Australian Forests & Timber - February 2019 by Provincial Press Group

February 2019

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In the news

Innovation to support forestry of the future “Project looks to develop a novel tool to allow the optimisation of timber extraction machinery, thus improving access to small-scale forest plantations” to work towards a smarter, more productive forestry industry. In doing so, their contribution will boost opportunities for higher-value products and regional jobs and growth across Australia.

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By Senator Richard Colbeck Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources

he future of Australia’s forest industries is bright. With rapid technological advancements in forest management worldwide, our industries are demonstrating their own contributions to forestry innovation domestically, and on an international stage. The Liberal National Government’s National Forest Industries Plan, Growing a better Australia: A billion trees for jobs and growth provides key actions and commitments to support a smarter, more efficient, and more ambitious forest industry in Australia. Through the plan, the government is growing its support for the National Institute of Forest Products Innovation with a commitment to establish at least two additional research centres. These new centres will complement the work that is currently underway at the two existing centres in Launceston, Tasmania, and Mount Gambier, South Australia. The Launceston and Mount Gambier centres recently announced funding for 12 exciting new projects. These projects all have one thing in common: they harness emerging, cutting-edge technologies www.timberbiz.com.au

One project, jointly led by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and the University of South Australia, explores the pioneering use of remotely collected data to support management options in growing and managing forests. Bringing together a diverse group of specialists, the project will explore a range of remote light-sensing technology and robotic systems to determine how Australian forest growers can rapidly receive reliable, detailed data on existing forest resources. It builds on existing research activities supported by Forest and Wood Products Australia, such as optimising remotelyacquired high resolution data and how to apply remote sensing technologies to map the health and nutritional status of trees. This will deliver a range of options for multi-disciplinary approaches to facilitate faster and more accurate decision making and, in doing so, will contribute to reduced reliance on costly, ground-based manual assessments, and mitigate the safety risks of working in difficult terrain. Another project, funded through the Launceston hub, supports a collaboration between the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and Private Forests Tasmania. The project looks to develop a novel tool to allow the optimisation of timber extraction machinery, thus improving access to small-scale forest plantations. It directly contributes to the national plan’s actions for farm forestry and could greatly assist Australian farmers and smaller-scale land

manager’s role in forestry. The project looks to overcome access barriers that limit the ability of land managers to profit from existing stands on their properties.

Increased certainty With the right technology, farmers will have increased certainty surrounding market access, as confidence builds in the accessibility and profitability of future forest resources. By progressing small-scale forestry machinery and management technology, the project could mobilise farreaching opportunities for jobs and business growth in a smallscale harvesting industry. Equally exciting is a Mount Gambier funded project led by the University of South Australia that will examine the interactions between plantations and surface and ground water.

The project aims to create tools to optimise water management in plantations while supporting the conservation of surface water and natural wetlands. This venture, along with projects ranging from wearable sensors for improving forestry worker occupational health and safety, to the development of a new generation of Tasmanian appearance hardwood products, will lead the way in innovative advancements born out of the National Institute of Forest Products Innovation. These projects contribute to a growing body of work looking to enhance the industry’s productivity and profitability. The 12 projects supported from the first round of funding from the two centres were supported by $3.26 million of funding from the Australian and State governments and cash and in-kind funding of

approximately $5.53 million from industry and research sector. Working together industry and governments have supported around $8.8 million in new and exciting research for the forestry industries in Australia. A full list of projects supported is available at the institute’s website, nifpi.org.au/ projects. The range of projects being supported through the research centres reflect the industry’s dedication to innovative, creative, and effective solutions, and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of future rounds of funding. The government’s support for these projects and their results is highlighted in the national plan, which commits to the future expansion of the institute to include the establishment of at least two further research centres.

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In the news www.timberbiz.com.au

Operational changes at ForestWorks

I n c o r p o r a t i n g A U S T R A L A S I A N F O R E S T L O G G E R & S AW M I L L E R

February 2019 Issue 1 Vol. 28 Established 1991 News Farm Forestry Forestry Corporation Focus Industry Review Forwarders Fire Preparedness Kilns HarvestTECH Bio Scanning Guest Columnist

3-6 7-8 10-11 12-16 18-19 20-21 22-23 24 29-30 31 32

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■■ Tony Price

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■■ Tim Woods

im Woods has taken on the role of Acting General Manager of ForestWorks following the resignation of General Manager Diana Lloyd after more than two years in the role. “Diana led ForestWorks through a very difficult transition period and has had to deal with some very challenging restructuring of the business in order to maintain our financial viability,” said ForestWorks’ Acting Chair Tony Price. With the significant changes to the organisation of vocational training in Australia, ForestWorks has made massive operational changes under Diana’s leadership. “On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Diana and wish her well in her future endeavours. “The forestry, wood products and pulp and paper industries have experienced

a period of sustained economic growth. The industry’s workforce, their skills and qualifications remain a key element of the current and future prosperity of the entire industry. “ForestWorks has an important role to play in supporting the future of our industry and the training and education needs of the people who work in it. We remain focussed on this important mission,” said Tony. The Board has put in place interim management support arrangements until a new General Manager is appointed. With the 2019 federal election impending, and with industry looking to put its best foot forward in all key areas and with all major parties, the role of ForestWorks is crucial because skills and labour shortages are significant issues in the economy. The ForestWorks Board looks set to revise its operating strategy in the lead-up to the election and beyond that, as it strives to ensure the industry has the skills it needs for the future.

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■■ Diana Lloyd

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

Stronger forest products trade ties with Japan Appetite for our Aussie woodchips and manufactured bio-pellets has driven the country’s move into bio-energy

ustralia has forged new relationships with Japanese forest products companies and showcased Australia’s renewably-sourced wood fibre to Japan’s lucrative wood biomass market, a rapidly-expanding source of renewable energy in Japan. A forestry delegation met with Japanese Government officials, Japanese industry leaders -- including bioenergy and paper companies -- and Tokyo-based Australian officials. Ross Hampton, AFPA ampton,Chief Executive Officer, described the mission as a great success. “Discussions about new and existing product opportunities should be exciting for Australian industry and consumers in Japan,” Mr Hampton said. “The forestry industry is a cornerstone industry for the

South East of South Australia and the wider Green Triangle. The trip was a fantastic opportunity for me to gain a greater understanding of Australian forestry products in Japan which make up such a large percentage of our exports. For example, Australia exported more than 2.5 million tonnes of woodchips to Japan in the 12 months to September, worth about AUD $492 million. Much of this was product of the South East,” Mr Pasin said. “Japan’s This means increased demand for our product and the South East sits in a prime position to benefit from this burgeoning market. The Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) is assisting our export growth and is already having huge, positive effect our local industry.

“And, with the Federal Government’s National Forest Industries Plan recently released it was the perfect time to ensure the Japanese Government understands the opportunities that will open for the forestry sector in Australia and what this means for increased trade,” Mr Pasin said. Simon Dorries, Chief Executive of Responsible Wood, lauded the success of the delegation, providing the industry with a rare opportunity to introduce and raise awareness of Australia’s largest forest certification scheme within the Japanese market. “Responsible Wood certifies more than 8.7 million hectares of hardwood and softwood forests, and with more than 250 Chain of Custody scheme holders our ‘trust mark’ is carried by a variety of businesses that import to and ex-

port from the Japanese market. “Responsible Wood certification is all about verifying the environmental and social origin of timber at its source, in the forest, we provide verification that timber is sourced, processed and distributed sustainably. “Furthermore, the Japanese Government and industry expressed support for both international certification schemes, PEFC, being Responsible Wood in Australia, as well as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC),” Mr Dorries said. The delegation was led by AFPA, Responsible Wood, and Federal Member for Barker and Co-Convenor of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Forestry and Forest Products group, Tony Pasin MP, and senior representatives of various Australian forestry companies.

■■ Simon Dorries (Responsible Wood).

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In the news

■■ (L-R) STBA employees David McKersie (Pine Technician) and Peter Buxton (Pine Breeder).

Southern Tree Breeding Association to become Tree Breeding Australia

he Southern Tree Breeding Association (STBA) - manager of national tree improvement programs and supplier of tree genetic evaluation services to Australia’s $23 billion forestry sector will become Tree Breeding Australia (TBA) from 1 July 2019. At its recent 2018 AGM, STBA members voted unanimously to form the new company and create a national

tree breeding organisation, which will better reflect the geographically-diverse nature of its membership base. Dr Tony McRae, General Manager, STBA, said the logical administrative evolution from a state-based association to a national entity will ensure the organisation continues to evolve, modernise and prepare for the future. “The establishment of Tree Breeding Australia has been in the pipeline for several

years but we believe now is the time to proceed with the transition to the new entity,” Dr McRae said. “As the preeminent manager of Australian tree improvement programs and genetic evaluation services, the formation of TBA will help us improve our governance structures, better manage risk on behalf of our members, and more efficiently meet their current and future needs.

“Demand for timber is currently exceeding grower’s capacity to supply and it’s increasingly important for the industry to continue maximising the productivity of the existing estate. It is clear genetics will play a key role in achieving this,” he said. Established in 1983 to develop improved genetics for plantation forestry, the STBA is based in Mount Gambier, South Australia. In recent years, it has expanded to ser-

vice member companies and clients in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Tasmania and New Zealand, Asia and Europe. The STBA continues to consolidate genetic resources developed over more than sixty years by private companies, State and Federal Governments to breed better genetics, more cost effectively and enhancing the return on investment.

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Farm In the Forestry news

A lot of lessons to be learned from prior farm forestry attempts If you want to start to encourage more trees on farms, it has to be seen as just another crop By Philip Hopkins

armers will only grow plantations if the trees are an integral part of a farm plan with sustainable access to a local processor. They also must have trust in specialists who have put forward an evidence-based business plan. That was a key message by Warragul forestry consultant, Braden Jenkin, in a recent lecture at the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences at Melbourne University. Mr Jenkin is a Fellow in the school, which is part of the Faculty of Science. His research - the lessons to be learnt from the history of tree planting in Australia - is part of the joint industryuniversities Next Generation Plantation Investment project. This aims to find the best way to expand the nation’s plantation estate, with Gippsland and the Colac region in western Victoria key areas of focus. Mr Jenkin said it was imperative to look beyond the “high value myth”. “People put a lot of effort into these trees. They are pruned, managed and thinned,” he said. “To them they are high value trees, but from the market’s point of view, if there is no active market for those trees, what you have is high cost trees that you hope they (processors) will see the value in and go and buy them from you.” Mr Jenkin said since the 1900s, many investment vehicles had been used to expand plantations. The planting of trees on farms had been supported by government through grants, taxation incentives and research and development. “There has been a big dump of information, but information does not plant trees. You have to convince people to plant the trees,” he said. “What has happened, you did not get a huge increase in www.timberbiz.com.au

commercial trees on farms, Despite the tough economic Foresters due to a range even when there was positive conditions, they got a good of factors did not have much support.” take-up - 4000 hectares of credibility. “Tell a farmer, There were numerous ex- blue gum on farm land. ‘I’m a forester’, you get an amples of ‘stranded resourc“The farming world has interesting tirade until he es’, ‘hopeful’ farmers and changed now. Farmers are calms down. But if you want biologically failed planted much more business-like; to get information into the trees. There had been a ‘lais- they are aggregating, buying system and farm community, sez faire’ approach to the tree up more and farms are getting the route is through the agspecies used. bigger. They rely on financial, ricultural advisers. They are “Much farm forestry has in accounting and legal advice already doing it and they are fact been an experiment. A lot at a much more sophisticated trusted,” Mr Jenkin said. of trees have been put in the and large scale,” he said. Business model ground without a commercial “If we are going to offer focus,” he said. tree-growing to farmers, we To develop a business modMr Jenkin said a key to de- have to be equally sophisti- el, think everything from the veloping a new tree estate was cated and able to withstand point of view of the farmer, long-term funding. For exam- intense scrutiny. They will taking into account the reple, in Western Australia, Jap- pull it apart and so will their alities of commercial trees. anese companies invested in technical advisers. “Trees should be regarded as blue gums in a project facili“If you want to get into the part of agriculture and not be tated by the WA Government. farmer’s mindset, get other referred to as farm forestry,” They committed to plant agricultural experts to talk to he said. “If they want a tree as for 10 years with a a crop, they will be fo10-year rotation. “So cussed on commercial if you want to keep on outcomes. If they want harvesting, you had trees as land care, they to have a sustainable be focussed on the “A key to developing a new will crop,” he said. They creek and amenities on signed the cheque for tree estate was long-term the properties. Trees 10 years’ planting, must stack up on a funding. For example, in there was an existing commercial basis.” export facility, a mar- Western Australia, Japanese Mr Jenkin said tree ket was lined up and species should be companies invested in blue known and with actual the tree species was acceptable to the pulp gums in a project facilitated markets. “If you step and paper market. away from known speby the WA Government” Grants on the other cies and markets, we hand, were a gift with need full disclosure no strings attached. so that the farmers as “Grants over a short growers can take into period of time have developed the farmers and talk about for- account that potential risk and some plantations – but there is estry in agriculture, and not as make an informed decision,” no longevity, not enough re- a separate occupation. If you he said. sources. It’s hard to get some- want to start to encourage Trees had been planted for one to develop a product from more trees on farms, it has to biodiversity and commercial it,” he said. be seen as just another crop.” purposes, creating a fantastic Mr Jenkin said an agricul- collection. “But is one or two Trust is a key tural friend saw 100 clients trees enough for a processor? Mr Jenkin said he first saw once over a two-month period That’s okay if the processor the role of trust early in the and was influential in how brings a portable sawmill. If it’s a larger-scale processor, a 1980s in WA. A local com- they manage their farms. “If he was to say, ‘I think range of species may be probpany wanting to pioneer blue gums had to find farmers with you should plant trees over lematic to deal with,” he said. “I respect their right to land. The farmers were not there’, the farmer is more interested in joint ventures, so likely to say – what sort and plant what they want, but inwhy. No big argument, if he dustry has a need to only take went into a lease system. The company men told the says it, it must be OK,” Mr what they can process and farmers that trees were a good Jenkin said. “He’s got their sell.” Mr Jenkin said there were idea. “They were putting their respect, deals with them for a own reputations on the line long time and looks at every- many ways to fund trees on and they were trusted as com- thing from a farmer’s perspec- farms. Some farmers selffunded, doing everything munity advisers, “ he said. tive.”

■■ Braden Jenkin

themselves and creating a big resource. Others had lease arrangements at arms-length, with the farmer the landlord. There were joint ventures and a first right of refusal. “You provide the land, we the trees, and when it’s time to harvest, we will decide what we want to harvest,” he said. There were also true crop share, where people come together, share the risk and returns. Mr Jenkin said there were incentives to grow trees, such as cost-sharing arrangements with price guarantees. This could be either through a market mechanism or other mechanism to set the price, “so farmers know what they are getting into, what the costs are mitigated by co-investment by the market”. Mr Jenkin said environmental services were the ‘Holy Grail’. “If we can extract that from improving water quality, carbon, environmental services of all sorts, that would help with the economics of growing trees,” he said. In WA for example, water salinity in catchments had improved to drinking water quality within 20 years of planting large areas of blue gums. “The trouble is, there is no mechanism to get environmental services payments at the moment,” he said. “Industry wants tree flow, but I’ve seen where farmers decide trees are too beneficial on a property compared to harvesting and selling, so might want to keep them.” Mr Jenkin said there needed to be a mechanism where the industry’s interests were balanced with the ability of a famer to keep the trees as shelter rather than logs on a truck.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 7

Farm Forestry

■■ Thinning a 10ha bluegum salinity discharge intercept planting for sawlog production - SW Vic. Photo: Andrew Lang

FFGV sets sights on creating more opportunities Andrew Lang has been elected chair of Farm Forest Growers Victoria, taking over the role from Andrew Walpole. Lang was high in praise of how the FFGV executive managed things very positively throughout 2018, including “getting hold of all of the farm forestry publications no longer accessible on the DELWP website”, with development of marketing options including with contact with CERES Fairwood, and with regular meetings including some excellent invited speakers. As a result, FFGV’s relations with VAFI, VicForests, Fairwood, FWPA, AFG, and other players in the sector, are all strong. “The aim for 2019 is to build on all of this, and to create or seize opportunities to continue development in new areas,” said Lang. “The bank balance has some new money from the windup of SMARTimbers cooperative that can assist in this. My first aim is to get access to the new Minister for Agriculture, Resources and Regional Development, and to get the role and value of farm forestry better recognised, and some new policy developed that will benefit this sector. “This may come about 8

through adoption of the excellent and detailed Vic Farm Forestry Industry Action Plan developed by FFGV in 2011/12, through: Formal recognition of farm forestry’s role in mitigating risks of climate change on farms though improving shelter and microclimates The way farm plantings can diversify farm income while offsetting farm GHG emissions – and plantings across the state offset some of the state-wide emissions (reaching this government’s target of zero net GHG emission by 2050 will require major sequestration by managed forestry) Improvement of native animal habitat and reduced dryland salinity Potential of increased use of woody biomass for energy. Or, for all of these, along with production of sawlogs, firewood, etc., from a number of species. “We have obviously have members in Jaclyn Symes’ Upper House electorate of Northern Victoria (stretching from the SA border to Corryong and down to Mansfield and Kinglake). Some others

may live in/near her home town of Broadford and have some connection with her, or are connected in other ways, so if you can help us get access please let us know. “A few months ago I was in Stockholm at the European Biomass Power conference. Non-industrial private forestry is big in Sweden, and about half of the forested area is owned by individuals and families, and most of these are members of one of the three main forest owner cooperatives. “Effective use of residues from forestry and timber processing for energy means that now the single largest source of consumed energy in Sweden is (mainly woody) biomass. Biomass provides over 37% of all consumed energy, rising to 39% by 2020. In Sweden the family forestsdominated industry is crucial to reaching the target of netzero GHG emissions by 2050, just as it is in Finland and Austria,” said Lang. “So you’d think it would be easy to sell the development of Victorian farm forestry development!”

■■ Sugar gum plantation thinnings innoculated with shiitake mushroom spawn for production of fresh shiitake over 2-3 years. Photo: Andrew Lang

■■ Andrew Lang

■■ Farm sugar gum plantings for sawlog, biomass and carbon offset provide shelter for off-shears sheep from spring storms. Photo: Andrew Lang

■■ Spotted gum farm forestry planting provides habitat for grey kangaroos, previously never breeding in this SW Vic farming region. Photo: Andrew Lang

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

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Focus On Forestry Corporation NSW

■■ Lee Blessington Harvesting

■■ Xiying Zhao - Planning

■■ Kiarra Fields - Ecology

■■ John Shipp – Aboriginal Cultural Heritage

■■ Craig Busby – Roading

Trees in the forest Unpacking the people behind NSW Forestry

he rumble of the haulage truck fades away as it takes the last load of high-quality sawlogs to mill, providing the building blocks of Australia’s homes and infrastructure. Forestry Corporation of NSW Harvest Manager, Lee Blessington inspects the site left behind — a mosaic of retained habitat trees, open areas and untouched buffer zones. This particular site was originally farmland in the 1950s. It will again regenerate under the careful guidance of Forestry Corporation to continue to provide timber for the community, habitat for animals and an ongoing economic resource for NSW. The harvest operation has finished, but the forest cycle continues with trees regenerating in the forest. This cycle is carefully guided by a team of skilled and committed professionals. Let’s meet some of the people, positions and personalities leading forestry across NSW.

Lee Blessington - Harvesting What do you do? I am the Production and Sales Manager for southern 10

NSW working in local hardwood forests. I work with a great team who coordinate harvesting and haulage activities to supply log products to local mills, manage road maintenance programs and administer sales processes to customers. A typical day for me involves a lot of time on the phone, listening, talking and maintaining relationships. A lot of my work is ongoing throughout the year; these tasks are the nuts and bolts of the business that tick away in the background and keep everything moving along. How did you start working in forestry? I grew up in Narooma on the NSW south coast and developed a connection with forest during that time. My father was a builder and grandfather a furniture maker so I was always working with wood. This developed my interest in the forestry and timber industry. After studying forestry at ANU, I started working in the amazing Alpine Ash forests of Bago State forest. I was hooked and never looked back. Why do you come back every day? I love being able to work in the forest. Admittingly I don’t spend much time in the forest anymore, but I love every min-

ute I’m out of the office. All through my career I have had countless times where I have pinched myself and thought, I get paid for this. The industry I work in produces an amazing product. Timber is one of the most versatile and sustainable products people can use. The people in the industry keep me coming back. They are amazingly resilient and committed to their trade. Whilst they do their best to keep me on my toes, there is always a willingness to share knowledge and experience.

degree I googled Forestry Corporation, clicked on the careers section and applied for this position and now I put my skills in XXX into practice helping manage the State’s forest estate. Why do you come back every day? I feel the best part of my job is that every day is different. Every forest I am planning for is different, with unique issues, rules and restrictions. The highlight for me is the great mix of field and office work.

Xiying Zhao - Planning

Kiarra Fields - Ecology

What do you do? I am the Western Region Operations Planner, which means I plan the region’s operations including roading, weed management, harvesting and hazard reduction burns. I prepare these plans to ensure our operations will be in line with the rules and regulations and then hand these over for staff to implement on the ground. The plans are always focused on getting the best quality outcome for the forest. How did you start working in forestry? When I was at university I took a few forestry subjects and this aspect of natural resource management interested me. At the end of my

What do you do? I am a Field Ecologist, primarily searching for threatened flora and fauna across north east NSW. It’s not just a case of getting out there and finding these plants and animals, there is a solid science behind it. We carefully look at our maps and look at forest types, different habitats and landscape components to target our surveys. This means we have the best chance of finding these threatened species. My days are extremely varied and no two are the same! My work always includes talking to people about State forests and the work that goes into managing them. This might be people in the coffee shop, students, State forest

users or other members of the public who are just curious as to what I do. This interaction is fundamental in people developing an appreciation for our flora and fauna and understanding the diversity of the work that we do here in the Forestry. How did you start working in forestry? My Dad worked with the forestry ecologists in Coffs Harbour when I was in primary school, so I developed an interest in ecology early in life. After high school I studied a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in wildlife science. During my studies, I had a two week stint of work experience with the forestry ecology team which I absolutely loved. After finishing my Honours research project in an ecology field, I saw the job advertisement for a forestry field ecologist in Coffs Harbour. I applied and was extremely lucky to have been successful. Why do you come back every day? I absolutely love my job! I love everything about it and really do think I have the best job in the world. The best part of my job is that I am immersed in nature every day. I think the thing that makes me come back every day is that the work is so essential but also so diverse. Each time

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Focus On Forestry Corporation NSW

I am driving out to a block in the forest I always think to myself, what will I see today? You can just never pick it. The other ecologists have such a huge bank of knowledge, and they are always more than happy to share it with me. This team spirit also extends to everyone in the organisation, who are so welcoming and happy to share their knowledge. Forestry Corporation has a great atmosphere that I love to be a part of.

John Shipp – Aboriginal Cultural Heritage What do you do? I am the Aboriginal Partnerships Team Leader and lead a team of five Aboriginal Partners Liaison Officers covering State forests across NSW. Our key role is to find, record and protect any Abo-

riginal cultural and heritage site within the forest prior to roading or harvesting activities. We also build sustainable economic partnerships with the Aboriginal communities we work with. This could be representatives doing cultural surveys, setting up cultural camps or undertaking businesses on State forests. Through building trust and transparency, we are working to return the community to the bush, and the bush resources to the community. How did you start working in forestry? A mate of mine sent me the ad for the position, saying it would suit me. He was right! I applied for the position and had a phone interview from the banks of the Bogan River about 50 kilometers south of Brewarrina. The call dropped out a couple of times as service was not

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great, so I thought that might be the end of it. But a couple weeks later I was invited to West Pennant Hills to meet the division managers and offered the position. Why do you come back every day? We get to map all of our tradition sites — by doing this we can pull together stories and movements of the old people. This knowledge then is preserved and shared for the future generations of Aboriginal Peoples. The building of sustainable enterprises for Aboriginal people within the forest is very exciting. Facilitating economic benefits flowing into community, along with the cultural aspects, can make a community vibrant.

Craig Busby – Roading What do you do? My role is the Roading

Manager for North Coast NSW and I am primarily responsible for ensuring timber haulage access through providing quality, safe and environmentally effective forest roads. I have a budget of close to $6 million, a team of 21 roading staff and a diverse and geographically spread contract fleet. A normal day for me is a balance of people and process related activities. Of highest importance is building, developing and maintaining cross functional relationships. This ensures customer services are provided as demanded, ensuring the safety, well-being and productivity of my team and dealing with any public or stakeholder issues that arise. How did you start working in forestry? I had always had a con-

nection to the forest environment – my father worked in the forestry industry and I lived in many regional centers around the state with forest connections. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I left school so studied science in first year of university. After work experience, I applied for a traineeship with the then Forestry Commission of NSW, who sponsored me through University and began working as a Forester nearly 30 years ago. Why do you come back every day? I feel gifted to have had the chance to make a career out of forestry. I am often quoted as saying I have the best job in the world and work with some seriously talented and inspiring people, each of whom share the common passion for all things forestry.

When you need to know, you need IndustryEdge

T 03 5229 2470 www.industryedge.com.au Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 11

Industry Review

In Brief Planting predicament despite positive pay Pay rates of $400 a day are not enough to attract workers to plant trees, potentially putting a brake on the NZ Government’s one billion trees by 2028 campaign. Forest nurseries have doubled plantings to 100 million tree seedings in response to Government incentives, but finding staff is the biggest hurdle to getting them in the ground. Planting rates in the North Island were reaching 60 cents a tree, which equated to pay rates of $300 to $400 a day, ”but we still can’t get people,” said Forest Management director David Janett. “We can mechanise a lot of the work, but we can’t mechanise a person on a spade.”

China reporting: hardwood chip import record! China’s imports of hardwood chips totalled a record 3.442 million bone dried metric tonnes (bdmt) over the three months to the end of November. Nine months after China’s trade data ‘went dark’ as part of its strategy in the trade war with the US, IndustryEdge has advised that limited data is once again being made available. Although the official data is not yet available for December, it appears likely that China’s total hardwood chip imports for 2018 will be close to 13 million bdmt. For the eleven months to November, China’s imports totalled a reported 11.861 million bdmt. IndustryEdge has advised its clients that data is available for countries supplying China, but has not been supplied for the ports of delivery within China.

Getting the message out Responsible Wood was one of the key players in the Queensland Government’s Ag Force School and Industry initiative during mid-January. The four-day tour include a visit to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland (DAFQ) Wood Science Research Centre in Salisbury, Brisbane, as well as outbound visits to Responsible Wood certified AKD Softwoods in Caboolture and the HQPlantations pine plantation in Beerburrum. Convened by ForestLearning, an association that works with educators to provide free teaching resources, the tour provided educators with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the forestry industry.

Project applications sought The National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NFPI) Round 2 Centre Project Applications are now open and applications close 15 February 2019 for more information visit www. nifpi.org.au/ The Australian, South Australian and Tasmanian Governments combined initial commitment of $8 million has two National Institute for Forest Products Innovation Centres to be established. The centres are based at Mount Gambier and Launceston, are to provide a major boost to the forest industries in those regions and the thousands of regional jobs they support.

Ignoring the real issues Victorian Environment Assessment Council (VEAC) draft forestry proposals for Central West Victoria slug the region’s timber industry, while ignoring its economic importance and its role in fighting fires and maintaining biodiversity, according to the state’s peak forestry body. The draft recommendations of the VEAC reduce the area of state forests in the region by 79,000 hectares – equivalent to 88% of the total state forest area in the region, according to the Victorian Association of Forest Industries.

Merger paves way to stronger Growers – Foresters organisation Members of Australian Forest Growers’ (AFG) and the Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) have agreed overwhelmingly to merge.

he merger provides an exciting opportunity to raise the profile of foresters, many of whom are also private forest growers, enhance member value and advance the cause of sustainable professional forest management. Dr Kevin Harding and Judy Alexander are joining the Board in place of retiring board members Rob de Fegely and Erin Hodgson. Bob Gordon, National President of the IFA said now that the decision to merge had been taken there was a great deal to do in implementing changes to the new, stronger IFA The IFA Board has already met with IFA Divisional Chairs, some Committee chairs and representatives of AFG and has identified a range of areas where they can build on the strengths of both organisations. Greg Unwin, an AGF/ IFA member attended the meeting representing the

■■ Jacquie Martin

and Board support. After almost four years with the organisation, Sarah Paradice is moving on to her new role as CEO of the Australian Honeybee Industry Council. IFA and AFG have closed their joint office in Canberra.

Queensland importer fined for breaching illegal logging laws

MOU with Flinders Ports Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Flinders Ports under which the parties will work together on an exclusive basis to achieve a port operating model for KIPT’s proposed KI Seaport. The model will produce an optimal solution for the port owner, port operator and port users, having regard to the outcomes achieved by Flinders Ports at the other South Australian ports that it variously owns, operates and/or provides port management and related services.

AFG, and reported: “The meeting was instrumental in providing a very promising and constructive start to implementing the IFA/AFG merger, with some clear directions emerging in terms of strategy planning, structure and operations, both for the immediate future and with regard to the medium to long-term shape of the organisation.” To make all of this work, the new bigger, bolder IFA has a new CEO. Jacquie Martin is based in the new office in Melbourne and is working with the team from Professionals Australia to bed-in the administrative changes to effect the merger. Jacquie was recruited in December and joins the IFA building on a successful record with several NFP organisations and with excellent experience in conference/event organising, membership engagement/ growth and communication

■■ Senator Richard Colbeck.

A Queensland-based importer has been fined $12,600 for ongoing non-compliance with Australia’s illegal logging laws, becoming the first company to be penalised under the legislation. The penalty has been described as a timely reminder to importers and processors about their obligations under Australia’s illegal logging laws. “The company had been directed to provide information on its due diligence for sourcing timber, and failed to comply. My department issues directions for a reason and they must be complied with,” said Senator Richard Colbeck (Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources). Senator Colbeck said the Government had worked very closely with industry during the implementation of the laws including a period of soft commencement to make sure business had the opportunity to ensure their systems were adequate to demonstrate compliance. “Illegal logging has significant global economic, environmental, and social impacts and undercuts our legal and legitimate timber producers here in Australia,” he said. Estimates of the global cost of illegal logging are between $71 billion and $212 billion each year.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Industry Review

Nature’s Flame wood pellets facility expansion

he Norske Skog group will invest about $A7 million to upgrade the Nature’s Flame wood pellets facility in New Zealand to more than double its annual production capacity to 85,000 tonnes. The increased production capacity will be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2019. The approval of the 85,000

tonne capacity upgrade is also a building block for potential further expansion of Norske Skog’s pellet operations in New Zealand. “The investment supports Norske Skog Australasia’s ongoing strategy to “Build Our Future from Fibre and Energy”. The additional production capacity is aimed at producing premium industrial grade pellet fuels for both

the domestic New Zealand commercial and industrial market, as well as for the rapidly growing Japanese and Korean green energy generation markets,” said Eric Luck, Regional President Norske Skog Australasia. Nature’s Flame’s state-ofthe-art plant at Taupo was acquired by Norske Skog in 2015, and is well positioned in the centre of the north is-

land where the bulk of New Zealand’s forest based industry is located. Wood pellets produced by Nature’s Flame are a premium heating fuel made from wood residues from nearby timber processing facilities. The materials used are originally sourced from sustainably managed, FSC certified softwood plantations in New Zealand. The wood pel-

lets carry the internationally recognised DINplus certification as well as recognition from BioGro New Zealand Ltd that the pellets, as well as the ash remaining after combustion, are Certified Organic materials. The wood pellet fuel produced is truly renewable and is a lower carbon alternative to replace fossil based energy sources like coal and gas.

New Lidar scanner easier to integrate and operate Scion’s new top-of-the line Lidar scanner is able to capture data at greater than 60 m above ground (and up to 120 m) means line of sight UAV flying is much easier, and the UAV is safely clear of tree tops. The Riegl MiniVUX-1 UAV Snoopy V-series, manufactured by LidarUSA, has higher resolution and accuracy than Scion’s current scanner, and has an increased range. Being able to capture data

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at greater than 60m above ground (and up to 120m) meaning line of sight UAV flying is easier and the UAV is safely clear of tree tops. Robin Hartley, Scion’s UAV Operations Manager, said it was impressive to see a system that could capture good lidar data 120 metres above ground. A two-day session with a trainer from LidarUSA was also attended by representatives from the University of Canterbury, Interpine Innovation, and

Pilbrow Surveying Ltd. “Our first impressions are that the new system is far superior to our current Lidar system, and it is significantly easier to integrate and operate, and to generate usable data,” said Robin. The new scanner will be a powerful addition to Scion’s Forest Informatics team for its work on monitoring tree growth, health and inventory, and in the phenotyping research program.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 13

Industry Review

■■ Development of gasification technology takes place in VTT’s Bioruukki piloting centre in Espoo, Finland (Photo by: VTT)

Forestry waste is power for the future New technique reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90% compared to fossil fuels

orest industry byproducts are no longer going to waste … they’re the mainstay of new transport fuels and chemicals. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a new technique based on gasification that offers a sustainable way to turn bark, sawdust and forestry waste into transport fuels and chemicals. The new technique reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90% compared to fossil fuels. The new approach uses gasification to turn biomass into intermediate products – liquid hydrocarbons, methanol or methane – in production units integrated with communal district heating plants or forest industry power plants. The intermediate products are processed further in oil refineries to make renewable fuels or chemicals. VTT developed and piloted the new gasification process and evaluated the competitiveness of plants based on the technique in the course of a recently-concluded project called BTL2030. The distributed generation process developed by the project team makes efficient use of the energy content of biomass. Approximately 55% of the energy content is turned into transport fuels and a fur14

ther 20–25% can be used to provide district heating or to produce steam for industrial processes. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), modern bioenergy plays a key role in building a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. Bioenergy currently accounts for approximately 50% of the world’s renewable energy consumption, and the IEA estimates that bioenergy will be the most rapidly growing form of renewable energy between 2018 and 2023. In the longer term, limiting global warming to two degrees requires, according to the IEA, almost quadrupling bioenergy’s contribution to the world’s energy consumption, from the current 4.5% to approximately 17% by 2060. Bioenergy is needed, in particular, for reducing emissions from air transport and shipping and as a back-up fuel for road transport as more electric cars are introduced. The use of forest industry by-products, such as bark, forestry waste, recycled wood, straw or other biomass as raw materials does not impact on the carbon sink effect of forests, and they do not compete against forest industry raw material procurement or food production. Heat throughout the year

The process is based on VTT’s low-pressure, lowtemperature steam gasification technology, simplified gas purification and smallscale industrial syntheses. Thanks to the small-scale approach, the heat generated by the process can be used throughout the year, and the process can be fuelled with local waste. Finland’s previous plans have involved considerably larger gasification-based diesel plants, the raw material demands of which could not have been satisfied with locally sourced waste. Moreover, it would have been impossible to make full use of the by-product heat of the large plants, and their energy efficiency would have therefore been easily less than 60%. “Not one of the large gasification plants of more than 300 MW that have been planned for Europe has been built yet. The almost EUR 1 billion investment needed together with the risks associated with new technology has proven an insurmountable obstacle. “The smaller scale of our solution makes it easier to secure funding for building the first plant based on the new technology,” said VTT’s Senior Principal Scientist Esa Kurkela.

The BTL2030 project team estimates that the production costs of transport fuels made from domestic waste would amount to EUR 0.8–1 per litre of petrol or diesel. The new technology is set to become considerably more competitive as the costs of the raw materials of competing technologies increase, and the process is expected to be highly competitive at least from the year 2030 onwards. The project involved mapping out the path from pilotscale development to demonstrations and commercialising the technology with participating businesses. Even in the short term, the ultimate competitiveness of the new technique hinges on the prices of crude oil and carbon dioxide quotas as well as the taxation of renewable transport fuels. Huge export potential Experts estimate that, in addition to other measures, Finland will need sustainable biofuels to account for 30% of the energy consumption of the transport sector by 2030. Supplying half of this demand with domestic waste would require 5–10 locally integrated energy production plants. The 3.6% target set for advanced biofuels in the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED2) equates to 11 million tonnes

of oil, which would mean approximately 200 gasification plants in Europe alone. In addition to transport fuels, the biomass gasification technique can be used to produce renewable raw materials to replace oil and natural gas in various chemical industry processes. Synthesis gas applications, on the other hand, could help in the attainment of several circular economy goals, such as close-loop recycling of plastics and other packaging materials. Research continues Development of gasification technology is set to continue through two EU Horizon 2020 projects coordinated by VTT. The projects focus on gas purification and increasing the efficiency of synthesis technology and aim to demonstrate the performance of the entire biofuel chain at VTT’s Bioruukki piloting centre in Espoo, Finland. Another solution under development is a flexible hybrid process based on biomass and solar and wind energy, which can either be run on just biomass or be boosted with electrolysis. This provides an efficient way to store solar or wind energy as a renewable fuel and could as much as double the renewable fuel output of the biomass sources available.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Industry Review

Joint effort to overcome ‘steep’ learning curve

etworking is an investment in business development and a recently published paper on tensile force monitoring in steep slope harvesting jointly written by Canada’s FPInnovations’ steep slope initiative (SSI) scientists and researchers at an Italian university exemplifies that golden rule. The seed for collaboration was planted at the Forestry Mechanization (FORMEC) conference, held annually in Europe. Initial discussions at the conference began in 2015 and ultimately resulted in the publication of a research paper in the Croatian Journal of Forest Engineering last year titled, Tensile Force Monitoring on Large Winch-Assist Forwarders Operating in British Columbia, co-authored by University of Padova PhD candidate, Omar Mologni, FPInnovations’ Peter Dyson and Dzhamal Amishev, and Italian scientists Andrea Rosario Proto, Giuseppe Zimbalatti, Raffaele Cavalli, and Stefano Grigolato.

“Networking opportunities at FORMEC were pivotal in getting this joint project under way,” said SSI researcher, Dzhamal Amishev. “This research is part of a collaborative process that will make steep slope harvesting safer for workers around the world.”

The paper summarizes that the forest industry around the world is facing common challenges in accessing wood fibre on steep terrain. Fully mechanized harvesting systems based on specialized machines, such as winch-assist forwarders, have been developed for im-

proving harvesting success on steep grounds. The research team found that the use of cables for supporting the machine traction required a closer look. Only a few studies have analysed the cable tensile forces of winch-assist forwarders during

real operations, and none focused on large machines typically used in North America. Key outcomes of the study include the improved understanding of tensile forces reached during winch-assist operations of large-scale forwarders in British Columbia. The trails, slope, travel direction, and distance of the machines from the anchor, were statistically significant and able to account for 49 % of tensile force variability. However, in the same conditions, the operator settings accounted for 77 % of the tensile force variability, suggesting the human factor is the main variable of cable tensile force behaviour during winch-assist operations. FPInnovations hosted Mologni, from Padua, Italy, for three months and organised the logistics of field visits in the B.C. Interior. FPInnovations is currently working on a subsequent collaborative journal publication with faculty members of the University of Padova.

Ride tall SKIDDER T418 — THE SOLUTION FOR MAXIMUM TRACTION

When the going gets tough, the tough get to work. The Skidder T418 is engineered for all-access traction, long life and low downtime — so you can spend more of your workday earning and less of it servicing. Deep, strong lugs get a grip on any terrain, and extra-reinforced sidewalls and steel-belted shell mean a stable ride with fewer stops for snags, tears or flats. Heavy duty skidding needs a heavy duty tire. Ride Tall with Trelleborg Skidder T418. www.trelleborg.com/wheels

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 15

Industry Review

21 year Deere – Hitachi partnership coming to an end Two new businesses to take on Deere distribution in Australia

long-standing partnership between John Deere and Hitachi will come to an end at the beginning of May. Two new businesses will take over distribution of Deere forestry products and Hitachi will concentrate on its core business. The change will bring to an end a long and successful global partnership spanning multiple continents and product lines. This partnership has served both companies well and supported each company’s global growth over the multi-decade relationship. As part of this partnership and since 1998, Hitachi Con-

struction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd (HCA) have distributed Deere branded and manufactured construction, forestry, and compact machinery. However, as joint businesses have expanded over the years, so have each company’s priorities in various markets around the globe. As a result, after 21 years of distribution Deere, Hitachi, and HCA have agreed to end the current distribution arrangement in Australia and increase focus on individual product lines. As of 1 May 2019, RDO Equipment Pty Ltd (RDO Equipment) will be appointed the authorized John Deere Construction & For-

estry Dealer for John Deere Limited in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory. AFGRI Equipment will be appointed the authorized John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer for John Deere Limited in Western Australia. HCA, John Deere Limited, RDO Equipment and AFGRI Equipment are committed to working together to ensure this transition has minimal impact on customers’ access to machines, parts, and/or service. Similarly, HCA, John Deere Limited, RDO Equipment and AFGRI Equipment are com-

mitted to smoothly transitioning customers who have existing agreements and service contracts with HCA. “We thank John Deere for the partnership that has been enjoyed over the last 21 years but ultimately we believe this change in distribution will allow HCA to increase our focus on our brands, and provide an improved experience to customers across Australia,” said David Harvey, Managing Director of Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd. “This partnership had served both companies well,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, John Deere global director of con-

■■ David Harvey, Managing Director of Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd.

struction and forestry sales outside of the Americas. “Now, the focus is on a seamless transition of business to John Deere Limited’s newlyappointed construction and forestry dealers in Australia.” The changes announced have no impact on DeereHitachi partnerships or distribution arrangements outside Australia.

Cash in the bank after a year of change Multiple bushfires wreak havoc

asmania’s fire danger rating had reached severe and “exceeded forecast conditions”, according to the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), just as Australian Forests & Timber News was about to go to press. To exacerbate the situation more strong winds were forecast for Tasmania as firefighters battled 30 blazes. There were 12 emergency alerts in place, however, the main focus was on two major bushfires. Tasmanian Crews contained a fire at the Southwood wood processing site after embers breached skylights, but there was exten16

sive damage. The fire was later contained but it damaged some of the machinery, and extensively damaged the outside and other parts of Ta Ann [timber mill]. Firefighters were working along with crew from Sustainable Timbers Tasmania to try to preserve what can be salvaged from that site. The fires of most concern were the Riveaux Road fire in the state’s south and the Great Pine Tier fire in the Central Plateau (which had burned through almost 40,000 hectares). Bushfires have been reported in every state and territory in Australia, some posing serious problems.

VicForests finished 2017-18 with a net profit of $1.2 million, no debt and cash in the bank… evidence of its responsible harvesting and strong performance amid challenging circumstances. Chief Executive Officer Nathan Trushell said VicForests had been committed to harvesting responsibly and sustainably, including making continuing substantial reductions to harvesting Mountain and Alpine Ash in response to the 2009 bushfire. Mr Trushell described 201718 as a year of change, with a new and restructured Executive Team, new and retiring Board members and a refocus on stakeholder engagement. “Over the course of the year, we have continued to lead innovations in our supply chain

management and strengthen our high standards of forestry and biodiversity preservation, plus, our “Zero Harm” strategies have resulted in an overall decline in both employee and contractor injuries to record low levels.” Mr Trushell said VicForests had achieved a 50% reduction in staff Lost Time Injuries (LTI); as well as a 25% reduction in contractor LTI, achieving the lowest level in 12 years of VicForests’ recording. Mr Trushell said that sawlog had decreased from previous years as VicForests transitions to lower ash species harvest levels; demand for native timber continued to be strong. “The native timber industry continues to make a significant contribution to the Victorian economy, especially through

■■ Nathan Trushell. regional jobs, with our products much sought-after for use in building and construction, furniture and other high-value products. “VicForests is a successful and dynamic native forestry business and we are focused on working towards continued strong results in the years to come.” VicForests results are audited each year by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office to verify their accuracy and compliance with Australian Accounting Standards.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

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Forwarders

Forwarder2020: Sustainable and efficient forest management 13 European partners from industry and science in six countries will work on five innovative modules for forwarders

orest biomass is currently one of the most important sources of renewable energy and accounts for almost half of the EU´s total renewable energy consumption; this is in addition to the very important use of round wood from forests. Besides raw materials, forests also provide a wide range of vital non-wood services that should be protected during wood extraction. In order to make forestry sustainable, it is essential to use commercial vehicles that will affect the forest ecosystem as little as possible. To achieve this forest machine manufacturer Hohenloher Spezial Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG (HSM) has launched the innovation project Forwarder2020: main aim of the project is improving the sustainability of wood production and delivery as well as operational forest management and planning. Within the project innovations for more efficient forwarders, essential wood

extraction and transportation vehicles will be developed and tested under real conditions. Over the course of three years (2016-2019) project coordinator HSM together with 13 European partners from industry and science in six countries will work on five innovative modules for forwarders. They will gather their expertise to advance diverse technologies, which will contribute to smart and sustainable logging operations using innovative forestry machines. The innovations targeted concern a more efficient power-split hydrostatic-mechanical transmission, a hydropneumatic suspension, a new hydraulic system for the crane with energy recuperation, a bogie axle with three driven wheels for the timber load and a new monitoring system for documentation and active operations control. The combined effect of these innovative modules will be to reduce the fuel con-

sumption by 30% and the impact on the soil (reduction of rut depth and dynamic wheel load) by 30%. They also allow more precise planning of the tracks and documentation of the loads carried on. Altogether the innovations will contribute to reduce the environmental impact of forest management and harvesting operations while cutting operating costs and reducing the risks of occupational disease for forest operators. Finally, the company HSM and the consortium expect to supply to the market a unique and modular system of competitive high-end solutions which offers the customer the possibility to choose its equipment and then bear no higher costs for the modules not chosen. “In the effort of rendering the forest operations more sustainable, forwarders are of particular interest because these forestry machines have the highest wheel-load and the biggest impact on un-

paved forest soils. “They also bridge big travelling distances between the felling points in the stand and the road side timber depots. “The reduction of the fuel consumption, of the impact of the machine on the soil and on the health of the operators through the Forwarder2020 innovative modules will then be of prime importance not only for the sustainability of the logging but also on the economic potential of the forestry companies, our clients,” Felix Fürst zu HohenloheWaldenburg, coordinator of Forwarder2020 project and CEO at HSM said. The integration of three out of the five innovative modules into a completely running first prototype has been achieved and field tests under harsh forest conditions were carried out from March to April 2018 under operation of Forstdienstleistungen Hegenbarth (FDH) and supervision of Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) in Saxony. The forwarding was part

of salvage harvesting operations on a wind thrown spruce dominated stand. The tests included preparative test runs, hardship tests, but were dominated by the scientific time study and reference cycle generation. The data evaluation of these field tests is still in progress. However, it is evident that the tests had been very satisfying. The machine works very well and without any failures. The rut depths caused by the bogie tracks are even lower than expected. The data transmission to the monitoring system as well as the cloud connection worked well for different data resolution setups up to high resolution stress level tests. In Scotland further tests under forest conditions were held in May 2018 and the machine will also be tested in Lithuania. A second prototype will be ready for first full field tests later this year and will be tested under forest conditions in Romania. Source: Rehap

Developing autonomous forestry machines “A tough development area because the forest environment is complex” Leading global hygiene and forest products company SCA is participating in a comprehensive project to develop autonomous forestry machines. The goal is to make things easier for operators and ultimately to be able to control forwarders from an office. The forest industry is now entering into the development of automated work tasks. With the Auto2 project, the forest industry wants to use the technology to develop autonomous forwarders – the machines that carry the harvested timber to the forest road. Auto2 will begin by focusing on the machines themselves, giving them the capability to plan their driving, move through the terrain and make sure that there is a safety zone around the machine so that no one is injured. “The long-term vision is entirely self-driving machines, but I hope that we’ll see short-term effects with the system that make it easier for operators to do a good job. It can be compared with a self-driving 18

car – someone still needs to sit in it but does not need to actively steer,” explains Magnus Bergman, head of technology and operational development at SCA, and continues: “The area of autonomous vehicles is exciting, but also a tough development area because the forest environment is very complex. A major and important question is of course the safety aspects, because the harvesting area isn’t enclosed. What happens, for example, when a person or an animal enters the work area? Such issues and many more need to be resolved. But the Swedish forest industry leads the world in developing equipment for harvesters and forwarders, so I really believe in this.” Many advantages The project is led by Skogforsk (Forestry Research Institute of Sweden) and when the sensor controls and security systems are ready, the next step is the possibility of using remote control. In the future, it may be possible to control machines from the cabin

or the office. There are many advantages to such a scenario, said Magnus. “Without a cab, for example, the machines will be lighter and more efficient because they’ll have more room for timber. Moreover, the machine operators will be working in a much better environment, where the risk of accidents such as trips and falls is drastically reduced. It may also be easier to recruit new operators when they know they can work from an office with their colleagues instead of working alone out in the forest.” The project will extend over three years, and Vinnova and the forest industry together have financed the project with SEK 20 million. Several companies and universities are also participating in the project. “SCA is participating as a financier and in the reference group, where we can contribute with our knowledge, and if sufficient progress is made, we will also be able to offer test environments in our forests,” said Magnus.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Forwarders

Logset develops smooth ride cabin suspension

orest machine manufacturer Logset Oy launched its Smooth Ride cabin suspension at FinnMETKO in Jämsä . The Smooth Ride cabin is mounted on four coil springs and four shock absorbers. The simple design makes the Smooth Ride easy to maintain. At the exhibition, the Smooth Ride solution was presented on a Logset 6F GT forwarder. The forwarder also had a Stage 5 engine that meets the new EU emission regulations taking effect in 2019. “We provided a track where customers test drove the Smooth Ride solution during FinnMETKO. Smooth Ride differs from the competitors’

cabin suspension solutions in that it does not contain any hydraulic or electronic components. The solution is economical and reliable,”

said Managing Director Jussi Malmi. Logset also exhibited Finland’s first forwarder with extra wide symmetric tracks.

The tracks were mounted on Logset’s best-selling forwarder model in Finland, the Logset 5F GT. The extra wide tracks increase the load capac-

ity of the forwarder by 20% while the machine maintains its agility. “Even with the wide tracks, the forwarder remains easy to transport. The wide tracks make the Logset 5F GT even more versatile for different types of tasks,” Malmi said. Logset also exhibited two harvesters and four harvester heads. All the machines have the renewed TOC 2 control system and new ergonomic control panels. The harvesters also have the renewed measuring device TOC-MD 2. The control system and the measuring device are Linux-based. User friendliness has been a key point in the development process.

Stridem specialise in plantation reversion. Stridem was the first company to import a stump plucker machine into Australia back in August 2017. We have gone from strength to strength building an operation that we are now confident works in our Australian conditions. Our work efficiently transforms used plantations to arable land clean and fast, working with both individual landholders, as well as plantation companies. Our service completely removes stumps and slash with our efficient and experienced system ready for immediate crop or pasture land. We prioritise client satisfaction with a strong focus on service quality and the finished result. Locally owned and operated in Boyup Brook W.A. with proven results and the experience to back it up.

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 19

Fire Preparedness

■■ Trying to find a way to reduce fierce bushfires.

Taking the fuel out of bushfire risk Trials provide an example of innovative, active and adaptive management approaches to forest and fire protection across the landscape.

■■ Senator Colbeck.

ustralia’s forest managers will soon have a better understanding of mechanical fuel

load reduction as a tool to reduce bushfire risk thanks to the $1.5 million Mechanical Fuel Load Reduction Trials.

Final results from these trials are expected mid-way through this year. Senator Richard Colbeck,

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, said bushfires were unfortunately an inevitable and devastating

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Fire Preparedness

■■ Initial ignition.

occurrence and that the impact they can have on lives and our primary industries was often overwhelming. “The Liberal National Government has been working hard with State Governments to undertake the Mechanical Fuel Load Reduction Trials through the National Bushfire Mitigation Program,” the Senator said. “The trials are examining if

mechanical reduction of fuel load is another viable way of protecting forests and communities, in areas where planned burning is undesirable. “By undertaking these trials and incorporating the learnings from them we will be able to use evidence-based prevention and management methods in the future. “Our hope is that it will give us alternatives to those we

currently have—like planned burning—especially around key assets, high population areas where smoke can cause health concerns, or high conservation value areas where planned burns pose too high a risk. “These trials are about reducing the potential for high intensity bushfires by finding effective and efficient ways to reduce fuel loads whilst

retaining important forest values. “The trials provide an example of innovative, active and adaptive management approaches to forest and fire protection across the landscape. “We’re always looking for ways that do the least harm to the forest and produce the most benefit in mitigating the risk of bushfires. “The treatments have now

concluded and the results are being used to model fire risk at a landscape level, and analyse the costs and benefits,” said Senator Colbeck. The Australian Government provided $15 million through the National Bushfire Mitigation Program from 2014 for states and territories to implement long-term bushfire mitigation strategies and improved fuel reduction activities.

ndustry

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 21

Kilns

Simple concept behind continuous contraflow kilns By Philip Hopkins

ontinuous kilns are the ‘new kid on the bloc’, allowing more timber to be dried using the same heat capacity as a batch kiln – but they still have issues. That was a key message from Trevor Innes, General Manager of Technical and Sustainability at Timberlink, to the Wood Tech conference. The conference, which took place in Melbourne, is held annually by the Forest Industry Engineering Association. Continuous contraflow kilns, invented in the US in 2006, involve a simple concept: two tracks of timber are pushed in opposite directions through three chambers. They can be built either as a greenfield project or through converting two batch kilns. The end chambers recover energy from the hot timber 22

and steam, heating the cold timber, while reconditioning the hot timber. Dr Innes said continuous kilns had several advantages. These were: *More drying volume for the same heat plant capacity, thus using less heat per cubic metre. *Lower electricity consumption per cubic metre. *Much more stable heat plant demand. *Less handling – no pushing in and out of trolleys. *Lower moisture content variability and drying stress. *Potentially less steam plume. *A straighter, more stable product. Timberlink has continuous kilns at three of its mills Tarpeena in South Australia, Blenheim in New Zealand and Bell Bay in Tasmania. The Tarpeena greenfield continuous kiln, completed in

2015, is 9.2 metres wide, 80 metres long and 5.5 metres high internally. It is thermal oil heated with a maximum temperature of 140degrees Celsius, but typically operates at 120C, and consumes 8.2 megawatts (MW) of heat to dry nominally more than 165,000m3 of timber per annum. Blenheim, a 2016 conversion of four Fogarty batch kilns to two continuous kilns, is 11.4 metres wide and 27.5m long. It is high pressure hot water-heated with a maximum of 90C and 50,000m3 per annum. Bell Bay, a conversion of two Windsor batch kilns to two continuous kilns, is 14 metres wide and 45 metres long. It is steam heated to 140C with a projected throughput of 185,000m3 per year using 9MW of heat. Dr Innes used the experience from the three mills to

highlight his points. “Essentially what happens with the continuous kiln in the recovery section at the end, it picks up more moisture than what a batch kiln picks up in reconditioning,” he said. “You actually dry to a lower target moisture content in the main drying sector with a continuous kiln, as you dry further down, the variability decreases.” The drier the wood, the less variability in the rack. Dr Innes said issues with continuous kilns included disposing of condensate, while the rack presentation must be very good. “Tangles and collisions are very difficult to deal with,” he said. Downtime, through maintenance or breakdown, meant a big loss of volume treated due to the size of the kilns, and continuous kilns were not as tolerant of variable supply as multiple batch kilns. “Fire

may be more difficult to deal with,” he said. Dr Innes said it was important to know your current kilns’ performance so as to benchmark the continuous kiln off that. “To buy any equipment, you must have performance specs for what it’s expected to do. Base it off the current operational performance. If you do not know what it is doing now, it’s hard to say whether you are doing better or worse,” he said. “Also, know the product you want to dry in detail – its thickness mix, green moisture content and variability.” Dr Innes said normally, drying in a batch kiln meant most of the water you evaporate goes off to the atmosphere. “However, in a continuous kiln, a lot of the steam is condensed on the cold wet wood as it is coming in.... That condensate condenses

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Kilns

as liquid and runs off – you must do something with it,” he said. It was high in biological oxygen demand (BOD) – “there’s stuff in there the bugs need to eat” and had to be sent to trade waste – “what we will do here (Bell Bay)”. The alternatives were to irrigate, but ensuring the ground water was not contaminated, or to install a waste water treatment plant. Dr Innes said continuous kilns were not as tolerant of variable supply as multiple batch kilns. “It’s a continuous process – it works much better if you don’t regularly change sizes or grades on a track,” he said. “Most mills run different grades as well; we separate grades by density and because the radiata pine logs’ core wood/ heart wood is very low in moisture, while the outside sap wood is very high in moisture content. If you try to run them together, you end up with under-dried heartwood, distortion and all sorts of issues.” Continuous kilns also did www.timberbiz.com.au

Dr Innes said condensate not tolerate variable volume. kilns were very high corroIf there was a problem, “it’s sion areas. In the middle dry- disposal may be an issue due not good to switch them on ing section, the water totally to the high volumes, high and off”, he said. Similarly evaporated in heat that was temperatures and high BOD. Options for disposal included with thickness – “ideally you about 100 degrees Celsius. “In the recovery end, it’s re-use in a treatment plant, irrun 40mm material on one track”. “You can change, but down to 60-70 …. in these rigation, trade waste disposal it’s not good to change regu- places, it’s really hot, just or a water treatment plant. The drainage needed to dripping, low pH, very corrolarly.” Dr Innes said it was neces- sive, hot and acidic,” he said. be able to cope with some “You have a point where wood waste, but could only sary to consider seasonality be cleaned out on an in specifications. “You annual shut. “The sigcan see 20 per cent nificant volumes mean difference from winneed to make sure ter to summer in batch “Do your homework – your you drainage will not be kilns,” he said. Care had to be taken kiln performance is a much blocked,” he said. It was important to enin the kiln performance bigger business risk than gage with the regulator tests. Most kilns were early to come up with big bits of infrastrucany holdback payment” an agreed solution. ture and took a while Dr Innes said the to install. “Commisnumber of trolleys sioning tends to be done in the Christmas break, it (the water) drips onto con- must be adequate for the when timber dries at a higher crete. It erodes concrete, steel length mix. You can make all rate than winter,” he said. It will rust very fast – all needs the trolleys loaded with timwas necessary to allow for to be aluminium or stain- ber the same length, but must annual throughput. “If you less in these energy recovery make sure the rack stocks line performance spec only in ends. In the main drying sec- up with bearers on the trolley, tests over a week, based on tion, aluminium is okay as it’s he said. There needed to be adannual throughput, you will not so wet.” It was also suitundershoot where you need to able on the exterior, including equate room to load and undry sheds, though, however, load with forklifts. “Most use get to.” Dr Innes said the energy re- the stainless price may be forklifts to move racks and weights around. Depending covery sections in continuous competitive.

on how you design the kiln and access to it, you might have to lift timber racks with a weight as well to get the height. If you have to do that, the fork must be rated for that weight at the load centre,” he said. Dr Innes said conversion could be a problem as you could not use your kiln while running a sawmill. At Blenheim, the maximum time was one week without using a kiln. Fire was also a danger. “The gas above condensate is flammable. If a lot of condensate is sitting in a tank, and you start welding nearby, you could get flame flashover,” he said. Dr Innes said in making a decision about opting for continuous kilns, several factors had to be kept in mind. These included the energy and capital cost per cubic metres of dried timber, turnkey issues, timing, durability, and the ability to change sizes. “Do your homework – your kiln performance is a much bigger business risk than any holdback payment,” he said.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 23

HarvestTECH

Loggers descending on Rotorua mid-year HarvestTECH 2019, Rotorua, 26-27 June

he last wood harvesting event ran two years ago in New Zealand, and it was a sell-out; same story two years before. More than 450 met at both events in Rotorua, and both also saw the largest gathering of logging contractors, forestry managers, forest owners, suppliers and harvest planners ever seen in New Zealand. It wasn’t only the locals, though. Equipment suppliers, researchers, forestry companies and international contractors from throughout Australia, Canada, the US, Finland, Austria, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa also flew into Rotorua to attend the events. Two years on and logging contractors and key suppliers from around this region and from overseas will again be descending on Rotorua. Mark down the dates into your diaries. HarvestTECH 2019 will be running again over two days on 26-27 June 2019. Early indications are that it’s going to be another huge gathering. Some larger groups of international suppliers and contractors have already indicated they’ll be travelling to New Zealand to attend. Exhibition spaces inside and out at the venue – have already been largely filled by major logging equipment and technology providers, six months before the event runs.

So, what’s on offer this year? “The two-day program has been designed by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) in conjunction with local suppliers and leading harvesting contractors. Like the two previous events, 24

it’s been designed to be prac- bining with pre-bunching on 2019 will be details on new tical,” said Brent Apthorp, steeper slopes to increase their technologies and operating grapple payloads; and Andrew practices that increasingly FIEA Director. “It’s also going to be in- Mahnken, Mountain Log- are being developed for small formative, entertaining and ging, Australia, together with wood lot harvesting. Some provide a unique opportunity Nathan Taylor from Mecha- unique challenges harvesting for all those involved in wood nised Cable Harvesting on the ever-increasing number of harvesting across the region log bunching practices being woodlots on steep and more to get together under the one employed on steeper slopes to remote sites are currently beimprove productivity. roof,” he added. ing faced. Marcus Musson, “Building on a presenta- FOMS, for example, will be “Much of the focus at previous tech events has been tion two years ago from one of outlining some of the practiaround the drive by for- the industry leaders, Ian Reid cal trials and systems now est owners and contractors from AusTimber Harvesting being employed with their to increase mechanization, & Haulage, who early on in two-stage log extraction opproductivity and erations. It’s bethe safety of new ing used in smaller steep slope logging woodlot areas by equipment. The many of their 50 “The spotlight is going to fall number of harvestharvesting crews on developments by local ing crews working working around the on steeper terrain North Island. and international engineers, has seen exponenexciting manufacturers and contractors newSome tial growth and of initiatives becourse, with this ing rolled out (inalong with some stand-out expansion has come and outside our systems being employed on the side some really enterown industry, both prising innovation.” hill that are showing significant from within New Two years on, and interfinancial and operational gains Zealand logging steeper ternationally) to atrain will again be to forest contracting businesses” tract young people covered in Rotorua, and new skills into though it won’t be the industry will the sole focus. also be covered. As The spotlight is going to the piece recognised the value we all know, it’s a major isfall on developments by local of using collected harvester sue. It’s already constraining and international engineers, data to drive his Victorian the forestry industry – here manufacturers and contrac- contracting business, practi- and overseas. tors along with some stand- cal presentations from both a “We all know that our out systems being employed major forest manager and har- population is ageing. It’s ageon the hill that are showing vesting contractor’s perspec- ing rapidly. Around 300,000 significant financial and op- tive will be given” as part of workers in New Zealand are erational gains to forest con- the event. aged 65 years and over and by tracting businesses. “The focus will be on how 2041, up to 1.37 million peovast quantities of collected ple are expected to be aged 65 Practicality plus harvest production and ma- and over. We’re now dealing “Practical presentations chine productivity data are with Generation Z, those born will be given by Dale Ewers, being broken down and used after 1995. There’s around DC Equipment, on their first effectively to improve day-to- one million of them already in felling carriage and hauler day operations and planning,” the country. They’re “digital natives” – their smartphone system; Eric Krume from said Brent. is an extension of their body, Krume Logging, USA, on a Unique challenges they’re independent and amnew 100-foot hydraulic yarder operation that they’re comIncluded at HarvestTECH bitious and they’re looking

for “authentic and transparent experiences,” Brent said.

New workforce “It sounds foreign to most of us, right? For the forestry industry and harvesting contractors though, it means that we need to better understand the drivers and motivations of these new millennials and Generation Z. This is going to help us to get a reasonable share of the available workforce. Experience we’re told is crucial for retention and educating and enlightening the sector employers is as important as attracting talent. “An insight into some of the key drivers to attract and retain this new workforce along with a raft of new initiatives set up to train new logging entrants will be profiled at HarvestTECH 2019. This will provide some useful tips on how businesses are going to keep their machines and operations working into the future.”

Harvesting innovations A rare insight into some truly innovative harvesting operations from major equipment and technology suppliers from around the globe, John Deere Forestry, USA, Caterpillar, USA, Eltec, Canada, Tigercat, Canada, FORCO representing ecoforst and the T-Winch from Austria, Summit Attachments, USA and Ponsse, Finland will be provided through presentations and exhibitions in Rotorua. The New Zealand wood harvesting program is extensive. Further details will be provided in the lead up to the event. Full details on the two-day event, HarvestTECH 2019 on the event website, www.harvesttech.events

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

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Ponsse Factory Feature

€38 million expansion Ponsse factory paves way for brave new future By Philip Hopkins

he €38 million expansion of the Ponsse factory is the biggest investment in the manufacturing centre’s history. The expansion, completed late last year, increases the factory’s size from 2.7 hectares to 4 hectares. Its operation is now along the lines of an automobile plant, with various parts being produced and brought together on an assembly line. The factory in the Vidgren family’s home village of Vi-

erema, 500 kilometres north of Helsinki, now employs 580 people, of whom 390 work in production. Ponsse chief executive, Juho Nummela, said the investment in new technology, quality and productivity at the highest level, had created a world class operation. Juho said Ponsse focussed on manufacturing the machinery in-house – painting, welding, arches – with the parts assembled in the factory. Not all the parts were produced by Ponsse - the hydraulic equipment, engines,

bogeys and axles came from Germany. Nevertheless, “the new factory gives the company a great opportunity,” he said. A completed forestry machine comes off the line every 165 minutes; it takes three days from start to finish to build a machine. Juho said the expansion work had been completed efficiently. “Over the summer, the workers in the factory went on holidays. They came back and the new facilities were installed! It was a new environment,” he said. The factory is anchored by

a 1.5 hectare business park nearby. Various companies in the supplier village make goods for Ponsse products such as electric cables, or fuel connections and hydraulic hoses. Juho said almost half the order lines for the factory come from the village. “Ponsse’s suppliers must grow and develop all the time,” he said. One company, Ratesteel, formed in 1998 by former Ponsse workers, cuts metal sheets, and sends goods to Ponsse factory four times a day to meet the production

schedule. It now has more than 50 employees, who work two shifts five days a week. The company, which uses both manual and automatic robotic welding, receives lots of instructions from Ponsse, working closely together to ensure the product is reliable. Ratesteel was aiming to have a second robot in full production by the end of the year, with a long-term plan to use five robots. Parts are taken to the warehouse, but they don’t lie around; there is a time

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Ponsse Factory Feature

schedule. Non-stop truck movements take parts to the Ponsse factory. The factory expansion was formally launched by the chairman of the Ponsse board, Juha Vidgren, and Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Mika Lintila. The presentation area was bounded by a display of photos showcasing Ponsse’s entire 48-year history – from the earliest workshop to the first hall and on to industrial manufacturing and a modern machine factory. Juha said it had been a long journey, and Einari’s words described it well. “Nobody’s anything alone, but a good team can achieve a lot.” “Throughout Ponsse’s history, investments had always been based on a steady belief in what we do, as well as our

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Mr Lintila aid the factory customers’ trust in Ponsse leash their creativity for even more challenging things. The extension was an example of machines,” Juha said. “Einari’s strength was in robot is a new co-worker, not the optimistic outlook that had characterised Ponsse tolerating uncertainty and a threat.” Mr Lintila said Ponsse was throughout its development. having the courage to make “I hope that Ponsse’s exbold decisions, and the same also a forerunner as a developer of new training solu- ample will also encourage also applies to us today.” Mr Lintila said Ponsse was tions. The Ponsse Academy other companies to invest in new things,” he said. an example of what Mr Lintila said can be achieved for an export comthrough competence, “We are witnessing the pany like Ponsse, the courage to renext major shift as robotics the profitability of form and the eninvestments was thusiasm to try new is gaining ground in the also affected by inthings. industrial sector: Economic ternational trade. He The factory extenwarned against the sion, however, had Affairs Minister” current trend towards wide-reaching improtectionism, which pacts. “We are witnessing the next major shift at the factory strongly bound threatened free trade. Mr Lintila said Ponsse’s as robotics is gaining ground the process of learning with in the industrial sector,” he actual work and new forms factory extension brought toof working. “The company gether great new expertise. said. “Robots and the artificial ensures the future availabil- “Over one hectare of robotintelligence associated with ity of a skilled talent pool,” ics, 3D modelling and remote programming all raise Ponthem allow humans to un- he said.

sse’s competitiveness to the next level,” he said. “The constant development of processes, the world’s best forest machines and the best quality offered to customers sound like excellent objectives.” However, Mr Lintila said he was certain Ponsse’s true success was based on strong values and fair play. “That will always get you far,” he said, then indicating the launching ribbon, he added: “Pass the scissors, please!” ** The author was a guest of Ponsse at the world premiere and factory opening in Vieremä, Finland, to see the prelaunch of the new PONSSE models, participate in the factory opening and get an introduction to the production of PONSSE forest machines.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 27

Sale Plans

Caterpillar to sell majority of forestry business to Weiler

aterpillar has entered into a preliminary agreement with Weiler Inc to sell the Cat purpose-built forestry business, except for forestry excavators. The sale is subject to negotiation of a final agreement but approval is anticipated soon. For more than 90 years, Caterpillar has made sustainable progress possible by driving positive change on every continent. In Australia’s case, William Adams’ customers played no small part in helping to establish Caterpillar as the world’s leading manufacturer of construction, mining and forestry equipment. On the subject of the forestry industry, William Adams’ commitment to uncompromising sales and service has always been there and will continue to do so after Caterpillar’s recent announcement. William Adams General Manager, Sales, Ryan O’Doherty says Caterpillar’s decision to sell the specialised forestry equipment part of its business will not have any material effect on William Adams’ customers. O’Doherty states ‘William Adams remains strongly committed to supporting its forestry customers and the forest industry.’ Caterpillar will continue to provide forestry excavators designed for log loading, processing and other forestry applications, in addition to supplying core Caterpillar equipment to the forestry industry. ‘The sale of the purposebuilt forestry business enables Caterpillar and Weiler to serve the complete forestry industry, while William Adams will continue to provide customers with the same outstanding sales and service support they’ve come to expect’ says Ryan O’Doherty. The proposed sale to Weiler Inc includes the purposebuilt forestry product line 28

consisting of wheel skidders, track feller bunchers, wheel feller bunchers, knuckleboom loaders and related operational facilities as well as the Caterpillar manufacturing plant and warehouse in LaGrange, Georgia. The demonstration and training centre in Auburn, Alabama and the legacy Prentice parts distribution centre in Smithfield, North Carolina will also form part of the sale. Founded in 2000, Weiler has a long-standing history of successfully manufacturing purpose-built equipment distributed through the Cat dealer network and currently produces an extensive portfolio of products, such as paving machines. “Weiler has a proven track record of working with Cat dealers like William Adams all over the world and have built a reputation based on a rapid response to the specialised product needs of its customers. We’re confident this development provides a foundation to successfully deliver to the purpose-built forestry segment,” Ryan says. Pat Weiler – owner and founder of Weiler says: ‘We believe the purpose-built forestry product line is the ideal addition to our current portfolio. We’re confident our existing line-up, our flexible manufacturing systems and our unrivalled customer focus will differentiate us within the forestry segment.’ ‘Utilising the capabilities of LaGrange and Knoxville facilities, we have plans in place to expand the existing product line to further meet customer demand,’ adds Mr Weiler.’ It’s anticipated 270 employees supporting the business will be retained, adding to the nearly 500 currently employed at its Knoxville, Iowa corporate office and manufacturing facility. William Adams would like to acknowledge this future development by looking back at some of the forestry

customer’s acquisitions that helped define the William Adams’ Caterpillar experience and will continue to do so. Southern Highlands Contracting Warrick and Damien Alcock purchased a Cat 548 GF – the first of its kind to be delivered to the bush. Its role is to clear dangerous trees from roadsides around the Cann River area in East Gippsland. The brothers based their choice on the big Cat’s stability, performance, fuel economy and service.

W&J Fenner Julieann, Warren Fenner and excited crew from Orbost on the day they took delivery of a new Cat 545D. The machine is currently being utilised for VicForests. Its role is to harvest native forest re-growth – a renewable and sustainable industry supporting thousands of families throughout regional Victoria.

Boss Logging Matt Van Dam of Bairnsdale-based Boss Logging, took delivery of their first Cat 330F L. The new machine pictured below features proud owner Matt and eager operator Cameron on delivery day.

SKM Contracting Based in Gippsland, SKM Contracting are proud owners of a new 545D grapple skidder – pictured here with 326DL and 336D prior to season’s start. This is another machine that’s been put to work on behalf of Vic Forests to harvest native forest ‘re-growth.’ Thousands of families throughout regional Victoria depend on this sustainable industry for their livelihood. William Adams would like to thank Kathy and Simon McConachy and all the other forestry operators for their continued support and hope they look to the future with the same level of enthusiasm we do.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Bio

Biochar could be a green bullet for forestry

housands of trees planted near Loch Ness could help grow a new income stream for Scotland’s forestry industry while removing thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. The trees comprise a largescale test site investigation by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)-funded scientists from the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with Forest Research, Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree-related research. Over the next four years, the scientists will be monitoring the site to find out how biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from forestry residue, performs as a fertiliser, nutrient sponge and soil carbon addition. The team believes biochar could be a green bullet for forestry and the wider environment, with the potential to generate income while improv-

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“Our initial results indicate ing soils, reducing residue and developed, this represents a huge opportunity for Scotland’s that seedlings grown in soil storing carbon. Initial results have already £2 billion timber processing in- with biochar are more effective at capturing and using light, dustry.” been positive. “Over the next four years which is an indicator for overall “Forestry is a nationally imtree health.” portant industry, but in Dr Saran Sohi, leader of Scotland it is concentrated the UK Biochar Research on upland, nutrient-poor “Every year, wood Centre at the University soils where new trees can processing produces of Edinburgh, said biochar be slow to establish,” said had a range of benefits for Mike Perks from Forest about a million tonnes environment. As well Research. of phosphorus-rich by- the containing nutrients like “Every year, wood prophosphorus, it contains a cessing produces about a product that could be high proportion of highlymillion tonnes of phosphoused to make biochar stable carbon. rus-rich by-product that “This carbon remains could be used to make bioinstead of being sold sequestered in biochar for char instead of being sold as low-value mulch for centuries, so its sustainas low-value mulch for able production could be horticulture. horticulture” a powerful tool in the fight “Biochar could help soil against climate change.” carbon recover faster, imForestry is not the only inprove planting success, reduce we’ll be monitoring biochar’s the need for additional fertiliser performance, by measuring tree dustry in Scotland that could during forest establishment and establishment success, growth benefit from biochar. “Biochar can be made from add value to the industry as an and tree health,” said Hamish Creber, the NERC-funded PhD almost any type of dry biomass, additional product. “If a business model can be student overseeing the test site. including waste materials. So

it could be an enormous opportunity for ‘closed-loop’ type resource management, with numerous valuable benefits,” said Dr Sohi. The test site run by the University of Edinburgh and Forest Research is part of a wider NERC-funded project, Soils Research to deliver Greenhouse Gas Removals and Abatement Technologies (Soils-RGGREAT), which is harnessing the best expertise in the UK on soils and biochar to provide a comprehensive global assessment of soil-based greenhouse gas removal. Heating biomass in a zero-oxygen environment to temperatures of 250°C or greater yields energy-rich gases and liquids, and a solid charcoal, or char. The thermal process used to produce biochar is known as pyrolysis, and by altering the pyrolysis conditions, it’s possible to change the character of the biochar.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 29

Bio

A forgotten solution to our national fuel reserve crisis Alarming reports continue to emerge regarding Australia’s low emergency fuel reserves and how it makes us “vulnerable” and creates a critical national security issue.

ustralia is languishing behind other nations in fuel independence and security and has been named as the least prepared developed nation to deal with a crisis. Latest figures produced by the Department of Energy show stockpiles at the end of October 2018 were 27 days total petroleum products, 22 days of petrol and 17 days of diesel. The risks associated with transportation fuel security were first aired by Air ViceMarshal John Blackburn AO (retired) in his reports for the NRMA in 2013 and 2014. In addition, in 2015 a Senate Inquiry showed Australia was desperately short of its 90day emergency fuel reserve supplies, required as a member of the International Energy Association (IEA). With the decline in domestic refining in Australia, and the closure of three refineries

in the past decade Australia has been left with four refineries in operation and the majority of fuel being imported. Australia would be exposed to catastrophic challenges should there be disruptions to the main shipping line to Australia. This could occur for a range of reasons including geopolitical issues in the region or a natural disaster. “This is an issue of national security and biofuels must be considered as part of the solution,” said Shahana Mckenzie, CEO of Bioenergy Australia. “The production of biofuels in Australia can help diversify the sources of transportation fuels and decrease Australia’s reliance on petroleum imports,” she stressed. “A recent report from QUT showed that a simple e10 national mandate would represent an 18% decrease on imported fuels.”

Biofuels are created from waste organic matter and can be blended with petroleum, diesel and jet fuel with significant positive impacts on the environment, reduced health impacts through reducing air particulate matter, increased jobs through regional development and enhanced fuel security through reduced reliance on imported fuels. Technological developments are now allowing drop in 100% replaceable fuels to be created, from feed stocks such as municipal waste and sewerage waste to fuel. “Biofuels are not just relevant for land transport, Biojet is a significant area of growth globally. As an example, the demand for jet fuel is increasing annually in line with the international growth of the international aviation sector and consumer demand,” Shahana said. “Australia has consistently

had to manage issues relating to aviation jet fuel supply and availability. As an example, in 2016 Melbourne airport experienced a severe jet fuel shortage following disruptions to jet fuel deliveries from a number of terminals across the city. Less than 2 million litres of aviation fuel was available at the country’s second busiest airport, meaning that less than 10 A380 planes had enough fuel for a long-haul flight. “Currently Australia imports ~93% of its commercial jet fuel and we hold approximately 20 days of fuel in store. This should be considered a significant concern for the security, reliability and operations of our airports, industries, tourism and international image.” Shahana said an ideal solution to deal with Australia’s fuel security, supply and access would be for both sides

of Government to support the development of a local biofuels industry in Australia and commit to the development of a National Strategy and roadmap to develop the industry. “Currently Australia lags well behind other nations in production of biofuels and the receipt of its knock-on benefits. A local biofuels industry could create over 8000 direct and indirect jobs, contribute over 1.1 Billion annually to regional communities, reduce particulate matter in our air by 26% and reduce our reliance on important fuel by 18%”[1]. “Biofuels should be above politics. “A local industry would create jobs, enhance fuel security, support waste reduction strategies and build stronger regional economies. It would also provide significant environmental and health benefits,” said Shahana.

Hewson to Chair Bioenergy Board Dr John Hewson has been appointed a Director of the Bioenergy Board Australia. He replaced outgoing chair Clean Energy Finance Corporations Chief Investment Officer Paul McCartney whose term as chair concluded. Dr Hewson is one of Australia’s most experienced economists, financial experts and company directors. He is also a former politician and was Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1990 to 1994. “Dr Hewson’s commitment to and passion for renewable energy, his in-depth understanding and connection to the bioenergy sector and his commitment to driving opportunities for innovation and growth for Australia position him as a fantastic leader for Bioenergy Australia in 2019,” said Shahana McKenzie, CEO, Bioenergy Australia. A recent report by KPMG, Bioenergy State of the Nation Report, outlined that Australia was mostly ignoring an energy investment opportunity of as much as $5 billion in urban, agricultural and forest waste that would stimulate regional economies, improve fuel security and reduce emissions. “I look forward to supporting Bioenergy Australia’s efforts to educate and advocate for change in the bioenergy space to get more projects off the ground and the political support to drive national policies to support investment, employment and growth,” said Dr Hewson. The Bioenergy Australia Board is now made up of John Hewson (Chair), Heather Bone (Deputy Chair), Paul McCartney, Paul Hetherington, Amy Philbrook, Ian O’Hara, and Bernadette McCabe. 30

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Scanning

Next generation scanner gets thumbs at expo unveiling

oeScan gave visitors a glimpse at the future of sawmill scanning during Timber Processing & Energy Expo (TP&EE) in Portland, Oregon. The 3D laser scanning leaders brought a pair of interactive demos to their booth, showcasing a variety of innovations exclusive to their latest JS-50 prototype devices. By leveraging 16 years of sawmill industry engineering, as well as the latest advances in hardware technology, JoeScan has built their best 3D scanner yet. The new JS-50 scan heads bring twice the speed, resolution, and data density, all in a package ¼ the size and weight of earlier models. In the first demo, visitors experienced a live log scan by a trio of JS-50 prototypes. Performance benefits were demonstrated on a log supported by two flights that visitors pushed through a towering scan arch. The on-screen visualization laid bare the improvement in data density. Visitors also commented on how the dual camera design produced data around the flights that would be missed by single camera scanners. Dual cameras eliminate missed data from flighted chains and other occlusions: www.timberbiz.com.au

The second demo offered a hands-on test of the JS-50’s new dovetail snap-mount and single cable connector. Untrained visitors were able to remove and replace scan heads in less than ten seconds with this intuitive new system. Using a power-over-ethernet architecture cuts the number of cables needed in half. For instance a large system would go from 48 cables down to just 24. This cable uses a single industry-standard RJ45 ethernet plug, making for extremely tidy junction boxes. It also removes the need for a dedicated power supply, reduces cable management complexity, and dramatically improves troubleshooting time. JoeScan’s new single cable connector and snap-mount system make swapping heads a breeze. “Our inspiration for the snap mount was the repeatability of picatinny rail systems used by the military for rifle optics,” says mechanical engineer Vadim Kovalev. “We wanted to create something that was very easy to use, and that would allow for heads to be swapped without recalibration.” But perhaps the most visually stunning feature of the new JoeScan is its size and

shape. The JS-50 comes in at a slender 19 inches by 3 inches by 1½ inches and sports a sleek, bow-like style. This makes it significantly easier to handle and install than earlier models. The smaller package also opens it up to applications without much room for scanning hardware. You can fit four JS-50 devices in the same space as a single JS-25 scanner. Overall the JS-50’s new features proved to be very popular with show attendees. Both sawmill operators and optimization experts agreed that the new model would raise the bar JoeScan had already set for simplicity and reliability in sawmill scanning. “We are pleased with the positive response the JS-50 is generating,” said Jason Farmer, JoeScan’s vice president of engineering, “but we aren’t surprised. “We’ve built a compelling technology roadmap, focused exclusively on the sawmill industry, and the JS-50 is our first step down that path. It’s an exciting time to be scanning with JoeScan.” These prototype units impressed, and the final commercial version of the JS-50 will be available for purchase in early 2019.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 31

Guest Columnist

How to increase production on site through innovative management By Joachim Nachmansohn Nachmansohn Consulting & Co. Fertilizer Soil & Water Management

n this article we will discuss a couple of successful examples, and what astonishing results can be obtained by innovative and quite unorthodox methods. Before I present the examples, let me first quickly describe the method. The basic approach is to apply fertilizers and water on demand in a tree plantation. The aim is to attain and perpetuate optimal soil fertility levels. This is done by applying a complete and wellbalanced fertilizer on weekly basis, via a sprinkler-based irrigation system. As such, optimal nutrient and humidity levels is created in the soil. The weekly dose needs to be dimensioned such that it, in combination with the nutrient status of the soil, can account for the actual demand of the trees for seven days. The first example is Eucalyptus pulp production in Portugal. Due to fertilization according to the above-mentioned principles, harvesting could take place only five years after plantation. This was a world record. Almost equally impressive 32

results have been obtained with fir-trees in both the northern and southern parts of Sweden. Actually, trials according to these principles have been performed in Australia as well, on Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata). Equally impressive as the enhanced production rate is the drastically increased soil fertility due to the method. From the example of the northern part of Sweden, the buildup of high-quality organic matter and soil fertility was so significant, that what takes a couple of centuries for the natural ecosystem took about ten years with a demand-driven fertilizer and water supply in the plantation. The beauty with this from a commercial perspective, was that the need for fertilizer inputs drastically decreased over time, as the improved soil now cycled most of the nutrients released from the tree litter. So, at the initiation of applying the method, most of the nutrients taken up by the tree originated from applied fertilizers. But after a ten-year period, the opposite was true; most of the nutrients taken up did not come from fertilizers but was obtained from the systems own nutrient cycle. As for the example in Por-

tugal, the soil was transformed from almost a pure sandy soil to a soil covered with a litter layer that increased the soils water holding and nutrient delivery capacity considerably, in only five years. Now, obviously, this method cannot be applied just in any forestry plantation. But it can be in some. And where it can it should. This my first point. If we see great innovation that actually work, we should be open to investigate its viability in our own situation, from both a financial and practical perspective. Because the method is universally applicable, holds enormous potential, and has been proven in real commercial systems. My second point is that even though the method canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be applied fully with irrigation and all everywhere, we can still utilize the principles as much as possible in any production system. The main take-away components are: Make sure to apply a balanced fertilizer, not just nitrogen, or N-P-K. Apply fertilizers as often as practicably possible. The amount should increase progressively according to the increased growth rate and nutrient demand of the trees. As

well as decrease later in the vegetation season when the geographical conditions will lower the activity. Ensure to build-up the longterm fertility of the soil. Adapt nutrient budget/fertilizer plan according to the soil fertility conditions, and its ability to cycle nutrients. These tools are really valuable regardless of the exact conditions of the forestry production system. Even though they cannot achieve the same drastic results as an irrigationbased system, they can still improve the key elements discussed in this article. It will just take more time. And in the meanwhile, the production efficiency can be enhanced, together with an increase in resource use efficiency and a lowered environmental impact. Just a final little challenging thought: to implement something new and innovative means taking a risk, not so much with the method itself as it has been properly proven, but with estimating its viability within oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own system. But if that process is done properly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an unreasonable risk. To the contrary, not innovating when the facts supports it, is taking an even greater risk in the long run.

THE AUTHOR: Joachim Nachmansohn is an international fertilizer and soil & water management expert. Educated in Sweden with two separate masters degrees in both agriculture and soil and water management he laid a very solid foundation for his in depth research and immersion in plant nutrition, which now covers all big plant production niches such as forestry, agriculture and horticulture. His unique specialty is Demand-Driven Fertilization, which was founded on Wallenberg Prize awarded discoveries and then was passed along to him by great innovators and scholars. Through this lineage he is the primary and officially authorized representative and keeper of this gamechanging concept. Through his company Nachmansohn Consulting & Co he now, among other things, spreads unique clarity on the topic of plant nutrition, works with helping plant producers to optimize production, consults fertilizer producers and distributors, as well as contributes with expertise to different institutes. He is a published columnist and article writer all over the Anglo-American world and beyond, he holds lectures and educations internationally, and not the least is an appreciated inspirational public speaker and takes on international speaking engagements, in which he shares his insights, thoughtfulness and wit. Joachim can be reached at consulting@ joachimnachmansohn.com or visit www.joachimnachmansohn.com.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

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Tigercat in Australia

■■ The Onetrak facilities in Tumut.

Plenty of milestones in Tigercat’s two decades in Australia By Kim Hansen Onetrak Marketing Manager

s 2018 ends we are all busy making plans for the year ahead, but before we look forward we would like to stop and take a moment to reflect on Tigercat’s journey in Australia and some of the milestones reached over recent years. In 1999, Lex McLean from Forest Centre in Tumut, NSW, decided he would like to become a dealer for Tigercat and after approaching the then President of Tigercat, Tony Iarocci by email, he attended a logging show in Atlanta. The show was followed up with a factory visit and then field visits to New Brunswick with Gary Olsen, the newly appointed Export Manager for Tigercat. Handshakes made, plans set in place and Tigercat had a dealer for Australia. A small Forest Centre team of Lex, salesperson Keith Shelley, Service Manager Glen Marley and later on Phil 34

Turnbull as Parts Manager hit the road and finally in 2000 the first Tigercat machine, an H845B Tracked Harvester was sold to Kevin Morgan from Launceston, Tasmania, at the Lardner Park show. Soon after the first ever Tigercat 630B skidder was sold to LV Dohnt in Mount Gambier.

Steady growth The next 10 years and three AUSTimber shows in Albury/ Wodonga saw the steady growth of the Tigercat machine population all around Australia and stretching the Forest Centre reach over all the country’s time zones. During this time Glen Marley had joined the Tigercat team as a District Manager for Australasia & South East Asia in order to support the growing Forest Centre technical, parts and sales team. Another of the Forest Centre service support representatives, Steve Green out of Launceston, Tasmania where Tigercat’s biggest concentration of machines existed also joined the Tigercat team

as a factory Product Support Representative to further support the efforts of Lex and his Forest Centre team. At this point in time with the continued growth of business and the need for heavy investment in infrastructure and staff, Tigercat recognised the need for a second dealer in Australia in order to allow Forest Centre to concentrate their efforts and resources over a more focused area. Early in 2012 Onetrak was appointed as Tigercat dealer in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria. After 12 years of being the sole Tigercat dealer, Lex decided on a well-deserved retirement at the start of 2013. As a result of Onetrak’s proven customer focus and commitment to the brand Tigercat decided to appoint Onetrak as the Australian dealer at the start of 2013. Onetrak took over the Forest Centre facilities in Tumut and Bunbury and expanded the coverage by opening a branch in Mount Gambier in South Australia in

2014 and head office in Tasmania’s south in 2015. 2016 marked the 10 year anniversary of Onetrak which coincided with the 2016 AUSTimber event and this was celebrated at the branch in Victoria together with staff, Tigercat factory representatives including Ken and Donna MacDonald along with customers and industry representatives.

Silver anniversary In 2017 Tigercat celebrated their Silver Anniversary with the release of their video 25. In 25 years Tigercat had produced 19,000 machines, had an employee count of 1400 and over 150 dealer locations worldwide. Also in 2017; Onetrak opened a branch in Somerset in northern Tasmania, the Bunbury branch was relocated to new premises and the first of the massive Tigercat 632E skidders and coincidentally the 400th Tigercat was sold to D & M Harvesting. 2018 was an eventful year with Onetrak’s Tumut branch and key staff celebrating their 5

year anniversary at Onetrak. Kim McLean, Phil Turnbull and Damien Ambrose have all been involved with Tigercat since its start-up by Forest Centre 18 years ago. Last year also brought the Australian launch of the heavy duty Tigercat 1185 eight-wheel harvester and the release of a Coppice Spray System developed locally specifically for Australian forestry contractors. Another support branch in Queensland in Rocklea outside Brisbane and the relocation of the Mount Gambier branch to new and improved premises also took place in 2018. “Onetrak has always been involved with the forest industry since our inception but it has been the dealership rights for Tigercat that allowed us to become a full-line forestry equipment supplier to the Australian market. It’s a terrific industry and we love dealing with the people in it and building strong relationships”, said David Hazell, Managing Director at Onetrak.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Tigercat in Australia

A well-known forestry profile and the very first Tigercat owner in Australia is Kevin Morgan. Last year Kevin was elevated to AFCA’s Industry Icons category presented at the annual Hall of Fame dinner in Launceston. As explained on the AFCA website “An industry icon is the highest recognition and is only awarded to contractors that have contributed over a long period of time their services to industry through innovation, ingenuity and setting out to achieve a better future for our industry”. “I have been working in the timber industry since I was 13 years old which is over 58 years. My father worked in the timber industry so I suppose I was born into it,” says Kevin. Kevin is the Owner and Director of Kevin Morgan Group operating in Tasmania and South Australia. “Currently I employ 82 personnel but prior to the industry downturn in 2012 I have employed as many as 138,” Kevin explains. In 2000 Kevin Morgan Group became the very first customer to purchase a Tigercat in Australia.

The first “I was the first contractor in Australia and also the first person outside North America to www.timberbiz.com.au

purchase a Tigercat machine business and employs passion- machine and the fact that we which was early in 2000. The ate people who continue to continue to purchase Tigercat first machine was a Tiger- support and grow the Tigercat machines shows that we have cat H845B tracked harvester brand. Everyone I have had faith in Tigercat and Onetrak”. Another industry profile closely followed by an 845B dealings with involved in the tracked disc saw feller bunch- engineering, research and de- who has followed the develer and a 630B grapple skid- velopment, production, mar- opment of Tigercat in Ausder. I had been following the keting and aftersales support tralia is Adan Taylor. Adan Tigercat growth in the North love working in the industry was the first Queensland American forestry magazines, and have a passion for the Ti- director on the board of the Australian Forest Contractors read quite a few articles and gercat brand”, Kevin says. When asked what Kevin Association in 2014 and then reviews on the Tigercat range of products and was impressed values most when buying for- proceeded to being elected to with what I had read and de- estry equipment, he explains the AFCA board as chairman in 2016. cided to take a punt on Adan begins by dea new product,” Kevin scribing how he was close says. to not pursuing a career Kevin adds “I have “I have purchased 35 the forestry industry; purchased 35 Tigercat Tigercat machines over in “My father joined the inmachines over the years and currently have 25 the years and currently dustry in 1974, building his contracting work and still working in my operahave 25 still working the business from a start tions. I first started talking or dealing with Tigercat in in my operations. I first as a handfaller. I put in a weeks here & there 1999. I have known Dastarted talking or dealing few on school holidays, usuvid Hazell for a long time, ally hooking up and unbefore he started the busiwith Tigercat in 1999” hooking trees from the ness and have been dealwinch rope behind one ing with Onetrak since it “There is a lot to consider of the various dozers he opercommenced back in 2006”. Kevin has visited the Ti- when purchasing a machine ated. This wasn’t much fun, so gercat factories in Canada a such as specifications, build when I left school in 1990, dad couple of times and has seen quality, aftersales service, had successfully convinced the production lines as well as backup and support, company me to pursue a career outside meeting the people behind the profile, personal relationship the family business. I started and trust with the sales person work as a junior for an acbrand. counting firm in Gympie and “I have known Ken Mc- and finally price”. Kevin concludes by saying, started studying my business Donald for a long time and his reputation proceeds him. ”As with all products, after- degree. Twelve years (plus He is a very successful busi- sales backup and support is a business degree, CPA qualifiness man who has built a great major factor in purchasing a cation, mortgage, kids) later, I

wished for more commercial experience than I had gained at the practice, and so joined the family business in 2004. I left an air-conditioned office and started working as a chokerman in our cable logging crew and loved every minute!”. Adan is today the Owner and Director of GMT Logging and GMT Heavy Mechanical. “In 2015 my wife and I purchased the company GMT Logging from my parents Geoff & Marina Taylor (GMT stands for their initials), and dad has now retired (kind of) at the tender age of 72”, Adan says. When asked to describe their jobsites and operations Adan says “Our home base is at Imbil (25mins south of Gympie) in South East Queensland. We operate four clear fall steep slope crews harvesting Hoop pine (araucaria cunninghami) including our Harvestline cable machine floating between crews as needed. We also operate a two machine thinnings crew in Southern Pine operating in the Toolara Forest near Gympie. “We currently have 20 ½ full time staff in our crews (handfaller is part time), plus 5 in the office and 4 in the workshop. We also maintain some Continued on Page 36

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 35

Tigercat in Australia

■■ A visit to Erik Krume’s steep slope logging site in Washington during the annual factory tour organised by Onetrak and Tigercat.

Plenty of milestones in Tigercat’s two decades in Australia Continued from Page 35

retired operators as fill ins as necessary (Dad being one of those!). We have 25 units in our fleet - 4 x Feller Bunchers, 5 x Harvesters (+ 1 spare), 5 x Forwarders (+ 1 spare), 4 x Excavators for loading/shovelling (+ 1 tailhold), Harvestline, and 2 x dozers”, Adan explains. Careful evaluation “When we evaluate what machine to buy we take the following four things into account 1) Is it fit for purpose?, 2) Quality and speed of service backup, 3) Manufacturer reputation for reliability, longevity & quality of build and lastly 4) Price & Operating costs”, Adan explains. Adan thinks back to first seeing the Tigercat machines; “We were introduced to Tigercat through Keith Shelley &

Lex McLean at Forest Centre in Tumut. We were very impressed with the build quality and the manufacturer’s commitment to the industry”. After Lex McLean’s retirement in 2013 Onetrak proceeded to take over the distribution of Tigercat in Australia. Adan continues to explain “We were already familiar with and impressed by the Tigercat brand before Onetrak took over the dealership in 2013. By that stage we already owned two machines. Our first Tigercat was a 1075 Forwarder we purchased in August 2007. We traded this machine on a 1075B Forwarder in 2014. All Tigercat machines purchased since then are still frontline machines today”. Adan talks about the reasons behind purchasing the company’s first Tigercats “Build quality, reliability and

excellent service backup. The service backup was obtained by Forest Centre organising for our workshop manager to receive specialist Tigercat training so we could perform our own repair work – Imbil is obviously a long way from Tumut! This arrangement is still in place today through Onetrak and our product knowledge has grown along with that relationship”. When asked if the reasons for choosing Tigercat are the same today Adan says, ”Yes, but we have started to value more the manufacturers that design, build and specialise in Forestry equipment as their key product. Our visits to the Tigercat facilities in Canada only reinforce to us that their engineers are interested in listening to and actioning our suggestions for improvements. Because Tigercat only

build forestry machines, their reputation in our industry is paramount. This makes for a focussed design/build space”. We asked David Hazell what the future holds for the Tigercat brand and Onetrak. “It is exciting times ahead with the Tigercat product range with several new models having been released in 2018 including the new D & E Series track based harvesters and bunchers as well as the new E & G series skidders that bring new levels of productivity and efficiency to our customers. The expansion of the product range is also great with the release of the 1185 rubbertire-harvester now allowing us access to a growing market segment here in Australia. 2019 will see Onetrak release into the Australian market some new products such as the high powered Tigercat M480B

Tracked Mulching machine combined with Tigercat’s own 4061 mulching head. Onetrak will also expand on the already very popular Tigercat felling attachment range with the release of some select harvesting head attachments to compliment the popular harvesting machine range”. David concludes by summarising this year’s focus areas; “Our key objective in 2019 is to continue to focus on building on our extensive aftersales coverage here in Australia for our key forestry clients. We are investing in new facilities across Australia and expanding on our mobile service vehicle fleet that current sit at 40 units. A further investment in parts inventory for critical and fastmoving items with hopefully further reflect Onetrak’s commitment to the very important forest industry in Australia”.

■■ A new shed in Bridgewater, Tasmania. After 13 years it is time to relocate the very first Onetrak branch to new premises.

Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

Sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee. For rates and deadlines call Gavin de Almeida on (08) 8369 9517 or email: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 37

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Australian Forests & Timber News February 2019 www.timberbiz.com.au

t n e m p i u q E y r t s e r o F h a t a r a W

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Waratah Forestry Equipment - Brendon Satchwell +61 43 844 5550 www.waratah

TimberPro TL 765D

Leveller The TL 765D (levelling) and TN 765D (non-levelling) are the latest Timberpro tail-swing carriers which come with very heavy duty undercarriage and boom sets, as well as introducing a totally new cab which excels in operator visibility. They can be supplied with either feller-buncher, shovel and harvester boom sets, with suitable attachments ranging from fixed bar saws, directional felling heads, disc saws and harvester heads for all extreme logging applications, especially tethering. The TL/TN 765D have standout benefits for all logging contractors: • Speed ....... New Lohmann final drives & closed loop system • Strength .... Twin slew motors, external slew & heavy duty frame • Stability .... Long and wide set heavy duty undercarriage The Crawford history has led the way in track forest machines.

www.komatsuforest.com.au

Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd. 11/4 Avenue of Americas Newington NSW 2127 Australia T: +61 2 9647 3600 E: info.au@komatsuforest.com