knowledge Tree.

Topics - What is FSC & why is it important?

GBCA CPD points for - Green Star® and the timber credit attendance apply - Steps involved in Chain of Custody Certification - FSC Chain of Custody for Project Certification Speakers: Natalie Reynolds - Acting CEO FSC Australia Nick Capobianco – Senior Lead Auditor, Scientific Certification Systems Joshua Bruce – Sustainability Manager, ISIS When:

May 22nd, 8–9.30am (Speakers will be available for Q&A, informal discussions and networking until 10.30am) RSVP must be in by 11th May to assure a place

Where:

Hurleys Arkaba Hotel 150 Glen Osmond Road Fullerton, 5063, SA For a map of the location visit http://www.arkabahotel.com.au/contact Parking is available nearby

RSVP:

RSVP is essential for catering purposes at http://www.trybooking.com/BIRY. This event is fully supported by TABMA and therefore is presented at no cost.

Donations to support future Knowledge Tree Series are encouraged

Presented with the generous support of TABMA

Page 22 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

Advertising: Tel +61 7 3266 1429 Email: cancon@bigpond.net.au

Annual Timber Industry Charity Golf Day Now in its 26th year the Queensland Timber Industry Charity Golf Day is set for

Friday 25th May, 2012 with proceeds going to the Brisbane Hoo-Hoo Club 218 children’s charities, including Variety Club of Queensland

THE DETAILS: Competition is a 4 ball Ambrose, 4 players per team. Prizes awarded to teams for 1st & 2nd places as well as straight drive and NTP. There is a maximum of 36 teams able to play so get in quickly.

COST: $750 per team of 4, banner on a hole on the day and inclusion in all promotional advertising for the day including Timber & Forest E-News, TABMA QLD & HooHoo Club. $450 per team of 4, includes lunch. $120 per individual, includes lunch.

RSVP: Friday 11 May, 2012

VENUE: North Lakes Golf Club Bridgeport Drive, North Lakes

AGENDA FOR THE DAY: 6:30am Arrive & register at North Lakes Golf Course.

A breakfast baguette buffet will be served.

8:30am Shotgun start.

12:30pm Return to clubhouse for a hot lunch with guest speaker, Les Riley - CEO Variety QLD, followed by prize presentation.

PLEASE COMPLETE BELOW BELOW & RETURN TO TIM EVANS EMAIL: T-EVANS@BIGPOND.NET.AU EVANS@BIGPOND.NET.AU OR PHONE 0417 0417 726 741 COMPANY NAME

PLAYER 1

EMAIL

PLAYER 2

PHONE ADDRESS

FAX

A Joint Industry Association Event

PLAYER 3

PLAYER 4

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issue 220 | 07.05.12 | Page 23

Nominations Excellence :: Recognition :: Celebration The Queensland Timber Industry Awards are an important means of highlighting excellence in our industry and rewarding organisations who are leading the way in terms of service, innovation and commitment to improving both their business and the industry as a whole. The gala evening when these awards are presented is the only event of its kind; it provides a platform to celebrate our industry, our state and recognise our top performers.

This evening is set for Saturday 3 November 2012 at Victoria Park Function Centre, Brisbane.

To maintain the credibility of these awards and therefore the prestige and honour they represent for finalists and winners, the judging criteria for 2012 have been adjusted to reflect recent ideals and trends as well as give greater weight to operational areas of importance. The criteria for each category is available to view on the website, www.tabma.com.au - Queensland - Information Sheets - 2012 QTI Awards Criteria.

Award Categories 2012 

Best Specialist Timber Merchant



Best Frame & Truss Operation (Metro)



Best Building Materials Centre (Metro)



Best Frame & Truss Operation (Regional)



Best Building Materials Centre (Regional)



Best Timber Manufacturing Operation



Best Timber Wholesale Operation



Best Sawmilling Operation



Best Specialist Service Operation



Trainee of the Year



Best Training Culture



Apprentice of the Year



Best Wholesale Sales Representative



Recognising Women In Forest & Timber

If you wish to nominate please visit www.tabma.com.au - Queensland - News and Events - 2012 QLD Timber Industry Awards Nomination Form and complete an entry for each nomination. All nominations will be kept confidential and only be seen by TABMA Queensland management and judges. Nominations close 15 June 2012.

Introducing the first Bronze Sponsor’s…

Sponsorship packages are still available.

Page 24 | issue 220 | 07.05.12

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