Issue 253 Timber & Forestry E News

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issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 1

Vegetation build-up fuels fires in national parks

Bushfires: ignorance or politics?

Review of catastrophy in 4 states

Green idiocy burns fiercely

NATIONAL parks and reserves – not managed state forests – have taken the full force of this summer’s bushfires which are still raging in three states, again hammering the case for fuel reduction burns.

Fires in New South Wales burned out 40,000 ha in the Warrumbungle National Park in the northwest and destroyed 33 homes – the state’s worst

fire in more than a decade.

Thousands of residents and tourists are stranded across parts of Tasmania after bushfires destroyed more than 100 properties and cut off communities.

The town of Dunalley, east of Hobart, was worst hit; 65 properties as well as the local school were destroyed.

Tasmanian Fire Services chief Mike Brown says the

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devastation is tragic to see.

“We estimate 30 or 40% of properties in Dunalley have been lost in the fire,” he said.

Ike Kelly owns the local sawmill which was destroyed in the blaze. “It’s destroyed $4 or $5 million worth of business. Fifty years of my life has gone,” he said.

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issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 1

ON THE FIRE FRONT

Plantations safe as bushfires rage across reserves Vigilance by foresters praised

PLANTATION assets in NSW are still intact as bushfires rage through national parks and reserves testing 800 firefighters trying to contain 146 blazes across the state.

So far the fires have scorched more than 500,000 ha of bush and grassland – the equivalent of the entire greater Sydney basin.

Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers said wind shifts at the worst possible time had created “perfect storm” conditions for a fire that burnt with a ferocity not seen in years.

“There was just absolutely no stopping that fire,” he said.

Forestry Corporation acting chief Dr Ross Dickson said only a couple of hectares of state forest were lost – a result of spasmodic lightning strikes and power line shortages.

“But all the softwood plantations around Tumut, Bathurst and Bombala are safe,” he said.

Dr Dickson praised sound management practices and the vigilance of foresters.

“Most plantations appear to be free of any threatening fires surrounding them. Big fires at Yass and Tarcutta posed problems but these have been contained.”

The corporation is currently harvesting more than 2.5 million cub m of logs and over 2 million tonnes of pulpwood annually.

Wind shifts created ‘perfect storm’ conditions for a fire that burnt with a ferocity not seen in years Page 2 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

Vigilance .. NSW foresters keep plantation assets safe.

Dr Dickson said fires crossing the state border from Victoria into Bombala in the NSW southeast were being closely watched and firefighters defending a long-running blaze at Cooma were now contributing resources.

Forests at Bathurst and other western regions were in good shape despite a running fire that threatened cypress stands.

In the state’s north, a scatter of lightning strikes started small fires in plantations but these were also contained.

However, an approaching cold front and weather change that could bring winds and more lighting strikes would have to be watched to prevent any further running of fires.

Dr Dickson said tremendous credit was due to members of rural fire services who recognised the value of private forests as state assets.

“Shane Fitzsimmons (Rural Fire Services commissioner) and his team have done a great job,” he said.

The RFS has declared a statewide total fire ban.

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

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Level 2, 32 South Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 Tel: (08) 8219 9028 Email: michelle@forestworks.com.au

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ON THE FIRE FRONT

Governments reluctant to spend money on preventative measures

From Page 1

attacked opponents of controlled forest burns; they are oblivious to science, they say.

This summer’s rolling fires through fuel-packed reserves is another smack in the eye to the philosophies of the idiotic Greens and their opportunistic partners from the ALP,” says respected forester Dick Pegg who was fire protection officer with Queensland forestry from 1970 to 1976.

“There’s no point in learning a lesson on bushfires when the same is learnt every few years with no practical mitigation measures put in place because ‘the medicine is refused by the patient’,” Mr Pegg said.

“If the population has little or no understanding of fire behaviour and the need for fuel reduction and continues to support the Greens with their idiotic and irresponsible policies, then we will continue to see these disasters repeated over and over again.

“Along with this mix of ignorance and politics, it seems there are in most states unclear lines of definition between urban and rural fire services with the trend for the urban arm (with a propensity for suppression equipment rather than fuel mitigation programs) to take over the rural task, further exacerbating the situation.

“With all these factors in play, there is, unfortunately, a certainty for future bushfire disasters.”

“If I pulled my hair out any more I wouldn’t have any,” laments Phil Cheney, Australia’s foremost expert on bushfire behaviour, now retired from the CSIRO. “It drives me to total frustration (that) governments are reluctant to spend money on

Pushing through ... a bulldozer is about the only effective way to contain fires.

preventative measures. They are great on helicopters flying around because it looks good.

But they’re better off having a bit of smoke in the sky in autumn.”

Mr Cheney says to manage fire you need a scientifically prescribed regimen of strategic light burns in cooler months.

That will reduce fuel loads which in turn reduces the power and intensity of bushfires.

Mr Cheney’s submission to the Victorian bushfires royal commission advocated strategic burning of 10% of public land annually. The commission recommended an “annual rolling target of 5% minimum of public land” – better than nothing.

Observing the Tasmanian fires, noted columnist Miranda Devine got to the heart of the matter: “Tasmania is a petri dish, demonstrating the consequences of green ideology run rampant. No jobs, the forestry industry on its knees, and bushfires feasting on fuel built up over two mild fire seasons.

Phil Cheney .. to manage fire you need a scientifically prescribed regimen of strategic light burns.

“Yet, instead of facing up to their errors, the Greens conveniently blame climate change. They pretend imposing a carbon tax or destroying the coal industry will prevent bushfires, while reducing the actual fuel which powers the flames is ‘futile’.”

Despite the lessons which should have been learned in Victoria in 2009, the fuel in Tasmania’s forests has been allowed to build up because of Green opposition to fuel reduction burns, which they call “outdated, old school” and

‘Along with the mix of ignorance and politics, it seems there are in most states unclear lines of definition between urban and rural fire services’ – Dick Pegg

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a “horrible blight”.

The state’s largest landholder, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, last year planned 36 fuel-reduction burns on 10,000 ha, according to the Department of Primary industries 2011-12 annual report. That would have been less than 4% of the 2.6 million hectares it manages.

But it only managed to conduct 27 burns on 1927ha – less than 20% of its target. In other words, prescribed burns were conducted on less than 1% of land managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service.

Ironically, as timber families are forced out of work in Tasmania, their bulldozers and excavators, which are so crucial to building firebreaks to contain and control bushfire, are being repossessed or sold – and Forestry Tasmania has none of its own.

“You can fly around all you like in these helicopters, which lay a drop (of water) and go away,” asserts Phil Cheney. “But after a point, a bulldozer is about the only effective way to contain fires.”

Meanwhile, incredibly, the Greens are calling for money tied to Tasmania’s forest peace deal to be spent on more fuel reduction burns in bushfireprone areas.

Greens Senator Peter WhishWilson believes a recent burn on the east coast protected the Freycinet peninsula when a bushfire swept through Courland Bay near Bicheno two weeks ago, destroying five houses and several shacks.

The Greens oppose regeneration burns carried out by the forest industry, but Senator Whish-Wilson says the Parks and Wildlife Service is under-resourced and federal Cont Page 6

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 3

INDUSTRY NEWS

Outlook 2013 forestry sessions to focus on illegal logging issue

ABARES has secured key national and international speakers, as well as some of Australia’s leading producers, to feature at the annual Outlook conference in Canberra in March.

Forests and timber are among key commodities examined at the conference with the focus this year on the illegal logging issue.

First-day keynote speaker Andy Roby, of the Department for International Development, United Kingdom-Ministry of Forestry (Jakarta) will pose the question: do market-based measures to tackle illegal logging really work?

Mr Roby is a forestry graduate (Bangor BSc, Oxford MSc) with 29 years’ years experience in international development and the timber industry. For the first 10 years he lived and worked in Jamaica and Cameroon on forest management projects (plantations, natural forest and community forest) and did short forestry assignments in other parts of Africa.

After an MBA at Henley Business School he worked as a forestry adviser for the European Commission on Asia and Latin America, and then for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) covering West Africa.

For five years Mr Rob advised the UK timber trade on corporate social responsibility with a special focus on illegal logging, responsible purchasing and stakeholder relations.

Mr Roby will be joined by Paul McNamara, assistant secretary

Andy Roby .. do market-based measures help tackle illegal logging?

(forestry), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who will report on the progress with Australia’s approach to illegal logging.

The session will be chaired by Dr Neil Byron, an environmental economist, policy analyst and Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra.

Dr Byron is chair of the Trust for Nature Foundation (a nongovernment organisation for biodiversity conservation on private lands in Australia) and a director of the Earthwatch Institute Australia. He has an honours degree in Forest Science from the ANU and a masters and doctorate in resource and environmental economics from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Neil Byron .. chairman of forestry session at Outlook conference.

Paul Morris .. unique opportunity to hear from international experts.

The conference includes18 sessions over two days – Tuesday, March 5 and Wednesday March 6 – that will examine the outlook for national and global economies, provide forecasts for the full range of key commodities and assess current industry issues.

ABARES will release its medium term (five-year) economic and commodity projections at the conference to enable businesses to undertake longer term planning and access market leading information.

Executive director Paul Morris said Outlook 2013 presented a unique opportunity to hear from a number of leading international experts at the one event.

The federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and

Forestry Senator Joe Ludwig will deliver the opening address on March 5.

Feature sessions include an economic overview, management for variability, who gets the credit in carbon farming and Australia’s biosecurity system.

Other speakers confirmed for the conference include David Hallam, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations; Ken Ash, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; Ramesh Chand, India’s National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research; Joe Glauber, of the US Department of Agriculture; Mark Schipp Australian chief veterinary officer; and Wim Boonstra, Rabobank Group, the Netherlands.

Registration and conference information is available from the Outlook 2013 website.

Conference inquiries can be emailed to conferences@daff. gov.au

The conference includes 18 sessions over two days that will examine the outlook for national and global economies, provide forecasts for the full range of key commodities and assess current industry issues

New forest player aims to give New Zealand growers a say FOREST owner in New Zealand will vote in March on a plan that aims to give all ommercial forest and woodlot

Page 4 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

owners a say in the future of their industry. The Forest Voice referendum is being conducted by a new

organisation, the Forest Growers Levy Trust, an incorporated society. It has the backing of the two

established players in the sector, the Forest Owners Association and the Farm Forestry Association.

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WHAT’S ON?

JANUARY 2013

14-16: Digital Fabrication with Timber Studio. February 14-16: Australian Timber Design Workshop. The University of Tasmania’s School of Architecture and Design is continuing its long tradition of learning-by-making with these two exciting 2013 summer workshops in Launceston.

Created for architects, designers, building professionals and students, these summer workshops provide an opportunity to learn about the cutting edge uses of timber in design and construction in a practical, hands-on setting. Tel: (03) 6324 4470 or email: timber@ arch.utas.edu.au

MARCH 2013

5-6: ABARES National Outlook 2013 conference – National Convention Centre, Canberra.

Australia’s leading event to debate the issues for the agricultural, forestry, fisheries and food sectors. Outlook 2013 will examine the leading issues for the sectors; understand the long term outlook for a range of commodities, explore industry issues so markets will be informed and access the many opportunities for conversations, meetings and networking with fellow delegates. Leading national and international speakers will provide their unique perspectives. Email the ABARES events team at conferences@ daff.gov.au or phone 02 6272 2303 or 02 6272 3051.

APRIL 2013

7-10: 6th international Woodfibre Resources and Trade Conference, Istanbul, Turkey. ‘Woodchips and Biomass for Global and Regional Markets’.

Hilton Istanbul Hotel. Included in the program is a pre- and postconference field trip, two days of conference and the opportunity to visit Gallipoli.

Visit www.woodfibreconference. com to register.

Residues-to-Revenues 2013 Conference and CleanTECH Expo Wood energy and ‘cleantech’ industry developments.

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland, April 10-11, 2013; Bayview Eden Hotel, Melbourne, April 15-16, 2013. Event website: www. woodresiduesevents.com

7-11: Institute of Foresters of Australia conference – Canberra Rex Hotel, Canberra.

‘Managing Our Forests into the 21st Century’. Inquires to Alison Carmichael, chief executive, IFA, PO Box 7002, Yarralumla ACT 2600. Tel: (02) 6281 3992. Mob: 0414 287 079. Email: alison. carmichael@forestry.org.au Web: www.forestry.org.au April 28-May 12: EuroWOOD 2013 study tour to LigNA Hannover (May 6-10). Study tour and visits to Austria and Germany, starting in Vienna and finishing at LIGNA, Hannover, Germany. Add-on tour options to Finland and UK and European destinations. The 16-day tour is supported by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA),

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EVENTS in collaboration with other industry bodies and companies.

Participants will have the option to attend the full LIGNA program in Hannover and join selected visits to surrounding wood manufacturing factories and a university outside LIGNA for one or two days, allowing three full days at LIGNA. Internet site for registrations available soon. Costs: $7550* (+gst) p.p. or $9370* (+gst) single with an option for single participants to twin share. Price includes all airfares, ground travel and most meals, including entry to the famous LIGNAHannover Fair from May 6-10. The study tour will inspect the latest technologies of factorybuilt prefabricated housing and cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction methods, revolutionary MDF processes, wood panel processing, structural timber frame housing construction, and all the machinery that puts it together.

Generous time has been allotted to rest, relax and enjoy Austrian and German tourist locations along the way while travelling by luxury coach and staying at top hotels. Tour limited to 32 participants, including professional industry tour guides.

Travel consultant: Harvey World Travel, Shop 18, Fountain Plaza, The Entrance Rd, Erina NSW 2250.Tel: 02 4365 2337. For a full itinerary and registration details, contact the EuroWOOD 2013 Secretariat, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central Q 4007 or email eurowood13@ bigpond.com * Tax deductible industry tour

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 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 5

ON THE FIRE FRONT

Fires highlight need for better fuel management

THE mainstream media has picked up general community discontent about inadequate fuel management in the leadup to the devastating fires across eastern Australia.

The Australian article ‘Burnoff ban to protect habitats fires up farmers’ (January 11) highlights the important role that controlled burn-offs can play in reducing the intensity of wildfires. It does however, present only part of the picture.

Backed by experiences from overseas, the Australian Forest Products Association and its predecessors have long advocated the need for better fuel management in Australia’s

forests.

Since 2003 the US has been reducing fuel loads through a range of practices that include mechanical removal.

This can provide multiple benefits, including severe fire risk reduction, renewable energy production, improved forest health, and better carbon sequestration.

A strong link between fuel reduction and commercial use of available biomass is recognised in the recent 2012 Californian Bioenergy Action Plan, which advocates greater use of forestry biomass for renewable energy. This can reduce the need for hazard

Mick Stephens .. controlled burns are not the only solution.

reduction burning while still reducing the intensity of wildfires which arbitrarily destroy both habitat and manmade infrastructure.

“What is needed in Australia is not only a mature debate

about the need for effective fuel reduction but an understanding that controlled burns are not the only solution,” says AFPA strategic policy manager Mick Stephens.

“The forest industry will continue to take an active role in the development of better fire prevention and fuel management with policy makers into the future.”

Mr Stephens said AFPA recognised the efforts of all fire-fighting agencies involved in suppressing the recent fires of individuals and member organisations had been involved in the effort to combat the spate of fires.

Green policy of opposing native forest harvesting regimes and more lock-ups will contribute to higher fuel loads in our forests

From Page 3

funding set aside to implement the forest peace deal could be invested in a state-wide fuel reduction plan to protect communities.

Coalition forestry spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck says it’s a bit rich for the Greens to come out after the event talking about fuel reduction burns when they have attacked them at almost every turn.

“Every time a puff of smoke has appeared on the horizon during

Page 6 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

burn-off season the Greens have hit the airwaves attacking the forest industry,” Senator Colbeck said.

“The reality is that the Green policy of opposing native forest harvesting regimes and more lock-ups will contribute to higher fuel loads in our forests and, with those higher fuel loads, more intense fires.

“The research is very clear. A well-managed native forestry regime combined with effective fuel reduction in non-harvested

areas will help mitigate the intensity of bushfires.

“Other countries have learned these lessons. In the US, California for example, forests are managed more intensively closer to built-up areas, providing a level of protection for residents.

“Yet here in Australia the greens continue to advocate locking up more forest and closing down the industry, which increases the risk to communities.

“It is really quite offensive that

in an attempt to deflect the deserved criticism coming their way that they call for more resources for fuel reduction burns.”

Given the frequent failure of fire exclusion, we hope the debate comes down to a choice of smoke and damage to wildlife in small lots during cooler months as against fire storms and complete wildlife extinction in dry summers.

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ON THE FIRE FRONT

Undergrowth management subjected to inquiry by Tasmanian government

NATIONALS leader Warren Truss has blamed green ideology and threats of litigation for back-burning bushland for contributing to the increased tinder loads which amplified the horrific Tasmanian bushfires.

The issue of undergrowth management and containing excess fire-fuel through backburning will now underpin a Tasmanian government inquiry into the disaster.

The federal government has moved fast to provide financial assistance for primary producers, communities and small businesses to help overcome the state’s worst fires in nearly half a century.

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Jan Davis said fire damage assessment was still under way, with people still returning to their farms and properties after being forced to undertake emergency evacuations.

Ms David said as of Monday last week, the fire’s estimated damage bill was $15 million but this was expected to hit $20 million, after more detailed assessments.

The TFGA said bushfires had affected 110,000 ha across the state, including 19,400 ha of private land, with a total damage bill to farmer properties of $12.94 million.

About 10,000 head of livestock, mainly sheep, and more than 6000 km of boundary and internal fences have been lost to date.

Ms Davis said the fires were the worst most primary producers could remember.

She was reluctant however, to respond to suggestions that green ideology had exacerbated the fires due to increased fuel loads.

“One of the perverse outcomes of not allowing the back-burning is that by trying to protect

Warren Truss visited Tasmania as the acting federal Opposition Leader to inspect fire damaged farms and communities after Tony Abbott (pictured above) was called into action as a volunteer fire fighter when his local brigade was deployed to Nowra on the NSW south coast.

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and maintain something in its natural state, we’ve actually destroyed it,” she said.

Ms Davis said her members had raised repeated concerns about decreasing burn offs and high tinder levels building in their communities. She said a large amount of the state’s bushland, about 52%, was under the cash-strapped state government’s control.

Ms Davis said the inquiry dates had not yet been set but a task

Cont Page 8

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 7

ON THE FIRE FRONT

No fire hazard reduction for about 25 years From Page 7

force had been appointed, of which she was a member, with its first meeting to be held soon.

Mr Truss said members of the fire ravaged communities he visited said the lack of recent back-burning had contributed to the increased tinder loads, which heightened the fires. He said community members also stressed the need for better fire preparation measures.

The issue was in particular focus at the fishing village of Dunalley where 126 houses, a sawmill and two large farming properties were destroyed or damaged by the fires, aided by insufficient back-burning in the region.

Mr Truss said he was told there had been no fire hazard reduction in the area for about 25 years, on private properties or in national parks.

He said ATIF at AdvertFINAL.pdf other burnt-out1

communities such as the Derwent Valley he was told that “theoretically” farmers and landholders could obtain permits to conduct back-burning, but the permits only allowed work to be done during times when the hazard reduction work wasn’t practically possible.

Mr Truss said similar issues were raised in the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires in 2009 and were a concern in other parts of the country like NSW, with severe fire damage also experienced this week.

Tasmanian MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Sid Sidebottom acknowledged there were fire management issues to be dealt with but would not be drawn into a debate.

“Like every Tasmanian, I feel very deeply for those who have been affected by the fires, particularly our farming 3/12/12 11:59 who AM colleagues have lost

Warren Truss .. lack of backburning contributed to the increased tinder loads.

property and stock,” he said.

“Premier Lara Giddings has indicated an independent inquiry into the bushfires will be established to examine fire abatement and burn-off practices and the rules and regulations around that which I would welcome. I certainly would not want to pre-judge any findings an inquiry might

make.”

Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he met and listened to fire impacted communities, businesses and experts on community fire protection, at Bicheno, on the East Coast of Tasmania, last week.

Senator Whish-Wilson said the success of recent selective Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service fuel reduction burns helped save Tasmania’s magnificent Freycinet peninsula and Coles Bay from catastrophe in the fires.

“The Australian Greens have always supported the principle of selective fuel reduction burns,” he said.

“Any misconceptions on this fact are due to the fact that the Greens don’t support forest industry production ‘regeneration burns’”, he said.

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Page 8 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

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FWPA realigns priorities to industry needs

INDUSTRY service provider Forest and Wood Products Australia is realigning its investment priorities in response to stakeholder consultation and will launch a new national program to coordinate the collection and analysis of statistics and economics for the sector.

“FWPA is committed to delivering programs that will help secure a better future for the forest and wood products sector,” managing director Ric Sinclair said.

“To this end, the company has consulted widely with members and key stakeholders to identify priority activities for R&D investments, generic marketing and standards coordination, which should be supported from the constrained funding base.”

The clear message from industry was that in the current economic climate, industry executives would like to see FWPA focus on activities that have a shorter payback period such as market development or where cost savings can be realistically achieved.

While stakeholders have an interest in longer term programs, these will be deferred until the industry is in a stronger position to make the appropriate investments. FWPA will establish a new program with the aim of providing improved coordination and building better systems for data collection and analysis.

The program will be internally funded and FWPA will recruit

INDUSTRY NEWS

Ric Sinclair .. securing a better future for the forest and wood products sector.

a senior manager to develop and deliver the program on industry’s behalf.

FWPA will continue to work cooperatively with ABARES and other statistical providers to ensure that forest and wood product statistics are a valuable tool for industry and government decision makers.

A new industry reference group will provide a mechanism for coordination and validation of all existing data series and the development of improved systems.

Mr Sinclair said a key initiative of the new program would be the development of a secure, online portal for the consolidation of all key statistical data series.

“Extensive consultation with industry about current and potential FWPA activities has reinforced the need to focus our limited resources on what can be delivered to benefit industry now,” Mr Sinclair said.

dennis@industrye-news.com

editorial inquiries

tel: +61 32661429

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issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

‘Let’s call it: the deal is a dud’ Conflict-free forest industry for Tasmania rapidly fading

THE so-called forest peace deal has imploded after just two days in Tasmania’s upper house inquiry, according to Coalition dorestry spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck.

Senator Colbeck said it had become painfully clear that the forest IGA would not deliver a sustainable, conflict-free Tasmanian forest industry.

“The Coalition has said every step of the way that this deal was a sham and that it would not deliver a sustainable, conflict-free forest industry for Tasmania,” Senator Colbeck said.

“In two days, we’ve had two key environmentalists appear before the inquiry – one saying it is not his ‘job’ to stop others from protesting and another saying the durability arrangements won’t be effective.

“Marry that with other environmentalists’ comments – those who are the principal perpetrators of market disruption - that they are not bound by the agreement because they are not signatories to it and you have a quick trip back to where we’ve come from. This includes Markets for Change and the Huon Valley Environment Centre.

“So, we have the very real prospect of outlaying $380 million of taxpayers’ money to cut our timber industry in half on a deal which won’t deliver peace.

“All of the rhetoric, all of the rationale for this deal has been about peace. All along the Coalition has said this would not be achieved and now, even those who were supposed to be delivering peace are saying it will not happen.

“It is time for the grand fraud being perpetrated on the Tasmanian community to stop.”

Meanwhile, federal

Page 10 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

Terry Edwards .. state government amendments have upset the balance.

Tony Burke .. decision needs to be made before the end of the month.

Senator Richard Colbeck . . time for an end to the grand fraud.

Environment Minister Tony Burke has interrupted his holidays to travel to Hobart and warn legislative councillors the forest peace deal could collapse if it is not resolved quickly.

The amendments to the TFA Bill included one that would allow councillors to consider individually each of 295 lots that make up 504,000 ha of proposed new reserves.

Mr Burke has only weeks to decide whether to progress a nomination to add some of the deal’s proposed reserves to the state’s Wilderness World Heritage area.

The nomination is a crucial part of the deal to reduce logging in native forests but legislation to enact the agreement is stalled by an Upper House inquiry.

The delay has created a problem for Mr Burke, who needs to lodge the world heritage nomination by the end of the month.

“Some people say that if a nomination doesn’t go forward then that effectively would blow the entire agreement apart,” Mr

Burke said.

“The challenge that we have is Australia has never been a nation which has put forward nominations for world heritage and then withdrawn them.”

The Legislative Council and witnesses to the inquiry are still digesting amendments to the peace deal legislation detailing almost 300 parcels of native forest nominated for protection.

The 160 pages of amendments were delivered to MLCs on the eve of the first hearings last week.

At meetings in Hobart, Mr Burke told the Upper House president Sue Smith and industry and environmental signatories what was at stake.

“And as you’d all know, I’ve been quite committed that I didn’t want to have a situation where we were cherry picking different parts of the agreement,” Mr Burke said.

“That means a decision needs to be made before the end of this month and I do not know what that decision will be.”

The Forest Industries Association suggests it might withdraw its support for the forest agreement because it believes state government amendments have upset the balance of the agreement.

Chief executive Terry Edwards says it is unfair of the government to table the amendments without speaking to signatories.

The amendments were fundamental to the balance of the Bill and the structure of the agreement, he said.

“It’s our view on a cursory reading of the amendments that it upsets the balance of the agreement,” he said. “We need the attachments to the amendments to know exactly what they mean at the moment we are fumbling in the dark.”

Mr Edwards said that industry was most concerned that the changes appeared to allow protection of reserves at the same time as a report on the quality of the forest peace, known in the talks as durability, was done.

He said the protection order would now be presented simultaneously with the Bill.

Tony Burke has only weeks to decide whether to progress a nomination to add some of the deal’s proposed reserves to the state’s Wilderness World Heritage area

The inquiry resumes this week after three days of hearings.

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HOUSING

Building approvals: jury out despite emerging recoveries

Approval figures ammunition for cut in interest rates

TENUOUS signs of an emerging recovery in residential building follow the release of the November 2012 building approvals figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The total number of approvals rose 2.9% due to a 10.1% increase in the approval of residential apartments, while private sector housing fell slightly by 0.3% (seasonally adjusted).

The total number of dwellings approved increased in November by 13.2% on the previous year (seasonally adjusted).

Master Builders Australia’s chief economist Peter Jones said the bounce in approvals

was welcomed, but the nascent recovery had yet to move out of first gear.

“November’s headline increase in approvals appears to be narrowly based, reliant on an unsustainable spike in inner Melbourne units rather than any broad-based upswing,” he said.

“The danger is that the recovery could run out of steam as the impact of previous interest rate cuts appear to have failed in lifting new homebuyer confidence and underpinning a sustained housing recovery.

“Authorities are banking on a strong revival in residential building as the economy loses mining as its key driver. For

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Signs of building recovery .. but not in first gear yet.

this to eventuate, the Reserve Bank should cut interest rates at the next board meeting in February.”

The fall in housing finance figures released by ABS also demonstrates that the tenuous

recovery in the housing market is in danger of stalling.

The total number of dwelling commitments fell 0.5% in November, seasonally adjusted.

The number of commitments for the construction of new dwellings fell 1.8% and commitments for the purchase of new dwellings fell 10.3%, seasonally adjusted.

Peter Jones said the fall in the number of dwelling commitments jeopardised the nascent recovery in the housing market.

“The approvals figures are concerning and should provide enough ammunition for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates in February,” Jones said.

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

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

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meet these requirements. In fact, laboratory tests show many imported non-certified products are continuously failing Australian standards for emissions and bonding strength and are life threatening.

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

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issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 11

COMMUNITY PROJECT

Doors open creative talents of hinterland woodcrafting group

By JIM BOWDEN

MAGNIFICENT timber doors crafted by a select group of Queensland woodworkers in the Sunshine Coast hinterland welcome visitors to a new community centre built at Maleny, a small, scenic town 90 km north of Brisbane.

Prior to European settlement, the region was covered in thick sub-tropical rainforest with huge hardwood trees. Timbergetters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries opened up the area seeking valuable timber, which was prized locally and in Europe.

The community doors project was developed by master carver Dave Southern. His concept was to have the doors as frames with a forest of trees on the other side, with a contrasting paler colour as a background – like walking in a forest with the bright sunlight shining down behind the outline of the trees.

This was further developed in conjunction with the architect and the Maleny Community Centre committee to show the entire forest shown on both sides of the door faces.

The outer door frames and structural frames of the doors are made from rosewood (Pterocarpus indicusis), supplied by Britton Timbers, Narangba.

From humble beginnings more than a century

Wood craftsmen .. Frank McDonald, president of the Blackall Range Woodcrafters Guild, David Southern, creative designer and master carver, John Muller, who sourced the materials, and Warne Wilson, an activity officer of the group who brought productive ideas to the project.

ago in Tasmania’s timberrich northwest coast, Britton Timbers has grown to become Australia’s largest importer of sustainably-produced exotic hardwoods.

The doors are sheathed both sides with 6 mm red cedar ply from Sharp Plywood which has been manufacturing veneer panels in Queensland for more than 65 years.

The cedar carving material came from Brisbane-based Watts Wood and Mouldings.

All door components were finished in Cabots single pack polyurethane.

A $1.6 million government grant went towards remodelling the front of the community centre building which incorporates

Finished product .. ornate timber doors ready for delivery to Maleny’s new community centre building

two offices with a restaurant and outdoor eating platform above overlooking the Maleny streetscape.

A community project, it was supported by a $3000 donation from Rotary and more than 700 man-hours were contributed by members of the Blackall Range Woodcrafters Guild.

The idea for a guild grew from some hazy dreaming in a shed between a few old Range ‘woodies’ who felt the need for a club to serve the whole of the Blackall Range.

The club had its first meeting in St Mary’s Hall on the village green at Montville on March 4, 1996, and the Blackall Range Woodcrafters Guild Inc was formally incorporated about a month later.

In 2002, after six years in a shed on Western Avenue, and following the receipt of a grant from Jupiter’s Casino, the guild moved to a more permanent base at the Montville Sports Ground, about 3km south of Montville.

With good local support, the guild has grown into a thriving purposeful 150-strong group which includes a good number of women.

The annual Maleny Wood Expo every May – ‘from chainsaws to fine furniture’ – is hosted by the Barung Landcare Group and showcases the region’s finest wood artisans.

David Pollard to depart AFPA as CEO in April

APPLICATIONS have closed in the selection process for a new CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association in Canberra.

The chairman Greg McCormack has expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the work of Dr David Pollard, who has announced his upcoming retirement in April.

Page 12 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

“David has worked tirelessly in progressing the interests of the industry and its members in a challenging year, including the consolidation of the association following the merger of the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) and the Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council (A3P) in 2011,” Mr McCormack

said.

“In particular, the development of the AFPA policy roadmap ‘A Renewable Future’ in 2012 has laid the foundation for promoting the multiple economic, social and environmental opportunities the forest, wood and paper products industry can provide in the new low carbon economy.

Dr Pollard is expected to lead the AFPA study tour to Canada, tentatively booked for April 3 to 12. The tour will inspect innovative technologies in construction, chemicals and pulp, as well as to explore high level policy initiatives and opportunities for cooperation among industry, research and government.

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EVENTS

Interest grows in engineered wood products tour to LIGNA

THE EuroWood study tour of engineered wood technology and building methods in Austria and Germany this year is shaping as a tri-nation event.

Registrations have been confirmed from Australia, New Zealand and South America.

The study tour from April 28 to May 12 will visit manufacturing sites; innovative value-adding product development; technical colleges and universities (engineered wood programs); housing projects; and forest operations where practicable.

Participants will have the opportunity to attend the full LIGNA program in Hannover from May 6 to 10 with an option to join selected visits to surrounding wood manufacturing factories and a university outside LIGNA for one or two days, allowing three

full days at LIGNA. The comprehensive study tour and related sight-seeing program has been prepared in collaboration with the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia and the Homag Group and its subsidiaries and partners and in consultation with other leading wood processing technology companies and manufacturing, machinery and technology experts.

The tour will be led by widelyexperienced Australia-based timber industry and travel specialists.

The Homag Group, located at Schopfloch in the northern part of Germany’s Black Forest, is a global player represented in more than 100 countries. It is a leader in the field of machinery and manufacturing for panel

processing, structural timber frame housing construction, producing solutions from stand-alone machines to complete production lines.

Ahead of LIGNA Hannover, tour participants will travel to St. Johann-Lonsingen in the Swabian Alps south of Stuttgart to visit Homag partner and subsidiary the Weinmann Group to inspect factory-built prefabricated housing and cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction methods.

The tour will include a seminar and inspection at Graz University of Technology in southeast Austria, about 200 km south of Vienna, a world leader in CLT building technology.

The EuroWood 2013 coach will sideline to Salzburg to rest among internationally

renowned baroque architecture the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Austrian company Dascanova in Vienna is included in the itinerary. This research and development company has won numerous international awards for its new panel manufacturing process.

The program will allow add-on visits to Finland, the UK and other European destinations.

Inquiries should be directed to the EuroWOOD13 Secretariat, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central Q 4007 or email eurowood13@ bigpond.com Travel consultants: Harvey World Travel, Shop 18, Fountain Plaza, The Entrance Rd, Erina NSW 2250. Tel: 02 4365 2337.

Visit the World of Engineered Wood .. join the EuroWOOD 2013 study tour APRIL 26 – MAY 10, 2013 This fact-finding, fully-escorted 16-day tour of Austria and Germany starts in Vienna and concludes at LIGNA Hannover

EuroWOOD2013 is supported by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA), in collaboration with other industry bodies and companies.

The study tour will inspect the latest technologies of factory-built prefabricated housing and cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction methods, revolutionary MDF processes, wood panel processing, structural timber frame housing construction, and all the machinery that puts it together.

Generous time has been allotted to rest, relax and enjoy Austrian and German tourist locations along the way while travelling by luxury coach and staying at top hotels. * Tax deductible industry tour .

Tour limited to 32 participants, including professional industry tour guides.

Travel consultant: Harvey World Travel, Shop 18, Fountain Plaza, The Entrance Rd, Erina NSW 2250 Tel: 02 4365 2337.

For a full itinerary and payment details, contact the EuroWOOD 2013 Secretariat, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central Q 4007 or email eurowood13@bigpond.com Advertising: Tel +61 7 3266 1429 Email: cancon@bigpond.net.au

* Tax deductible industry tour

$7550* (+gst) p.p. or $9370* (+gst) single includes all airfares, ground travel and most meals, including entry to the famous LIG NAHannover Fair from May 6-1

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 13

OPINION

Science centre move strongly opposed by foresters in NSW

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

THE NSW DPI has announced that staff at the Forest Science Centre (FSC) are to be moved to the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) site in Menangle on July 1 this year.

The decision was taken without any consultation with affected staff, and critically without the provision of a cost-benefit analysis of such move. There does not seem to be a rationale for such a move, and we cannot see any benefits to staff or to our stakeholders resulting from it. This decision bears strong similarities with the decision announced in 2011 to move staff from the Cronulla Fisheries Centre to regional centres. It has now been reported that the Cronulla move has temporarily been put on hold, following the report of a NSW Parliament Inquiry.

It is our strong belief that if a cost-benefit analysis was undertaken in consultation with staff, it would clearly show the decision would not result in any savings to the state. An additional negative outcome of the move would be the loss of a significant number of experienced research professionals, who would either in the short term or over time seek more favourable employment opportunities elsewhere.

The lengthy disruptions associated with the move and the loss of staff will have serious negative implications for the various externally funded projects led by FSC scientists.

The FSC in West Pennant Hills has for six decades been one of the leading forestry research agencies in Australia.

FSC scientists work on a broad range of research areas, including forest ecology and biodiversity, forest health, resource assessment, forest

Page 14 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

Wrong move? Forest research compromised by transfer decision.

growth modelling, carbon sequestration in soils, forests and wood products and bioenergy, just to name a few areas.

The West Pennant Hills site provides an innovative hub where forest researchers and staff from Forests NSW can interact. [Forests NSW became the Forest Corporation of NSW, effective January 1].

The FSC provides research to state forests under a Memorandum of Understanding which is currently in effect from [July 1, 2011-June 30, 2014]. As such FNSW is the major stakeholder and client of the FSC. Servicing this MOU requires good collaboration and communication with the client.

Dislocation away from that client is directly opposed to the intent of “minimising the impact on staff wherever possible and maximising positive benefits for farmers and stakeholders”.

As there is no other Forests R&D staff other than the FSC, there will be no benefit from consolidation at EMAI.

The West Pennant Hills facility is also more favourably located in relation to a number of Sydney universities where staff have collaborative links.

In contrast, Menangle, which is 80 km away from West Pennant Hills, is also isolated from all relevant disciplines of universities and this will hinder the maintenance of existing links and creation of new ones.

In addition, the EMAI has no R&D legacy associated with the forestry sector.

Due to differences in research priorities there are no prospects for fruitful interactions with the other current and proposed occupants of the EMAI site.

On a personal level, all of the staff at the FSC would struggle to manage the daily three hour plus commute to EMAI. This raises a significant WH&S issue.

This disruptive and potentially destructive move is counterproductive and ironic, given that Agriculture NSW has, in the last few months, become the lead Agency for the PISC

The lengthy disruptions associated with the move and the loss of staff will have serious negative implications for the various externally funded projects led by forest scientists

RD&E Forest Strategy. NSW DPI (the FSC) is the lead on a number of key priorities for that strategy and the FSC director is the agency’s representative.

This relocation significantly compromises the ability of these staff to service the PISC RD&E strategy.

We perceive that the DPI senior management places a higher value on consolidating assets and buildings compared to the vast amount of government funding that has been spent over several decades on developing scientists who are now national and international experts in their areas of expertise.

Australia’s capacity in forest research has declined significantly, especially over the past 10 years, and this forced moved will only contribute to this demise.

In light of the above, we strongly urge NSW DPI to reconsider the decision to move FSC staff away from West Pennant Hills.

– Dr Huiquan Bi, principal research scientist, Mirella Blasi, technical officer, Traecey Brassil, technical officer, Dr Angus Carnegie, principal research scientist, Rebecca Coburn, professional officer, David Giles, technical officer, Dr Amrit Kathuria, biometrician (professional officer), Dr Brad Law, principal research scientist, Pushpinder Matta, professional office, Matthew Nagel, technical officer, Jagrutee Parekh, technical officer, Dr Bhupinderpal Singh, senior research scientist, Dr Christine Stone, principal research scientist, Fabiano Ximenes, professional officer, Chris Wilson, technical officer.

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AWARDS

Medals recognise contribution to Vietnam’s booming forest sector Five Australian scientists honoured at Hanoi ceremony

MEDALS have been presented to five Australian forest scientists in recognition of their outstanding contribution to Vietnam’s forest sector.

The Vietnamese government through its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development honoured Stephen Midgley, Chris Harwood, Sadanandan Nambiar and Khongsak Pinyopusarerk at a special ceremony in Hanoi, attended

by Australia’s ambassador Hugh Borrowman.

The medals recognise more than 25 years of research cooperation between Vietnamese and Australian forest scientists with the support of CSIRO, ACIAR and AusAID. Vietnam now has more than 1.3 million ha of eucalypt and acacia plantations.

Australian acacias are now a common part of Vietnam’s rural landscape, offering protection to denuded landscapes, wood for industry and fuel and make a strong contribution to rural economies and livelihoods in Vietnam.

Prior to 1987, acacias were a relatively minor part of Vietnam’s plantation and reforestation programs. This has now changed and an estimated 120,000 ha of acacias was planted in Vietnam in 2011 – some 70% by smallholders.

There are now more than 700,000 ha of acacias grown in Vietnam.

“Acacias have played an important role in landscape rehabilitation in Vietnam,” said medal recipient Stephen Midgley a director of Salwood Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, Farrer, ACT. “In 1987-88, I travelled by road a number of times between Ho Chin Minh City and Hanoi.

Appreciation .. Australian forest scientists honoured in Hanoi for their contributions to the country’s forest sector.

The trip was rough and the countryside characterised by bare, overused hills and considerable poverty,” Mr Midgley recalled.

“The bare hills have been covered now with acacia plantings, reducing erosion and accumulating organic matter and soil nitrogen plus offering much to local economies.”

Acacias have been used as nurse crops to rehabilitate native forest areas; examples include the protection forests of Hai Van Pass and the Perfumed River catchment behind Hue. Vietnam’s acacia plantations now represent a valuable commercial asset and a close examination of Vietnam’s Acacia Equation makes interesting reading: Vietnam is now the world’s largest exporter of hardwood woodchips and some 90% of the 5.4 million bdmt (bone dry metric tonns)

exported in 2011 was acacia, valued at $US650 million fob.

In addition to the woodchip exports, acacias are the dominant furnish for Vietnam’s domestic wood pulp industry, producing pulps valued at more than $US370 million.

The country is now the world’s fourth largest exporter of wood furniture, worth about $US3.9 billion in 2011; Acacia wood forms an estimated 10% of these exports.

Mr Midgley said in the combination of sawn wood products and woodchips all acacia logs were be utilised – the larger, better quality butt logs going to the saw mill and the smaller logs going to the chip mill.

Some estimates from CSIRO studies indicate that IRR for smallholder acacia growers can be typically 27%. The estimated value of processed

Vietnam is now the world’s largest exporter of hardwood woodchips and some 90% of the 5.4 million bdmt exported in 2011 was acacia, valued at $US650 million fob

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and unprocessed acacia wood products in Vietnam now exceeds $US1.5 billion annually with some $US300 million returning directly to the pockets of the growers.

The strong and productive relationship between Australian and Vietnamese scientists have underpinned this vibrant industry, offering obvious improvement to livelihoods among acacia-growing communities.

Mr Midgley and fellow forester Dick Pegg of Brisbane were honoured by the Chinese Society of Forestry last year for their development work with eucalypts. Awards were presented at the annual meeting of the China Eucalypt Forum in Novembe in Nanning.

“There are now more than 3 million ha of eucalypts in China, a considerable advance on the 400,000 ha when Dick and I first commenced working with our Chinese colleagues,” Mr Midgley said.

“Another very flattering and appreciated gesture from our wonderful Chinese partners.”

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 15

OPINION

Greenmailing: the attack on our timber, fibre and food industries

ENVRONMENTAL nongovernment organisations, or ENGOs, are gaining increased influence over the way Australia’s vital primary products are harvested and marketed. The ways in which they are doing this put into question the future role of government, science and rational resource management in Australian primary production.

One of the ENGOs’ major strategies has been the establishment of ‘certification’ schemes, whereby primary producers must enter costly arrangements to prove to the satisfaction of the particular ENGO that their production methods and outcomes meet certain standards of environmental sustainability.

Thus primary producers can effectively be forced to pay money to continue in business by signing up to the ENGO’s preferred sustainability body.

One of the ENGOs’ most successful tactics has been to pressure companies occupying strategic positions in the supply chain, such as dominant consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, to adopt its certification standards.

In Australia, we already see ENGO

‘sustainability certification’ bodies established or projected in a number of primary production areas, for example, forestry, fishing, and now beef.

I believe they raise issues of fundamental importance about how Australia will be governed in future – certainly about how food, fibre and timber products will be harvested.

The growth of these certification bodies highlights an apparent abdication of responsibility by the current federal government for making important decisions about primary production. It also represents a direct attack on science and the role of scientists in decision-making in primary production and other areas. It also belittles the role of experienced resource managers and potentially

‘While the Labor government continues to insist on stringent environmental standards from our primary producers, it says and does nothing to defend them’

By

SENATOR

RON BOSWELL

sidelines them.

We are all familiar with references to “big business” as a general term for wealthy and influential business organisations. Now, in Australia, we are seeing the rise of “big environment”: a large, wealthy network of environmental activists. How wealthy was shown by a Canberra Times article in December 2009, which reported that, in that year, Australia’s four largest environmental groups had spent a total of $70 million, much of it for political lobbying and shaping public opinion.

Under this Labor government,

we have seen ‘big environment’ grow more and more powerful and influential. Environmental activists now seem to be orchestrating much of Labor’s policy on primary industries and natural resources.

I raised this issue recently in the Senate in relation to the Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill.

The penalties in the Bill include $33,000 for an individual and $165,000 for a corporation for offences such as importing regulated timber products and or processing raw logs without complying with the due diligence requirements. ‘ Those fines no doubt will act as a strong incentive to comply with the due diligence requirements. The Bill says the regulations may provide for due diligence requirements in relation to timber products to be satisfied by compliance with, among other things, “rules or processes established or accredited by an industry or certifying body”.

These certifying bodies no doubt will include the Forest Stewardship Council, a body supported by a number of radical green groups. Members of the Forest Stewardship Council’s ruling General Assembly include Greenpeace,

Opportunity: new engineered product Project seeks access to on-going timber resource

ThIs engineered product is manufactured from small diameter treated true round plantation logs that would normally be chipped or destroyed. Resource cost is minimal.

The production system is low capital cost and can be set up in a minimum of time and at a minimum of cost. Compared with current systems such as LVL, sawn timber etc. this product has unrivalled versatility, fire resistance, projected longevity and sustainability.

This product has the ability to lower the costs of floor and wall framing in modern homes, as well as being ideal for low-cost housing The entire buildings can be erected on site using unskilled labour.

The product has undergone comprehensive testing at the engineering faculty of the University of Technology Sydney under the guidance of internationally renowned timber engineer Prof. Keith Crews.

Engineered Timber Products

Loggo products have undergone comprehensive testing at the engineering faculty of the university of Technology sydney.

Page 16 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

The project is keen to establish a plant near a guaranteed resource.

Contact: (02) 4256 4767 or email pat@loggo.com.au www.loggo.com.au

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OPINION

Negative campaigns against brand labels with market position common

the Wilderness Society, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Earth and the WWF. Industry people tell me that timber producers, exporters or importers – possibly faced with having to construct a whole new system to meet the requirements of this legislation – would feel forced to join a sustainable forest management certification scheme.

Our importers and domestic processors might also decide it is necessary to handle only logs certified through such a scheme.

Where this is the case, it is vital that they have more than one certifying body to choose from.

It would be a nightmare if the only organisation in the market able to anoint timber products as sustainably produced was someone like the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC forces timber producers to go through an expensive series of steps to have their products accepted by the FSC as “sustainable”.

In the case of the Australian timber industry, those industry groups and businesses that do choose to go for a certification scheme for their products at least have an option.This is a body called the Australian Forestry Standard Ltd, or AFS. AFS says it covers by far the majority of certified forests in Australia: more than 10 million ha certified under Australian Standard 4707: the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management. However, businesses throughout the supply chain – from loggers right through to the final enduser – are already under constant pressure to use only FSC-certified timber.

One company that has felt this pressure is Ta Ann Tasmania.

It uses timber harvested by others that was previously destined for the woodchipper.

Choice .. industry must have access to more than one certifying body.

Ta Ann adds value by slicing these logs into valuable veneer for plywood production. The timber is sourced from regrowth and plantation.

Environmental activists are conducting what my Tasmanian colleague, Senator Eric Abetz, described in the Senate in August as a deceptive campaign to cruel the markets of Ta Ann around the world, prejudicing Tasmanian jobs when the unemployment rate in Tasmania is well over 7%, and heading north. Ta Ann’s reputation is being defamed, and their markets drying up.

One example was when an activist group called Markets for Change flew to London before the Olympic Games and persuaded a company buying plywood for a basketball court there not to use Ta Ann products they had previously agreed to purchase.

Far more serious for Ta Ann has been the persistent lobbying

by Markets for Change of the company’s overseas customers for flooring products, especially in Japan.

It is no surprise, then, to see media reports that Ta Ann’s board of directors could decide to close down its operations in Tasmania. This is a company that last year injected $45 million into the Tasmanian

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economy and employs 100 people.

As well as conducting its ongoing campaign against Ta Ann, the Markets for Change activists are also targeting retail chain Harvey Norman. Harvey Norman is selling furniture made from sustainable Tasmanian timber, but that’s not good enough for Markets for Change.

Both Ta Ann and Harvey Norman products are certified by the Australian Forestry Standard – but of course, for Markets for Change and their fellow activists, that is not the right certifying body.

It is a familiar pattern. In July 2011, Greenpeace activists climbed a construction crane on the Central Park development in Sydney in a protest over the use of plywood that the organisation claimed was sourced illegally. Soon after, Greenpeace trumpeted the news that the developer had promised not to use any timber that was not certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

ENGOs will also engage a method often referred to as ‘greenmail’ to force companies into certification. ‘Greenmail’ involves action to devalue the public perception of a brand name or company reputation of

producers and retailers through advocacy campaigns aimed at consumers and processors.

Running negative campaigns against brand labels with significant market position is common. The aim is to pressure these businesses to align with or adopt certification systems developed by NGOs. Once the company adopts that system, it has become an agent for delivering the sustainability values of the NGO. By these means, ENGOs are able to influence, and even control, the supply chain.

Australian primary producers maintain production methods and standards that are among the very highest in the world from an environmental point of view.

While the Labor government continues to insist on stringent environmental standards from our primary producers, it says and does nothing to defend them. Instead, being politically captive to the Greens and to radical green policies, it surrenders at the first sign of manufactured outrage. Instead of governing on the basis of good science, sound management principles and common sense, this government is managed by social media. The government must speak out on behalf of Australia’s primary producers and the sustainability of their farming, forestry and fishing practices. Then it must take action to back up those words.

It must support our wealthcreating, job-creating primary industries in the marketplace.

In other words, it must refute the lies the ENGOs are telling about our primary producers. * Senator Ron Boswell has been a Nationals senator for Queensland since 1983.

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 17

EVENTS

Wood manufacturing expo focus on local processing efficiencies

Latest technology from NZ, Canada, US and Europe

EXHIBITORS continue to sign up for the largest gathering of wood processing and manufacturing expertise yet seen in Australia and New Zealand – WoodEXPO 2013.

Already, major technology suppliers from New Zealand, Canada, the US and Europe have committed to this region’s main wood technology event this year.

Run between September 3 and 13, consecutive events are being held in both countries to demonstrate the very latest tools and technologies that can improve the efficiencies of local wood processors.

In addition, to two days of interactive displays, a major one-day conference is being planned looking at the international competitiveness of the local industry. In line with the practical focus that’s been such a successful feature of Forest Industry Engineering Association events, a comprehensive series of eight two-hour “hands-on” workshops are also being designed for site managers and production staff.

USNR’s Joe Shields, who made such an impact at the FIEA SawTECH series in 2011, will be involved in the sawing workshops. With more than 40 years’ experience in troubleshooting electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems, Joe has specialised in edgers, gang-saws, band-mills, planers and chipper systems.

Joe Shields ..troubleshooting the proper in-mill application of saws and chippers.

Warren Bird .. design and manufacture of thin, high performance cutting tools.

He has been instrumental in the development of industry tools to troubleshoot the proper in-mill application of saws and chippers. Alignments and system diagnostics has become his main focus for service trips around the world and will be the focus of presentations and discussions with local industry at the expos.

Warren Bird, CEO of the US Company California Saw & Knife Works, is also going to be involved in the sawing workshops. Warren, who has been a regular visitor to both countries, has devoted his entire professional career to the design and manufacture of thin, high performance cutting tools.

Warren will be using a series of recent case studies from both Australasia and the US on changing saw design within current machine centres to improve sawing performance and productivity.

Wood scanning has already attracted presentations from North American technology suppliers on advances and opportunities for vision optimisation within the green and dry mill and “today’s optimisation on yesterday’s primary breakdown equipment”. For wood panel and engineered wood products companies, presentations have already been offered on veneer dryer optimisation.

In wood machining, the

The pace of economic and building activity is expected to pick up in both countries this year

practical focus is being continued with presentations being given on improving and troubleshooting high=speed planer operations by Dennis Miller, president of A&M Manufacturing, USA. Formerly with Coastal Machinery and COE Manufacturing, Dennis has worked for over 25 years with mills in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia to increase efficiency and throughput in planer mill operations.

“The pace of economic and building activity is expected to pick up in both countries this year so WoodEXPO 2013 is well-timed for both exhibitors and those attending,” says FIEA director Brent Apthorp.

“The objective is for the first time to provide local companies the opportunity to speak directly to a wide cross section of leading global suppliers of sawmilling, wood manufacturing, panel production and wood finishing technologies.

“For local and international exhibitors, they’ll be able to get exposure to all of the major wood processing and manufacturing companies and set up client visits – all within a short two-week window.”

Details on the expos, conference and practical workshops are on the updated website, www.woodexpo2013. com

Carbon neutrality in the bag – world ‘first’ for Australian Paper

AUSTRALIAN owned pharmacy labelling, printing, packaging and consumables company Stirling Fildes will offer the world’s first carbon neutral

Page 18 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

paper to its customers.

Australian Paper, Australia’s only packaging paper manufacturer, created the carbon neutral MG

brown and bleached paper for bags this year. The paper used to make the bags is certified to the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS);

the

Australian

certification requirements

that for

government sets

the

achieving

carbon neutrality.

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ON THE ROAD

Soul-searching around Rosewood

Kia’s breakthrough hatchback one out of the box

CONCEIVED in the USA, developed in Korea and finetuned in Europe, the Soul is a breakthrough vehicle for Kia keeping the Seoul-based manufacturer on track for cars of distinction.

As the predecessor to a range of superbly styled cars such as the Sorento, Sportage, Optima and Cerato, the Soul has shown a new direction for hatchbacks.

We took a 2-litre model for some ‘Soul-searching’ at the charming township of Rosewood in the Bremer Valley, 60 km west of Brisbane and home of Australia’s largest timber church.

The woodwork inside and the sense of care and craftsmanship which has gone into the building evokes the kind of religious commitment which is such a characteristic of the great churches of Europe.

This is a building constructed out of faith.

The church, opened in 1910, is made entirely of local timbers.

Even the foundations are timber stumps set on timber bedlogs.

The boxy, modern, Californiainspired Kia Soul is versatile with plenty of ‘oomph’ and provided top turning ability on the narrow country road that took us to this delightful retreat.

Soul is good to drive, offering great visibility and surprisingly good handling and grip. The ride was agreeable for a long haul that returned to Brisbane by way of Toowoomba and road and wind noise was better than anticipated.

A five-door, five-seat hatchback, the Soul comes in many colours schemes –white, Soul black, tomato red, titanium silver, bright silver and olive green. The interior doubles as a family runabout or weekend adventurer. That translates to wide-opening rear doors, abundant rear seat space and easy-open tailgate.

Here’s a small car which

Kia Soul .. plenty of ‘oomph’.

St Brigid’s at Rosewood .. largest timber church in Australia.

provides spacious accommodation for five people and enough luggage space to contain a full-size golf bag and more…and in our case, three golf bags and a trail bike when we folded the 60/40 split rear seat flat.

The range-topping Soul offers a surprising array of luxury – a comfy driving position, good seats and stylish, leather-

Rio .. smart, comfortable interior.

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

wrapped steering wheel.

There’s the customary assortment of power accessories, keyless entry, USB and auxiliary connections, and lots of safety gear.

The Soul 2Lt gives ‘max’ power 122 kW at 6500 rpm. With a tank capacity of 48 litres, we achieved fuel consumption under 7.5 litres/100 km.

On-roads start at around $19,990 up to $21,990 for automatic transmission.

Kia then put us into a nice 1.6Lt, 6-speed Rio SLi which has definitely changed the landscape in terms of dynamics, style, performance and equipment.

The Rio’s interior is greatly improved over the previous model and is superior to Kia’s larger Cerato for design.

Perfect-fit front seats are ideal for small-frame travellers but it’s a squeeze for bigger bodies.

Standard on the Rio SLi are LED daytime-running lamps, dusk-sensing headlamps, cruise control, trip-computer, air-conditioning, power windows, six-speaker sound system with USB/aux inputs, Bluetooth phone integration, electric folding wing mirrors, leather-upholstered multifunction steering wheel, front fog lamps and 17-in.alloys – quite a package.

Nifty add-ons include alloys and 30deg. turning lghts.

The 1.6 litre direct injection engine of the Rio Si and SLi is smooth and balanced and pulls well, producing 103kW of power and 167Nm of torque.

The gearshift is smooth through the gate and the clutch ‘soft’ enough to tackle peak hour traffic.

Kia claims fuel economy of 5.6 Lt/100km.

Prices on road range from $23,000 up to $28,000 for the Rio SLX.

issue 253 | 21.01.13 | Page 19

CLASSIFIEDS

HOPPER FOR SALE POSITION VACANT

Statistics and Economics Manager The position takes responsibility for the development of a new, cooperative approach to the collection, analysis and reporting of Australian forest and wood product statistics.

The purpose of this role is to improve the understanding of the economic drivers and contribution of the sector and provide a basis for better decision making.

The Statistics and Economics Manager will develop and implement a new on-line data portal for the collection and aggregation of key industry statistics. This is a hands-on role and will work closely with senior industry and government personnel. The role reports directly to the Managing Director.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following: • Understanding and practical experience with the collection, analysis and reporting of industry statistics, preferably in the building, forestry or agricultural sectors.

• Ability to convert statistical data into a cogent economic narrative.

• Ability to develop and present economic trends and forecasts to senior industry and government executives.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain strong professional networks.

• Strong team leadership and team membership skills.

• Ability to manage external consultants and service providers.

The role is based in the Melbourne CBD and relocation expenses will be reimbursed.

Inquiries and applications for this pivotal role can be directed to: Ric Sinclair, Managing Directorm email: ric.sinclair@fwpa.com.au Applications close Friday, 8th February 2013.

Page 20 | issue 253 | 21.01.13

- Filt Air unit – 62 cubic metres, full length hydraulically operated.

- Clam shell doors. 50 HP exhaust fan.

16000 CFM @ 13 inches.

- 110/3.2 filter bags.

Also comes with all switch gear.

Price $25,000 (+gst) Ex Heidelberg West, Victoria

Taswon Timbers (a division of Grawend Nominees Pty Ltd) (ABN 39 005 104 021)

3-7 Northern Road, Heidelberg West, 3081 Vic. Tel: (03) 9457 4546. Fax: (03) 9459 4994 Email: taswon@bigpond.com Advertising: Tel +61 7 3266 1429 Email: cancon@bigpond.net.au

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