Issue 224 Timber & Forestry E News

6761

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 1

Plastics change face of industry

This Issue • I nvestors circle Christchurch rebuild •M ore trees or wood industry doomed

Environmental concerns drive new wood treatment solutions of environmental constraints on wood preservation [CCA and LOSP] operations and the emergence of new wood products,” said Brent Apthorpe, conference manager and a director of the Forest Industry Engineering Association.

“Wood plastic composites are now a commercial reality,” Mr Apthorpe said.

“Economic considerations three years ago meant that these products had to command a high price in the market to attract investment.

Wood plastic composites .. gaining market share.

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• N ew opportunities for state’s timbers at hardwoods, cypress forum •D urability systems will capture new markets •A nxious wait for re-start of Triabunna mill •G lobal lumber trade rises 25pc •S oftwoods plentiful, but hardwoods lag behind

Cont Page 3

Treated

THE face of the timber treatment industry is changing dramatically and wood composites are part of the ‘plastic’ surgery.

The triennial wood preservation conference in Melbourne threw up crucial challenges to the sector – bend to environmental pressures or lose market share and accept that modified wood products are now a commercial reality.

“In the three years since the last conference the game plan for chemical suppliers and timber treaters has changed remarkably under the impact

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

Anxious wait for re-start of chip mill at Triabunna TASMANIA’S Resources Minister Bryan Green says the new managers of the Triabunna woodchip mill have told him the key export facility won’t reopen until the state’s forestry peace deal is finalised.

The woodchip mill has been bought by environmental entrepreneurs Jan Cameron, founder of Kathmandu, and Graeme Wood, creator of Wotif, who eventually want to turn the waterfront site into a tourism venture.

The mill that used to be owned

by Gunns has been closed for more than a year and timber workers say jobs have been lost as a result. But the Triabunna mill can’t reopen until the new owners find someone to run it, says an ABC news report.

The new owners have hired Alec Marr, a former head of the Wilderness Society, to manage the woodchip mill.

He says the tender process for finding someone to run the mill is continuing and there’s a shortlist.

While heading the Wilderness Society, Mr Marr encouraged customers of Gunns to shift their purchasing policies away from ‘high conservation value forests’.

Alec Marr .. tender processes continuing.

Brendon O’Connor, the man whose families business Aprin tried to buy the mill, is critical of the new owners.

“For a start it was never bought to be reopened,” he told the ABC. “They knew exactly what they were doing at the time; they knew they were going to bring the industry to its knees.

“We’re quietly hopeful that we can get a new market or get a new facility somewhere in the state. We definitely need one down in the south because Triabunna will not reopen.”

Aprin is exporting logs for Forestry Tasmania but believes this is not enough to keep the business going.

Peter Smail farmer and forester RESPECTED New Zealand forester Peter Smail of Canterbury has died, aged 88.

Mr Smail joined the New Zealand Institute of Forestry in 1974, was elected an honorary member in 1980, a fellow in 1988 and received the Thomas Kirk Award in 1992 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to NZ forestry.

A founding member and past president of the NZ Farm Forestry Association, Mr

Page 2 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

Smail was recognised for his expertise on shelter and farm forestry on the Canterbury plains. He was a member of the Selwyn Plantation Board for 16 years, five of them as chairman.

Despite being renowned nationally and internationally for his expertise on farm forestry, throughout his working life he was first and foremost a farmer.

His death on May 21 was followed by a private funeral.

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

Learning Skills Research Advice Innovation

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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WOOD PRESERVATION 2012

Low-uptake water soluble process to treat LVL, plywood and bamboo From Page 1

“But technological advances, regulatory changes, green building practices, environmental concerns and in some cases, new science, have meant that market price points for composite or modified wood products are at a level where investors – and now consumers – are backing these new technologies.”

Combinations of wood and plastics have been used as alternatives to wood and other materials in Europe for about 40 years. After slow early development the market has grown rapidly over the last five years to reach 193,000 tonnes in 2010.

Already wood plastic posts are the preferred option for vineyards in South Australia because of CCA recycling issues in the state Decking is the largest application area with 76% of output and much of the predicted growth is expected to be in construction applications, including decking, siding or cladding, fencing and window

Talking timber treatment in Melbourne .. Noel Coxhead, general manager Zelam Pty Ltd, Melboune, Mandy Parry Jones, AFT, and Alan Preston and wife Barbie of Apterus Consulting.

- Photos by Brent Apthorpe.

applications.

Thermoplastic composites are expected to replace metals – good news for the wood industry – and are being promoted as “contributing to environmental sustainability, free from the toxic chemicals used for preservation” – bad news for the wood treatment sector.

The US wood-plastic composite and plastic lumber industry, valued at $US 5.4 billion, is projected to advance about 10% a year through 2011-12 as it continues to penetrate the building materials market at a rapid pace, particularly in decking applications.

Already wood plastic posts are the preferred option for vineyards in South Australia because of CCA recycling issues in the state. However, there was a suggestion at the Melbourne conference that waste CCA timber might be recycled back into wood composites.

But above all of this, the 90 delegates at the Melbourne conference and 110 delegates at a similar FIEA event in Rotorua, NZ, agreed the industry had to come up with better wood preservation solutions – and environmentally sound alternatives.

Exciting developments in

See the latest technology for your future AWISA PANEL

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micronised copper quaternary and water soluble azole formulations are a way forward while a new low uptake water soluble H3 process flagged at the conference represents a giant leap in wood treatment.

Driving this new technology in Queensland is timber treater Gerry Gardiner of iTreat Timber who sees the new solution –a world ‘first’ – as the “Holy Grail” for the industry.

“A low uptake water soluble ACQ solution, particularly for hazard class 3 situations, will bring new environmental credentials and big savings in timber treatment to the industry,” he said “We’re very excited about the first set of trials just completed and the analytic data suggests we’ve ‘cracked the code’ – and that includes treatment of LVL, plywoods and bamboo, not just solid wood, which has wide international significance.”

Interest in the success of the first trials completed three weeks ago has spread throughout Australia and New Zealand with the “commercial realisation” of the product expected in a few months.

11-14 July 2012 SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE DARLING HARBOUR SYDNEY

AWISA SOLID WOOD

The trade show for the cabinet, joinery, furniture, timber and panel industries.

Register at www.awisa.com

ORGANISED BY THE AUSTRALIAN WOODWORKING INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED. T: 02 9918 3661 E: info@awisa.com

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 3

WOOD PRESERVATION 2012

Improved durability systems will capture new markets for timber Performance, customer confidence hold the key

IMPROVING durability systems to capture new markets for timber – and the implications for Australian standard 1604 – took the high ground of discussions at Wood Preservation 2012 in Melbourne on May 23 and 24.

Sessions focused on customer confidence, market growth, product performance warranties and the credibility of durability with professional designers.

Hyne technical manager Geoff Stringer challenged that timber durability systems were not well aligned to timber designer / customer expectations, BCA requirements, and reliabilitybased design principles.

He pointed to numerous

Wood Preservation 2012 delegates enjoy post-conference entertainment .. the State of Origin Game at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Geoff Stringer (foreground) and fellow delegates cheer on the Maroons as Queensland takes Game 1 of the series defeating the NSW Blues 18-10 after a late try was awarded to the Maroons’ Greg Inglis which pushed Queensland to an eight-point advantage.

2012

Conference & Exhibition Melbourne 18-19 June

The major national event for engineered timber and building pre-fabrication International speakers program visit website for details www.frameaustralia.com Page 4 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

options available to improve the current durability system and drew attention to the FWPA Design for Durability Project which he said was “showing the way.”

The WoodSolutions guide, related Timberlife education software and associated timber design procedures are the result of a 10-year, multimillion-dollar collaboration between scientists at CSIRO, state forestry agencies and the timber industry.

The timber durability design project was conceived in 1996 and led by internationally recognised CSIRO building engineer Dr Robert Leicester.

The design guide has taken the uncertainty out of using timber by applying structural engineering criteria and predictive modelling to assess how long different timbers would last in a wide range of conditions. The effective service life of timber can range anything from one year to more than 100 years, depending on the conditions it encounters.

The guide can help preserve timber in-use and shows the best maintenance treatments and what can be done to reduce the risks of decay and pest attack. The research has rated 80 timber species used in Australia into durability categories for each of five key hazards and has developed geographic risk zones.

More than 200 delegates attended the Wood Preservation 2012 series in Melbourne and Rotorua which are expected to have a major bearing on the future operation of Australasian companies in the next few years.

The two-day program outlined the very latest developments with new wood preservative Design guide has taken the uncertainty out of using timber by applying structural engineering criteria and predictive modelling to assess how long different timbers would last in a wide range of conditions formulations, advances in alternative products and the industry’s response to increasing environmental issues and changes that are occurring now in production, distribution and retailing in Australasia, North America, Europe and Asia.

As a consequence of new legislation and the growing ‘green consumerism’, the market for wood preservatives has changed dramatically. A wide range of new treatment formulations, application systems and alternative wood treatment technologies were profiled as part of the 2012 technology series.

Cont Page 9

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events

WHAT’S ON?

JUNE

12: Wood PrefabNZ, Wellington.

Sponsored by NZ Wood and hosted by the College of Creative Arts at Massey University, Wellington. The event runs from 12.30-5pm. Speakers include architects, suppliers, contractors and clients on the use of prefabricated elements in design and build. Afternoon tea provided and the event finishes with drinks and networking. Cost $50 for PrefabNZ members and $100 for non-PrefabNZ members. Contact: info@nzwood.co.nz 18: Timber industry dinner and forestry scholarship presentations – Mount Gambier Timber Industry Club 214.

6.30 pm for 7 pm at Southgate Motel. Andrew Lang of Smart Timbers Australia will speak on the carbon farming initiative, covering issues such as energy from agricultural and forestry waste, including carbon in soils from farming and forestry, and the carbon tax. Mr Lang has just returned from an extensive tour overseas, mostly in Europe, visiting timber producers, farmer energy cooperatives and government departments. Developments in bio-fuels to heat houses and small towns and large wood fired power stations have also been evaluated.

Scholarships will be presented to two forestry students from the Mount Gambier campus of Sothern Cross University. Course convenor Diana Lloyd will give an update on the courses provided at SCU. Dinner cost $40 p.p. includes three-course meal. Bookings by 5 pm, June 12. Contact Maurie Drewer on (08) 08 8725 5441, mobile 0408 394 296 of e-mail mkdrewerdubai@gmail.com

18-19: Frame Australia 2012 conference and exhibition – Park Hyatt, Melbourne.

Major national event for engineeredtimber and building pre-fabrication. The expanded program will include a focus on building and construction with increased dialogueand information exchangeon residential and commercialbuilding trends, andawareness of new BIM digital model technology. Delegate registration available online.

Visit www.frameaustralia.com (save $100 with early bird registrationbefore May 21).

JULY 20: National Carpenters Day. Tel: (03) 9597 0948. Fax: (03) 9597 0958. Email: info@ carpentersday.com.au

AUGUST 13-15: Australian Window Association’s annual conference and exhibition.

Fenestration Australia 2012 at The Esplanade Hotel, Largest gathering of local and international organisations associated with the window industry, bringing together more than 300 delegates from right across the value chain.

Inquiries to conference secretariat on (08) 9381 9281 or email fenestration2012reg@iceaustralia. com 22-23: Carbon Forestry2012.

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, thsome international emissions units and uncertainty around the

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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 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.

Visit www.foresttechevents.com

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 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Plantation softwood plentiful, but hardwood timbers lagging behind Construction industry’s choices limited: ABARES THE construction industry will be able to count on the supply of plantation softwood timber increasing by about 27% over the next 20-30 years. But the volume of plantation hardwood for similar and higher value use will lag far behind over the same period.

By 2040-44, hardwood plantation log volumes will only be about half that of today’s level of native forest timber, and probably lower in quality, according to national forecaster ABARES. The details came in the report, Australia’s Plantation Log Supply 2010-2054, issued last week by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. ‘‘This reflects the relatively low level of investment in broadleaved plantations aimed at sawlog production compared with pulpwood’ – ABARES report The supply of coniferous (softwood) sawlogs – 9.5 million cub mm a year in 2009-

Page 6 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

Plentiful .. plantation softwood timbers available for construction are well ahead of hardwood supply.

10 – was forecast to be steady at about 10.5 million cub m a year for the next 10 to 15 years.

This would rise to about 12.1 million cub m a year in 2030-34 – about a 27% increase.

Softwood is used extensively in house framing and in some engineered products, but also has potential to be used in commercial construction. Lend Lease hinted at this in launching its high-rise tower last week in Docklands, Melbourne, that will be built with engineered softwood panels of crosslaminated timber.

The company said it had had

Greg McCormack .. consequences of locking up more native forests is becoming clear.

talks with the local industry for a supply chain of radiata rather than European product.

In contrast, ABARES said hardwood plantation sawlog production, 136,000 cub m in 2009-10, would rise to 1.3 million cub m annually in 202529. Production was forecast to peak at 1.4 million cub m in 2040-44.

By comparison, native forest production was about 2.5 million cub m in 2009-10.

But ‘’most sawlogs from broadleaved plantations will be of lower quality unless they are thinned and pruned,” ABARES said.

More than one-quarter of native forest sawlogs are used in higher-grade products such as window frames, doors, floors, staircases and furniture.

About 40% is used in structural products, while the remaining 33% is used for fences and pallets.

ABARES said plantation hardwood sawlog output would be dwarfed by plantation pulpwood (woodchip) production.

Broadleaved Cont Page 7

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Jobs ‘safe’ at Victoria’s Heyfield sawmill after $28m sale is clinched

THE future of the Heyfield sawmill in Victoria has finally been secured after a contractual dispute was settled last week.

Speculation about the sale of the sawmill had been circulating for about 18 months before Tasmanian timber company Gunns announced it had found a buyer.

The deal was briefly delayed by a contractual dispute but the operation has now been successfully sold for $28 million to Melbournebased consortium Australian

Sustainable Hardwoods.

Wellington Shire councillor Malcolm Hole says it is a huge relief for the Heyfield community.

“Along the way there’s been a lot of wringing of hands I suppose because so many times we came to what we thought was the end result and some little barrier always cropped up to stall it,” he said.

“So the ... [decision] is one of relief and excitement because everybody’s jobs are safe and guaranteed.

be a stand-alone mill operating its own payroll and invoicing section we’re led to believe there could be anywhere between six and 10 new jobs created there.

“This is all great for Heyfield as this town continues to grow and develop.”

Malcolm Hole .. jobs safe and guaranteed.

“There’s no jobs to be gone and because the ... [mill] will

Gunns said in a statement that completion of the transaction would finalise the exit of the company from operations based on native forest wood supply.

Level of investment in hardwoods drops From Page 6

plantation pulpwood output – 4.421 million cub m in 200910 – was forecast to reach 13 million cub m a year in 2015-19, peaking at 13.8 million cub m in 2030-34. This would be enough to supply extra pulp and paper capacity in Australia.

Hardwood plantation sawlogs made up only 9% of the forecast total broadleaved plantation supply. ‘’This reflects the relatively low level of investment in broadleaved plantations aimed at sawlog production compared with pulpwood,’’ ABARES said.

The chairman of the Australian Forest Products Association Greg McCormack said the consequences of locking up more native forests were becoming clear. ‘’A replacement plantation resource has not been established and where they have been, the quality leaves a lot to be desired,’’ Mr McCormack said.

Plantation hardwood for quality sawlogs needed good soils, a proper rainfall zone, the appropriate husbandry and much longer growing time, he said.

www.tanalised.com

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 7

NEW ZEALAND

Government incentives to attract investors in Christchurch rebuild

‘Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for NZ forest sector’

GOVERNMENT incentives to help attract offshore investment into the Christchurch rebuild is just one idea put forward by business leaders who say outside interest in capital projects for the city is growing.

Some investment banks have already been working to attract foreign funds to Christchurch’s commercial heart. They say up to $10 billion of private capital, some sourced from overseas, is needed to make a success of

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a rebuild that has been priced at up to $30 billion.

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said there were already investors from countries including Australia, the US and China sniffing around for opportunities to get involved in the rebuild.

But what most groups were waiting for was the blueprint on the city rebuild to be released by the Christchurch Central Development Unit on July 27 to give an indication of how the investment opportunities would shape up in the new landscape.

There is huge opportunity for the forestry sector in the rebuilding of Christchurch.

‘Once we get a blueprint for the central city I’m sure you’ll see much more definite approaches by international concerns because they’ll know with much more certainty the direction we’re travelling in’ – Peter Townsend Andy Buchanan, research director of consortium Sustainable Buildings of the Future says timber is a good product for the rebuilding of the quake-hit city because it was durable, carbon neutral, renewable, and required low energy.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the new cityscape could be really special,” he said.

The consortium is advocating use of structural timber to rebuild residential and commercial areas of the city.

Engineered-timber buildings withstood both earthquakes well, Mr Buchanan said, including the Southern Cross

Osmose®, Protim® and DeterMite® are registered trademarks of Osmose, Inc. or its subsidiaries. * See separate limited guarantee document for more details.

Cont Page 13

Page 8 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

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WOOD PRESERVATION 2012

Visiting the IVL stand at Wood Preservation 2012 in Melbourne ..

Mark Bryant, senior technologist, Hills Laboratories, New Zealand, Greg Jensen, commercial and regulation manager, Lonza Wood Protection, and Peter Webb, CEO of Independent Verification Services.

“Being an event sponsor, and having a stand with a live display highlighting our new on-line timber testing portal was a winner for Independent Verification Services Australia,” says Tim Evans, IVS Australian business development manager.

“The event was well run and well attended despite tough business conditions, and keen interest in the testing portal was shown by all sectors.”

Mr Evans said timber preservation treatment plant operators were realising the benefit of an economical and rapid turnaround testing system that ensured product was correctly treated to AS1604, and that timber was not over treated which was an unnecessary cost imposition.

Improving durability system From Page 4

Technological advances, regulatory changes, green building practices, environmental concerns and in some cases, new science, have meant that market price points for a number of modified wood products, are today at a level where investors and consumers are backing these new technologies.

Rather than being seen as a threat to traditional wood treatment operations the message was clear. There are real opportunities for local companies to diversify their current operations, their products and markets. In most cases this complements existing operations and provides companies with an early competitive advantage.

On the subject of timber durability, Geoff Stringer posed the question: what if structural timber was branded using the same principles as AS1604?

This suggests timber is branded with the design action rather than the material capacity.

He said the Australian standard 1604 had an important ongoing role, but needed to evolve. A durability head standard with a scope that covered the entire timber durability system should be considered.

[The preservative treatment requirements for different types of timber product are detailed in the five parts of AS 1604 – sawn and round; reconstituted woodbased products; plywood; LVL; and glued laminated lumber].

Mr Stringer listed durability grades for consideration by the conference – the current hazard class (a product suitable for this standard hazard); in the interim, a hazard and service life standard that gives 50 years of reliable service); and in the future a durability grade AG50 standard where 95% of the product will have sufficient decay resistance to standard above-ground fungi species and achieve a service life in excess of 50 years.

Where decay hazard varies then other service lives may be calculated using AS1720.5 design methods.

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 9

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Seminar hit the nail on the head for hardwood, cypress builders

New opportunities open for Queensland timbers A $30 MILLION residential, hotel and entertainment complex built almost entirely from decorative and structural feature timbers was an eyeopening setting for a Brisbane seminar on flooring, cladding and decks that attracted more than 200 builders, specifiers, engineers and building designers.

The Eaton’s Hill hotel and convention centre, built by the Comiskey family, occupies a former golf driving range and was designed and constructed around a 150-year-old fig tree now at the centre of the site.

Organised by Timber

InSurAnce..

It’S All In the SelectIon

John McNamara, managing director of DTM Timber, Maryborough, Qld, talks with Mark Burnett, Doyles Home Timber & Hardware, Mitchelton, at the TQ hardwood seminar. Formerly Dale and Meyers, the new title DTM, launched at the seminar, represents the names of company directors Gary Dale, Curly Tatnell and John McNamara.

Mr McNamara was appointed managing director of the Queenslandbased hardwood sawmiller in February this year. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the timber industry and has held senior positions with Hyne, Auspine Ltd, Risby Forest Industries and Boral.

Selecting the right equipment to maximise your production output is similar to selecting the right people to maximise your insurance protection.

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Page 10 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

Queensland, the seminar last week opened up new opportunities for the use and application of the state’s hardwood and cypress timbers.

“We set out to let our audience know there’s plenty of hardwood and cypress on offer and we achieved that,” chief executive Rod McInnes said.

Many at the seminar agreed: “From start to finish we gained a tremendous amount of information about timber properties, species selection and wood’s sustainable and environmental credentials,” said Tania Paahi of Northern Suburbs Flooring.

New to the construction business, she says the seminar was a personal discovery of cypress.

“This was running through my head all day, about how we could use cypress as flooring material. It’s also a great framing timber but there’s a lack of education about it.

I think the industry should be giving cypress a lot more promotion – we certainly will.”

Home renovator Jan Tierney

of Clayfield said the seminar covered every aspect of flooring and cladding, delivering a positive message about Queensland hardwoods.

“I find house builders and timber suppliers are keen to promote the perceived environmental benefits of this method of construction; built properly timber houses are more energy efficient and much easier to work with as far as internal plumbing and electrics are concerned.”

English-born Ms Tierney said house construction and renovation using hardwoods was suitable for nearly every architectural style from colonial to contemporary.

‘From start to finish we gained a tremendous amount of information about timber properties, species selection and wood’s sustainable and environmental credentials’ – Tania Paahi of Northern Suburbs Flooring “A timber frame provides an extremely strong and durable structure,” she said. “Historical evidence suggests that given a good foundation and careful protection from the elements, a timber frame will last indefinitely. There are hundreds of timber-framed structures in Europe that are more than 700 years old. There is no evidence that modern timber construction should expect a shorter life span.”

Ms Tierney said many people she worked with thought modern methods of construction (such as timber and steel frame homes) would Cont Page 11

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

Feather in cap for Timber Queensland From Page 10

probably deliver higher quality housing.

“But most people have no idea what form of construction has been used. And unsurprisingly most people don’t really care – if you offer someone a spacious, energy efficient home at an affordable price close to local services, it doesn’t matter how that home was built.

“But seminars such as this are changing all that – and we want to know more.”

Senior auditor with the Building Service Authority Michael Pehrson said the seminar was another feather in the cap for Timber Queensland.

“Case studies, timber product work stations, and panel discussions delivered a clear message about the benefits and advantages of building with Queensland hardwoods and cypress,” said Mr Pehrson who admitted the seminar had helped him with a decking problem around his swimming pool.

“And Colin MacKenzie’s* presentation on getting the best out of the local resource hit the nail on the head,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what the subject is, he grabs your attention – and he’s always been like that.”

Hardwood and cypress product displays were popular with representations by Boral Timber, the Parkside Group, DTM Timber, Bretts and Kennedy’s Classic Aged Timbers, which provided the timbers for the Eaton’s Hill complex.

Timber is used extensively throughout the internal and external elements of the Eaton’s Hill building – decks, balustrades, ceilings, floors and joinery .. “which seemed a natural choice to celebrate the existence of the 150-yearold fig tree,” said architect Ken Panagopoulos, founder of KP Architects in Brisbane.

In keeping with this architectural

Brisbane architect Frederick Saad of Metgory Architects, West End (right) talks hardwood and cypress floors and cladding with Lionel Tinney, national sales, Bretts Inglewood sawmill.

design intent, aged timbers supplied by Michael Kennedy were used extensively

throughout the development.

The buildings include more

than 18,000 lineal metres of decorative and about 2000 lineal metres of structural feature timbers. Hardwood cladding lines the ceilings in parts, accompanied by rich spotted gum Eco Lay flooring.

Feature posts and beams, crafted from redundant power poles, enhance open air spaces and promote the use of natural elements throughout.

Forum presentations can be downloaded from website www.timberqueensland.com. au * Colin MacKenzie is manager, timber application and use, Timber Queensland.

You’re walking the plank if you put your trust in imported untested non-certified wood The risk is too great.

• Damage to your business • Possible loss of life • Legal action • Media exposure Not everything is what it seems. Trust only tested and certified products that are guaranteed*. Untested and non-certified structural plywood, wood panels, LVL and formply can cause serious accidents – even deaths – on building sites, resulting in litigation. They can be traced to the source of supply.

The choice is obvious

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* Independently tested to the highest standard; guaranteed to comply with Australian and New Zealand building codes and standards; certified under JAS-ANZ accredited product certification scheme; guaranteed to be safe and to carry the designated design load; meets the safety and quality requirements of trade unions; meets all workplace health and safety standards.

issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 11

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Michael Kennedy, founder and chief executive of Kennedy’s Classic Aged Timbers, Narangba, Qld (left), welcomes visitors to the company’s stand at the Timber Queensland hardwoods seminar in Brisbane .. Ed Scott, timber consultant, Peregian Springs, and Neil Fohrman, architect, Toowong, Brisbane.

Discussing hardwood floors at the TQ seminar are Brad Saunders, national sales and marketing, Parkside Group, Northgate, and Tania Paahi and Sharon Hooker of Northern Suburbs Timber Flooring, Brendale.

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Colin Ehrke, area manager, Boral Timber, Northgate, Brisbane (right) explains hardwood profiles to Brisbane builder Hank Woning, Mitchelton, and home renovator Jan Tierney of Clayfield.

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Page 12 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

■

■

■

Phil Mowbray, Enviro Floors, Deception Bay (standing left) looks over hardwood flooring samples on the DTM Timber stand at the TQ forum with DTM Timber representatives from Maryborough Nigel Martin and, seated, Robert Dempster and Andrew Chedzey.

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NEW ZEALAND

Foreign investors likely to partner with local property investors in city rebuild From Page 8

Hospital and Christchurch Women’s Hospital.

The consortium, whose main funders include Carter Holt Harvey, Nelson Pine Industries and Wesbeam, has built a prototype wooden building in Christchurch designed to withstand big quakes.

Peter Townsend said while incentives might be needed, the critical factor Christchurch planners needed to draw in outside investment was that the city itself offered an attractive investment proposition.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the new cityscape could be really special’ – Andy Buchanan

“Once we get a blueprint for the central city I’m sure you’ll see much more definite approaches by international concerns because they’ll know with much more certainty the direction we’re travelling in,” Mr Townsend said.

Some of the overseas investors have been talking

Peter Townsend .. overseas investors seeking opportunities to get involved in city rebuild.

Andy Buchanan .. timber is a good product for the rebuilding of quake-hit Christchurch.

to property developers, and larger construction companies involved in the rebuild. It is likely that the foreign investors will partner with local property investors on some projects.

Tim Howe of investment bank Ocean Partners said there had been concerns that property investors would shy away from significant rebuild projects because Canterbury tenants would not be able to afford leases pushed up due to the development costs of a new safe building.

He said Ocean Partners had lobbied the government

on how the rebuild should proceed, saying it should offer incentives. The government could aim to bring in workers from particular sectors, such

Biggest-ever US thinning project A MONTANA-based company has won a contract for the biggest-ever thinning project in US history designed to restore northern Arizona forests to health.

Pioneer Associates of Billings, Montana,, will use the wood from 121,405 ha to feed a wood products mill that it plans

See the latest technology for your future AWISA PANEL

AWISA DESIGN

as the funds management industry, to Christchurch.

Mr Howe said Ocean Partners had a view that $10 billion of the rebuild cost would come from local and central government, $10 billion from insurance and $10 billion from private sector investors.

There was a significant shortfall in the private sector availability of funding at the moment so work needed to be done to encourage the extra capital into Christchurch.

Ocean Partners was already in touch with potential offshore investors but thought the government needed to create a special economic zone in the central city.

- With extracts from Fairfax NZ News

to open in Winslow, Arizona, by the fall of 2013.

Pioneer agreed to pay the US Forest Service $6.6 million for the right to log the forests.

The mill will employ 600 people and cut ponderosa pine to be manufactured into parts for doors, windows and furniture.

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 13

WOOD DESIGN

Canadian architect makes bid to push wood at global conference Michael Green has passion for wooden skyscrapers

A CANADIAN architect with a passion for building wooden skyscrapers will make a bid to become one of the presenters at a major ideas conference in California next year.

Michael Green of Vancouver is one of 23 people hoping to secure a place at the TED2013 conference in Long Beach as an official speaker.

The TED series of conferences showcases ideas from the world’s most innovative and creative minds. Focused initially on technology, entertainment, and design – the source of the acronym TED – the annual event has since expanded to cover a broad spectrum of contemporary issues from the arts to theology.

Mr Green wants to change the way buildings are constructed by championing a shift to materials – like wood – that have a minimal impact on the environment. “[Wooden skyscrapers are] provocative and interesting,” he told the Vancouver Sun. “Fifty per cent of climate change issues are related to the building industry. Concrete and steel have huge carbon and energy footprints whereas wood is rapidly renewable.”

Talks given by speakers at similar TED salons around the world will be uploaded to the organization’s website at the end of June. Salons were also held in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Doha, Johannesburg, London, Nairobi, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, and Tunis. The Internet community will then be invited to comment and score the various entries. TED organisers make the final decision on which applicants will attend the 2013 conference.

Page 14 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

important conversation. I guess they were curious about where it stands.”

TED content director Kelly Stoetzel said the speaker search was initially called a “live audition,” which implied competition, but the angle was reworked.

“We changed its direction,” she said. “It’s more of a salon to share ideas. They’re not contestants competing with one another.”

Michael Green .. influencing the way buildings are constructed.

Previous speakers at the TED conference include luminaries such as former US president Bill Clinton, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates and Virgin Group’s Sir Richard Branson.

The theme of the TED2013 conference is “The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered.”

‘Fifty per cent of climate change issues are related to the building industry.

Concrete and steel have huge carbon and energy footprints whereas wood is rapidly renewable’ – Michael Green

Michael Green knows he will have to be on top of his game.

His challenge will be to cover everything that needs to be discussed in six minutes.

There will be no time to answer technical questions, but he hopes he can speak to the spirit of innovation.

“I call this the Eiffel Tower moment,” he said. “When the

Eiffel Tower was built, nobody thought it could be done. Now it’s a symbol of Paris. Projects like it really triggered an innovation on how cities were built. Man moves by innovation and [by] aiming for the moon.”

Mr Green started his firm, Michael Green Architecture Inc., this year after spending nine years at North Vancouverbased McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture + Design. He teaches at the University of British Columbia’s school of architecture and is a fellow of the Royal Architectural Society of Canada.

His interest in advocating and developing new and environmentally friendly approaches to construction caught TED’S attention and conference organisers contacted him about the 2013 event.

“I was asked to do it,” Mr Green said. “I recently released a report about wooden skyscrapers that received a lot of attention around the world because it’s a new and

Ms Stoetzel said prospective TED speakers attending the global salons are either contacted directly by the group – as in Green’s case – or selected from candidates who apply through TED’S website.

Applicants submit a brief summary of what they want to talk about, state why they are uniquely qualified to speak, and include a one-minute video clip of them speaking on camera.

“We’re always looking for people who can communicate clearly and with authenticity and people who are working on something new or thinking about something in a new way,” Ms Stoetzel said.

Mr Green praised the global conference as a great opportunity to spread innovative ideas around the world.

“TED is probably, to me, one of the most meaningful things in society today,” he said. “I’m amazed and excited to be able to share. It has absolutely transformed the way I think. It’s an incredibly powerful thing.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Changes to shipping legislation threatens flood of imports: Truss CHANGES to shipping regulations currently before parliament will inflict a $466 million burden on the economy over the next decade, with freight charges to soar by up to 16%, according to Deloitte Access Economics.

“That would see 570 fulltime Australian jobs tossed overboard,” leader of the National Warren Truss warned.

“Such a surge in shipping charges will undoubtedly result in a flood of imports as Australian companies find it more economical to import rather than ship product around our coastline.

“Australian businesses relying on a globally-competitive shipping sector are under siege,” Mr Truss said.

“Right now it costs as much

Rough seas .. surge in shipping charges.

to ship products from China to Australia as it does to ship the same products from Adelaide to Port Kembla. Under these new shipping regulations Australian production will fall and will be substituted with cheaper imports.

Shipping carries more than

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99% of Australia’s international cargo by weight and about 75% by value. Domestically, it represents one-quarter of the national freight task.

“These far-reaching changes to shipping regulations must undergo a full Productivity Commission impact

assessment before becoming law,” Mr Truss said.

“The Gillard government has not listened to concerns about this legislation and is asking us to take it on blind faith that they and their mates at the Maritime Union of Australia are acting in the national interest.

“With Australia’s freight task to double by 2030, and treble along the eastern seaboard, coastal shipping is, and will increasingly be, vital to Australia’s domestic and international transport network.

“Minister Albanese has not been able to put a figure on how much more it will cost to ship freight around our coastline under his new regime. Surely, that’s a basic equation we need to know before going on.”

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 15

NEXT NEXT NEXT BIG BIG BIG STEP STEP STEP

NEW NEW ADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES NEW ADVANTAGES WITH WITH KOMATSU WITH KOMATSU KOMATSU

Komatsu 'FoREst XtREmE' FELLER BuNCHERs & HaRVEstERs Introducing Introducing

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Komatsu Forest offers the PC300LC-8 and PC400LC-8 as purpose built forest machines (FX) with specifications to match the toughest jobs.

Forest Xtreme features: • ROPS/FOPS/OPS Cabin • Full heavy duty Gull Wing canopy • Heavy duty under body guarding

• Harvest or Feller Buncher boom sets • Single or double bar track grousers • Integrated 1200 litre fuel tank • Engine option; 260hp or 362hp

The Forest Xtreme machines illustrates Komatsu forest’s dedication to provide the best solution for the logging contractor.

Page 16 | issue 224 | 04.06.12 www.komatsuforest.com.au www.komatsuforest.com.au www.komatsuforest.com.au

Introducing

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FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

More trees in the ground or the wood industry is doomed

Domestic timber shortage a real concern THEY say a picture is worth a thousand words – well in this case it’s a graph! I certainly won’t be getting into the habit of using graphs in my column – I’m not all that clever at drawing them, even with a computer.

However, you just have to look at the one on Page 18 below and be very afraid!

Sadly, it speaks volumes about the current state of the forest industry – lack of business confidence, little investment and declining competitiveness.

We all talk about forestry being a long-term business, but the graph tells us that if you are, for example, a harvesting contractor or sawmiller you had better think of something else to do in say 25 years because Some areas of softwood plantation are not being restocked after clear felling, and there are reports that plantation timbers in Queensland are headed for export markets

there will be few plantationgrown trees to harvest and process then if current trends continue.

The graph, based as it is on Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences data, shows plantation establishment over the past decade declining to almost zero this year.

Back in 1999-00 new plantations were being established at around 136,000 ha a year. The following three years saw successive declines in yearly planting levels, down to 42,000 ha a year at the end of that period.

Clear felling the current crop in South Australia .. some tough lessons for forestry if there is to be a future beyond the rotation in-the-ground.

The rise in new plantations in 2006-07 to 87,000 ha a year coincided with the peak in activity of the forestry managed investment schemes (MIS).

Remember them?

These plantations comprised predominantly blue gum and other hardwood species. Since then, planting levels have been declining; 2009-10 represents a record low, with new plantings falling to 23,000 ha a year.

But based on preliminary data for this year, planting levels have declined even further as the rot from the complete collapse of MIS planting sets in.

The establishment trend in softwood plantations has been irregular over the past decade.

Between 1999-00 and 2007-08, the area established fluctuated between 5200 and 11,000 ha.

Since then new plantations have fallen below these levels.

The 2009-10 year saw the establishment of softwood plantations fall to 3000 ha with a further decline this year.

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Deep in the Woods with ..

overcome in the long term by a rapid pick-up in planting, or by increasing timber imports.

On top of this sorry outlook is the reality that probably half of the area established willynilly by some misguided MIS advocates will either not be replanted after harvesting or simply bulldozed and converted to some other form of land use. This latter outcome was showcased in the ABC’s rural flagship program Landline – a great advertisement for forestry!

Topping this off are reports that some areas of softwood plantation are not being restocked after clear felling, and reports that plantation timbers in Queensland are headed for export markets.

This all compounds an already bleak outlook for the industry exacerbated by this dramatic decline in new plantation establishment.

Clearly there are some tough lessons for forestry in Australia to confront if we are going to have any future beyond the current rotation of softwood plantations.

Probably half of the area established willy-nilly by some misguided MIS advocates will either not be replanted after harvesting or simply bulldozed and converted to some other form of land use

Cheryle Forrester Sorry about all the figures – they are a bit hard-going, but they paint a really alarming picture and point to an impending dramatic domestic timber supply shortage unless this is

What is obviously needed is for investors to see forestry as a viable commercial business with satisfactory economic Cont Page 18

issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 17

FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

We need to see a significant change in attitude of government towards forestry

From Page 17

prospects in longer rotation sawlog crops.

This task, and improving business confidence, needs to be assisted by federal government policy that, during the tenure of the current government, has been completely hostile to forestry.

The decision not to allow carbon credits to be traded from domestic plantations, but to permit emissions to be offset by purchasing credits off-shore, plus the opposition to allowing

even mention Tasmania!

Annual Plantations Established

So we need to see a significant change in the attitude of government toward forestry – and quickly!

Source: ABARES National Plantation Inventory

300 250 200

There’s serious work to be done here by forest industry Total advocates. We need a lot more Hardwood Softwood trees in the ground and soon if we are going to have an industry in the future.

'000 ha 150 100

50 0

forest and sawmill waste to be used as biomass for producing

Sorry ‘bout all that, but there you go. green renewable energy are but two examples – and I won’t

My lot for now – catch you next time.

Komatsu’s thinning expert: saves on fuel and good for environment KOMATSU’S true thinning expert is now available in a new version, the Komatsu 901TX.1, which with the new E3-Power engine concept is as good for the environment as it is for productivity and fuel efficiency.

The Komatsu 901TX.1 features the new E3-Power engine concept, with its documented fuel efficiency. Field tests, under normal work conditions, have shown considerable fuel savings compared to Stage A/ Tier 3 models.

Naturally, actual fuel consumption varies depending on the prevailing conditions, but all field tests performed so far have shown considerable reductions in fuel consumption.

The focus of the E3-Power engine concept (environmental, economical and efficient) has been to maximise combustion efficiency. This reduces the amount of particulates to be

Komatsu 901TX.1 .. the ultimate thinning machine.

filtered and resolves part of the underlying problem. It also drastically reduces fuel consumption while retaining the same engine performance and response.

However, the new engine is not all the Komatsu 901TX.1 has to offer. Komatsu’s unique ‘comfort’ bogie concept and large 24.5 in. tyres provide low ground pressure, which helps

preserve the forest floor and the remaining trees when thinning.

Soft-sealed ORFS couplings throughout the machine ensure great reliability and minimise oil leaks. This is good for both the environment and the bank balance. ORFS fittings are based on two flat surfaces with an o-ring that creates a tight seal.

Manoeuvrability, reach,

This section is supported by the Australian Forest Contractors Association Page 18 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

and lifting power are other important factors for effective thinning. The Komatsu 901TX.1 is equipped with a 10 m or 11 m crane, boasting the greatest lifting torque on the market at 170 kNm. Together with Komatsu’s integrated cab and boom concept, this means a lot, especially when working in steep terrain.

The Komatsu 901TX.1 cab is large and spacious with generous headroom providing a comfortable work environment.

Inside, the generous headroom is very apparent, and the cab is both long and wide.

A powerful and user-friendly MaxiXplorer 3.0 control system includes such new features as variable fan control with monitored fan speed which reduces noise levels in the cab and a function for tree species groups, enabling the operator to select several different tree species.

The Komatsu 901TX.1 is also available as a four-wheel model, making this thinning machine even nimbler and more effective.

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FORESTS AND FOREST MACHINERY

Waratah marches through Richmond with 622B harvesting head as flagship RICHMOND in the US state of Virginia was the host city for Waratah’s exhibition at Expo Richmond 2012 on May 18 and 19.

The expo offered the year’s largest collection of sawmilling, harvesting, biomass, firewood production and related equipment, supplies and services in North America.

Virginia has an active reforestation program; the state blazed new ground in the early 1970s when the industry promoted to the state legislature the Reforestation of Timberlands Program.

The program is funded by a pine severance tax paid by industry and matched by an appropriation from the state.

The monies are then used as cost share payments for private landowners in reforestation practices. The program has been extremely successful,

Popular .. the Waratah 622B harvesting head.

accounting for more than 250 million trees planted, and has served as the model for other states in the US. The forest products industry utilises annually more than 1.4 billion board feet of saw timber and 3.3 million cords of pulpwood.

Waratah showcased its 622B harvesting head and TimberRite simulator at the expo, a popular

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attraction for young and old alike.

Waratah Forestry Attachments celebrated the manufacture and shipment of its 1500th 622B harvester head at its New Zealand facility in midSeptember last year. The HTH622B is the company’s most popular heavy-duty, allround harvester/processor head, engineered to handle a

wide range of applications and sold all over the world.

The 1500the harvester head was shipped to a customer in Canada.

The 622B has been on the market since 2004-5 with more than 120 of them used in Australia on softwood and hardwood.

The robust 622B harvesting head is equipped with two delimbing knives, a heavyduty floating top knife and a fixed knife at the rear to ensure effortless delimbing of tough wood. Traction and alignment are aided by the synchronised three-wheel drive, which easily grabs on to big limbs.

As with all HTH600 Series heads, the 622B comes standard with a measuring and control system that ensures precision. The HTH622B is designed for felling up to 55 cm diameter wood.

issue 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 19

Signs of better times ahead as global lumber trade rises 25pc AFTER a sharp decline in global demand for lumber in 2008 and 2009 as a result of the global recession, global trade of softwood lumber increased an estimated 25% over the past two years.

In 2011, trade reached just over 90 million cub m, which is still substantially below ‘prefinancial crises’ levels.

China, Japan, Spain and South Korea saw the biggest rise in import volume between 2010 and 2011. However, not all markets improved last year and major importer such as the US, the UK, Italy, France and Egypt reduced imports by between 5-10% year-over-year.

The lumber market is still very unpredictable and frail, so if the sector increases production from the current level too fast, there is a chance supply will grow faster than demand resulting in reduced product prices.

The Middle East / North African region has had a growing appetite for lumber for its construction sector; and the region imported 36% more lumber in 2010 than in 2007.

This steady upward trend was interrupted last year when the Egyptian revolution, the civil war in Libya and riots in Algeria created temporary chaos and uncertainty in the region. As a result, shipments of lumber fell and total imports to N. Africa / Middle East were down about 10% from the previous year.

The sawmilling industry in Europe has not had a good

Page 20 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

demand in the coming months resulting in reduced product prices.

If this less desirable scenario (from the industry’s perspective) bears fruition, it would not be the first time this industry has overreacted to limited positive news and increased operating rates

above

actual

market

demand.

Global timber market reporting is included in the 52-page quarterly

publication

Wood

Hunger for wood .. China, Japan, Spain and South Korea the big consumers.

Resource

Quarterly

(WRQ).

year with declining product prices, reduced demand for lumber in both domestic and export markets, and continued high wood raw-material costs as reported by the Wood Resource Quarterly.

As a result, many sawmills on the continent have reduced operating rates and numerous lumber companies have suffered financial losses during the past year.

Lumber prices in the Nordic countries fell during most of the second half of 2011 to their lowest levels since the summer of 2009. However, the bottom may have been reached for now.

There are signs that the lumber market is improving in a few countries on the continent and in major markets in Northern Africa and Middle East. This is happening at the same time as log costs are in the decline, which could be the good news that many sawmills have been

1988 and with subscribers in

waiting for.

However, the lumber market is still very unpredictable and frail, so if the sector increases production from the current level too fast, there is a chance supply will grow faster than

The

report,

established

in

more than 25 countries, tracks sawlog,

pulpwood,

lumber

and pellet prices and market developments

in

most

key

regions around the world.

Driver logs on, then it’s logs off!

A TRUCK driver oblivious to large pine logs falling off a trailer on to New Zealand’s State Highway 1 copped an instant fine for having an insecure load.

Police said if a log had smashed into another vehicle the consequences could have been horrific. Fortunately no one was injured.

The first log, the bigger of the two, fell from the fully laden truck and trailer unit about 150 m south of the Portland turnoff. The second smashed on to the road near a service station.

The truck driver was not aware he had lost the logs from the rear ‘double bunker’ trailer and

a member of the public alerted police. Officers stopped the driver at Matamata, a rural town in the Waikato region before more logs were lost.

“I didn’t even know they had come off,” the driver said. “I’m just glad no one was hurt, that’s what I was worried about. It’s shaken me up quite a bit.”

He said he had been doing the job for five years. He had come from a forest in Kaikohe and was headed for Marsden Point.

An industry rule stipulates that the chains holding logs in place must touch each of the logs on the outside of the load.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Study shows walk in the forest has spiritual, physical benefits IN Japan, they call it shinrinyoku – literally, “forest bathing.”

Here, we might just call it a walk in the woods. Either way, people around the world have an intuitive sense of the restorative power of natural environments.

The question is: why?

Scientists have advanced a wide range of theories about the specific physical and mental benefits nature can provide, ranging from clean air and lack of noise pollution to the apparent immune-boosting effects of a fine mist of “wood essential oils”, But the most powerful benefits, a new study suggests, may result from the way trees and birds and sunsets gently tug – but never Going for a walk in the forest gives voluntary attention a break, since the mind has a chance to wander aimlessly and be engaged – involuntarily but gently – by the surroundings grab – at our attention.

The study, which appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that volunteers suffering from depression who took a 50-minute walk in a woodland park improved their cognition, as measured by the ability to remember a random string of digits and repeat them in reverse order, compared to those who took a walk through city streets. An earlier study found similar results in subjects who weren’t depressed.

The explanation, according to lead author Marc Berman, a research fellow at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest in Toronto, lies in the

Therapeutic .. relax and go for a walk in the forest.

distinction between two types of attention: “voluntary,” in which we consciously focus on something; and “involuntary,” in which something grabs our attention.

The ability to direct voluntary attention is crucial in daily life (and for cognitive tasks like remembering random digits), but it’s easily fatigued. Dr Berman and his colleagues believe that going for a walk in the forest gives voluntary attention a break, since your mind has a chance to wander aimlessly and be engaged – involuntarily but gently – by your surroundings.

“In a lot of natural areas, you’re away from loud noises and distractions,” Dr Berman explains. “It tends to be less crowded so you don’t have to worry about bumping into people, and it also has interesting stimulation to look at, which captures your attention automatically.”

In contrast, honking horns and traffic lights and crowded sidewalks – and pretty much every other ingredient of

modern life in a big city – constantly force you to exert your voluntary attention to react or block them out, leaving you more cognitively depleted.

All this makes it sound as if the benefits of nature are mostly in your head. It’s true that simply looking out a window at nature or, to a slightly lesser extent, looking at pictures of nature scenes can produce some of the same effects. But the physical environment itself may also play a role, Dr Berman notes.

One obvious candidate is air quality: A single exposure to polluted air can trigger lung and heart problems, and chronic exposure has been linked to cognitive decline.

Even downtown parks and riverside bike paths are likely to have significantly better air quality than busy city streets, and trees offer an additional protective effect. The level of vehicle emissions just 200 m away from a road is already four times lower than it is on the sidewalk next to the road.

A more unusual suggestion,

proposed by researchers at Japan’s Nippon Medical School, is that trees emit a fine mist of health-giving “wood essential oils”. In a series of shinrin-yoku studies, the researchers have reported that walking for two hours in a forest enhances immune function (as measured by levels of “natural killer cells”), reduces levels of stress hormones and lowers blood pressure, compared to similar walks in downtown Tokyo.

(Before you rush out to buy a case of wood essential oils, it’s worth noting that this research was funded in part by Japan’s Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute).

Still, the fact that pictures of nature can produce cognitive benefits suggests that at least part of the effect is mediated by what we see. One simple hypothesis is colour: nature scenes tend to feature more green than urban scenes.

A more subtle possibility is that natural landscapes have more fractal patterns – a mathematical classification that describes the complex shapes of phenomena like coastlines, mountain ranges and broccoli florets – compared to the simple straight lines that characterise man-made environments.

Teasing out the key variables will take time – and ultimately, it seems unlikely that there’s a single magical quality or essential oil that fully explains the call of the semi-wild. For now, it’s enough to know that the benefits of exposure to nature are real and measurable. And in an increasingly distracting and distracted world, they’re more important than ever.

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 224 | 04.06.12 | Page 21

ex of pre i n ss te i o re ns st

eldersre.com.au

Prime Investment Opportunity Timber – A Resource of the Future.

An opportunity to purchase (2) developed Softwood Plantations available as a total package or individual properties.

“Coolalbin”

“Electra” Duingal QLD

Monduran QLD

• Area 1,291 hectares (3,190 acres) 2 Freehold Titles.

• Approx 21 km north of Gin Gin. • Plantation Area – 733 hectares – 2001 & 2005 plantings.

• Balance area 558 Hectares utilised for cattle grazing.

• Improvements include 2 Bedroom cottage, 3 bay garage, machinery shed, timber cattle yards with vet crush & plunge dip.

• • • • •

Area 936 hectares (2,312 acres) 5 Freehold Titles.

Approx 24 km south of Gin Gin. Approx 8 km Burnett River frontage.

Plantation area – 224 hectares – 2005 planting.

Balance area divided between cattle grazing (438 ha) and open native forest (unfenced 274 ha).

Comments: “Coolalbin & Electra” are well managed Softwood Plantations with good growth vigour ensuring sustainable timber reserves for the future. www.eldersre.com.au

ID

4091445

Expressions of Interest: Close at 5pm Friday 15 June 2012 Details: Information Memorandum available from the Marketing Agents.

Baden Lowrie 0427 172 158 Elders Bundaberg 07 4152 6599 John Burke 0428 457 976 Elders Brisbane 07 3840 5503

Page 22 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

Expressions of Interest

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Knowledge Tree Series

Introduc tion to Green Star® and FSC Project Certific ation 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 GBCA CPD points for - What is FSC & why is it important? attendance apply - Green Star® and the timber credit - 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:

June 19th , 8–9.30am (Speakers will be available for Q&A, informal discussions and networking until 10.30am) RSVP must be in by 8th June to assure a place

Where:

Level 2, 263 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA 6000

RSVP:

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

Donations to support future Knowledge Tree Series are encouraged and are tax deductible.

Presented with the generous support of TABMA

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issue 224 | 04.06.12 | 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 Sponsor’s...

Page 24 | issue 224 | 04.06.12

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