Issue 243 Timber and Forestry

6871

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issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 1

Making bee-line for forest access

State government supports opening western hardwood areas to industry

By JIM BOWDEN

How sweet it is .. multiple-use forests means more hardwood timber.

Cont Page 2

This Issue

•N ew executive officer at TMA • Phil Burke elected TPAA president

Forests: inconvenient truths

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demands, came away from the meeting happier about the new government’s positive attitude to forest management, which was seen as “more liberated” than the previous Labor government”.

Representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), including director of forestry Geoff Kent, gave some indications of the amount of forest that could be accessed west of the Great Dividing Range without giving any hard numbers at this stage.

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A meeting of more than 30 hardwood growers and processors convened in Gympie last week by Timber Queensland welcomed assurances of greater access to timber stands previously earmarked for national park status.

Industry stakeholders, concerned that supplies of local hardwoods would not meet the state’s future building

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issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

Timber industry plan likely to be under Christmas tree

From Page 1

bring back into play another 1.2 million ha of forest, previously earmarked to be locked up,” the chief executive of Timber Queensland Rod McInnes said.

“Of course the biodiversity values of the 1.2 million ha will have to be assessed and there might be some limitations depending on its genuine conservation value.

“But the rest of it will be returned to multiple-use forests – timber collecting, beekeeping and recreational use.”

Mr McInnes said the industry would nonetheless take a cautious approach to the harvesting of hardwoods.

“We need to be careful we are not accused of logging areas that are genuinely sensitive,” he said.

“The next step is to be comforted by the fact that existing contracts that run through to 2025 can be met.”

Mr McInnes said the industry would be recommending that the harvesting intensity be decreased .. “so that we are taking fewer trees from a given areas to give us a better opportunity for anther crop down the track.”

Mr McInnes said if there was additional wood available over and beyond that, then the government would be looking to put it on the market.

“We were cutting the western hardwoods area at 30-plus, that’s 30 cm dbh [diameter at breast height] – and that was a

‘Of course the biodiversity values of the 1.2 million ha will have to be assessed and there might be some limitations depending on its genuine conservation value Page 2 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

Rod McInnes .. draft plan to industry forum this week.

big haircut on the basis of cut out and get out,” he said.

“Now we’re back to a more sustainable long-term position, cutting 40-plus stems, the current tree marking position, which will give a wider area for a given volume.

“The idea is to prune it carefully and sustainably so it will be a

wood resource forever.”

Referring to the Queensland Timber Industry Plan, Mr McInnes said there had been good dialogue with the minister and a draft plan was expected to go out to an industry leaders’ forum this week.

“When they’ve looked at the draft plan it will be put out into the general stakeholder arena before presentation to the minister, probably at the end of November.

“We certainly expect something positive by Christmas.”

The leaders’ forum includes representatives of government agencies, Timber Queensland, the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia, timber company CEOs, forest growers, HQ Plantations and the Housing Industry Association.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Thanks Timber Queensland, we’re on the right track!

More aware of the benefits of new commercial and residential construction systems .. a section of an audience of more than 180 builders, designers and architects listens intently to speakers at the Timber Queensland construction forum in Brisbane last week.

Brisbane builders from Graceville, Vicki and Bob Pettigrew, settle in for the Timber Queensland presentation.

Multi-storey CLT apartment project lifts builder interest to new heights

By JIM BOWDEN

COMPARISONS between designs in conventional reinforced concrete and cross-laminated timber have shown CLT has the potential to become a viable and competitive construction system in the Australian market, particularly for mid-rise apartment buildings.

Addressing more than 180 builders and architects at Timber Queensland’s contemporary construction forum at Brisbane’s Portside precinct last Thursday, Robert Hough, structural engineer and principal of international consulting group Arup, expanded on the proposed development in Sydney of a six-storey apartment block.

The CLT design, drawing on similar projects in the UK, was developed along a ‘base’ design in conventional reinforced concrete, including cost and programming comparisons and comparative life cycle assessments in tonnes of CO2 equivalent global warming potential.

The development potential is for 75 residential units in three blocks of six, seven and eightstoreys constructed above ground.

About half of the units will be offered under a federal government affordable housing scheme to tenants on moderate incomes.

The material assumed for fabrication of the CLT panels is Australian radiata pine.

Chief executive of Timber Queensland and forum chairman Rod McInnes (right) welcomes speakers Richard Hough of Arup and Catherine McCahon of Building Codes Queensland.

As the Building Code of Australia allows only threestoreys of load-bearing timber construction for performance of fire under its ‘deemed to comply’ provisions, an alternative fire engineered solution is being considered.

The alternative solution proposes a 90-minute fire resistance level for floor and wall panel separating units, to be achieved with 30-minute rated plasterboard lining and 60 minutes of resistance from charring of the CLT – with provision for sprinklers throughout the buildings.

Robert Hough said that during the material sourcing, fabrication and construction stage, the CLT project had significant advantage, given the

Home renovator Jan Tierney (left) catches up with Brisbane builders David and Suzanne Bannister.

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lower embodied energy (hence emissions) in manufacture of timber engineered products, compared to concrete using cement.

[A more detailed report on the Sydney CLT project will appear in a future issue of Timber&Forestry enews).

Speakers at the Timber Queensland forum included Catherine McCahon, acting executive director, Building Codes Queensland; architect Richard Kirk who presented a case study of a laminated timber project at the University of Queensland; and Colin MacKenzie, manager, timber application and use, Timber Queensland, who focused on wood products and building systems innovation.

Daniel Oliver, Complete Building Certification, chats with Michael Pehrson, senior audit officer, Building Services Authority, Brisbane.

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 3

OPINION

Forests: inconvenient truths Outrageous environmental claims against Gunns

THE announcement that Tasmanian timber company Gunns had entered into voluntary administration has predictably spawned an array of ‘dance-on-the-grave’ postmortems from its long-standing critics.

These include high profile opponents such as novelist Richard Flanagan, wealthy Sydney businessman turned activist Geoffrey Cousins and former Labor opposition leader turned media commentator Mark Latham.

Flanagan’s earlier writings on Gunns and its proposed pulp mill had caused some to observe that it affirmed his status as a fiction writer.

His short essay published on Hobart-based web blog, the Tasmanian Times, somewhat reinforces this perception.

In particular, a colourful first paragraph in which he accuses Gunns of corporate hubris which enabled them to “.. corrupt the polity, cow the media, poison public life and seek to persecute those who disagree with you. You can rape the land, exterminate protected species, exploit your workers and you can even poison your neighbours”.

Cousins, by his own admission, initially came to the fight against Gunns and its pulp mill at the behest of Bob Brown and Wilderness Society activists who imbued him with highly emotive, wildly exaggerated and inaccurate perceptions of the reality.

The first paragraph of his opinion piece published in Melbourne’s The Age recently, suggests that these still inform his description of Gunns as “.. the timber company that once bestrode the forests and valleys of Tasmania like a brooding behemoth..”.

Later, he described the company’s relationship with the

Page 4 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

Fact .. two-thirds of Tasmania’s public and private forests are reserved or otherwise not accessible to the timber industry.

state government as “the acid rain that fell on the forests and wilderness areas and even the cities of Tasmania for decades, and blighted its landscape and divided its communities”.

Latham visited Tasmania as leader of the Federal Opposition in March 2004 and in the Australian Financial Review he recounted his dealings with Gunns and its supporters during that visit.

He clearly has bitter memories of a time of which it has often been said that he bungled his party’s electoral chances with an ill-advised play for mainland ‘green’ votes by virtually offering the Tasmanian timber industry its own financiallycompensated death warrant, which they understandably refused to sign. His memory of Gunns and their ‘proforestry’ supporters is of them being akin to a ‘cult’ that was “determined to destroy the environmental movement through the manipulation of

By

MARK POYNTER

public policy”.

History is generally written by the winners. So, badly skewed opinions such as these, together with articles written by professional journalists who tend to write about Tasmanian forestry from the eco-activist perspective, are likely to ensure that this episode will be remembered in a vacuum free from some inconvenient truths.

Unfortunately, most of the media commentary and analysis about the fall of Gunns has simply ignored the central role of eco-activists in destroying the company’s traditional markets, eroding its relationships with banks and shareholders, and destroying its public reputation with adverse publicity

Such truths include the reality that two-thirds of Tasmania’s public and private forests are in fact reserved or otherwise not accessible to the timber industry – which invalidates the more outrageous environmental claims made against Gunns.

As well as that the entrenched opposition to Tasmanian forestry has been far more ‘cultish’, unprincipled and uncompromising in its determination to destroy the state’s timber industry, and so is much more responsible for what has happened to Tasmania than what Latham describes as the ‘pro-forestry’ supporters.

Unfortunately, most of the media commentary and analysis about the fall of Gunns has simply ignored the central role of eco-activists in destroying the company’s traditional markets, eroding its relationships with banks and shareholders, and destroying its public reputation with adverse publicity.

This ultimately weakened the company’s capability to deal with the adverse business climate arising from the global financial crisis.

Despite this reality, a common theme of the skewed commentary emanating from its critics is that Gunns is responsible for its own downfall primarily because it lacked a ‘social licence’.

According to Cousins, Gunns’ proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill “sank the company” by exposing its propensity to “ignore community interests, contrary voices, environmental issues and proper governance” which inevitably “will cause pain and suffering to your shareholders, employees and, probably, creditors”.

Flanagan agrees that the Cont Page 6

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WHAT’S ON?

OCTOBER

4-6: Malaysian Timber Council’s (MTC) Global WoodMart 2012, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia.

For further information go to www.globalwoodmart.my. For information about complimentary hotel accommodation and other assistance, including sponsorship invitation and application forms contact John Halkett at john.halkett@bigpond. com or +61 (0)2 9356 3826.

Wood Innovations 2012.

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 nonwood products. Low costs and high fibre recovery,achieved through process innovation, are prerequisites to competing in today’s global forest product markets. Visit www. woodinnovationsevents.com

14-17: Australian Forest Growers conference. Gympie Civic Centre, Gympie, Qld. More than 50 speakers will present at 20 sessions. Three concurrent streams will feature growing, products and markets and integration. The middle day will feature six field trips heading in all directions from Gympie to examine local growing and processing in action. This will be

followed by the presentation of the national Tree Farmer of the Year Award at the conference dinner. Visit www.afg.asn.au for further information or contact Terry Greaves on (02) 6162 9000 or email terry.greaves@afg.asn. au

18: AFS Ltd certification seminar, Brisbane. An update update on development in certification. Topics include a general introduction to forest management and chain of custody certification; an international context to certification; linkages between certification and GBCA green star, government and company procurement policies, and illegal logging legislation; and general information on how to achieve chain of custody certification.

Contact Richard Stanton on (02) 6122 9000 or email richard. stanton@forestrystandard.org.au 25: Australian Forestry Standard Ltd annual general meeting and certification seminar, Melbourne. The seminar will provide members and interested stakeholders with an update on developments in certification and a report on progress in the review of the forestry management standard AS4708. Contact Richard Stanton on (02) 6122 9000 or email richard.stanton@ forestrystandard.org.au

30-31: ForestWorks and First Super 5th annual Industry Development Conference In 2011, Hyatt Hotel and Parliament House. Canberra. This is an

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EVENTS

important opportunity for all current and aspiring leaders of the forest, wood, paper and timber industry to engage in strategic and political debate on critical issues affecting the whole industry in Australia. This year’s conference will consider the future opportunities and challenges for manufacturing timber, wood and paper products in an advanced and multi-speed economy. The conference has been specifically scheduled to coincide with parliamentary sitting week, providing a great chance for industry players, union representatives, policy makers and MPs to gather, network and share ideas on positive future directions for the industry. Registration inquiries contact: The Events Manager at cday@forestworks.com.au or phone (03) 9321 3500.For further information, including announcements of speakers and topics, visit www.forestworks. com.au/conference2012

NOVEMBER

3: Queensland Timber Industry Awards Night – Victoria Park Function Centre, Brisbane.

26: FSC Australia 6th Annual Excellence awards, Melbourne This year sees a redesign of the awards, and the introduction of three new awards categories.

Visit www.fscaustralia.org 28-29: ForestTech 2012 – Improving Wood Transport and Logistics.

Melbourne and Rotorua

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 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 5

OPINION

It’s becoming part of the folklore about Tasmania’s forest industry

From Page 4

adjacent to the fabled Tarkine

demise of Gunns was rooted in its determination to pursue the pulp mill at all costs, and he hopes that the company’s subsequent demise will teach “Australian corporations .. (to) ignore public sentiment at their peril”.

The Australian’s Tasmanian correspondent Matthew Denholm made the same point more succinctly when he wrote that Gunns had embarked on a ‘pulp mill or bust’ strategy, but had failed to secure the ‘social licence’ needed to make it work.

According to him, this failure to gain community support was due to the company siting the pulp mill in a highly contentious location, and its behaviour in cajoling the state government to ‘fast-track’ the mill’s approval by “side-stepping the normal planning process”.

‘wilderness’ and can be seen from the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain.

In addition, the claim that the mill’s approval was ‘fast tracked’ must be considered in the context of a state approvals process

which

took

three

years, and was made lengthier than required by the relevant state The central role of eco-activists in destroying Gunns’ traditional markets has been ignored.

Unfortunately, in the absence of any widely publicised contrary arguments, this has become part of the folklore about Tasmanian forestry with Gunns playing the part of ‘rogue corporation’ – in the parlance of Richard Flanagan.

In reality, the potential alternative pulp mill site at Hampshire was assessed and found to be not as viable for a host of reasons; while the supposition that it would be less contentious is highly unlikely given that it is almost

legislation

by

extra

optional steps inserted by the independent assessment body.

• Mark Poynter is a professional forester

with

30

years’

experience. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Foresters of Australia.and acts for it in a voluntary capacity as a media spokesperson.

Positive signs for US housing market

THE US housing market has continued to show positive signs with housing starts and consents both up for the month of July.

Page 6 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

Consents reached 812,000 which is the highest level since mid-2008, up 7% on the previous month and 30% above July last year. While

this is still below the 5-year

average, these are positive signs for recovery.

The US government recently

announced it would by mortgage backed securities to bring down mortgage rates, which can only be good for the US housing market.

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TIMBER PRESERVATION

Phil Burke elected president of TPAA

A year of challenges and notable achievements THE managing director of Australian United Timbers Pty Ltd, Burraga, NSW, Phil Burke was elected president of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia at the annual general meeting in Melbourne last Tuesday.

He succeeds David Spence, managing director of Waterhouse Treated Pine in Melbourne.

Australian United Timbers is a joint venture, bringing together the resources from independently successful timber manufacturing and wholesale companies, formerly trading as Permalog Pty Ltd of Brisbane and Pacpine Pty Ltd of Burraga.

The company uses renewable plantation timbers in the production of landscaping, fencing and building timber products.

These products are produced at milling and treatment facilities in Brisbane Qld and Burraga NSW. Recognised as a market leader in the supply of certified building poles and large diameter perfect rounds, Australian United Timbers was the first company in Australia to produce pressure impregnated coloured and treated timber, marketed as Cherrypine.

New vice-president is Peter Herde of Portland Pine Products, one of the largest manufacturers of treated round wood products in Australia, based at Heywood in Portland Pine Products is a part of the AKD Softwoods group,

Timber treatment process guidelines have been distributed to merchants, distributors and their representative associations

a fully integrated plantation forestry and timber processing company with primary manufacturing sites in Colac, Vic. AKD Softwoods has a processing capacity of 400,000 cub m of sawlog a year, some of which is harvested from 6000 ha of company’s managed land, with the remainder sourced from plantations in the southwest region of Victoria.

The following technical committee was appointed for the 2012-13 year: Dr Harry

Greaves (chairman), Peter Cobham, Dr Laurie Cookson, Dr Stephen Crimp, Richard Forrester, Greg Jensen, David Marlay, Neil Mora, Jack Norton, Rick White and Geoff Stringer.

National councillors elected for the year 2012-13 include Elias Akle, Phil Burke, Ian Clarke, Tim Evans, Harry Greaves, Peter Herde, Angelo Hrastov, Garrie James, Wayne Lewis, David Marlay, Pat Shelton and David Spence.

Phil Burke .. at the helm of TPAA.

Cont Page 8

www.tanalised.com

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issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 7

TIMBER PRESERVATION

TPAA elects 12 national councillors

From Page 7

Doug Howick of Forest Products Advisory Services was re-appointed national secretary, based in Melbourne.

Pat Shelton of Shelton Timber Treatment, Colac, Vic, again takes on the role of honorary treasurer.

Outgoing president David Spence said the TPAA had met several challenges and recorded notable achievements, including the successful introduction and launching of a set of treatment process guidelines.

These have been distributed

Well treated .. Hyne T2 Blue - Termite protected structural blue pine framing.

to merchants, distributors and their representative associations. The guidelines also form part of a flyer and a series of trade media coverage promoting both the guidelines and TPAA. Mr Spence said the TPAA had achieved timely amendments to and the publication of the AS 1604 suite of standards.

“The technological input of the TPAA technical committee and the association’s delegates on the standards committee have been of great value,” Mr Spence said.

TPAA membership has increased during the year.

Training award was well earned

NEW Zealand sawmill head rig and resaw operator Izaac Filipov has won a national forestry industry training award.

Mr Filipov works at Nelson Forest’s Kaituna sawmill near Blenheim and received his award at a black-tie event in Rotorua last month. He is the Forest Industry Training and Education Council’s modern apprentice of the year (wood manufacturing category).

The sawmill’s general manager Matt Bond said Mr Filipov had done “fantastically well”.

“It’s amazing if you think where he was five years ago. He was in a ‘hoodie’, wouldn’t look you in the eye. For this, he bought himself a suit and tie, he stood up and spoke to 300 people at a black-tie even. It’s a great story.”

At the award dinner, the Forestry Industry Training and Education Council’s Tom Snodgrass said Kaituna sawmill had a good track record for spotting talent.

“Izaac was quickly seen to have an inquiring mind and an aptitude that only needed direction.”

Page 8 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Eric Siegers carries on the good work for Victorian merchants New executive officer at TMA

A WELL-recognised figure in the promotion of Australia’s sustainable timber industry has been appointed executive officer of the Timber Merchants Association Victoria.

Eric Siegers, while with the former Timber Promotion Council, helped develop and implement the successful ‘wood lives on’ campaign.

His manufacturing background includes work with US-based BTR and B&D and Laminex Australia.

Mr Siegers, who was a 2002 Gottstein fellow, takes over from Peter Roberts who worked with the board to build on the strong membership, exhibitor and financial base of TMA over the last four years.

“Eric provides the TMA with an executive officer who understands the supply chain and, importantly, how to engage with the end-users,” TMA president Ron Caddy said.

“His work in the digital space and with Small Business Victoria in encouraging small businesses to thrive under the new marketing dynamic has seen developments specifically targeted to the needs of builders and providing user friendly tools for the sector.

“With the industry confronting the challenges of mobility of information, the power of social

Eric Siegers .. strong background in timber promotion.

media and the availability of information to the consumer, Eric’s strong background brings a skill set to the TMA that helps position the team to become stronger and more supportive of its members – and the broader industry – working under this marketing paradigm shift.”

Over its 126-year history, TMA has been involved in many issues on behalf of its members – promotion of timber, pricing, industrial affairs and government representation.

Currently the association is working with a number of industry bodies in representing the industry to government bodies on such issues as chain of custody, timber certification, life cycle assessment and Green Star building regulations.

dennis@industrye-news.com

Premier flags forestry peace deadline PREMIER Lara Giddings says Tasmanians will learn by the end of the month whether a forest peace deal is possible.

The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania says it will give up on negotiations with environmentalists if an

agreement to restructure the state’s ailing forest industry is not reached in the next three weeks.

The Premier says it is the first time an industry player has set a deadline.

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issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

Jon Kleinschmidt appointed CEO at Hyne

THE Hyne board has further restructured management of the Queensland-based timber company.

Opting in December last year to run under a unique tripartite leadership structure with three CEOs, Hyne has announced that Jon Kleinschmidt (finance and business development) will take on the role of the company’s sole chief executive, based at Maryborough.

Peter Hyne continues to head up sales and marketing and Chris Robertson is responsible for production and technical development.

Mr Kleinschmidt reports to the Hyne board, chaired by

Hyne is Australia’s largest exporter of Australian-grown plantation softwood

InSurAnce..

It’S All In the SelectIon

Chief executive of Hyne Jon Kleinschmidt (centre) with Chris Robertson, production and technical development, and Peter Hyne, sales and marketing,

Martin Kriewaldt.

Australia’s largest and most successful privately-owned timber company, Hyne was founded by Richard Matthews Hyne in 1882.

The company currently employs about 850 people in 20 locations along the eastern seaboard.

Hyne’s traditional hardwood businesses were sold to the Queensland government in mid-2006. The sale resulted from a strategic decision by the board to focus the future of the business on Hyne’s fastgrowing softwood operations.

The company is also Australia’s largest exporter of Australiangrown plantation softwood, exporting between 250 and 300 containers of timber product a month from the ports of Geelong, Sydney and Brisbane.

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

Austbrokers Premier has been working with the timber industry for over 25 years and we know what insurance best suits your industry and risks. Whether it’s a complicated business interruption loss or a burnt out frontend loader we work hard to get you the right outcome.

You can expect superior outcomes from Austbrokers Premier in the following key areas: • Focus on premium value and insurer security • Expert advice for Business Interruption • Premiums + claims + deductibles – self insurance option analysis • Committed claims management & settlement negotiations.

• On-going service and advice, not just at renewal time.

Visiting the Hyne stand at the Timber Queensland construction forum in Brisbane are builders Vince Steckelbruck, Camp Hill, and Geoffrey Barney, Hilton Reid Consultants (left), welcomed by Hyne representatives Adrian McCourt, manager, Hyne Truebeams, and Robert Mansell, business development manager, laminated timber projects.

Call Alan Jones 0419 754 681 or Scott Hastings 0406 382 582 today.

Freecall 1800 803 180 ABN 95 010 576 324 AFSL 238123

Insuring it all stacks up.

Talking contemporary construction are Bob Keating of Bob Keating Design, Caboolture, Peter Armitage, PV Building Design, Brisbane; and architects Ray Giarola and Craig Gralton

Page 10 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

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AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS

Durability and beauty capture awards for best timber design FOREST management certification and chain of custody certificates accompanied the architect’s details for the Glenworth Valley House which won the Australian Forestry Standard Ltd best certified timber use in the Timber Design Awards.

More than 180 architects, engineers and designers applauded award winners during the presentation night at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art in Circular

Award winner for Residential Class 1 (new buildings) .

Cliff Face House.

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Quay. They gathered with timber industry leaders as winners were selected from a record 118 entries Glenworth Valley House, entered by Sanctum Design, Neutral Bay, NSW, is set deep within a winding valley of the Hawkesbury Plateau and the brief called for a home design which responded to a demanding micro-climate, typified by frosty winters and humid to hot summers.

The design of the home required termite and fire resistant materials while being light enough to heat up quickly when required in winter and

Cont Page 12

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 11

AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS From Page 11

cool down quickly with cross ventilation and night purging in summer.

The use of structural treated pine for the primary framework and roof spans provided excellent opportunity to reduce embodied energy and enable a methodology to maximise insulative capacities as well as reducing transportation and labour costs of alternative structural materials.

As timber could provide insulating, termite resisting, and bushfire resisting properties, reducing the embodied energy and renewability of the raw material used in the structure was of equal importance.

Further research found that

Award winner for recycled timber .. the Zen House.

grey or red ironbark could serve

high density and natural termite

all these requirements with its

resistance. The local forest is

dominated by red ironbark.

The choice of recycled ironbark as the main joinery material in both the external windows and internal feature joinery, and for the expressed external cladding material stemmed from the opportunity of readily available recycled material. Also, the character and colour of the timber would be something that would add warmth and character to the home.

This extremely dense and naturally robust material, whilst demanding for use in joinery, provided the longevity, resistance and beauty only equalled by the ruggedness and beauty of the homes location. *** *** *** THE Zen house – winner of the Recycled Timber Award for Zen Architects, Melbourne and sponsored by Kennedy Classic Aged Timbers – is an Cont Page 13

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Page 12 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

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AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS From Page 12

Congratulations Paul Haar Architecture Melbourne.

For CandleBark School Library

2012 Winner Geoffrey Sanderson Trophy for Best and Most Distinctive Use of Engineered Wood Products

Best Multi-residential Award (new buildings) .. Ruskin Street Townhouses in Elwood.

uncompromising exercise in cradle-to-cradle recycling to create a contemporary family home imbued with the spirit of the old building.

The existing 1970s beach house on the site was not demolished so much as dismantled carefully for reassembly in the new building.

“By dismantling the old timber house we aimed to reuse as much of the old material as possible,” Ric Zen said.

“This drove much of our material selection criteria – the use of recycled materials from site first, and then the use of new timber sustainably sourced from local suppliers.”

The timber structure relied on solid sections except where load was too great. Floor joists, for example, were Hybeams and for lintels over large window openings LVL was used.

Large external fins used to deflect wind were radially sawn to a precise size but were rough sawn to aid in durability and to add texture to the building.

All recycled materials were left intentionally raw to express

their history and to minimise chemical coatings. For this reason the recycled materials were mainly used internally for bench tops, stairs and walls.

“Working with recycled materials calls for innovative thinking from all trades concerned as well as in design and engineering,” Ric Zen said.

The architect and the builder’s skills and experience in realising where recycled timber can be used effectively and where it should not be used helped frame the entire project.

Timbers recycled from previous house included Oregon, western red cedar, eucalyptus messmate and red gum. New timbers included AKD radiata pine for local plantations in the Otways, clear felled, dried, and then laser-cut and stress graded. Radially sawn, airdried yellow stringybark was selectively harvested from state forests. *** *** *** THE design for a creative writing centre for young people, the ‘Martian Embassy’ and shop in inner city Sydney references Moby Dick, a space rocket and time tunnel.

The immersive space of oscillating plywood ribs provokes fun and unleashes Cont Page 14

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Sponsored by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia

Sydney architect Caroline Pidcock presents the EWPAA Sanderson Trophy to Paul Haar of Paul Haar Architecture, Melbourne.

Engineered wood products have the best environmental credentials and the lowest emissions. They meet all specifications for emissions certified under JAS-ANZ accreditation.

You can rely on EWPAA certified products – other certifications are just not the same.

Choose consistent quality and structurally safe EWPAA-accredited products.

Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia Tel: +61 7 3250 3700 Fax: +61 7 3252 4769 Email: inbox@ewp.asn.au Web: www.ewp.asn.au

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 13

AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS of timber seamlessly allow an intergalactic journey – a transition from the embassy, at the street entrance, to the shop full of red planet traveller essentials, to the classroom.

The curvy potential of plywood was perfect for the fluid concept and function of the project.

The flexibility of plywood is highlighted in the fabrication and construction. The simple action of cutting a flat sheet of plywood generates a complex three-dimensional space. The 1068 ribs were CNC sliced into buildable components, then put together like a giant puzzle in an imperfect existing envelope.

The excellent acoustic qualities of timber enhance the sounds, smells and lights of the red planet that animate the space.

“Of course using a renewable, sustainable, locally manufactured product was

From Page 13

creativity.

The entry from Laboratory for Visionary Architecture, Sydney, won the Timber Panels Award, sponsored by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia.

The warm tones of wood changed a long, dark, unloved shop into a place fit to be the first interplanetary diplomatic post on Earth, somewhere extraordinary that gives the Sydney Story Factory a special identity.

Children are excited just to walk in the door – the natural beauty and patterns of wood are a source of inspiration that fires up young imaginations.

The smooth and organic forms

Best Certified Timber Award .. Glenworth Valley House.

Cont Page 15

CONGRATULATIONS ORGANISERS,sponsors SPONSORS Congratulations TO to THE the organisers, AND IN the THEsuccessful SUCCESSFUL andENTRANTS entrantsin Congratulations to the organisers, sponsors 2012 AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS 2011 Australian Timber Design Awards and entrantsin the successful

2011 Australian Timber Design Awards

Leadership, policy and advocacy for the Victorian forest and wood VAFI public affairs manager Shaun Ratcliff presents the products industry Residential Class 1 New BuildingsLeadership, policy and advocacy Award to Timothy Moon for Escarpment House.

irs manager presents the ss 1 New Buildings hy Moon for use.

info@vafi,org.aupolicy Twitter: @VAFIOnline Leadership, for www.vafi.org.au the Victorian forest and wood andindustry advocacy products

Anthony Marucic of Berlina Projects accepts the highly commended award for Residential Class 1 New Buildings for Lilypad House.

Anthony Marucic of Berlina Projects accepts the highly commended award for Residential Class 1 New Buildings for Lilypad House.

Andrew Hurford, chairman, NSW Forest

for the forest www.vafi.org.au info@vafi,org.au Twitter: @VAFIOnline

Andrew Hurford, chairman of the NSW Forest Products Association, presents the award for Multi-Residential (new buildings) to Marcus O’Reilly for the Ruskin Street Townhouses, jointly sponsored by VAFI and the NSW FPA.

and wood products industry

Products Association presents the award for Residential Class 1 (new buildings) to Fergus Scott representing Fergus Scott Architects and Peter Stuchbury Architecture for the Cliff Face House. The award was jointly sponsored by VAFI and the NSW FPA.

www.vafi.org.au info@vafi.org.au www.nswfpa.asn.au fpa@nswfpa.asn.au Page 14 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

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AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS

Congratulations Sancum Design, Neutral Bay NSW for Glenworth Valley House 2012 Winner Australian Certified Timber Award Sponsored by Australian Forestry Standard Ltd AFS has Australia covered.

Over 10 million hectares certified!

Winner Timber Panels Award .. ‘Martian Embassy’ in Sydney.

From Page 14

essential in encouraging earthlings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,” said architect Jarrod Lamshed.

“NASA’s Rover explorer mission took seven months to get from Earth to Mars, but because of the flexibility of wood this mission took far less time, and money!” *** *** *** THE five-unit medium-density Ruskin Street Townhouses were designed to contribute and improve the existing streetscape of a quiet tree-lined avenue in Elwood, Vic. The project won the Best Multi-residential Award (new buildings) for Marcus O’Reilly Architect in Melbourne, sponsored jointly the Victorian Association of Forest Industries and the NSW Forest Products Association.

Through careful selection of timber, standing seam metal and stone finishes the building

relates to and complements the mature tree in front of the site.

Timber has been used extensively throughout the project, both structurally and aesthetically. A dramatic open-jointed spotted gum rains screen at the front of the building glows like a lantern in the evening and is further animated through sliding timber and galvanized steel screens which help regulate the impact of the harsh afternoon sun to west-facing windows.

Spotted gum is also employed as decking to 10 north-facing balconies, balustrading and to angled sight screens to the south. Timber windows were chosen not only for their look but also for their superior thermal performance and were critical in obtaining a six-star energy rating.

Given the tight nature of this medium density project, space constraints dictated that the driveway needed to double as a pedestrian entrance. Western red cedar cladding was chosen to give some civic presence to the driveway space and soften the presence of the garage doors as well as a counterpoint Cont Page 16

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The Australian Forest Certification Scheme (AFCS) will: • Provide Australian and overseas consumers with an independent, internationally recognised third-party certification scheme for forest management in Australia.

• Promote a culture of ‘continuous improvement’ of the sustainable forest management practices in Australia.

• Support a market for forest products that are a result of sustainable forest management practices and value adding processes that maintain the integrity of the source forest certification and promote the broader environmental benefits of using wood-based products.

Australian Forestry Standard Ltd provides the structure and framework within which the Australian Forest Certification Scheme is implemented, maintained, reviewed and promoted

National secretary of Australian Forestry Standard Ltd Richard Stanton (right) presents the Australian Certified Timber Award to James Cooper of Sanctum Design for the Glenworth Valley House.

Australian Forestry Standard Limited PO Box 7031 YARRALUMLA ACT 2600 Tel: (02) 6122 9000 Email: info@forestrystandard.org.au www.forestrystandard.org.au

AFS/01-10-01 www.forestrystandard.org.au

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 15

AUSTRALIAN TIMBER DESIGN AWARDS From Page 15

to both the inlaid stone on the driveway and dramatic yellow glass entry doors.

All exterior timbers were given one coat of Organoil deckguard and it is intended that the building’s appearance will only improve with age as the dense exterior timbers are allowed to patina to a beautiful soft grey.

“Structurally, the building was built exceptionally quickly with much of the time savings attributed to the timber frame design,” said architect Marcus O’Reilly.

“Whereas most buildings of this type utilise concrete or brick work party walls, engineered truss joists and timber party walls (double studs with Boral fire and sound barriers between) were opted for due to their associated ease of construction and sourcing.”

The interiors of the dwelling are also rich with timber; cedar windows play against rock maple feature walls with concealed doors, engineered timber floors were chosen for their thermal stability and ebonised timber stairs and kitchen joinery add lovely dark accents to the material palette.

High passive solar performance, low embodied energy materials, solar power and solar hot water, underground water tanks, versatile planning, use of spotted gum for solar shading, adaptable car spaces and robust architecture make

Under construction .. the Cliff Face House winning entry for Residential Class 1 (new buildings) in the Australian Timber Design Awards.

this the greenest building in Elwood, as determined by the City of Port Phillip. *** *** *** A SIX metre high cliff bisects the site of the Cliff Face House, the winning entry for Residential Class 1 (new buildings) from Fergus Scott Architects and Pete Stuchbury Architecture of Fairlight, a northern suburb of Sydney.

The award was sponsored by the Victorian Association of Forest Industries and the NSW Forest Products Association.

Rather than being on top of the cliff, the house forms a threestorey timber scaffold in front of the cliff.

A fine structure was necessary to bring the quality of the cliff into the lower levels.

The detail promotes a rough/ smooth ecology, similar to the logic of an oyster. The building is sheathed in protective metal cladding and the timber

Ric Zen of Zen Architects accepts the Recycled Timber Award from sponsor Michael Kennedy, managing director of Kennedy’s Classic Aged Timbers, for the Zen House entry.

structure is exposed internally.

“The fine timber frame was practical for the inaccessible

site, allowing lightness for operability and translucency, and providing a beautiful counterpoint to the massive rock face behind,” said architect Fergus Scott.

The primary frame is threestorey post and beam in recycled and new KD Blackbutt hardwood. Beams and columns are twin 240/190 x 4 0mm thick sections sandwiching 10 mm steel plate at all bolted connections, and 10 mm steel fins that extend up to the fly roofs.

The frame is supported on the lower floor slab, and pinned back to the natural rock face.

The upper level translucent lantern roof frame is in curved epoxy laminated recycled Blackbutt trusses, sandwiched to posts with 10 plate brass gussets.

Doors and windows are also solid Blackbutt. Sunscreens across the two upper levels are in perforated copper sheet over steel and Blackbutt composite frames. In this case the steel provides the fineness and the timber allows for the conventional installation of rolling hardware.

A lining of 18 mm black formply provide the west awning soffit and the three-storey stair void is lined in 12 mm hoop pine plywood.

Upper level floor platforms are 140 mm x 12 mm recycled Blackbutt T&/G boards laid over sheet substrate leading out to covered Blackbutt decking.

A selection of 32 mm Blackbutt plywood open stair treads allow the stairwell to ventilate and transmit light.

FSC Australia gala awards night in Melbourne

FSC Australia has launched its new-look annual excellence awards to be presented at a gala night function at Melbourne’s Hilton Hotel on November 26.

New award categories include Campaign of the Year for social,

Page 16 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

environment and economic focused organisations that have created an FSC-focused marketing campaign; FSC Certification Body of the Year; and a Construction Engagement Award for stakeholders who have challenged and worked

with the FSC system.

Sponsorship options on offer are major (table of 10 – $10,000), gold (table of 10 – $5000, and silver (table of 10 – $2500).

Early sponsorship has been received from Planet Ark and

Treasury Wine Estates.

For more information about sponsor details, new awards categories and associated judging criteria, visit www. fscaustralia.org/awards-2012/ nominations.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

US producers pushing for 300pc duty on Chinese plywood imports

SUSTAINABLY produced and quality certified American hardwood plywood that once earned a reasonable profit has been relegated to nearcommodity status as Chinese companies ramp up production and exports to the US without attention to environmental stewardship.

In concerns, often mirrored by Australian and New Zealand plywood producers, the US International Trade Commission has responded with preliminary anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations.

The Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood (CFTHP) lodged a petition with the ITC and the US Department of Commerce claiming that the imports were selling at less than normal domestic values and were subsidised by the Chinese government.

The filing of the petition and the initiation of the probes kick off a process that could lead to the imposition of duties on the Chinese wood.

The filing requests that the US government places antidumping and countervailing duty in excess of 300% against the value of the Chinese imports.

The CFTHP says it expects a preliminary ruling to be implemented by March 2013 with a final ruling delivered nine months later.

If the ITC makes an affirmative

scaled back or even eliminated production lines, leading to plant closures and significant reductions in employment.

The petitioners say the alleged unfair trade practices pose a daunting obstacle to the domestic industry regaining its competitive footing even when the economy improves.

Hardwood plywood is made of two or more layers of wood veneer in combination with a core, and has a variety of uses, including wall panels, kitchen cabinet components, table and desk tops and television and stereo cabinets. It is different from structural plywood and intended for indoor use.

Unsustainable .. Chinese hardwood plywood, selling at less than normal domestic values in the US, are subsidised by the Chinese government.

finding, the Department of Commerce then will take up the investigations and look into whether the dumping and subsidies alleged by the petitioners in fact have occurred.

The petitioners – a group that includes Columbia Forest Products, Commonwealth Plywood Inc., Timber Products Co. and States Industries Inc. – say the share of the US hardwood plywood market captured by Chinese imports has grown to 50% in recent

The share of the US hardwood plywood market captured

by Chinese imports has grown to 50% in recent years

In China, labor is valued at $4.44 an hour, while the pay rate for US hardwood plywood production workers is about $17 an hour, according to the petition which has the support of domestic hardwood plywood producers who account for about 80% of US production.

Hardwood plywood is made of two or more layers of wood veneer in combination with a core, and has a variety of uses, including wall panels and kitchen cabinet components.

years.

Since 2009, US producers have lost sales and experienced razor-thin profit margins.

Domestic manufacturers have

Hardwood Distribution Inc., one of North America’s largest wholesale distributors of hardwood lumber and related sheet good products, operating a network of 31 distribution centres in the US and Canada, is fighting the charges on imports.

World’s largest forestry scholarship THE University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry is offering the world’s largest scholarship for forestry research to attract top doctoral students.

The Future Forests Fellowship will provide a PhD student with up to $240,000 – $60,000 annually for up to four years – to investigate some of the most pressing issues facing forests

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in the Canadian province.

The fellowship will support research focused on British Columbia in the areas of forest products biotechnology or bioenergy, forest genetics,

climate change and advanced landscape planning, river and landscape ecology, below-ground ecology, forest management, or business operations and management.

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

Multiple benefits as Australian Paper gets go-ahead for $90m recycle plant

AUSTRALIAN Paper’s proposed $90 million recycled paper plant has been approved by the Nippon Paper Group and will be relocated from Melbourne to the company’s Maryvale mill in the Latrobe Valley.

Production is expected to start in early 2014.

“We received overwhelming support for this project from state and federal government, major customers and key stakeholders, environmental organisations, unions and local community representatives,” chief executive Jim Henneberry said.

“This major investment is good news for the environment and for Australian jobs. It will generate 50,000 tonnes of recycled pulp each year, diverting up to 80,000 tonnes of waste-paper from landfill each year and more than triple our current usage of premium recycled fibre.

“By 2015 almost all of our office and stationery papers will contain a range of recycled content to meet Australia’s needs.”

Including flow-on employment, the plant will support more than 950 full-time equivalent jobs in the year of its construction and around 250 jobs in operation.

Construction and ongoing operation of the plant will drive more than $160 million of combined value into the economy.

Mr Hennberry said ongoing support for the project would help Australian Paper differentiate its products from the imported paper out of Indonesia, China and Thailand

The project will help Australian Paper differentiate its products from imported paper out of Indonesia, China and Thailand that do not share the same local environmental, social and economic benefits as Australian manufactured papers

Jim Henneberry .. overwhelming support for paper plant project.

that did not share the same local environmental, social and economic benefits as Australian manufactured papers.

The Australian Forest Products Association has welcomed the

announcement. “This is a good environmental outcome and demonstrates the renewability of wood and paper products.”

Similar good news was announced by Norske Skog in September, with investment of $84 million at its Boyer mill in Tasmania to enable production of coated paper grades, suitable for magazines and catalogues. This project will replace 140,000 tonnes of currently imported paper, improving Australia’s net trade position, as well as supporting more than 300 direct and 900 indirect jobs plus a further 100 jobs during the construction phase.

‘These investments come at an important time for the Australian economy and show the innovation and diversification within the pulp and paper sector to position it for further growth into the future,” AFA chief executive David Pollard said.

‘These investments demonstrate the commitment by industry to the long term benefits and value from paper products, which are highly suited for recycling and reuse as well as meeting our daily consumer needs.”

AFPA has recently released a national policy roadmap ‘A Renewable Future’, identifying key opportunities for positioning the industry at the forefront of the new low-carbon economy.

Show me the money: Gunns creditors

CREDITORS of the failed timber company Gunns have left their first meeting angry and demanding to know when they will get their money.

About 150 creditors attended the meeting in Launceston, but no substantial decisions were made.

Page 18 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

Gunns entered voluntary administration when banks refused to extend more than $500 million of loans. The company has debts of more than $700 million, including $530 million owed to banks.

The meeting was designed to set up a committee of creditors

and determine the extent of the company’s debt. Several creditors said they had no idea if they would ever get their money back.

Administrator Daniel says it is still too early.

Bryant

“It’s fair to say that they didn’t

get the answers they were looking for today,” he said.

A more detailed creditors meeting is expected to be held later this month.

Former Gunns chief executive Greg L’Estrange addressed the meeting.

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The true cost of green labelling Forest certification needs a level playing field

THE familiar saying “you get what you pay for” applies in many circumstances. Under certain conditions, however, this statement can be very misleading.

For example, when customers pay a higher price for wood and paper products with ‘green’ labels, they may not actually be getting something that is better for the environment.

A combination of misguided policies and organised pressure from environmental activists to elevate one forest certification program over all others is creating confusion in the marketplace. As a result, consumers are paying more for wood and paper products that may fall short of their “green” expectations.

The source of the confusion deals with an ongoing heated debate over forest certification programs, dubbed the ‘wood wars’. Forest certification takes place when landowners meet the established benchmarks of one of several organisations, thereby earning the right to put that organisation’s eco-label on its products.

There are more than 50 certification programs in the world, with the US most reliant on standards set by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

With North America accounting for 40% of the world’s certified lands, the US is a leader in forest certification – but there is some bad news. The US edge in responsible forestry management is being forced to the sidelines by government actions and environmental

activists that are working to establish one international standard, FSC, as the only legitimate standard in the US. Because more than 90% of the world’s FSC-certified land is found in foreign countries, if the US adopts a monopoly standard, three-quarters of our nation’s certified lands could be excluded from the market.

That exclusion could mean a significant reduction in domestic production, the loss of American jobs, and sending US dollars overseas.

The proper role for government and how it deals with forest certification lags behind the realities of the marketplace.

A study released last week by the American Consumer Institute quantifies some of the costs of these government procurement policies have on businesses, consumers and the environment.

The study found several troubling consequences of this de facto monopoly that undermine the very sustainability goals of these certification programs.

The study noted that the FSC program did not have consistent standards at all; instead

Because more than 90% of the world’s FSC-certified land is found in foreign countries, if the US adopts a monopoly standard, three-quarters of our nation’s certified lands could be excluded from the market

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BY

STEPHEN POCIASK Economist American Consumer Institute

they used benchmarks and requirements that differ from country to country. No surprise, under the FSC program, the US landowners face the strictest FSC standards in the world, while in more environmentally risky countries, such as Russia, landowners are allowed to game the system.

What does this mean for consumers? These added certification costs are passed on to US producers and ultimately American consumers of timber products in the price range of 15 to 20%. The study estimates that if an FSC standard becomes a controlling requirement for American forests, consumer welfare would drop by an estimated $10 billion for wood products and $24 billion for paper products each year.

Moreover, an FSC-only approach may incentivise the procurement of timber in environmentally risky locations, given the organisation’s disparity in standards across the

world. Furthermore, importing additional foreign wood increases both environmental and transportation costs.

It may also encourage consumers to substitute away from wood products to less environmentally-friendly materials, including metals, plastics and concrete. This does not mean FSC has no environmental benefit, or that it is not a sound choice for some landowners and businesses.

But it does mean that consumers are being misled by a system that promotes socalled environmentally superior products without the basis to support these claims or additional costs.

The imposition of a single standard through procurement requirements – such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system used many government agencies – creates significant costs without ensuring corresponding environmental benefits.

It is irresponsible to allow the government to promote a monopoly on forest certification that will drive losses of tens of billions of dollars in domestic wood and paper markets, and the reduction of employment and tax revenues in local communities that follow – all in the name of sustainability that the policies do not ensure.

In order for consumers to be confident that “you get what you pay for” holds true for wood and paper products in the ‘green’ market, an approach that levels the playing field for forest certification programs is needed. Such an approach is not only pro-consumer, but it is also pro-American jobs and pro-environment.

issue 243 | 15.10.12 | Page 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

Invitations are due to be sent out, however you can get in early and book your table or seat at this year’s Queensland Timber Industry Awards Gala Evening. rd The event will be held on Saturday 3 November 2012, at Victoria Park Functions Centre. This prestigious industry event will showcase and recognize our industry’s finest.

This is the ONLY event of its kind for the Queensland Timber Industry and it is our chance to recognize those who excel in their chosen field.

Tickets are $143 each or a table of 10 is $1,325 GST inclusive. Phone Alicia on 3254 3166 or email alicia@tabma.com.au Tickets includes 3 course meal, 5 hour beverage package and live band.

TABMA QLD is proud to be hosting the event, sponsored by a host of businesses including timber industry and commercial entities.

Brisbane Hoo-Hoo Timber Industry Club 218 Inc.

07 3266 1429

Page 20 | issue 243 | 15.10.12

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