Timber & Forestry E News issue 254

6957

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issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 1

Industry stakeholders meet to review regulations

This Issue

•L and sales signal rocky housing recovery •F orest activists attack Wilderness Society

Heads up on logging Bill The prohibition elements of the Bill were brought into force on November 28 “The meeting is a good idea and allows industry representatives to work through some of the proposals and get up to speed on formatting their own submissions,” an industry spokesman said.

The Australian Forest Products Association, the Australian

QA certification a ‘first’ for timber treater •S tephen Walker new Queensland chairman of IFA •F orest giant still sucks in carbon

Cont Page 4 Just Go t ood W

ne ree

®

Timber Importers Federation, the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia and merchant associations are expected to be represented at the meeting.

A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry workshop in Melbourne on Wednesday will discuss key aspects of the legislation and

G

r sm

MicroPro

®

Treated

INDUSTRY stakeholders will meet in Melbourne this Tuesday, a day ahead of a government workshop on illegal logging regulations, which suggests ‘forewarned is forearmed’.

The meeting will closely review the obligations of importers and domestic producers working under the Logging Prohibition Act which was passed through parliament in November.

MicroPro

®

Copper Quat

Want a good looking deck?

A p N A pro o lu v w Co m e nt ini d F ac um or t*

Then choose MicroPro for a lighter, more natural timber appearance providing improved painting and staining qualities.

Visit: www.osmose.com.au or phone: 1800 088 809 Osmose® and MicroPro® are registered trademarks of Osmose, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Treated Wood Just Got Greener sm are slogan marks of Osmose Inc and its subsidiaries. MicroPro timber products are produced by independently owned and operated wood preserving facilities. * See MicroPro fastener and hardware information sheet. © 2012 Osmose, Inc.

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issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 1

INDUSTRY NEWS

Recovery .. housing construction activity in 2013 will translate into improved demand for timber.

Land sales flag rocky recovery for new housing

LOW interest rates and a subtle improvement in consumer confidence, together with government incentives now more focused on new housing, are likely to be the driver behind a gradually improving housing market.

The Reserve Bank has room to cut interest rates further this year if needed to combat signs of renewed economic weakness after official figures showed price pressures easing for consumers.

However, most economists and market watchers expect the Reserve will hold fire at its first meeting of the year on February 5, preferring to wait and see the impact of 1.75 percentage points of cuts delivered over the past year and a half.

Despite the overall weakening in price pressures, Kieran Davies, an economist at Barclays, says the Reserve Bank is likely to sit tight at its February meeting.

“The world economy has improved slightly, while recent domestic data show that earlier rate cuts are starting to have an impact on asset prices, consumer confidence and the housing market,”

Page 2 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

Mr Davies said.

However, the HIA-RP Data Residential Land Report last week highlights a significant decline in residential land sales in the September 2012 quarter.

Overall, residential land sales, a key leading indicator of housing starts, signal a rocky road for any new home building recovery in 2013.

Perhaps the best news from all the data for future residential building activity is that a main driver of demand, population growth, is surging again.

In the year to March 2012, Australia’s population increased by 331,200, compared with a rise of 250,600 the previous year to March, and with an average of 271,200 a year over the past decade.

Growth has accelerated strongly in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Victoria, nevertheless, remains the state with the biggest growth, adding 82,500 people in the year to March compared with 76,400 in Queensland, 73,500 in New South Wales and a historically Cont Page 6

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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TIMBER PRESERVATION

Independent QA certification an Australian ‘first’ for itreatTIMBER

IVS program reflects environmental responsibility A QUEENSLAND timber treatment company has raised the bar for environmental responsibility and quality assurance for wood preservation. itreatTIMBER Pty Ltd at Narangba, 35 km north of Brisbane, is the first in Australia to receive certification under the Independent Verification Services Quality Assurance Program for timber preservation.

IVS, an independent Australasian provider of certification, audit and verification services, completed the rigorous audit/testing process in December.

The directors of itreatTIMBER say the certification brings the company into line with the commercial requirements of relatively new consumer laws and the need to provide a product that is truly fit for purpose.

Since it began operations in March 2009, itreatTIMBER has continued to roll out new treatment technologies from

IVS Australian business development manager Tim Evans (left) presents the IVS Quality Assurance Certificate for Timber Preservation to itreatTIMBER directors Gerry Gardiner and Bill McCarthy at the company’s Narangba treatment plant.

Rotorua-based Kop-Coat New Zealand Ltd, most recently H3 Tru-Core Green, a copper quat formulation.

This is a water-based formulation utilising harvested rain water. The revolutionary process is low uptake and adds about 2% moisture to the timber fibre, making

this process suitable for the treatment of kiln dried timber in its final shape and form.

Products currently being treated at the Narangba facility with this patented infusion process include decking, plywood, LVL and structural framing.

ItreatTIMBER, now with

Certification brings the company into line with the commercial requirements of relatively new consumer laws and the need to provide a product that is truly fit for purpose

production in excess of 7000 cub m, has developed a solid customer base that includes companies such as Carter Holt Harvey, Hyne, Stora Enso, Moxon Timbers, Boral Timber, and Asia-Pacific Timber Marketing.

Production and timber treatment processes at Narangba have attracted visitors and potential clients of Kop-Coat from New Zealand, mainland USA, China, and more recently Hawaii.

A director of itreatTIMBER Gerry Gardiner said maintaining the quality of the product was upper most in the license agreement. [Kop-Coat operates on a licensor/licensee basis – no license no supply].

“A very significant requirement of the licence is that the licensee must enter into an independent QA scheme,” Mr Gardiner said.

“And that’s another reason why we are happy that we have contracted IVS to be our QA partner.”

Getting to the core of timber treatment

THE Tru-Core Protection System is a novel, chemicallybased process for rapidly delivering globally accepted wood preservatives and insecticides deep into the core of wood and wood-composite substrates.

The process utilises water as the carrier, but unlike conventional treating methods, which normally introduce large amounts of water into the substrate (100-150% by weight), pick-ups during the Tru-Core treating process are generally about 2%.

This eliminates the need for re-drying after treatment which is often a costly and energy-consuming step. This low level of water pick-up also eliminates the negative effects that water can have on wood such as grain raising, loss of dimensional stability and erosion of mechanical properties.

The Tru-Core protection system embodies a unique chemical infusion process that uses non-volatile polar bonding carriers (TANO compounds) to penetrate the cellular structure

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of wood and to deposit and bind wood protection chemicals deep within the substrate.

The penetration and binding are controlled using a suitable inorganic buffering system (such as borates) which inhibits the natural acids present in most wood species. The wood protection chemicals utilised are the same carbon-based molecules used in pressure- or vacuum-assisted treatments.

The Tru-Core process has been shown to fully penetrate a number of wood species that are considered difficult

to penetrate (refractory) using conventional treatment methods.

These include Douglas fir and Baltic wood species.

Work in New Zealand and Australia has also demonstrated that Tru-Core treatment can often penetrate glue lines in laminated veneer lumber and plywood without damaging the integrity of the glue bonds.

Tru-Core has been successfully used in a variety of residential wood treatment applications Cont Page 4

issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 3

INDUSTRY NEWS

Indonesia’s timber legality verification system ‘absolved’ from due diligence

look at the range of forest products that will be subject to regulations in the Bill.

A broad representation of the working group – industry associations, paper and furniture manufacturers, environmental and church groups and other NGOs – are expected to attend the workshop along with representatives of Australia’s trading partners and international businesses.

The meeting follows a similar workshop in Sydney on December 19. DAFF workshops will be held every month for the next three months.

The regulations are expected to be tabled by May or June. They will outline steps that importers and processors should take to check the legality of the product they are receiving. Obligations for importers and processors to undertake due diligence do not commence until that time.

The illegal logging law also recognises the immense problem of determining if a particular wood product such as paper has been made from illegally sourced wood fibre. It is based on ‘suspicion’ or the likelihood of a country having an illegal logging industry, rather than any absolute evidence.

The Australian law tries to identify countries that will likely manufacture products that contain illegal fibres.

Corruption indexes such as the Transparency International rating will be an indicator.

Normally it is accepted that high institutional corruption will likely mean illegal forestry

The federal government is trying to develop a strong trade relationship with Indonesia, so dealing with illegal forestry poses an interesting policy.

activities, particularly in the case of developing countries.

Australia’s main focus is Indonesia.

The federal government is trying to develop a strong trade relationship with its northern neighbour, so dealing with illegal forestry poses an interesting policy.

Indonesia has moved up the Transparency International rating over the past few years.

This reflects activities by the Indonesian government to crack down on endemic corruption.

Indonesia, which recommended deferral of Australia’s illegal logging legislation until 2015 to ensure the law did not harm mutual trade, says its timber legality verification system will not have to meet due diligence requirements when products are exported to the European Union in March.

In that month, the EU is set to implement the European Union

Timber Regulation that will only recognise the Forestry Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) licensed timber.

“We guarantee that timber products with SVLK [certificates] sent to Europe are all verified as legal and do not require the due diligence process,” Forestry Ministry secretary-general Hadi Daryanto said.

If the EU does not recognise SVLK certification, the due diligence system will screen the products in a number of steps, likely creating more costs for importers. The issue has raised concerns among local forestry businessmen because the additional cost could burden their businesses.

“We believe that we can increase our timber exports to the EU,” Hadi Daryanto said, adding that there were 1500

companies nationwide that had obtained SVLK certification.

The government introduced the certification in part to curb rampant illegal logging in Indonesia in 2010. The certification has been mandatory since then and has been applied to industrial forest concessions, production forest concessions and community plantation forests.

The SVLK gives Indonesian producers greater access to the global market as it guarantees to buyers that the timber and its by products are legal and are sourced in an environmentally friendly manner.

The ministry has also helped small-scale businesses that work with timber, such as handicraft producers in Bali and furniture makers in East Java, to have their products certified through a subsidy scheme for those joining the certification program.

The government has allocated $US312,000 from the state budget to help smallscale producers obtain the certification.

Indonesia and the EU are expected to sign the tradevoluntary partnership agreement in April and ratify it in September. The signing of the agreement was delayed twice last year.

The EU Timber Regulation which comes into force in March will prohibit the placing and trade of illegally harvested timber and timber products within the EU.

Globally-recognised sustainable preservative system

From Page 3

and at least one non-residential

application (railroad crossties).

Its

commercial

success

is

due to its versatility, ease

Page 4 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

of use, proven durability, ability to penetrate and costeffectiveness.

Tru-Core can be considered a sustainable preservative system because it utilises

globally recognised ingredients with excellent health, safety and environmental profiles. It helps to make wood a more sustainable building material by enhancing its durability in

many residential construction applications where treatment by conventional methods is either impractical or too costly compared to alternative building materials.

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WHAT’S ON?

FEBRUARY

7: Women in Forests and Timber Network – Nest, 56 Winton Street, Tumbarumba, NSW Invitation is extended to a wide range of women involved in the forest, timber (including haulage), and wood processing industry to attend this second regional meeting.

The network is a national forum for women in the industry to meet, network, exchange ideas and ensure their voices are heard. Visit www.forestworks. com.au / womensnetwork.

RSVP by February 5 to Theresa (0429729765) or Adele (0429495554).

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 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Election year to play key role in much-needed confidence boost

From Page 3

massive 73,300 in Western Australia.

According to the general manger of the Australian Timber Importers Federation John Halkett, the timber wholesaling and importing sector in 2013 will not be too different from the past year with ‘soft’ housing and other building activity.

However, the prospects in late 2013 and beyond look brighter.

“It is likely that the domestic wood processing sector will continue to struggle to be competitive this year and that the Australian dollar will continue to trade above parity with the US dollar,” Mr Halkett said.

The likelihood of a change of government in Canberra before the end of the year may

John Halkett .. prospects look brighter beyond 2013.

Ron Adams .. improvement in consumer confidence.

herald in the prospects of more

research and development, use of residues for accredited renewable energy and carbon trading from plantations.

Should this reality occur, a jump in overall industry confidence, investment, and commercial performance may result.

Chairman of Forest and Wood Products Australia and managing director of Wespine

industry-friendly

policies

in

relation to industrial relations,

‘An increase in the house construction in the US will have an impact on global timber demand and supply scenarios’

Industries Ron Adams is confident housing construction activity in 2013 will translate into improved demand for timber.

“An improvement in consumer confidence should see an increase in the repairs and renovation segment of the timber market,” Mr Adams said.

“An increase in the house construction in the US during the year, which is seeing increased activity in late 2012, will have an impact on global timber demand and supply scenarios.

“This could present additional opportunities for Australian producers. But the continuing high value of the Australian dollar through 2013 will continue to impact on the industry and affect competitiveness.”

John McNamara moves on from Dale and Meyers

INDUSTRY identity John McNamara is moving on from Queensland-based hardwood sawmilling company Dale and Meyers.

The former Hyne CEO joined Dale and Meyers as managing director in January last year, taking over the MD position, held for 20 year by Curly Tatnell

Page 6 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

who is company chairman.

Mr McNamara left Hyne in June 2011 after 17 years repositioning the family business as a significant operator in the Australian timber industry. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the timber industry and has held senior positions with Auspine

Ltd, Risby Forest Industries and Boral.

JOHN McNAMARA .. new challenges.

Dale and Meyers has two large hardwood mills at Maryborough and Mundubbera and a small radiata mill outside Tamworth, NSW. The company operates large truss plants at Maryborough and Cairns.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Biologist criticises process to identify new native forest reserves in Tasmania

RESPECED biologist and research fellow at the University of Tasmania Dr Susan Baker is highly critical of the process used to identify half a million hectares of new native forest reserves in the state.

“The process is not based on the areas that are necessarily of highest value for conservation biodiversity,” she said.

Signatories to Tasmania’s forest peace deal remain split over proposed amendments.

Almost 160 pages of amendments flagged 295 forest areas for protection on the eve of an Upper House inquiry into the issue.

Forest Industries Association CEO Terry Edwards told Upper House MPs to reject the amendments because they would not allow enough time to test whether any agreement could last.

Also, a former Forestry Tasmania employee has lashed out at the actions of environmental signatories to the peace deal.

Dr Simon Grove, formerly a conservation biologist with FT, has urged MPs to reject the legislation, claiming environmental groups shouldn’t be “rewarded” for “bad behaviour”.

“I see that their tactics have been about bullying and about getting people to negotiate under duress,” he said.

Meanwhile, environmental groups outside the forestry peace deal are attacking the credibility of the Wilderness Society.

Fringe groups are angry about the society’s comments during an Upper House inquiry into the peace deal legislation, says an ABC report.

The society’s Vica Bayley revealed he will travel overseas, asking customers of a timber veneer company to be patient while an end to the forest wars

Dr Susan Baker .. highly critical of process.

Dr Simon Grove .. environmental bullying.

is being finalised.

He plans to meet customers of

Ta Ann in Japan.

That has prompted

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Jenny

Weber from the Huon Valley Environment centre to question whether the society cares about protecting the forests or supporting Ta Ann. Ms Weber says scores of people have left the society because they are disappointed the group is lobbying for the industry.

But Mr Bayley says the deal is the best way forward for conservation. He told the inquiry there is no issue with attaching the defined protection areas to the legislation.

issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 7

EVENTS

Certified wood sets stage for Obama pledge

THE eyes of the world turned to Washington last Monday as Barack Obama took the oath of office for his second term as President of the United States.

And as he stood on this figurative world stage, he also stood on a sustainable stage, literally – the inaugural platform was constructed with lumber certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard.

SFI authorities said they were proud to play a part on this historic day, as the single largest forest certification standard in the world. Across North America, more than 80 million ha is certified to the SFI forest management standard.

Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-owned company and the second-largest producer of lumber in the United States,

President Obama stains a wooden bookshelf at an elementary school in Washington as the first family participated in a community project for the National Day of Service.

provided the lumber for the inaugural platform from facilities in Washington state that are third-party certified to

SFI’s rigorous standard.

The

SFI

measures

standard to

includes

protect

water

quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and ‘forests with exceptional conservation value’. One-third of SFI-certified forests in the US is on publicly-owned land.

A certified forester with Society of American Foresters Gregor Macintosh is SFI’s new senior director of standards after nearly 13 years in the field of certification auditing focusing on environmental and sustainable forest management performance, chain of custody auditing and forest carbon accounting.

Prior to the inauguration ceremony on the West Front on Capitol Hill, Mr Obama participated in a whole range of events, from volunteering to add finish to schoolroom timber cabinets to ballroom dancing.

Behind the myths of the paper industry

THE paper industry has always been the subject of many common misconceptions and to dispel some of these, UK’s Confederation of Paper Industries has launched a booklet - Paper Myths and Facts: A Balanced View.

The booklet provides a factual and balanced view of the UK Paper Industry and promotes paper as a sustainable, renewable choice. Paper is the highest recycling material in the UK, but environmental issues related to paper are still a source of numerous misconceptions.

Many of these myths are addressed in the booklet including: The paper industry destroys forests paper production damages the environment; modern technology.

Europe’s forests are increasing in size – by an area equivalent to 1.5 million football pitches every year and more than 70% of the fibres used to make paper in the UK come from paper collected for recycling.

Page 8 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

versatile material and uniquely renewable but it is surrounded

by myths which this booklet is designed to explore.

Australian

Paper’s

de-

inking recycling plant being constructed at its Maryvale mill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley is

expected

to

commence

production in 2014. This facility

will contribute $110 million to gross domestic product during Dispelling misconceptions .. booklet is worth the paper it is written on.

construction

and

underpin

more than 960 jobs, including

flow-on, during its construction.

UK papermaking has reduced total energy use by 34% per tonne of paper made.

The corrugated sector is vitally important to manufacturing, protecting around 75% of the UK’s packaged goods in transit. More than 80% of all corrugated packaging is subsequently collected for recycling.

Thanks to investment in

lower carbon energy, annual emissions of fossil carbon have been reduced by 1.6 million tonnes or 42%.

The paper industry works continuously to optimise its processes and is already the biggest single user and producer of bio-energy in Europe.

David Workman, CPI directorgeneral says paper is a very

The company’s $90 million waste paper recycling plant at

Maryvale will generate 50,000

tonnes of premium recycled pulp each year, diverting up to

80,000 tonnes of wastepaper from

Australian

landfill

–

equivalent to more than 16

billion sheets of A4 office paper every year.

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National Geographic story ‘hails timber’ to 8.3 million readers

UNDER the heading ‘Hail Timber’ in the magazine’s opening section City Solutions, a story in the December edition of National Geographic leads with: In Nara, Japan, a 122-foot (37.1 m) tall wooden pagoda has stood for more than 1300 years.

Very few modern structures like it exist, largely due to the firesafety concerns and building codes that limit the height of timber structures.

Canadian architect Michael Green aims to change that with a proposed wooden skyscraper up to 30 stories high in Vancouver.

He explains that giant panels of laminated wood known as mass timber are more fire resistant than typical two-byfours, just as logs are harder to ignite than kindling.

The bigger advantage? The production of concrete and steel emits high levels of carbon dioxide, whereas wooden building store carbon that would otherwise be released when trees decay or burn.

London already has a ninestorey mass-timber apartment building, an a 16-storey wooden skyscraper is slated for Kirkenes, Norway.

Michael Green’s ultimate ambition for timber towers

is even loftier: to provide affordable housing for people living in slums.

Good publicity for wood in an iconic magazine that circulates worldwide in 36 language editions and has a global circulation of 8.3 million.

National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the society itself was founded.

It contains articles about geography, popular science, history, culture, current events, and photography.

See story and picture, Page 15.

FOCUS ON FORESTS

dennis@industrye-news.com

Timber preservation meetings in Brisbane

A COUNCIL meeting of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia will follow a meeting of Queensland Timber’s treaters division in Brisbane on February 14.

The council meeting will be attended by TPAA chairman Phil Burke, managing director of Australian United Timbers at Burraga, NSW, and Dr Harry Greaves, independent chairman

of the TM-006 standard committee, and Doug Howick, TPAA national secretary, both from Melbourne. The meeting will discuss the suite of 1604 standard that have been revised and published and are now available through SAI Global.

Phil Burke and Doug Howick will represent the TPAA at the Queensland treaters meeting.

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issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 9

itreatTIMBER is now certified under the IVS Quality Assurance Program for Timber Preservation

IVS certifies that timber products have been preservation treated under and independently audited Quality Assurance Program and can be USED WITH CONFIDENCE

22 Neon Street, Narangba 4504 Qld Tel: (07) 3204 0444. Fax: (07) 3203 3797 Email: Page bill@itreat.net.au 10 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

itreat TIMBER TIMBER pty pty ltd ltd

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itreatTIMBER – IVS SPECIAL FEATURE

Quality assurance owes a lot to rigorous auditing process

APPROVAL for quality assurance certification of itreatTIMBER at Narangba was achieved after a rigorous audit/testing process against the requirements of the IVS Australian Quality Assurance Program for Timber Preservation.

The scope of itreatTIMBER’s approved treatments currently covers H2F, Bifenthrin H2& Permethrin and H3 Copper Quat treatments against the relevant AS1604 standards.

IVS, a leading Australasian provider of certification, audit and verification services, is an independent accredited audit body that understands the timber industry.

IVS is recognised for meeting standards of quality, performance, technical expertise and professional judgment, operating to government regulations, national and international standards, and in accordance with the strict criteria of an accredited inspection and interpretation body.

For approval under the IVS Quality Assurance Program, treatment plants are required to demonstrate that timber treatment processes are

An important requirement is that the treatment plant has designed and implemented a robust product sampling and testing program to provide confidence that specifications prescribed in treatment standards are met.

followed as laid out in their approved documented procedures.

Minimum requirements are defined by the program, and by meeting these treater and consumers can have confidence that treated product meets specification as prescribed by the relevant treatment standards.

Areas assessed during the audit process include a review of the documented procedures, ensuring treatment standards are correctly interpreted, plant operating and process control procedures are in place, treatment outputs are adequately monitored and that mechanisms are in place to manage the unlikely event of a product failure and corrective action should such an event occur.

An important requirement is that the treatment plant has designed and implemented a robust product sampling and testing program to provide confidence that specifications prescribed in treatment standards are met.

The IVS program is supported by provision of world-class testing services through partner laboratories.

IVS uses smart tools including an online testing portal that

treated timber is fit for end use.

The product may be branded to differentiate it from others within the market place, giving consumers confidence when purchasing.

Queensland-based IVS Australian business development manager Tim Evans explains: “Since the recent introduction of a raft of changes to consumer protection legislation relating to issues such as guarantees and warranties, retailers and end consumers purchasing timber products are demanding assurance that treated timber meets the relevant Australian standards, such as AS1604.

Regular in-house product quality testing is carried out at itreatTIMBER by Steven Payne, operations manager (left), and Jack Norton, quality control consultant.

allows electronic submission of testing requirements and real time online reporting of results.

The testing service is fully integrated into the Quality Assurance Program and this provides the added benefit of ensuring test results are correctly interpreted and acted upon.

The IVS Quality Assurance Progam provides treaters and consumers assurance that

“Owners and operators in the processing, importing and distribution chain also have heightened awareness of their responsibility to produce products that are fit for purpose.

“The Durability of Buildings document, prepared by the Australian Building Codes Board, is another benchmark manufacturers are looking to meet. This document suggests minimum design life for buildings and components.”

Mr Evans said the IVS Quality Assurance Program for timber preservation was of real benefit to treaters concerned about meeting market expectations and requirements of consumer protection legislation.

“ItreatTIMBER sees this Quality Assurance Program as a responsible step as well as one of commercial point of difference,” said company director Gerry Gardiner.

Environmental awareness .. a bank of seven tanks at itreatTIMBER, each with 25,000 litres capacity, is used to harvest rainwater for the water-based formulation used in the H3 Tru-Core Green process.

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“We believe that our customers can be confident in the process and compliance that this program delivers.”

issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 11

Timber testing and quality assurance For timber treatment plant operators Providing confidence for all market sectors and end users

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Page 12 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

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Stephen Walker new Queensland chairman of IFA

RESPECTED forester Stephen Walker has been elected chairman of the Queensland division of the Institute of Foresters of Australia.

Mr Walker became interim chairman at a meeting of the division in Brisbane last week which decided to take a greater role in national and state issues related to forest management policy.

Mr Walker has worked in government forestry in Queensland for 29 years and was general manger of forest products with the Department of Environment and Resource Management from 2006-11 and DPI Forestry general manager from 2000-2006.

“We have about 140 members and a challenge is to maintain and increase membership and allow greater participation of members, particularly younger members, at committee meetings,” Mr Walker said.

“Another initiative will be to engage more in national and state policy issues and debate and generally help raise the profile of all IFA members to

INDUSTRY NEWS

give them a greater sense of their value and contributions to the association.”

Mr Walker will be assisted by the division’s secretary Emma Leslie-Mohr.

Established in 1935, the IFA is a professional body with more than 1350 members engaged in all branches of forest management and conservation in Australia.

The institute is strongly committed to the principles of sustainable forest management and the processes and practices which translate these principles into outcomes.

The membership represents all segments of the forestry profession, including public and private practitioners engaged in many aspects of forestry, nature conservation, resource and land management, research, administration and education.

Membership is not restricted to professional foresters. Other forestry professionals are welcome to join IFA.

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issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 13

EVENTS

Melbourne conference sets agenda for forest policy in local government

MORE than 100 local government and timber industry professionals are expected to attend the National Timber Councils Association forest and timber conference in Melbourne in April.

Delegates will include local government CEOs, councillors, infrastructure managers, planners, as well as environmental professionals, associated government officials and private sector representatives.

The conference, to be held in association with the Municipal Association of Victoria, will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the product and service provisions offered to senior decision makers within local government.

With a focus on socio-economic issues and the relationship

Senator Richard Colbeck

Michael Hartman

between local government and timber industry, the conference will provide challenging keynote presentations, highly participative discussions, engaging thought provokers and the opportunity to learn from and share experiences with others across Australia.

Speakers include Senator Richard Colbeck, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Forestry, and Michael Hartman, CEO of ForestWorks. Master of ceremonies will be Kersten Gentle, executive officer of the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia

The association is the legislated peak body for Victoria’s 79 councils and engages with the federal government and industry stakeholders on the future directions of forest policy. It works collectively with local government to address any regional issues relating to carbon plantings.

The association is exploring avenues to facilitate community development contributions from commercial plantation companies to support the local communities in which they exist.

The NTCA promotes the use of biomass residues from sustainably harvested forests to generate energy and employment. The association seeks to highlight the opportunity for job creation in the development of the bioenergy sector.

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.

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For a full itinerary and payment details, contact the EuroWOOD 2013 Secretariat, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central Q 4007 or email eurowood13@bigpond.com Page 14 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

* 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

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FOCUS ON FORESTS

Forest giant still sucks in carbon

Aged sequoia stacks on 1530 cub m of wood A US tree-climbing scientist and his team have learned surprising new facts about giant sequoias by measuring them millimetre by millimetre.

On a gentle slope above a trail junction in Sequoia National Park, about 2133 m above sea level in the southern Sierra Nevada, looms a very big tree.

Its trunk is rusty red, thickened with deep layers of furrowed bark, and 8.2 m in diameter at the base.

The tree has a name, the President, bestowed about 90 years ago by admiring humans.

It is a giant sequoia, a member of Sequoiadendron giganteum, one of several surviving species of redwoods.

It’s not quite the largest tree on Earth; it’s the second largest.

Recent research by scientist Steve Sillett of Humboldt State University in California and his colleagues has confirmed that the President ranks number two among all big trees that have ever been measured – and Sillett’s team has measured quite a few.

It doesn’t stand as tall as the tallest of coast redwoods or of Eucalyptus regnans in Australia, but height isn’t everything; it’s far more massive than any coast redwood or eucalypt. Its dead spire, blasted by lightning, rises to 75.2 m. Its four great limbs, each as big as a sizable tree, elbow outward from the trunk around halfway up, billowing into a thick crown like a mushroom cloud flattening against the sky. Although its trunk isn’t quite as bulky as that of the largest giant, the General Sherman, its crown is fuller than the Sherman’s. The President holds nearly two billion leaves.

Trees grow tall and widecrowned as a measure of competition with other trees, racing upward, reaching outward for sunlight and water.

And a tree doesn’t stop getting

Cloaked in the snows of California’s Sierra Nevada, this 3200-yearold giant sequoia called the President rises 75.2 m. Two other sequoias have wider trunks, but none has a larger crown, say the scientists who climbed it.

Giant sequoias are gigantic because they are very, very old. They are so old because they have survived all the threats that could have killed them

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larger – as a terrestrial mammal does, or a bird, their size constrained by gravity – once it’s sexually mature. A tree, too, is constrained by gravity, but not in the same way as a condor or a giraffe. It doesn’t need to locomote, and it fortifies its structure by continually adding more wood.

Given the constant imperative of seeking resources from the sky and the soil, and with sufficient time, a tree can become huge and then keep growing. Giant sequoias are gigantic because they are very, very old.

They are so old because they have survived all the threats that could have killed them. They’re too strong to be knocked over by wind. Their heartwood and bark are infused with tannic acids and other chemicals that protect against fungal rot.

Wood-boring beetles hardly faze them.

Their thick bark is flame resistant. Ground fires, in fact, are good for sequoia populations, burning away competitors, opening sequoia cones, allowing sequoia seedlings to get started amid the sunlight and nurturing ash.

Lightning hurts the big adults but usually doesn’t kill them.

So they grow older and bigger across the millennia.

Another factor that can end the lives of big trees, of course, is logging. Many giant sequoias fell to the ax during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

But the wood of the old giants was so brittle that trunks often shattered when they hit the ground, and what remained had little value as lumber.

It went into shingles, fence posts, grape stakes, and other scrappy products.

Given the difficulties of dealing with logs 6 m thick, broken or Cont Page 16

issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 15

FOCUS ON FORESTS

Even the rate of growth of this big tree, not just its height or total volume, can increase during old age – and in the coldest winter

From Page 15

unbroken, the trees were hardly worth cutting. Sequoia National Park was established in 1890, and automobile tourism soon showed that giant sequoias were worth more alive.

One thing to remember about them, as Steve Sillett explains, is that they withstand months of frigid conditions. Their preferred habitat is severely wintry, so they must be strong while frozen. Snow piles up around them; it weights their limbs.

Among the striking discoveries made by Sillett’s team is that even the rate of growth of a big tree, not just its height or total volume, can increase during old age. An elderly monster like the President actually lays down more new wood each year than a robust young tree. It puts that wood around the trunk, which

Humboldt State University professor Steve Sillett ascends a redwood tree with the investigative tools of his trade.

grows wider, and into the limbs and the branches, which grow thicker.

This finding contradicts a longheld premise in forest ecology – that wood production decreases during the old age of a tree. That premise, which has justified countless

management decisions in favour of short-rotation forestry, may hold true for some kinds of trees in some places, but not for giant sequoias (or other tall species, including coast redwoods), Sillett and his team have disproved it by doing something that earlier forest

ecologists didn’t: climbing the big trees – climbing all over them – and measuring them.

They measured the trunk at different heights; they measured limbs, branches, and burls; they counted cones; they took core samples using a sterilised borer. Then they fed the numbers through mathematical models informed by additional data from other giant sequoias. That’s how they came to know that the President contains at least 1530 cub m of wood and bark. And that’s how they detected that the old beast, at about the age of 3200, is still growing quickly.

It’s still inhaling great breaths of CO₂ and binding the carbon into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in a growing season interrupted by six months of cold and snow.

– Extracts from National Geographic, December

Scientists say impact of logging on tropical forests exaggerated THE impact of logging on tropical forest species has likely been exaggerated by statistical problems, according to a new study in Conservation

Biology.

Reviewing 77 studies on how logging affects tropical biodiversity, scientists found that 67% were flawed by

a technical problem known as ‘pseudoreplication.’

Some scientists argue that well-managed logging areas can actually retain

impressive numbers of species, while

others

say

logging

does irreparable harm to the ecosystem’s ecology.

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.

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Engineered Timber Products

Loggo products have undergone comprehensive testing at the engineering faculty of the University of Technology Sydney.

Page 16 | issue 254 | 28.01.13

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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CLASSIFIEDS

POSITION VACANT

Statistics and Economics Manager

• More than 6700 deliveries and 15,000 viewers each week

editorial inquiries

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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. issue 254 | 28.01.13 | Page 17

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