Australian Forests & Timber - September 2019

September 2019

Incorporating AUSTRALIAN FOREST LOGGER & SAWMILLER

w w w. t i m b e r b i z . c o m . a u

Tassie timber awards – Pages 20-21

Possum problem update – Page 4

State of the industry special report – Pages 18-19

The 931’s BIG Brother…

Komatsu 951

Sales: Davin Frankel: 0437 541 154 Peter Randalls: 0418 356 306

In the news

Harvesting no threat to koalas Bruce Mitchell

S

class reserve network that encompasses more than a quarter of the 22 million hectares of native forest found state-wide and includes the forests with the highest conservation value and best koala habitat.

The NSW Chief Scientist had acknowledged a lack of baseline data about koala populations in NSW at a landscape scale. Current research was addressing this and offering a clearer picture of koala populations across the landscape.

USTAINABLE timber harvesting is not a significant threat to koalas in New South Wales, a State Government inquiry has been told.

The Forestry Corporation of NSW has told the Inquiry into koala populations and habitat in New South Wales that known threats to koala populations are permanent land clearing, activities associated with urban development, fire and drought.

These threats occur across New research tenures, including in areas Carried out in partnership set aside for conservation, corporation told the inquiry. by multiple government It said NSW had a world- agencies suggested that koala

occupancy in NSW’s northeast forests is up to 10 times the rate previously estimated.

“As studies have found a decline in some koala popula-

“

Research has also demonstrated that koalas occupy harvested forests at the same rate as unharvested forests.’’ tions and long-term stability in others, it is important to address the threats to specific populations,’’ the corporation said.

CUSTOMISED SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR MILL AE Gibson & Sons

• Manufacturing • Sawmilling Equipment • Log Carriages • Resaws • Multisaws and board edgers • Automatic Sorters and Stackers • Complete turnkey projects. www.timberbiz.com.au

“Known threats to koala populations are permanent land clearing, activities associated with urban development, fire and drought.

“Timber harvesting, or log-

From major start ups to retro fits contact: Ph: 02 6559 4001 E: info@aegibsonman.com.au www.aegibsonman.com.au

Over 100 years of timber engineering solutions for optimum mill productivity

ging, is very different from land clearing and multiple studies have demonstrated that sustainable timber harvesting is not a significant threat to koalas.

The corporation said key reasons for this were the small scale of timber harvesting in the landscape context, the regulations around forestry activities that ensured trees are retained in each operation and the fact that forests are continually regrown after each operation, with new trees growing for every tree that was removed.

State forests made up 9.1 per cent of NSW’s native forest and the area subject to timber harvesting comprised less than a quarter of one per cent of the native forest in NSW. “Forestry operations in State forests are carried out in line with regulations designed to protect soil and water, ensure quality regeneration of forests and protect, at a landscape level, the habitat of koalas and other species,’’ the corporation said.

Recent changes To the regulations governing native forestry in coastal State forests meant that more than triple the number of ko-

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

ala browse trees were being retained compared with the previous settings.

“This is important, given research has found that the availability of preferred koala tree species is a fundamental component of koala habitat regardless of landscape context.

“Effective land management must be driven by robust data and underpinned by ongoing research.

“Tenure change will not address the known threats to koalas,’’ the corporation said.

“Ongoing investment in long-term monitoring across the landscape is essential to ensure future land management decisions are informed by the best available data.’’

There remained a need for better monitoring to ensure decisions about conservation measures were based on data.

The corporation said there were further opportunities to focus on threat abatement strategies, includings: • managing fire in the landscape • planting trees in degraded landscapes • managing roads and development and predators in areas with suitable koala habitat • investing in epidemiological research round disease • consideration of translocation or breeding strategies for areas where koalas no longer occupy suitable habitat due to historical impacts.

“However, the success of any koala conservation strategies now or into the future will only be measurable if NSW moves to implement a system of monitoring for koalas over the long term,’’ the corporation said.

3

In the news September 2019 Issue 6 Vol. 28 Established 1991 News 3-14 Forest machines 22-31 Tasmania Timber awards 20-21 State of the industry 18-19 Sawmills 32-33 Classifieds 34 Front Cover: Tasmanian Timber Tree Farmer of the Year Sue and Owen Smith with Outstanding Contribution to the Timber Industry award recipient Penny Wells.

Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Robyn Haworth Editor: Bruce Mitchell b.mitchelll@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Advertising: Gavin de Almeida g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Production: Peter Frezzini & NEM Creative Team Trader classified: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9522 Subcription rates One-year (8 editions) $55 Two-years (16 editions) $95 Accounts: Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Melbourne Office: Suite 2262, 442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 9810 3262 Website www.timberbiz.com.au Printed by Lane Print, Adelaide, SA

Conditions

The opinions expressed in Australian Forests & Timber News are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher.

All material in Australian Forests & Timber News copyright © Ryan Media. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

MEDIA

INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

4

New evidence not considered in possum’s ‘endangered’ listing

T

he re-listing of the Leadbeater’s Possum on the “critically endangered’ listing may have been carried out before new evidence of its viability had even been considered, the Institute of Foresters of Australia has told the Federal Environment Minister.

And the IFA also believes the announced reinstatement may have been driven by hasty political concerns - rather than scientific evidence - in the face of media hostility.

And the IFA wants the minister to seriously re-consider her support for the ‘critically endangered’ listing of Leadbeater’s Possum.

In a letter to the minister Ms Susan Ley, the IFA’s president Bob Gordon says the conservation status of the possum was a very important issue in Victoria given that the Andrews Labor Government was signalling an intent to use its “critically endangered’’ listing as justification for closing most of the state’s

native hardwood timber industry.

“This would ultimately inflict significant societal damage for no real conservation gain given that most of the state’s public forests are already reserved, and also because the presence of the industry plays such a critical role in controlling unnaturally severe bushfires which are arguably the greatest threat to Victoria’s forests and their wildlife,’’ Mr Gordon said.

He says that in September 2017, the Federal Government had agreed to review the Leadbeater’s Possum’s “critically endangered” listing in response to new evidence of a dramatic surge in new possum colony detections since the adoption of high technology surveying techniques in 2014.

Subsequently, additional evidence had emerged of possum colonies found in forest types where they had never before been recorded, up to 15 km outside of the species’ previously known range.

But despite this new evidence that Leadbeater’s Possum was far more numerous, resilient and widespread than previously known, Ms Ley had announced in June that, after receiving advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the TSSC), the possum’s “critically endangered’’ status would be maintained.

“A serious concern is that we can find no evidence that a TSSC Conservation Advice (CA) reporting on the review had been prepared before the decision to maintain the possum’s ‘critically endangered’ status was announced,’’ Mr Gordon says.

“Furthermore, the announcement coincided with that evening’s screening of a heavily biased ABC Four Corners episode in which Leadbeater’s Possum was prominently (and wrongly) featured as an example of supposed government inaction over threatened species conservation.

Mr Gordon says that after careful consideration of the TSSC’s new Conservation Advice (back-dated to 22 June), “our greater concern is that the renewed listing of Leadbeater’s Possum’s ‘critically endangered’ status has ignored or dismissed much of the new evidence’’.

“We have serious misgivings about the TSSC as an arbiter on threatened species issues in forests,’’ he says.

“This in-part reflects our frustration that the most prominent scientist advising the TSSC on Leadbeater’s Possum is also an active participant in the eco-political campaign to end native forest timber production in Victoria.’’

Mr Gordon says it was clear that problematic conservation status listings based on dubious assumptions and outdated data have considerable potential to unjustifiably and adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of thousands of rural workers and their families.

Brexit dangers on horizon for timber industry For many Australians the Brexit debate has seemed something far off and of little concern. But a detailed look at the implications for Australia and New Zealand’s timber industries suggests the issue should perhaps be at the forefront of thinking.

Great Britain’s exit from the EU has become a saga spanning more than two years with the UK now expected to leave on October 31 with a deal or – and this is UK PM Boris Johnson’s preferred strategy – no deal in place.

We are being told that large sectors of the UK timber industry are already looking for options, ways out, ways in.

Editorial There are warning bells sounding everywhere about the myriad of implications.

A weakened British Pound coupled with a UK-wide recession could reduce the demand for all goods, but it’s difficult to predict how Brexit will affect the demand specifically for wood imports.

It is safe to say that the impacts of a devalued pound are already being felt by exporters of forest products to the UK.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

The UK government has so far consistently stated that a UK version of the EU Timber Regulation will be enforced as the UK leaves the EU. UK operators will still have to perform due diligence on their imported products, according to the existing criteria and enforced by the same UK Office for Product Safety & Standards.

In a no-deal scenario, the UK will be considered a ‘third-country’ to the EU, just like the USA or China.

Where does all that leave Australia and New Zealand?

It is, at best it seems, an unknown future. www.timberbiz.com.au

KEEP YOUR EDGE

PowerCut™ 70-Series EXL A New Evolution to the Popular LGX 3/8" Professional Saw Chain With every cut, your reputation is on the line.

That’s why we’ve spent generations engineering the sharpest, fastest professional cutting systems in the world. The PowerCut 70-Series EXL delivers a new, more aggressive cutter geometry to help you power through timber with speed, efficiency, and precision.

NEW Now available at an authorised Briggs & Stratton dealer

The new 70-Series EXL Saw Chain Features: + Multi-axis grind technology for superior performance, sharpness, and consistency + LubriTec™ keeps your saw chain and guide bar oiled for less friction and longer life + Gold Loop Start Indicator makes sharpening easier with start and stop identification

For more information call Briggs & Stratton 1800 356 632 or find an authorised Briggs & Stratton dealer at BriggsandStratton.com.au Oregon® and PowerCut™ are trademarks of Blount, Inc.

In the news Specialists on call to protect SPECIALIST forestry firefighters working in Australia’s forest industries will help protect people, communities and vital forest assets from the threat of bushfires across the country this summer season.

Australian Forest Products Association CEO Ross Hampton said it was important to recognise the critical work our forest industries and firefighters do in conjunction with the wider fire services to keep people and property safe.

The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (BNHCRC) states the east coast Australia as well as southern parts of SA and WA are facing ‘above normal fire potential’ following the dry start to the year.

“Working in bushfire management, mitigation and firefighting is as much a core part of work in Australia’s forest industries as tree harvest operations or planting. Our people know forests and know how to manage them for fire,” Mr Hampton said.

“Thousands of hours are put in throughout the year by state forestry agency and forest company staff or contractors. In many cases the majority of staff working for these agencies or companies are fire trained.

6

Firefighting capabilities beefed up for the coming horror of a season F

IREFIGHTERS from Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Casino and the wider north coast have been put through their paces, being trained and tested at Forestry Corporation of NSW’s pre-season fire day held in Bom Bom State Forest.

Forestry Corporation is bolstering its firefighting capabilities across the state in preparation for the coming fire season.

Peter Walters, Forestry Corporation’s Grafton District Manager, said it was important all firefighting staff understood the height-

ened risks presented by the coming hot and dry summer.

“As we approach fire season, we hold fire training days like this to make sure everyone is prepared and ready to respond to an emergency,” Mr Walters said.

“This year is unseasonably dry, so we are getting in early to be as prepared as we can be for the season ahead.

“It’s essential that land managers and community alike play their part for the fire season—plan ahead, follow the rules and control any fires quickly.”

Forestry Corporation’s preseason fire days are part of a rigorous training program, which includes training camps for new firefighters and those looking to advance their skills. This year’s training also includes an expanded focus on protecting property during bushfire emergencies.

“We’re working closely with the Rural Fire Service to upskill our staff on property protection this year,” Mr Walters said.

“Our trained firefighters will be on standby for the fire season, ensuring we can help manage the impact

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

of bushfires, wherever they happen.”

Forestry Corporation spends the cooler months of the year preparing roads and fire trails, completing hazard reduction burns, upgrading its equipment to reduce the risk of fire and ensuring its crews are well prepared heading into summer.

Forestry Corporation is responsible for preventing and managing fires in two million hectares of state forests across New South Wales. It also assists with large bushfires on private property and other bushland in Australia and also overseas.

www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news Industry honour for de Fegely

Fire risks putting pressure on plantation insurance R ECORD temperatures globally over the past few years have generated unprecedented high Forest Fire Danger Index conditions.

These conditions have extended the duration of the traditional fire season in many regions and, of more concern, have been the catalyst for losses in regions not normally impacted by fire.

As a consequence, plantation insurers have been affected by increased losses which have undermined their profitability on what is already a difficult class of insurance to underwrite.

This difficulty arises from the nature of the insured perils, namely fire and windstorm, which are classified as “catastrophe type” perils - in that they are relatively low frequency but high in terms of severity.

Significant losses Can undermine the profitability of the insurer’s portfolio for many years even if they have a well-balanced global plantation insurance portfolio.

While the 2018/19 Fire season was relatively benign in Australia the month long duration of the Tasmanian fires caught the local insurers by surprise and this together with the losses encountered in WA and VIC continue to place pressure on the specialist local insurers.

The coming fire season, www.timberbiz.com.au

based on the generally dry winter in south eastern Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology’s August to October outlook, and climate change creates even greater risks.

The National Head of Agriculture at NSW-based insurer AgriRisk John van der Vegt said fire risk in a region is generally measured by reference to the Forest Fire Danger Index which is related to the chances of a fire starting, its rate of spread, its intensity, and its difficulty of suppression, according to various combinations of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and both the long and short-term drought effects.

“So logically, if the drought or hot, dry conditions continue this will weigh on the overall fire risk,’’ Mr van der Vegt said.

The BOM climate outlook for August to October suggests: • The August to October climate outlook, issued 25 July 2019, suggests a drier than average three months is likely for large parts of Australia.

August to October Daytime temperatures are likely to be warmer than average for much of Australia, with very high chances for the northern half of country.

“So the outlook for the 2019/20 fire season doesn’t look great at this point in time,’’ he said.

“We currently await the

updated Bushfire Outlook from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC which is due in September.’’

Mr van der Vegt said the reality was that climate change will see an increased likelihood of catastrophic fire conditions in many regions.

“With higher temperatures and lower rainfall we should also expect fire seasons to start earlier and last longer and see fires in areas that are generally considered relatively low risk, such as Scandinavia and Alaska, or closer to home in southern Tasmania.’’

Most plantation owners insure their plantations against fire. Even the largest estates are generally insured notwithstanding their geographical spread of risk and significant ongoing investment in fire preparedness and suppression capability. They insure because they understand that; The financial impact Fire losses can extend well beyond the current financial year results and significant catastrophe type losses could impact the ongoing viability of the business.

Fires will still occur notwithstanding having the best plantation management and fire risk management strategy.

Fires can’t always be controlled regardless of their own internal and external fire suppression capability. In catastrophic fire conditions, staff safety is paramount and external fire agencies will often be diverted to protect more important assets.

This risk is of course much higher for single plantation owners whereby a single loss event can completely destroy the long-term investment.

Mr van der Vegt said recent catastrophic global losses and the ongoing dry conditions continue to weigh heavily on the local insurers.

“As a consequence, we are seeing a continuation of the hardening market conditions. This means further upward pressure on premium rates, reductions in available capacity and minimum requirements on key parameters such as the excess.’’

So in this hardening market plantation owners needed to be prepared to make some changes to your cover to meet your budget. They would need to review; • The perils you are insuring and the limits that apply.

• The sums insured per hectare you have nominated.

• The additional benefits you have selected and the limits that you require.

• Your excess structure and level – this can have the biggest impact on your premium.

“Finally, make sure you are canvassing the insurance market as the participating insurers have different perceptions of risk (management, plantation, regional and climatic) which can result in significant differences in the premiums they require to underwrite the risk,’’ Mr van der Vegt said.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

Margules Groome Consulting’s Rob de Fegely has been awarded the NW Jolly Medal for his services to the Australian forest industry at an Australian and New Zealand Institute of Forestry conference in Christchurch.

Mr de Fegely is also chairman of Sustainable Timber Tasmania and Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Governments Forest Industry Advisory Council.

The NW Jolly Medal is the Institute of Foresters of Australia highest and most prestigious award for outstanding service to forestry in Australia. It is named after Norman W Jolly who was the first Australian to be trained as a forester at Oxford University in 1904.

In accepting the award Mr de Fegely said he was deeply honoured to have been recognised by his peers for his services to forestry in Australia.

“I started my first job as a forester in Bombala in March 1980 developing pine plantations on old farmland and I am very appreciative of the lessons I learned working in the Bombala community for nearly nine years,’’ Mr de Fegely said.

“In addition to my normal job I had the honour of being the project manager developing the Bicentennial Gardens which was a great community effort and is now a wonderful asset in the middle of the town along the river.

“Since my time in Bombala my career has taken me to Canberra, Queanbeyan and Melbourne before returning the Far South Coast.

I have had the opportunity to work on projects for both government and private clients in every state of Australia and overseas in Asia and North America which has been a wonderful experience,’’ he said.

7

In the news

Vital fire access bridge replaced T OMS Cap Road, east of Gormandale in Gippsland has a new bridge that provides unrestricted access to the Mullungdung State Forest and to local private property, including pine plantations.

“This bridge replacement is an example of the great work that’s being achieved around the state through the Reducing Bushfire Risk program,’’ Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Macalister District Manager, Jessica Bandiera said.

“The bridge is right on the interface of public and private land and is a strategic access for fire management purposes,” Ms Bandiera said.

It now provides unrestricted access to public land directly adjacent to private properties including houses, farms and wineries in the Toms Cap area near Gormandale and Carrajung.

“These are high bushfire risk areas and the old timber bridge was in poor condition with a load limit of two tonnes which restricted access for all emergency services vehicles and many public vehicles too,’’ Ms Bandiera said.

“When Wellington Shire Council replaced another bridge on Toms Cap Road, it allowed our Roads and Fixed Assets Unit access to

the bridge to fast track its replacement earlier this year.

“The new bridge has been designed and built to comply with all the latest Australian Standards for bridge design and construction and is un-restricted for all normal vehicle configurations in-

Australia-wide delivery!

US made Logrite Cant & Peavey hooks Light but very strong

Haglof Tree Calipers

Strong, lightweight Swedish made aluminium tree calipers

Spencer Logging Tapes Clinometers/Height Meters Tough US made logging tapes 15m, 25m length tapes and 30m+diameter

Diameter/Girth Tapes

Large range of steel & fibreglass diameter tapes from $22

Tree Planting Equipment Swedish made Pottiputki tree planters Models 45/55/63/75 Kidney trays, planting belts, spades & Hamilton planters

Tel: 02 9417 7751 Fax: 02 9417 7426

8

Reducing Bushfire Risk is a $273.3 million government initiative to further lower the risk and severity of bushfires occurring in Victoria.

The Reducing Bushfire Risk program is being implemented on public land throughout Victoria over a

period of four years to the end of June 2021.

The program is further reducing risk on public land by supporting early detection and rapid suppression of fires through fuel management, upgrading fire towers, building new bridges and improving roads.

• Forest Fire Management Victoria staff during construction of the new bridge.

Tough, Professional Tools Cant & Peavey Hooks

cluding all firefighting and emergency vehicles.”

It is constructed of concrete components, rather than the traditional timber construction methods, which will ensure that with regular maintenance this bridge should last for its 100year designed lifespan.

Suunto Tandem Nikon Compass/Clino Forestry Pro Australian agent for Haglof Sweden - Vertex IV, Laser Geo, ECII, CI, Increment Borers

Pro-Pruner

New Zealand made lopper designed for lift pruning of pine & eucalypts.

Also Razorback, Bahco, Felco & Barnel

Over 1900 products at

www.forestrytools.com.au or call for our 2019 catalogue

PO Box 870 Willoughby NSW 2068

Driver program seeking input REGISTRATIONS of interest are now being sought from drivers, management and staff in the timber industry to take part in the Australian Forest Contractors Association’s Professional Ownership and Driver Wellbeing program.

The program will be delivered via a series of 30 free forestry sessions across Australia, specifically targeting drivers, management and staff within the industry.

AFCA has been allocated $140,000 in heavy vehicle safety funding to support the program through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) 2019 Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the Federal Government.

The program has been developed by Australian Trucking Safety Services & Solutions and KJ Training

and Consulting to address the ‘human factor’s such as fatigue, inattention and complacency.

These ‘human factors’ have been identified as the underlying causes of several recent crashes in heavy and light vehicles in the forest industry.

It will provide an opportunity to address these factors and complements work already occurring within the industry relating to Chain of Responsibility, Registered Codes of Practice and training about significant risks such as truck rollovers.

The aim of the program is to guide participants to adopt a proactive, intrinsically motivated view of solutions to driving challenges.

The 30 sessions will be delivered over a 2½ hour session by two facilitators

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

to assist drivers and management to collaboratively develop personal management tools, challenge participants to examine personal ownership and responsibility for their own and the community’s safety and show them how to develop a personal risk reduction plan and build on key learning outcomes from the Heavy Vehicle Rollover Awareness Program.

Sessions will be limited to a maximum of 40 participants per session.

To register your interest in one of the sessions, visit https://www.afca.asn. au/podw-program-1/podwprogram to make sure you know when a session is being scheduled in your area.

www.timberbiz.com.au

Innovative Tigercat hooked crane for improved clearance of load gate

www.tigercat.com

RemoteLogTM telematics system Spacious cab with front and rear cameras

8,5 m reach 195 kN lift 55 kN-m slew torque

High capacity Tigercat FG43 grapple

Standard 400 L fuel tank Tigercat FPT Tier 2 engine @ 308 peak hp

Low-wideÂŽ bunk with 6,25 m2 - 7,5 m2 area Excellent service access with tilting cab

Factory fitted fire suppression system

Strong and stable centre section with standard 4 year/8 000 hour warranty

Durable Tigercat bogie axles Front and rear

UNMATCHED PRODUCTIVITY. UNMATCHED RELIABILITY.

www.onetrak.com.au

The Tigercat 1075C forwarder delivers unmatched productivity and reliability.

Innovations like low-wideÂŽ and the hooked crane set Tigercat apart from the crowd.

Careful engineering along with bulletproof construction ensure Tigercat forwarders are the best choice for the toughest conditions.

Contact Onetrak today to learn more.

In the news

Timberlink to invest $100m in sawmill upgrade

T

IMBERLINK has added its Tasmanian Bell Bay mill into its $100 million upgrade program of its Australian sawmills.

The investment at Bell Bay, and the already announced Tarpeena upgrade in South Australia’s South East, will see the total processing capacity at Timberlink’s Australian sawmills increase by over 15 per cent and will provide a vital increase in the Australian timber supply to help support the housing and construction sector.

“We are ensuring that all aspects of the business are internationally competitive to secure our long-term future,” said Timberlink CEO Ian Tyson.

“We want to continue provide the level of reliability and quality that our customers expect and deserve. These investments will allow us to do this by increasing the overall amount of timber we can process whilst also increasing the consistency of our product through technological upgrades to key machinery.’

“We want to continue to support or regional communities and that is why we are so excited that this investment will secure these jobs for the next generation,’’ he said.

“We are ensuring that all aspects of the business are internationally competitive to secure our long-term future, and this significant

10

investment will secure Timberlink’s position as one of Australasia’s leading softwood sawmillers.’’

The new capital also enables the ongoing investment in training and upskilling of Timberlink’s employees.

With 87 per cent of their workforce living in regional areas, these investments build stronger local economies that can support our regional communities.

The investment will see more than 290 new jobs created in the construction phase; 200 at Tarpeena and 90 at the Bell Bay mill.

Six permanent, new fulltime positions will also be created at the Bell Bay site as a result of the upgrades.

In Tarpeena, the investment will lead to the installation of a completely new saw line, a stacker and edger, all with the latest leading-edge technology, coupled with additional contraflow and batch kilns for drying timber. Major site infrastructure changes including upgrades to roads and storage facilities will also be undertaken.

At Bell Bay new planer mill equipment will be installed along with a state-of-the-art contraflow kiln. Site infrastructure will be improved, including a new internal road system designed to improve safety outcomes and support the increase in site activity.

The $100 million invest-

ment program will take place in stages over the next 3 years and will build on the $50 million of capex investments that have taken place in both mills over the past 5 years.

Timberlink will continue discussions with the Tasmanian, South Australian, and Federal Governments, seeking their funding support for further enhancements related to these business expansion programs.

The investment program is not expected to affect customers. Due to careful planning, the sawmills are expected to be able to continue to operate normally during the building process to ensure that the supply of timber to customers will continue as usual.

“This is a substantial reinvestment in the Timberlink mill facilities and continues to demonstrate the strong recovery of the Australian forestry sector under institutional investor ownership,’’ Timberlink’s chairman and CEO of investment management firm New Forests, David Brand, said.

“Timberlink has become a leading wood products business, and I expect it will continue to innovate and grow, creating new manufacturing jobs in regional areas, while increasing the supply of timber in Australia.”

“This is a great day for Australian manufacturing,” said Timberlink CEO, Ian Tyson at the announcement.

“We are ensuring that all aspects of the business are internationally competitive to secure our long-term future, and this significant investment will secure Timberlink’s position as one of Australasia’s leading softwood sawmillers.”

“Our integrated business model allows us to optimise and guarantee our supply from the forest all the way to our customer’s door, and at its core, this program is about increasing and securing that supply of timber.”

The new capital also enables the ongoing investment in training and upskilling of Timberlink’s employees.

With 87 per cent of their workforce living in regional areas, these investments build stronger local economies that can support our regional communities.

Bushfire-affected Alpine Ash forests given a helping hand FOREST Fire Management Victoria has begun an extensive program to re-seed areas of forests and parks by aerial sowing Alpine Ash seeds following the large bushfires across the Alpine region.

“Most of the forest landscape is expected to regenerate naturally following the recent extensive fires but we’re carrying out a re-seeding program to support and encourage the regrowth of Alpine Ash in parts of our forests and parks,’’ Gippsland’s Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Beth Roberts said.

“We had multiple highseverity fires spread across state forest and national parks affecting almost 15,000 hectares of Mountain and Alpine Ash forests, both iconic tall tree species in the Australian Alps landscape,” Dr Roberts said.

“While the eucalyptus species typically regenerate after a high severity fire, over time successive fires can cause vulnerability to local forests if trees have not reached reproductive maturity.

Following initial aerial assessments of the land affected by fire, more than two-thirds of the affected ash forests were expected to recover naturally and without intervention.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

To support regeneration of the forests, seed that had been collected and stored over several years were prepared for the first re-seeding flight in July.

“Over 1000 hectares of ash forest has been assessed as being optimal for reseeding with helicopters used to fly over the strips of bushfire-affected forest to distribute about 130 million viable seeds,’’ Dr Roberts said.

“A monitoring program to assess the success and outcome of the re-seeding operation will assist in informing future management approaches.

“While large-scale interventions can be difficult to implement, we’ve seen previous success stories such as the 2013 aerial sowing in the Harrietville area, where Alpine ash was burnt multiple times.’’

Other re-seeding operations have been undertaken following the 2003, 2006-07 and 2009 bushfires in Gippsland and North Eastern Victoria, mostly with success.

“By giving the area a helping hand the forest has begun to revive.

We’re optimistic for the success of this re-seeding operation but will need to carefully monitor re-seeded areas.’’ Dr Roberts said. www.timberbiz.com.au

The Contractor’s Cho Bars & Sprockets Built Tough. 100%.

GA Forestry Accessories now stock and supply, GB .404” & 3/4” harvester bars, drive sprockets and harvesting equipment.

Contact your GA Forestry Rep today!

GB harvester bar mounts to suit: WOODSMAN PRO, WARATAH, LOG MAX, TIGERCAT, TIMBCO, TIMBERLINE, HULTDINGS, ROSIN,of GA ForestryUNICON, are theKETO, exclusive distributor SATCO, SOUTHSTAR and more.

GB harvester products in Australia.

GA FORESTRY ARE THE EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR OF GB HARVESTER PRODUCTS IN AUSTRALIA.

Trent Vaughan Mob +61 414 995 431 OFFICE: 1300 363 027 New Zealand Customers please call

P: +64 7 348 1286

Coup Invasions BRIEFS Firefighter recruitment THE Victorian State Government is recruiting 300 forest firefighters for the summer period, increasing Victoria’s frontline forest firefighter numbers to more than 1,000 with 600 project firefighters and 340 permanent Forest Fire Operations Officers.

Former regional forestry manager and chief fire officer Ewan Waller said the program is intensive as participants learn skills including 4WD driving, chainsaw safety and work, first aid, command and control, but more people need to be trained to understand the bush.

Female push for forestry A PRIMARILY female training programme in New Zealand that will help address labour shortages in the maledominated forestry industry has received the backing of the New Zealand government.

The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), through the He Poutama Rangatahi (HPR) programme, will invest $421,050 in Wahine Toa, a five-month intensive pilot initiative to prepare mostly young women for training and employment in the forestry sector.

Gough family sells up THE Gough family has sold Gough Group for $211 million to a Malaysian company after a 90-year history in New Zealand owning the Caterpillar heavy machinery dealership.

Gough Group employs about 950 people across its network in more than 50 locations in Australia and New Zealand. Over the past year Gough Group grew its revenue by more than 18 per cent $540m from higher sales sales for its Caterpillar and transport and materials handling businesses.

The buyer is Sime Darby Berhad, one of the largest Caterpillar dealers globally. It purchased Continental Car Services in 1999. In New Zealand, Sime Darby Motors operates under the Continental Cars and City Nissan dealerships in Auckland representing brands such as BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Ferrari and Nissan.

12

Victorian loggers being ignored in invasion war Bruce Mitchell

to leave, and if they refused they could be issued an on HE Victorian State the spot fine. If they then reGovernment has been turned, then they would be in accused of ignoring breach of court.

Mr Blackwood said authorthe plight of the state’s logging contractors in their bat- ity was basically being igtle against activists invading nored now.

“Authorized officers were coupes.

“I understand what these trained to enable them to people are going through and its really cruel the way the protestors are playing it,’’ Shadow Assistant Minister for Forestry Gary Blackwood said.

“And the State Government is seeming to be very unsupportive of what contractors are going through.’’

Mr Blackwood highlighted legally issue an on the spot the apparent lack of will by fine,’’ he said.

“But what they are doing is the State Government to take the necessary available ac- suggesting they need six authorized officers to go onto tion to stop the protestors.

He said that in 2014 the the coupe when there could Napthine Coalition Govern- be only three or four protesment in Victoria introduced tors there.

“And now, someone is tiplaws which prohibited protestors, or any unauthorized ping them off when the auperson, from going within thorized officers are on their 150 meters of an active coupe. way and they get out before If they came close to the they can be issued with a coupe they would be asked fine.

T

“Then they come back the next week and do the same again.’’

Mr Blackwood finds it easy to be empathetic to the loggers’ plight. He spent 30 years in the timber transport and harvesting business in West Gippsland, going on to become the CEO of the Victorian

“

Then they come back the next week and do the same again.’’

Forest Harvesting & Cartage Council.

“Just prior to the Federal election there was a major protest action on a coupe at Noojee in west Gippsland,’’ he said.

“That protest went for 11 days. I’d spoken to police and they were ready to go. They had search and rescue ready to go, but the authorized officers from the government departments weren’t able to be

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

accessed to send to the coupe, according to the government, which is absolute rubbish.

“It was prior to the federal election and they didn’t want to upset the Greens,’’ he said.

“I understand what these people are going through and its really cruel the way the protestors are playing it and the State Government is seeming to be very unsupportive of what contractors are going through.’’

Federal Legislation regarding farm invasion seems stuck on the problem of invasion of private property as opposed to public lands and at this stage is unlikely to be extended to forestry operations.

There is an Upper House inquiry in Victoria into animal activists and while Mr Blackwood tried to get it broadened to include forestry but the Government had the numbers and would not allow it.

Mr Blackwood said the inquiry should be broadened.

“These forestry contractors have been subjected to these protests for years and years and had no support,’’ he said. www.timberbiz.com.au

Coup Invasions

Protestors target Brad, and he doesn’t know why Bruce Mitchell ROMSEY logger Brad Meyer doesn’t know why he has been targeted by logging protestors, but he certainly has been targeted.

There have been other protests in other areas, such as East Gippsland.

But not to the extent that he has been targeted.

But ease of access to the coupes he has been working could be a problem.

And a problem it is.

Brad’s Meyer Log Cartage operations at two coupes has been shut down for a total of nearly 14 days over the past five months.

It started at a coupe in Castella near Toolangi.

“We got hit by protesters there twice with two tree sits and lost nearly two weeks,’’ Brad said.

“We moved operations to Kinglake, Mount Robertson, and we’ve continued to get protestors there four times.’’

At Toolangi it lasted three to four days each time. At Kinglake one to two days at a time.

“At Kinglake they have been walking down on to the coupe and standing in the middle of the landing,’’ Brad said.

“By standing in the middle of the landing, legally we have to cease operations immediately.

“So there is nothing we can do on that work site while they are just sitting there.’’

At Toolangi at the Castella coupe there was a tree sit.

Protestors had put a tent up in a tree and tied ropes from the platform to harvesting machinery.

“So we couldn’t use our gear,’’ Brad said.

If Brad had untied the ropes the platform would have fallen to the ground.

Legally, they couldn’t do anything.

And it’s only ever been two people on the coupe at the same time. At Kinglake one protestor had gone up into a tree and three others stood around.

“But when we walked onto the couple they ran off into the bush. They can’t be seen so can’t be arrested,’’ Brad said.

www.timberbiz.com.au

But while the protestor remains up the tree there is nothing we can do.

Brad said that at Toolangai the protestors were expressing their concerns about the future for the Barred Galaxias fish, a small, scaleless, non-migratory freshwater fish endemic to a small upland area in central Victoria, the Leadbeater possum and the Greater Glider which is officially listed as threatened in Victoria.

At Kinglake the concerns expressed by the protestors were mainly about the Greater Glider.

“They are hiding behind the fact that the greater glider is there,’’ Brad said.

“We all know that, and we have put in place measures to accommodate them so they’ll still be there once we have finished.

“But in talking to the protestors they simply don’t want the trees cut down.”

What frustrates Brad even more – something he finds it hard to deal with - is that it can take days for Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions officers to respond.

“They arrive and ask people to leave and if they don’t, and this has happened on three occasions, they then get told they are going to be summonsed to court and charged, and then they are escorted off the coupe.

“At Kinglake we have been lucky enough to get Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions people reasonably quickly and they have only been there one or two days at a time.’’

And the cost?

“It’s a tough question,’’ Brad said.

“Mentally, it’s costing me a lot.

“In terms of dollars we’ve estimated it at $6000 to $8000 per day in lost income.

And with 11 to 12 days lost between the two sites, that adds up.

But he won’t stand employees down.

“We have to keep paying them. In the situation we are in, and the run we have been having, they are not going to hang around if we just keep standing them down without paying them.’’

Trespass Bill still failing foresters A

BILL which would create new offences for the incitement of trespass, property damage or theft on agricultural land, including private forestry, fails to adequately protect the forestry sector by not including native forestry operations on Crown land, according to the Australian Forest Products Association And the AFPA says the Bill also fails to protect wood processing facilities that are exposed to the same threats as agricultural processing sites such as abattoirs.

In the AFPA’s submission to the Criminal Code Amendment Act inquiry, CEO Ross Hampton said the aggressive and coordinated “farm invasions” which shocked Australians and prompted the Government to prioritise this legislation were all too familiar tactics for Australia’s forest industries, particularly the sustainably managed native forestry sector which has been a longstanding target of environmental activists.

“These disruptive and aggressive tactics are not consigned to the annals of history – forestry operations around the country are regularly impeded by trespassing activists,’’ Mr Hampton said.

“A Victorian Government native forestry harvesting operation in Kinglake, Victoria, is currently being targeted by co-ordinated attacks from activists aimed at halting timber harvesting crews.

“The harvesting contractors – a family-owned business – have had to halt operations several times due to the trespassers, costing their business thousands of dollars a day,’’ he said.

“This is not an isolated incident. Like the recent farm invasions, these events are

often coordinated or encouraged through the use of a carriage service, including through text messages and social media.’’

The Bill is intended to address this issue by linking new offences to the use of a carriage service to transmit, make available, publish or otherwise distribute material with the intention to incite another person to trespass on land used for a primary production business.

Mr Hampton said the existing legal framework was inadequate and that the AFPA supports state and federal action to review and strengthen trespass laws and procedures for enforcement.

Legislative frameworks needed to protect primary industries from the unacceptable invasion of property and privacy by activists.

“There must be real consequences for these actions, to reflect the seriousness of the crime and provide a genuine deterrent,’’ Mr Hampton said.

“The recent surge in farm trespass incidents, and the ongoing disruptions to forestry operations, highlights the inadequacy of existing laws and their interpretation by law enforcement agencies and the courts.

“It is clear they are not an effective deterrent to unlawful protests.’’

While state and territory governments had laws in place to render trespassing of forestry operations unlawful, they were often not enforced in a timely way, or did not result in prosecutions.

“In the Kinglake protests, for example, Victoria’s Sustainable Forest Timber Act 2004 makes it an offence to enter or remain in a ‘timber harvesting safety zone’ and

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

empowers authorised officers to direct someone to leave a timber harvesting safety zone,’’ Mr Hampton said.

“However, authorities have reportedly been slow to respond, and no one has been prosecuted over the trespasses despite repeated disruptions to harvesting operations.

“By creating substantial penalties for offenders, the Bill sends a strong message to those who would seek to incite or engage in such conduct.’’

Mr Hampton said that while the Bill covers forest harvesting operations in privately owned land, it excludes timber harvesting on Crown land which is overwhelmingly the biggest target of environmental activists.

“While State legislation provides some protection from unlawful protests, the experience is that it provides little deterrent to harvesting operations, which put contractors and protestors at risk of injury and death, and costs businesses considerable sums of money, as the Kinglake example shows,’’ he said.

Mr Hampton said it was also unclear whether the intention of the Bill is to include wood processing facilities such as timber mills, woodchip processors, and pulp and paper manufacturers who are often the target of environmental activists’ campaigns, particularly those who process logs sources from native forests.

“For example, just as the Bill provides coverage for ‘a business of operating a fish processing facility’, the AFPA urges the Government to amend the Schedule to cover ‘a business of operating a forest products processing facility’,’’ he said.

13

Kangaroo Island

KIPT to sell port benefits to community Bruce Mitchell

T

HE benefits of a new seaport on Kangaroo Island are not always shared proportionally across the community, the managing director of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers Keith Lamb has conceded.

In his first message to shareholders since taking the reins on June 1 from John Sergeant, Mr Lamb said the company was about to embark on a substantial growth phase, which would bring about change on the island, creating new employment opportunities in the forest and the supply chain.

Referring in particular to the proposed Kangaroo Island Seaport at Smith Bay, Mr Lamb said that although the changes will be overwhelmingly positive for the community as a whole, “we should be mindful that the benefits of projects such as ours are not always shared proportionally across the community’’.

“I have recently acknowledged that change can create uncertainty and a level of discomfort for some, and pledged to continue to listen carefully to community concerns and suggestions to improve our business and practices as the company emerges as an economic powerhouse for the KI community,’’ he said.

Having completed the public consultation stage of the approvals process, and reviewed the submissions from public and government,

the company and its lead consultant, Environmental Projects, are preparing the Response Document which, together with the draft EIS, will form the final version upon which government will make its determination.

Mr Lamb said KIPT had carefully reviewed the submissions and, in response to community concerns and new information not previously available to the compa-

toric highs and the company did not see any major downside in the short to medium term outlook.

“The average age of the KIPT hardwood forests at harvest will be almost double the typical industry standard for blue gum,’’ he said.

“This was a concern of mine in working through the timing of approvals and construction for the project.’’

Industrial plantations were

“

Change can create uncertainty and a level of discomfort ny, was considering options to modify the seaport design and operating practices to further allay concerns arising from the project.

“This has increased our confidence that, in its final form, the KI Seaport project will be capable of a timely approval by government,’’ he said.

The construction of the facility would complete KIPT’s transition to a mature commercial enterprise.

“Although we may consider this well overdue, the timing is nonetheless favourable in terms of price and volume,’’ he said.

Mr Lamb said market demand for sustainably grown Australian plantation hardwood continued to increase at a time when supply is static to declining. Recent reported prices were at his-

managed to maximise value, taking into account the time, cost of money and the variable rate of biological growth.

“For Australian-grown blue gums, biological growth usually peaks around 10 years, and declines thereafter due to site limitations such as water availability and soil depth,’’ Mr Lamb said.

“Where conditions are not favourable, rapid decline may occur, resulting in poor health or even mortality.

Thankfully the risk of this occurring to KIPT appears minimal.’’

It appeared that conditions on the western end of the island could support biological growth well beyond the industry standard harvest age, maintaining a healthy and vigorous condition free from any signs of stress.

Mr Lamb said the benefit

• KIPT managing director Keith Lamb for KIPT shareholders was that the additional wood banked in the first rotation would dilute the unit cost of the infrastructure at Smith Bay. The wood would also come onto the market at a time when prices are expected to remain firm, if not increasing.

He said the silvicultural history of KIPT softwood was quite variable, and some stands had not received ontime tending.

This was not uncommon for forests that have experienced discontinuous ownership or periodic capital constraints.

“It is possible in younger stands to consider some form of corrective silviculture,

however the candidate areas of the KIPT estate are now at an age where corrective silviculture is not an option,’’ Mr Lamb said.

He said future crops, whether softwood or hardwood, would be established and managed under modern best practice, free from capital constraints, to realise optimal value for the KIPT shareholders.

“This biological ‘upside’ for the company has yet to be fully explored, but is expected to involve consideration of the interaction of site characteristics, best available genetics, and expected future market demands,’’ Mr Lamb said.

Smith Bay issues will be addressed Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers believes that all of the issues raised by Government agencies concerning its Smith Bay Wharf project can be satisfactorily addressed.

“KIPT is not aware of any matter that would prevent the project from being approved and remains confident that development consent will be forthcoming,” KIPT managing director Keith Lamb said.

“Based on its analysis and that of its specialist advisers, KIPT believes that all of the issues raised by Government agencies can be satisfactorily addressed in the Response Document,” Mr Lamb said.

This feedback must be considered by the company, along with public submissions, in preparing a Response Document, which is a supplement to the Draft EIS, which together form the Final EIS. This consolidated document provides

14

of which will depend upon the degree to which KIPT amends its original proposal to address or eliminate impacts.’’

The Major Development process encourages the modification and improvement of projects to address public and government agency comments, together with any new information that may arise through the consultation process.

KIPT will continue to investigate design enhancements for the in-water structure, to further reduce dredge quantities, improve circulation of water in Smith Bay and further increase separaJames Brook and David Wiltshire of Social and tion from sensitive receptors.

Ecological Assessment prepare to dive.

Landside changes will also be considered by the basis for the assessment report and approval KIPT and its project partner Mitsui. The Redecision by the State and Commonwealth gov- sponse Document will provide details of any such project improvements. ernments.

The company is considering the impact of any “A small number of issues will require further scientific and engineering analysis, the extent such changes on capital and operating costs.

•

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

www.timberbiz.com.au

Ready to get tough Incorporating a less complex, easier-to-maintain design, our L-II Series Skidders are well equipped to handle even the toughest forest environments.

• Redesigned electrical and hydraulic systems • Longer boom • Stronger winches • Softer steering • Tougher tyres • Bigger grapples Plus you get the best of both worlds with Continuously Variable Transmission, combining the efficiency of a direct-drive transmission with the smoothness and operating ease of a hydrostatic drive.

Find out more at: RDOequipment.com.au/skidders or contact RDO Equipment on 1300 008 608 QLD – NSW – VIC – SA – NT – TAS

Forest Management

Brexit concerns for timber industry now sending ripples worldwide T HE United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union was, and still is, a major concern for both national and multinational companies worldwide.

Commonly referred to as Brexit, Great Britain’s exit from the EU has become an ongoing saga spanning over two years, with another extension to article 50 being granted to the UK until October 31.

Many are hoping that in the time leading up to the deadline, an agreement can be reached that ensures a smooth exit from the EU for businesses and individuals and secures a permanent trading relationship.

The forest and wood products industry is no exception in being anxious over the impact Brexit may have, with businesses looking at alternative options in the face of a potential meltdown in the market.

For example, Coillte, a state-owned forestry company in Ireland, has started stockpiling wood in the UK.

from a political and practical standpoint.

The decision was made to replace the Forestry ComThis is to combat the poten- mission Scotland with The tial break-down in the wood Scottish Forestry, a new Scotsupply chain to its British tish Government executive agency which will be responcustomers.

Also, in January 2019, the sible for regulation of forestForestry Industries Ireland (FII) was set up by IBEC in Dublin, as a new trade association consisting of 22 member companies from across Ireland.

Their main goal being to help forest and timber manufacturers and suppliers work around a potential supply delay in the wake of a hard or no-deal exit.

Additionally, as Brexit is seen as a major threat to the industry by many investors, ry activities.

Forest Enterprise Scotland fund management companies such as Veon, have be- was also replaced with The gun to sell off portfolios com- Forestry & Land Scotland, prising of significant areas responsible for the manageof private forestry to global ment and enhancement of the National Forest Estate. industry buyers.

Following these changes is Scotland, another major player in the field, imple- Scotland’s first 10-year stratmented significant changes egy. Under this new strategy, to the Forestry and Land Scotland will be responsible Management Act 2018, both for assessing the standards

“

Many entities have already started preparing.

for good forest management, administering the carbon code and advising on forestry economics. Scotland will also oversee biosecurity, plant health and the environment.

The Welsh Government will lead in forestry research while the UK Government will be responsible for plant health and international policy support.

As current legislation is led by the EU, two new Brexit statuary regulations will ensure that standards remain operational: the Forestry Regulations 2019 and the Plant Health Regulations 2019.

Construction standards are also affected by Brexit as the UK currently uses Eurocode (Euc) for construction and more importantly the Eurocode 5 (Euc 5) for wood construction.

New standards are being proposed for adoption between 2021 and 2022 and consequently the future of the Chequers plan is uncertain (the implementation of the Euc by the British Standards Institution – BSI).

Brexit could lead to a situation where entities use both the Euc or the old British Standards.

The Euc will stay but developers will have the freedom use the old British standards instead of the Euc. This raises some concerns as most of the old British standards have not been updated since the 1990s.

In summary, many entities have already started, or are preparing themselves as Brexit looms closer.

Keeping both sets of standards in mind, and not forgetting the benefits of European Standardisation, strong collaboration between all players in the wood chain is imperative at this time.

In so doing, costs and risks to the forest and wood products industry and associated supply chains can be minimised while transitioning into a new, but yet unknown, future.

Supplied courtesy of Margules Groome http://www. margulesgroome.com

Managing forests for everyone IN the NSW North Coast hinterland behind Woolgoolga, within the Gumbaynggirr nation, north of Coffs Harbour, lies the Wedding Bells State Forest; a leading example of how a forest can be managed for multiple uses.

Since its dedication as a state forest in 1917, the forest has operated not only as a successful source of timber production, but as a major recreational asset for the local community and a popular attraction for tourists.

Timber production is an important part of the management of Wedding Bells State Forest; over the past 20 years around 9500 cub m of timber has been harvested each year.

This timber is produced as part of a cycle of stands of trees harvested and then regrown using natural regeneration techniques.

Over the past 100 years, these stands have been harvested and regrown multiple times.

The majority (around 90 per cent) of the timber produced is sold to local sawmills and used to produce high-value products including bridge girders, poles, veneer and sawn timber.

This timber production supports the regional economy and produces a product that stores carbon for life, assisting in the fight against climate change.

Responsible Wood certification of this timber is the NSW Forestry Corporation’s irrefutable proof that sustainable forest management practices are paramount.

The Responsible Wood mark also provides reassurance for the end consumers that the timber comes from a sustainably managed forest.

16

Forestry Corporation strategic projects and programs leader Justin Black regards Responsible Wood certification as “very important to us because we invest in ensuring our forest management is robust’’.

“Across the business we have three staff dedicated specifically to the forest management system but of course all staff are engaged in this process as it is a fundamental part of what we do each and every day,’’ Mr Black said.

“We recognise that people are becoming more aware of, and concerned about, how to source environmentally responsible products,” Mr Black said.

“Increasingly consumers are looking for environmentally sustainable products and certified renewable timber is just that.”

Wedding Bells state forest is a mixture of natural forest and eucalypt plantations. The natural forest includes stands of Blackbutt, spotted gum, ironbark/grey gum, flooded gum, tallowwood/ Sydney blue gum and brushbox with small areas of lowland subtropical rainforest restricted to damp gullies and southern facing slopes.

Most of the eucalypt plantations were established in the 1960s and were predominately flooded gum (Eucalyptus grandis) plantations which have been harvested over the past 20 years and replanted with blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis).

Forests with Responsible Wood accreditation to Australian Standard 4708 have proven that they are conserved and managed responsibly to ensure they deliver not only environmental but soAustralian Forests & Timber News September 2019

cial and economic benefits now and in the future – balancing people, planet and profit.

This forest, like all state forests in NSW, is a place for people to connect with nature. The forests are popular with visitors who explore them by driving, walking, horse riding and mountain biking.

The biggest event of the year is the Kennards Hire Rally Australia, part of the World Rally Championship, which has been held in this forest for the past six years.

Wedding Bells state forest is just part of more than 11.4 million ha of Australian forests now certified under Responsible Wood’s Sustainable Forest Management standard (AS 4708) while more than 250 operators carry Responsible Wood’s chain of custody for forest products certification (AS 4707).

Gumbaynggirr women and Tom Newby, • Forestry Corporation of NSW, sharing knowledge around fire management during a cultural burn in the Wedding Bells State Forest.

www.timberbiz.com.au

State of the Industry

Hardwood up, softwood down, with local markets more complex

Why Australia’s 2018-19 trade really does matter Tim Woods Managing Director, IndustryEdge*

L

IKE riding off the sheep’s back and exporting mineral resources, Australia’s wood products industry often has its eyes focussed on its export markets. For some, that is a mark of its success. For others, it is a failure, at least to the extent that raw resources are exported, while the country continues to import value-added materials.

Examining the trade profile of the last year provides a starting point for understanding the state of the domestic industry, and local economy, over the last year.

bone dried metric tonnes (bdmt) or around 12.4 million green tonnes of wood.

Exports have more than doubled over just seven years.

The volume was 5.0per cent higher than 2017-18, but thanks to an average export price that was up 17.2per cent, the total value of those exports was up 23.0per cent in Australian dollars to a record $A1.432 billion, as Figure 1 shows.

Shown in US dollars, the weighted average price reached $152.80/bdmt on a free-on-board basis. Importantly, the price has been higher. However, as the financial year ended, the sector was preparing for pricing pressures because global pulp prices had collapsed and demand was softening.

last year has been the decline in softwood exports.

Trade in both woodchips and logs declined over the year, underscoring the supply and demand tensions that exist for one of Australia’s most significant

“

Australia’s plantation estate is intended to provide for the domestic economic future

building and industrial raw materials.

The volume of softwood chip exports fell 14.9per cent over 2018-19, ending Hardwood chip exports the year just below 600,000 up 5per cent - outlook is bdmt. The average export weakening price was for the year was $A211.91/bdmt, a rise of Australia’s hardwood chip Softwood chip exports down 21.5per cent on the prior exports rose for the sixth sucas supply tightens year. In US dollars, the avcessive year over 2018-19, liftA telling factor over the erage price was 11.6per ing to a record 6.702 million

VICTORIA - HEAD OFFICE 8 Wallace Avenue, Point Cook Victoria, 3030 Peter Randalls 0418 356 306 Davin Frankel 0437 541 154 Phone (03) 9369 8988 Email randalls@randalls.com.au Web www.randalls.com.au

18

cent higher than the prior year at $US150.96/bdmt As Figure 2 shows, the yearly average price was almost as high as the price achieved in 2011-12 in US dollars.

Declining total exports and rising average export

prices point to a market in which there is plenty of demand, but an under-supply of available material. This is not a new phenomenon.

For part of 2015-16 and eleven months of 2016-17, Australia’s softwood chip exports were officially ‘confidential’.

IndustryEdge’s comprehensive port-toport vessel tracking pro-

vided a calculated estimate just short of 350 kbdmt for 2016-17 – the lowest export volume in more than a decade.

Softwood chip exports are, broadly speaking, constrained by two factors.

First, the largely static national estate of around 1 million hectares has to supply growing domestic demand for sawn wood, and growing demand from domestic residues customers.

Those customers include the major pulp and paper manufacturers, especially those producing virgin fibre packaging materials. That market, as IndustryEdge describes constantly in its monthly Pulp & Paper Edge and other subscription services, continues to grow.

Second, the harvest of softwood is primarily focussed on producing saw logs. Woodchips for any purpose are an arising, and

TASMANIA 2/5 Legana Park Drive, Legana Tasmania, 7277 Anthony Williams 0487 700 306

NEW SOUTH WALES 14 Wembley Place, Bathurst New South Wales, 2795 Jake Graham 0417 725 092

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 17 Bodey Circuit, Mount Gambier South Australia, 5290 David Herrewyn 0419 594 043

QUEENSLAND 715 Kandanga-Imbil Road, Imbil Queensland, 4570 Adrian Hartwig 0409 785 536

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

NEW ZEALA 28 Paterson Street, New Zealand, Brett McIntyre 027

VICTORIA-GIPP 9 Rovan Place, Ba Victoria, 38 Mike Cooper 0409

www.timberbiz.com.au

sector was preparing for pricing pressures because global pulp prices had collapsed and demand was softening.

State of the Industry

Fig. 1: Australian Hardwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt)

6,000 5,000 kbdmt

4,000 3,000

200

Quantity

180

Weighted Average

160 140 120 100 80

USDFob/bdmt

7,000

in general, export markets opportunities to earn more are less preferred than do- income than locally for the 1,000 20 same logs and to sell logs that mestic markets. simply cannot be processed 0 0 Softwood log exports drop 09 10 11 12 14 13 15 16 17 19 18 locally (both those that are 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 after decade of growth YE June too small and too large). Imsector was preparing for pricing pressures because global pulp prices had collapsed and demand was softening.

After rising almost con- portantly, exports are also Source: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge GRAPH 1: Australian Hardwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 tinuously since 2008-09, driven from management (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt). Source: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge Australia’s softwood log ex- practices to right-size indiFig. 1: Australian Hardwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt) ports backed off in 2018-19, vidual estates to meet known Softwood chip exports down as supply tightens declining by 3.5per cent. demand for sawlogs into the 7,000 200 A telling factor over the last year has been the decline in softwood exports. Trade in both Quantity Despite the decline, exports future.

180 woodchips and logs declined over the year, underscoring the supply and demand tensions 6,000 Weighted Average It is this final point that tells remained above 4 million 160raw materials. that exist for one of Australia’s most significant building and industrial 5,000 m3 for the third successive us that an over-emphasis on 140 The volume of softwood chip exports fell 14.9% over 2018-19, ending the year just below year, totalling 4.110 million exports is not healthy. Aus120 4,000 bdmt. The average export price was for the year was $A211.91/bdmt, a rise of 600,000 tralia’s plantation estate is m3.

100 21.5% on the prior year. In US dollars, the average price was 11.6% higher than the prior 3,000 As is the case in New Zea- intended to provide for the year at $US150.96/bdmt As Figure 2 shows, the yearly average price80was almost as high as the price achieved in 2011-12 in US dollars. land, softwood log exports domestic economic future, 60 2,000 are relatively controversial, before all else.

40 1,000 and often misunderstood.

20 Focus on exports just too Fig. 2: Australian Softwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt) Rising exports are often tak0 0 simple 9 0 1 2 4 3 5 6 7 9 8 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 en as evidence that export 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 sector was preparing for pricing pressures because global pulp prices had collapsed and YE June There is something seducmarkets are being targeted at demand was softening. tively simple about measurthe expense of local markets.

Source:2: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge Graph Australian Softwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 As Figure 3 shows, relatively ing industry success in raw (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt). Source: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge stable average pricing (in US wood exports, through the Fig. 1: Australian Hardwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt) dollar terms) might fuel some volume and value of logs Softwood chip exports down as supply tightens 7,000 200 of that concern because and woodchips. The greatest Quantity A telling factor over the last year has been the decline in softwood exports.

Trade in both 180 it might suggest contracts complexity of these trades is 6,000 Weighted woodchips and logs declined over the year, underscoring the supply160 and demand tensions Average are locked in. The 1.6per often just currency exchange that exist for one of Australia’s most significant building and industrial raw materials.

5,000 140 cent lift in average prices to rates.

The volume of softwood chip exports fell 14.9% over 2018-19, ending the year just below 120 Yet the emphasis on ex$US104.37/m3in 2018-19 may 4,000 600,000 bdmt. The average export price was for the year was $A211.91/bdmt, a rise of 100 ports disguises some of the give that impression.

21.5% on the prior year.

In US dollars, the average price was 11.6% higher than the prior 3,000 80 However, softwood logs are genuine challenges and real year at $US150.96/bdmt As Figure 2 shows, the yearly average price was almost as high as 60 2,000 traded in a genuinely interna- complexities that confront the price achieved in 2011-12 in US dollars.

40 tional market (New Zealand the wood products industry.

1,000 20 Domestic challenges is a far larger global supplier Fig. 2: Australian Softwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt) 0 0 than Australia with around mounted over the course of 09 10 11 12 14 13 15 16 17 19 18 3.5 times the volume of ex- the last financial year.

20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 YE June Slowing growth in dwelling ports each year). The price is approvals fed into lower conderived internationally.

Graph Australian Softwood Log Exports: 2009 – 2019 Source:3: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge Export volumes come from sumption of sawn softwood (‘000m3 & USDFob/m3).

Source: ABS, RBA and IndustryEdge 2,000

60 40

kbdmt

USDFob/bdmt

kbdmt

USDFob/bdmt

•

•

•

over the year. Poor economic fundamentals: low wages growth, insipid inflation and the global economic slowdown are continuing conditions in the new financial year.

Internationally, hardwood chip exports were up in 201819, but softwood exports softened as global markets slowed and the world’s leading economies headed towards recession. The trade tensions between the USA and China are catching resource suppliers like Australia in the economic crossfire.

Meantime, the softening local conditions temporarily eased the pressure on the industry’s ability to supply the wood products and fibre Australia needs to build its future. A likely period of lower pressure on wood resources is upon us. That provides the space to improve the quantity, quality and efficiency of the future supply of wood products for Australia.

IndustryEdge is Australia’s leading market intelligence firm for the forestry, wood products and pulp and paper industry. In conjunction with its global partners, the firm combines data and expertise to provide unrivalled business and industry insights

Softwood chip exports down as supply tightens A telling factor over the last year has been the decline in softwood exports. Trade in both woodchips and logs declined over the year, underscoring the supply and demand tensions that exist for one of Australia’s most significant building and industrial raw materials.

The volume of softwood chip exports fell 14.9% over 2018-19, ending the year just below 600,000 bdmt. The average export price was for the year was $A211.91/bdmt, a rise of 21.5% on the prior year. In US dollars, the average price was 11.6% higher than the prior year at $US150.96/bdmt As Figure 2 shows, the yearly average price was almost as high as the price achieved in 2011-12 in US dollars.

Fig. 2: Australian Softwood Chip Exports: 2009 – 2019 (kbdmt &USDFob/bdmt)

AND Invercargill , 9810 72 014 149

PSLAND airnsdale 875 9 459 870

www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

19

Tasmania

PFT promotes agroforestry direct to landowners A PRIVATE forests conference has opened the door for Tasmanian farmers and foresters to enter into joint ventures with processing companies.

“The market for timber has increased significantly, even with the downturn in some markets, prices remain higher than they were some years ago,” the manager of Resource Development for PFT Dr Martin Moroni said.

“We wanted to let private landowners know of market opportunities and give them the potential to realise it by selling their wood into the market if it was appropriate for them.”

The conference, organised

by Private Forests Tasmania, attracted about 75 people including politicians, farmers, foresters, landowners, forestry companies and timber processors.

“We had strong representation from forestry companies on our panels and in the audience,” Dr Moroni said.

“I do know some landowners had business opportunities arise from the meeting including discussions with companies about log sales and also discussions on carbon markets.”

Joint ventures and similar arrangements were discussed as a possible way to support the establishment of new trees.

“There were a number of companies present at this event who indicated a willingness to enter into joint ventures,” Dr Moroni said.

“There are several companies in Tasmania that would be willing to enter into joint ventures right now.”

Land owners interested in exploring joint ventures that share the costs of establishing trees and the returns from harvesting trees with a forestry company were being encouraged to contact PFT to explore the opportunity.

The event was held as two panel sessions; the first Opportunities in the Current

20

Buoyant Market consisted of Darren Herd from Forico, Heath Blair of Reliance Forest Fibre, Stephen Rymer of PF Olsen, Phil Lloyd of Timberlink and Paul Heubner from Pentarch Forestry. Each discussed briefly where they saw opportunities.

The second panel convened for a discussion of New Market Opportunities.

This panel consisted of Andrew Exton from Koppers Wood Products, Andrew Wye of Partiarch & Sons and Wood Based Products, Chris Skeels-Piggins of CLTP Tasmania and Dr Moroni for PFT. The conference also provided an update of the CLTP Tasmania and Patriach & Sons processing facilities’ progress. CLTP has chosen to use Eucalyptus nitens for CLT products and its first panel was expected to produced by the end of July.

Following that there would be six months of testing with the panels hitting the market in early 2020.

A proposed Patriarch & Sons mill at Bell Bay will accept a combination of E. nitens and natural forest logs.

Dr Moroni said forest certification was underlined as a vital part of the industry with smaller growers able to gain certification through several forest management companies or by developing a group certification scheme model.

He said template paperwork to support group certification with Responsible Wood was available from PFT. “This event highlighted the opportunity for another event focussing on getting new trees in the ground by linking private land owners to support in the market for establishing trees,” Dr Moroni said.

“This event focussed on landowners who had trees in the ground, providing them with an understanding of the market for those trees.”

Tasmanian Timber Tree Farmer of the Year Sue and Owen Smith with Outstanding • Contribution to the Timber Industry award recipient Penny Wells.

Tassie’s timber specialists shine on inaugural awards night.

NORTHERN Tasmania’s Owen and Sue Smith have been named the inaugural Tasmanian Timber Tree Farmer of the Year.

The award was presented in Launceston at an event attended by more than 300 industry representatives. The evening provided an opportunity to recognise Tasmanian timber businesses and individual from across the state with 13 categories and 40 finalists.

Private Forests Tasmania (PFT) sponsored the Tree Farmer of the Year Award, and PFTs CEO, Penny Wells was awarded Outstanding Contribution to the Timber Industry (female) award.

Owen and Sue Smith were awarded Tree Farmer of the Year for their demonstrated excellence across a range of skills beyond best practice guidelines in their field of expertise in tree farming.

The Smiths own and operate a private business involved in the acquisition of a large and diverse land estate, a diverse and sustainable mixed forestry business, an agricultural business and a forest harvesting business.

From a tree farming perspective, their assets include over 400 hectares of plantation and more than 1500 hectares of productive native forest.

The Tree Farmer of the Year award was previously administered by the Australian Forest Growers which recently merged with the Institute of Foresters of Australia and nominated to support the TFFPN Awards Initiative.

Penny Wells was a finalist in the award which recognises an individual who has demonstrated excellence in their commitment to supporting and promoting the Tasmanian Timber Industry alongside

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

other finalists, Emma Barker of Sustainable Timber Tasmania and Jillian AylettBrown of Mechanised Logging.

Penny was presented the award by Stephen Rymer from PF Olsen for her 30 year contribution to the Tasmanian timber industry, her most prominent achievement being her contribution to the development and evolution of Tasmania’s forest management systems (legislation, policy, plans, planning tools & guidelines, including Tasmania’s Regional Forest Agreement).

The 2019 Tasmanian Timber Awards finalists and winners: Distribution & Logistics Excellence: Neville Smith Forest Products Environmental Excellence: Forico Forest Growing & Management Excellence: Forico Harvesting Excellence: Mechanised Logging Innovation: Warren French Architect and Valley Workshop Regional & Community Development: Neville Smith Forest Products Skill Development & Training Excellence: Mechanised Logging Timber Processing Excellence: TimberLink Workplace Health & Safety Excellence: Mechanised Logging Trainee of the Year: Mechanised Logging Tree Farmer of the Year: Sue and Owen Smith Outstanding Contribution to the Timber Industry (female): Penny Wells (Private Forests Tasmania) Outstanding contribution to the Timber Industry (male): Craig Patmore (Sustainable Timber Tasmania) www.timberbiz.com.au

Tasmanian Timber Awards

Harvesting Excellence award winner Anthony Workplace Health and Safety Excellence award • • Brown from Mechanised Logging, with Sustainable winner Mechanised Logging’s Jillian Aylett-Brown Timber Tasmania’s Steve Whiteley.

Workplace Health and Safety Excellence Highly • Commended award winner Neville Smith Forest Products’ Josh Turnbull with EE Muir and Sons’ Ricky Blake.

Distribution and Logistics Excellence award • winner Drew Freeman from Neville Smith Forest Products with Britton Timbers’ Shawn Britton. www.timberbiz.com.au

with EE Muir and Sons’ Ricky Blake.

Forest Growing and Management Excellence • award winner Forico’s Jim Wilson with Reliance Forest Fibre’s Owen Hoffmann.

Regional and Community Development award • winner Neville Smith Forest Products’ Joseph Amore with Forico’s Bryan Hayes.

Environmental Excellence award winner Simon • Cook from Forico with TFFPN Convenor Therese Taylor on behalf of Mackay Timber.

Outstanding Contribution to the Timber Industry (from left) Jillian Aylett-Brown, Mechanised Logging • (Highly Commended), Private Forests Tasmania’ Penny Wells (winner) and finalist Emma Barker from Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

21

Komatsu History

Komatsu true pioneers of harvesters

A long history in the world’s forests

K

omatsu’s involvement in the forest business is relatively new but its heritage has a very long history. The predecessor to Komatsu Forest namely Valmet Logging dates back to the 70’s via Umea Mekaniska AB the true pioneer of harvesters in Sweden. In 1972 Umea Mekaniska developed the “Tviggen” processor with many new technical innovations for harvesting and proved to be an overnight success and later led to the development of the Valmet 902 twin grip harvester. The Tviggen’s success gained the attention of Volvo BM in 1976 followed by Valmet Oy in 1979 which led to the forestry machine and agriculture tractor company Volvo BM Valmet.

Its huge technological leap forward increased Valmet Oy’s interest in Umeå Mekaniska and in 1986 Umeå Mekaniska became wholly owned by Valmet Oy. This resulted in the brands being consolidated under the Valmet name, and this remained the case for 25 years. In 1989, the ties between Sweden and Finland were fully consummated when the company changed name to Valmet Logging AB. First Grapple Processor In 1981 Volvo BM Valmet released the first grapple processor the 940 GP which was mounted on a Volvo BM Valmet 862 Forwarder base. It was about this time that Valmet bought out Volvo BM with the latter concentrating on construction equipment. Soon after several 940GP’s reached Australia in 1982 to process radiata pine plantations to feed the new Laminex mill in Wagga Wagga NSW. These units were sold and supported by Summit Machinery & Equipment P/L who fitted the Valmet 940GP’s on to

22

• Komatsu PC200 fitted with Komatsu 370E Harvesting Debarker.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

www.timberbiz.com.au

converted Sumitomo hydraulic excavators.

The 940 Grapple Processor revolutionised the harvesting industry as a specialised harvesting attachment that could be fitted to both wheel and track carriers. This led the way to the development of the grapple harvester market which was then copied by all leading forest machine manufacturers and dominates the forest harvesting market today.

First Single Grip Harvester

• Komatsu 931XC

The year 1984 marked a milestone in global forest machine manufacturing. This was when Umeå Mekaniska launched the world’s first specially designed single grip harvester, the Volvo BM Valmet 901. A single grip harvester meant that felling, delimbing and bucking could be achieved with a single grip rather than two grips. The Volvo BM Valmet 901 also had a fully rotating and levelling cab. This technical solution is now more than 30 years old and is still considered the ultimate method for sustainable productivity.

The Valmet 901 was released in Australia at the FIME Logging Expo in 1986 and was accompanied by the Valmet 902 Twin Grip Harvester and Valmet 886 Forwarder. The success of the Valmet machines after FIME led to the establishment of the local Australian operation Valmet Logging Pty Ltd in 1990, the first factory owner forest machine distributer in Australia.

The Valmet 901 sales were slow in the early years due to its light weight and small harvester head sizes. This has somewhat changed in recent years as the Valmet 901 concept has evolved into a full product line starting with the Komatsu 901, 901XC, 911, 931, 931XC & 951 fitted with a range of 14 Komatsu harvesting heads. Today Komatsu wheel harvesters are market leaders in Australia.

Valmet Logging P/L became the Timbco Inc dealer in 1992 which

• Timberpro TN765D fitted with Waratah 624C. www.timberbiz.com.au

provided a very competent purposebuilt track range for carrying large heads e.g. Waratah. Australia’s success with Timbco products led to Partek Forest formerly Valmet logging purchasing Timbco Inc (USA) in 2000. From the early 90’s to the current period Valmet/Partek/Komatsu maintained market leadership in the purpose-built track harvester market in Australia.

• Tviggen

Japanese Owner In 2004, Komatsu Ltd became the owner of Partek Forest and renamed the company Komatsu Forest. Komatsu Ltd saw synergy and development opportunities wherein technology and products from forest machines could make Komatsu’s construction machines a more attractive proposition, for plantation harvesting in particular. The first evidence of Nordic-Japanese collaboration came in 2005, when Komatsu Forest introduced an excavator kit that could quickly convert an excavator into a harvester. The Komatsu excavator harvester concept has been a huge success in the Brazilian eucalypt plantations, the Russian Boreal forest, Indonesia, and to a lesser extent in Australia.

The next major step was taken in 2011, when the machines changed name to Komatsu, after 25 years of the Valmet brand. They did, however, keep the classic red colour for wheel machines.

Since entering into the forest machine business Komatsu Forest has continued to expand its influence in the harvesting market by not only ramping up its own product range but through acquisition of Log Max AB in 2012. This was followed up with further acquisitions of the innovative forestry attachment producers, Quadco and Southstar in 2018.

Collectively these acquisitions make Komatsu the largest global supplier of forest harvesting attachments.

The latest harvester development from Komatsu Forest AB is the Komatsu C164, a new larger prototype head as a superior match for the Komatsu 951 carrier. It’s designed to handle rough trees with a unique four roller feed system and five knives coupled with a patented accurate and reliable measuring system.

Sweden built three prototypes and sent them to the three major markets who had requested the larger head i.e. Sweden, Germany and Australia.

In Australia the C164 is being tested

by Paul Rosin in the Tumut area with an expected general market release date of mid 2020.

Komatsu has kept on expanding its influence on the harvesting market with the April’19 acquisition of Timberpro Inc which has an extensive range of purpose-built track carriers both zero tail swing, long tail swing, and a specialised forwarder. Timberpro will continue as an independent company with its big advantage for Komatsu Forest Australia being the full tail swing models TN/TL765D & TN/TL775D which meet the growing markets in Australia and New Zealand for this style of machine.

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

• Volvo BM Valmet 902 Twin Grip Harvester

• Volvo BM Valmet 862/940GP

• Early Model Valmet 901.

• Komatsu XT460L fitted with Komatsu 398.

Komatsu 951 fitted with Komatsu C164 • Prototype Head.

23

01–04 April 2020

It’s happening The largest timber industry show in the Southern Hemisphere, every four years in Australia!

From harvesting to manufacturing to services and 8000+ attendees, all in one place. Our world class site is unique for having both pine and eucalyptus plantations.

Tickets will be going on sale later in September for field trips, the welcome dinner and the show. Bookmark our website or join our email list to stay up to date with all the action!

This is your opportunity to participate in this amazing timber industry showcase as an Exhibitor, Sponsor or Attendee.

Connect with us to find out how to...

Increase your market visibility with a Partner opportunity

Be one of the 100+ Exhibitors

Contact Us Dionne Olsen +61 4 29 202 929 austimber2020@afca.asn.au www.austimber.org.au

AUSTimber 2020 According to Ian Reid from • AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage,

John Deere forestry machines are productive, reliable and at the forefront of technology, and they are excited for their new working relationship with recently appointed John Deere dealer RDO Equipment.

Forestry industry stalwart looking to the future with RDO Equipment F

ORMER Australian Forest Contractors Association chair and director Ian Reid has thrown his support behind new John Deere construction and forestry equipment dealer, RDO Equipment, which he says should be congratulated for its investment in the market.

Mr Reid is the managing

director of AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage. He has also been instrumental in organising the AUSTimber expo over the past 10 years and bringing it to Gippsland

Online Registration Available Visit fols.forestworks.com.au:

• Update contact or employment details.

• Renew FOLS and maintain skills.

Download our free app and replace the need for a card!

Or free call  for any of your FOLS needs.

26

in 2016. AUSTimber is the largest forestry show in Australia and returns to Victoria next year.

“AUSTimber gives all our industry colleagues the chance to showcase their brand, products and innovative technology. I’m excited to be part of the event again in 2020, and also welcoming RDO Equipment to the show for the first time,” Mr Reid said.

“The investment and commitment that RDO is making to the forestry and construction industries is really impressive, and we’re looking forward to building a strong relationship with them for many years to come.”

RDO Equipment is the new John Deere Construction and Forestry dealer for all states apart from Western Australia, and Ian is keen to tap into the resources that RDO Equipment has brought to Australia across its sales, service and parts teams.

“RDO has the full global support of the John Deere brand, which I really like because you know they have experience and knowledge of the machinery. They are John Deere through and through and have a great track record with their

equipment and their company culture, which is a good fit with our business,” Mr Reid said.

AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage is based in Morwell in the Gippsland region in Victoria, and has been running since 2006.

The business currently has 30 employees who work in harvesting the regions HVP pine and hardwood plantation resource.

“We’ve been using John Deere machinery since 2012.

At the time we were looking for fit for purpose machines that were reliable and technologically advanced, that would suit our business growth. Now seven years later, we’re still buying John Deere for the same reason,” Mr Reid said.

AusTimber currently has 14 John Deere forestry machines, including 1270G wheeled harvesters and 1910E forwarders, as well as a 948G skidder working in their hardwood operations.

“John Deere machines have a combination of everything we need: they are productive, dependable, and at the forefront of technology, which is where we want to be as well. The newer machines that come with John

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

Deere Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) in particular, deliver outstanding precision and accuracy,’’ he said.

“Our operators appreciate the advanced features that the John Deere machines provide.”

IBC makes boom control precise, fast and easy because the operator controls the boom tip directly instead of controlling independent boom joint movements. It also considerably reduces the number of tuning parameters needed and increases the durability of the boom structures and hydraulic cylinders.

IBC is also available on John Deere’s newer model harvesters, where the trajectory and functioning of the boom adjust automatically to the harvester’s work phases.

“We really like the John Deere computer and monitoring systems. Having easy access to data and understanding what our machines are doing helps us make informed business decisions,” Mr Reid said.

“RDO is a welcome addition to the market and we are excited to work with them as we continue our partnership with John Deere.” www.timberbiz.com.au

Technology

Resource management and forest inventory technologies profiled

E

VERY year, more than 250 resource managers, remote sensing, GIS and mapping specialists, inventory foresters and technology providers from throughout Australasia (and more recently SE Asia) meet up at the annual ForestTECH technology series.

Since 2007, it’s the one event every year that’s run in both Australia and New Zealand focussing on this particular part of the forestry industry.

“Compared to other parts of the wood supply chain, it’s been the sheer pace of change around the collection, analysis and reporting of data collected for the forest estate that’s continued to drive interest and support for this particular technology series” FIEA director Brent Apthorp said.

“In recent years there has been a very short lag time (often less than six months) between the time research results are being relayed to forestry companies to the time that it’s being implemented operationally”.

At recent ForestTECH events, new data collection technologies have been unveiled along with advances that have been made on processing and better interpreting the big data streams now routinely being collected out in the field.

The task being grappled with by many forestry companies has been how best to sort through and use this collected data and convert it into something that’s usable for all stakeholders.

The focus for ForestTECH 2019 is “unlocking the true value of data”. Disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, the IOT, machine and deep learning, robotics,

www.timberbiz.com.au

automation, daily satellite imagery, UAV’s and the use of virtual and augmented reality are now increasingly being integrated into day to day operations of most forestry companies.

With input from a wide cross section of forestry companies, tech providers and researchers, the ForestTECH 2019 programmes have been completed. Some key features of this year’s series are; - The number of pre and post conference workshops have been set up for ForestTECH 2019 delegates in both countries. Check out the website for details. The focus for the workshops include using geospatial tools and workflows, new technologies for collecting high-quality 3D forestry spatial data using portable, handheld devices and technology advances around hyperspectral and thermal imaging for precision forestry operations.

- The number of presentations in ForestTECH 2019 being given from major forestry companies and global technology providers from outside Australasia.

Key presenters this year include; Northwest Management, USA, DroneSeed, USA, GreenValley International, USA/China, SKYLAB, Germany, Swift Geospatial, South Africa, Forestal Arauco, Chile and IDAF Forestry Consulting, Spain.

- The significant technology advances that have been made with an array of new UAV platforms, data collection capabilities and operational applications. DroneSeed for example are using swarms of UAV’s (or drones) to automate tree planting and spraying operations.

They’ve developed custom

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

UAV platforms, equipped with multispectral camera arrays, high-end lidar, 23 litre tanks of herbicide and proprietary seed dispersal mechanisms which are now used operationally by major North American forest management companies.

New technology is allowing collision avoidance for drones, GPS-denied flight, advanced autonomy and SLAM-based LiDAR mapping in challenging GPSdenied environments. Work is also currently underway on developing autonomous, unmanned aerial systems for mapping the forest from beneath the canopy. The purpose here is to provide a mapping solution for areas of dense undergrowth and dense canopy, where groundbased methods are difficult or hazardous and above canopy methods struggle to penetrate to the stems.

- Taking the results from earlier research using virtual reality technologies for forest inventory into the field. Earlier presentations detailed progress on using VR with remotely acquired 3D point cloud data to see if foresters could from the comfort of their office, visually characterize and measure individual trees. VR for the first time is now being trialled operationally with some of the larger forestry companies in Australia.

The ForestTECH 2019 series this year runs in Melbourne, Australia on November 13-14 and then again in Rotorua, New Zealand on November 19-20.

Details can be found on the event website; www.foresttech.events.

27

Technology

Trimble’s CFX supports collaboration • among wood supply stakeholders by providing a cloud-based clearinghouse for log load data transactions.

2019 GTTIA AWARD DINNER To celebrate the industry and the winners of the Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards 2019, it is our pleasure to invite you along to the Awards Dinner.

Friday November 1, 2019 6.00pm until late Full menu with formal awards ceremony. $80 per head,tables of eight or ten and single tickets available. Cash bar – eftpos available

With M.C Merrick Watts

9

The Barn 747 Glenelg River Road Mount Gambier

Bronze Sponsors 2019

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 28

Tickets can be booked online www.gttia.com for further information contact: info@gttia.com

Connecting industry with world’s best technology T rimble’s Connected Forest solutions offers the world’s leading integrated software and solutions for collecting, communicating and analysing information across and throughout the forestry business.

The Connected Forest solutions bring meaning to the deluge of information encountered in today’s environment and provides for greater connectivity across the organization and real time visibility.

This allows the business to leverage information into competitive advantage and strategic value.

Part of Trimble’s latest offering is the Connected Forest Xchange (CFX) and Connected Forest Business (CFB) which have begun to impress as core solutions to provide the global forestry industry with an end-to-end ecosystem for supply chain management, trading partner collaboration and financial settlement.

CFX and CFB are integral to Trimble’s Connected Forest initiative to provide solutions to manage the full raw materials lifecycle of planning, planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and processing.

Trimble’s CFX supports collaboration among wood supply stakeholders by providing a cloud-based clearinghouse for log load data transactions, including scale tickets, load information and transportation monitoring in real-time.

All stakeholders are able to make more informed decisions, improve their fibre visibility and increase their productivity. Trimble’s CFB is a contract and financial system to streamline harvesting and fiberrelated transactions.

Together, CFX and CFB offer forestry companies a cloud-based

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to simplify and automate the data collection of log load transportation and measurement for processing supply chain financial commitments.

The new solutions enable forestry businesses to improve decision making at every step—from forest to mill and from land acquisition to product delivery—by combining industry-specialized software and state-of-the-art hardware into solutions for land, forest, fibre and mill management. Trimble’s Connected Forest portfolio offers the most comprehensive supply chain solutions available to the forest industry today.

“We value the ability to view our data in real-time, the ease of importing data remotely, and the visibility we and our partners have into our operations. Using CFX, we catch errors early and solve problems more quickly,” Atco Wood Products Ltd.’s woodlands manager Craig Stemmler said.

Trimble’s logistics general manager David Joll said the goal was to integrate the company’s portfolio of services to provide its customers with state-of-the-art solutions to enable them to gain greater efficiencies and improve productivity in their operations.

“Trimble’s Connected Forest solutions facilitate supply chain collaborative planning, information sharing as well as the integration of sawmill, contractor, log vendor, scale site and transport business data to provide an end-to-end ecosystem for forestry,” he said.

For more information on Trimble’s CFX and CFB solutions, visit: forestry.trimble.com/solutions/CFXchange and forestry.trimble.com/ solutions/CFBusiness. www.timberbiz.com.au

Machinery

Liebherr has handle on log yard W ITH a total of 3000 employees, Ilim Timber is one of the world’s leading producers of softwood sawn timber and softwood plywood.

The company’s production facilities are mainly located in Russia and Germany, and in total the group produces around 2.6 million cubic metres of sawn timber annually.

In Landsberg am Lech in Bavaria, about 65km west of Munich, Ilim Timber operates the smaller of its two German sawmills with 294 employees.

Since taking over the location and establishing Ilim Timber Bavaria in 2011, sawing operations have continuously increased.

In Landsberg am Lech, around one million cubic metres of spruce are processed for the house construction and packaging industries. The company sources the timber from Bavarian State Forests and private forest owners.

Enormous quantities of wood are continuously arriving at the sawmillby truck and rail.

The main tasks of the machines for timber handling at the Landsberg am Lech site include unloading the trailers and wagons and temporarily storing the logs in the log yard.

The machines also feed the log sorting system.

At Ilim Timber Bavaria, several Liebherr handling machines are already involved in the production process, including three LH 50 M Timber log loaders and one L 580 XPower wheel loader. Based on its excellent experience with Liebherr machines, the company invested in an L 580 LogHandler XPower with emission stage IV/Tier 4f for timber work at the

www.timberbiz.com.au

merous protection devices, such as the rear ram guard with additional log yard in Landsberg am Lech.

For Ilim Timber, reliability is the the guard for the windscreen, the hy- protection all ensure optimal worktop priority for the machines used draulically adjustable log pusher, and ing conditions. because the L 580 LogHandler XPower is in operation at the log yard in two shifts for around 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

As with the current Liebherr large wheel loaders, the L 580 LogHandler XPower also offers the advantages of the power-split XPower driveline. It provides robustness and offers full performance over the entire travel range.

The L 580 LogHandler XPower moves around 2500 to 3000 cubic Unlike others, Smithco’s 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-bladed propellers metres of wood every day – just are designed and manufactured exclusively for the lumber over half the daily production volume at the log yard. The Liebherr industry. It’s all we do. This focus allows us to provide wheel loader requires only 13 liunsurpassed customer service and technical expertise. tres of diesel per operating hour.

We’re the only company in the world who can make that claim.

The biggest challenge for the L Smithco. Problem solved.

580 LogHandler XPower at Ilim Timber Bavaria is unloading wagons. There are around two kilometres of railway track on the factory premises and the LogHandler has to cover very long distances during the unloading process. The machine operators are very pleased with how quiet the wheel loader is to drive. Precise, delicate movements of the load are also possible.

The L 580 LogHandler XPower can flexibly perform the various tasks at the log yard with the purposefully reinforced special lift arm, which offers a maximum reach of almost four metres.

For this application, the L 580 LogHandler XPower was equipped with a 3.2 m² combinaPhone 503-295-6590 • 800-764-8456 U.S. tion grapple which can be rotated smithcomfg.com sales@smithcomfg.com 360° and swivelled forwards and backwards. In addition, the nu-

air flow problems?

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

29

Machinery Upgrades driving fuel economy THROUGH a combination of new software and hardware upgrades for Euro 3 to 5 markets, Volvo Trucks’ updated D13 diesel engines can save up to three per cent in fuel in long-haul operations.

The new function is called Volvo Torque Assist and is intended to reduce fuel consumption by providing more efficient driving when the cruise control is disabled in long haul operations.

Volvo Torque Assist is designed to give more fuel-efficient driving by automatically adapting the truck’s torque and acceleration to the road topography, the load and speed changes.

The function is only active when driving without using cruise control. Another supporting function keeps the amount of injected fuel constant after the engine’s ‘green range’ has been passed. The slightly compromised performance is compensated by improved fuel economy.

The pedal map has also been recalibrated.

A less sensitive pedal creates a smoother torque development, which, in turn, makes the truck easier to control. Drivers that are less skilled in economical driving benefit more than those who already have that driving style.

The new software also gives a more significant result with heavy loads, many slope changes or large speed variations, while drivers transporting lighter loads with constant speed on flat roads will save less fuel.

The hardware upgrades in the Euro 6 Step D versions of the D13 engine, released earlier in 2019, are also being used to raise the standards of the Euro 3 to 5 engines. Internal friction has been reduced with new cylinder liners and new V-shaped oil scraper rings.

The turbo efficiency has been improved and the engine management system is upgraded to a newer version with better capacity.

30

Log loaders updated to cut costs and boost efficiency C

ATERPILLAR’S 500 Series Forest Machine log loaders have been updated to meet emission standards and feature improved fuel efficiency and optimized components while maximizing horsepower and swing torque.

These versatile, purposebuilt track machines, which can be customized to perform a complete range of loading and shoveling tasks, now maximize efficiency and reduce costs.

Cat Forest Machine log loaders are available in numerous configurations for log loading, shovel logging, processing, butt-n-top/power clam applications, and millyard activities.

There are four log loaders models in the Cat 500 Series: 538 LL, 548 LL, 558 LL, and 568 LL. The 538 LL is powered by an 164 hp (122 kW) Cat C7.1 ACERT engine. The 568, the most powerful in the series, is equipped with a 319 hp (238 kW) Cat C9.3 ACERT engine.

Caterpillar introduced the Cat 538 LL , 548 LL, and 558 LL, for example, Cat introduced feature a new machine design, new engine, and optimized components and work tools to provide exceptional fuel savings and excellent productivity.

There are four log loaders models in the Cat 500 Series: 538 LL, 548 LL, 558 LL, and 568 LL. The 538 LL is powered by an 164 hp (122 kW) Cat C7.1 ACERT engine. The 568, the most powerful in the series, is equipped with a 319 hp (238 kW) Cat C9.3 ACERT engine.

Caterpillar introduced the Cat 538 LL , 548 LL, and 558 LL, for example, Cat introduced feature a new machine design, new engine, and optimized components and work tools to provide exceptional fuel savings and excellent productivity.

All Cat Forest Machine log loaders are available in two

“

The user-friendly technology enables remote monitoring of equipment. live heel configurations. All models boast rock-solid stability, and the 538 LL features a wider track gauge than the previous model and heavy-duty counterweight to maximize stability and operator experience in diverse logging conditions.

Application versatility is enhanced with a purpose-built boom and stick arrangements and new grouser options. The machines are engineered for durability and reliability with proven Cat components, purpose-built upper and lower frames, and increased cooling capability to maximize machine uptime.

The Cat 538 LL, 548 LL, and

558 LL feature uniform speed control to maintain a constant engine speed regardless of load. The result is unprecedented fuel economy. Additional features also boost fuel economy. For example, with automatic engine speed control, the machines will revert automatically to a lower idle speed when there is a lull in operation. Also, the operator can choose from three power modes, depending on the work tasks or application.

The hydraulic system delivers a higher level of efficiency and power. Pumps are upsized to maximize hydraulic flow, the engine runs at a lower rpm, consuming less fuel, the Cat 538 LL, 548 LL, and 558 LL have the needed power for maximum performance. The main pumps, control valves, and hydraulic oil tank are located close together so the tubes and lines between components are shorter, reducing friction and pressure drops.

The hydraulic system features translate to an impressive boost in performance: maximum horsepower, greater swing torque, and added lift capacity. The increases mean improved implement performance, lifting bigger payloads with better control -- and more production.

The engines feature an improved side-by-side cooling system with increased cooling capacity for all models.

Increased fin spacing for the radiator package improves airflow and cooling capability.

A standard auto-reversing fan with optimized fan blade pitch

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

increases service intervals and maintains proper engine operating temperature.

Machine width and track length are designed for maximum machine stability for increased lift and swing capabilities, and the 538 LL features a heavy-duty counterweight while the 548 LL and 558 LL features a fuel tank counterweight.

All machines can operate a wide range of work tools and are optimized and integrated for Cat work tools. New grouser options increase machine applicability on the job site, and ground saw hydraulics are available from the factory on select machine models The cab is designed and purpose-built for tough forestry work. LED lights are standard on most models, along with a heated and cooled seat that maximizes operator comfort.

Spacious, quiet, and comfortable to ensure high productivity all day, the cab is pressurized and features a bi-level air conditioner, heater, and defroster to keep the operator comfortable in any weather. Other features include satellite radio, auxiliary audio port for MP3 players, and 12-volt power supply sockets for charging.

The Cat 548 LL, 558 LL, and 568 LL are available with a rear entry cab option for log loader configurations. The option, available on machines in North America and Australia and New Zealand, offers unparalleled operator experience with convenient access, improved operator comfort, and increased visibility. www.timberbiz.com.au

Machinery The Forest Machine of the Year award goes to Logset THE medium-sized Logset 8H GTE Hybrid harvester, launched this year, has been named Forest Machine of the Year.

The award, from the French forestry magazine Bois International, was presented at the Libramont exhibition held on the French-Belgian border.

The choice was based on the machine’s innovative and environmental features such as fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

“A few years back Logset decided to become the leader in environmentally friendly and efficient forest machines,’’ the company’s chairman Tapio Nikkanen said.

“The decision became the cornerstone of the company’s strategy.

“We’ve developed new solutions and have already launched two hybrid harvester models,’’ he said.

“The Forest Machine of the Year award is a fine way of saying thank you to everyone at Logset, and encourages us to keep developing new products in line with our strategy.’’

Japanese ECHO brand gets exclusive Australian distribution F OLLOWING the exclusive distribution agreement in Australia last year, Japanese power equipment brand ECHO has established itself as a market leader releasing an innovative range of affordable handheld products designed for professionals and tradesmen.

With the latest of ECHO’s iconic-orange range available through Briggs & Stratton dealers, the global company promises to deliver quality and consistency across all products.

The lightest saw in its class with enough power www.timberbiz.com.au

to breeze through any job, the CS-2511TES is an industry leading professional top handle petrol chainsaw, ideal for the professional arborist. Exceptional powerto-weight ratio and performance is driven by a 25cc professional grade Japanese engine. Standout features include a dry weight of 2.3kg (without guide bar and saw chain), a starter grip assist cap opener; dropout prevention nuts; a tool-less air filter cover allowing easy air filter access, even while wearing gloves; a side access chain tensioner enabling easy chain adjustment and an in-

tegrated metal lanyard ring for easy attachment and detachment.

As we head into growth season, pruners will come in handy for cutting high branches and tackling tall pruning jobs. ECHO offers the PPT-236ES as the perfect lightweight tool for balanced professionals. The telescopic power pruner boasts an ergonomic design featuring an in-line handle for maximum comfort, coupled with ECHO’s trademark ES-Start technology – a spring assisted system allowing users to start petrol engines with great ease. The telescopi-

cally adjustable, rigid shaft makes pruning easier and safer for those branches that are out of reach, producing a more accurate job.

With industry trends moving towards more environmentally sound solutions, ECHO worked tirelessly to reduce exhaust emissions across their petrol powered range, as well as developing and launching their 50V lithium-ion handheld range including a chainsaw, hedge trimmer, line trimmer and power blower that take on their petrol counterparts with a wealth of added benefits. Lightweight, robust

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

construction with long lasting, quick charging batteries and professional grade maintenance-free brushless motors across the range ensure long lasting, professional performance. Developing batteries with charge times as low as 30 mins and full compatibility across multiple tools, ECHO offers the most convenient solution to any workload.

With a five-year domestic warranty and two-year professional warranty, the ECHO professional range is available through Briggs & Stratton dealers nationally and Bunnings Warehouse.

31

Mills

Collaborative optimising sawing effort; Ross Lakin, Operations Manager; Richard Keenan, • Head Wood Machinist, and Weinig technician Gary Spillane.

Major upgrade boosts quality for mill T

Parkside’s Wondai dry mill; Scanning and docking • system has been a real game changer in terms of productivity and quality performance.

32

HE Parkside Wondai dry mill has undergone a major upgrade that has improved its quality and quantity output, and made the mill a world class hardwood manufacturing facility.

The mill is now the cornerstone of Parkside sawmilling and wood processing operations and produces hardwood decking, flooring, cladding, industrial and decorative timber for numerous applications.

The Queensland-based Parkside Group is a large, leading company in sawmilling, timber manufacturing, land and property development, home construction and retirement industries, with operations from Cairns to Sydney.

Among the collaborative efforts between Weinig and Parkside has been the acquisition of an OptiCut 450 series machining centre by Parkside’s Wondai dry mill.

This installation provides automated high-speed optimizing cross-cutting capacity – position, cut and sort at rapid speed with optimal recovery. Modern operations benefit from this performance for fixed-length cutting, when cutting out defects and for recovery and grade optimization.

Weinig managing director Neil Forbes said this optimising sawing centre provides superior reliability, accuracy and complete user-friendliness in high-performance, continuous operations.

Wondai dry mill operations manager Ross Lakin said the Weinig OptiCut scanning and docking saw system has been a real game changer for the company in terms of productivity and quality performance. “With the Weinig scanning and optimising docking centre we are now able to much improve the quality and value of our production.”

“So critical value-adding of our predominantly spotted gum and ironbark decking and flooring lines has moved

us to a new level – they are now much enhanced products,” he said.

Weinig’s Neil Forbes is extremely enthusiastic about the relationship between Weinig and Parkside. “Parkside is an amazing, iconic Queensland success story and a preeminent hardwood sawmiller and wood processor. We feel that we are able to make a useful contribution to their success.”

He said that as Australasia’s well established, leading solid wood processing machinery and technology provider, Weinig is able to make a constructive input into Australia’s hardwood industry as it looks to provide increasingly highquality products to a discerning market.

“So precision, rapid and highquality wood processing machinery and support is a critical part of today’s manufacturing mix,” he said.

The Parkside brand didn’t start in timber, but in farming and agriculture when Bruno Tapiolas Vila, a Spanish immigrant arrived in Australia in 1911. Bruno saw Australia as the land of opportunity and from humble beginnings, little did Bruno know that a 100 years later the family business would grow into the outstanding Queensland business enterprise now known as the Parkside Group.

Parkside acquired their first sawmill at Eungella west of Mackay in 1962 and expanded their timber sales and building materials business to Townsville in 1966. In 1972 there was an opportunity to acquire a much larger and efficient sawmill in Mackay and the Eungella mill was closed. The Mackay sawmill provided an opportunity to strengthen the timber and building business that quickly grew to become a dominant player in North Queensland.

In 1989 Parkside acquired the Builyan Sawmill from Boral, and over the next decade also acquired sawmills at Theodore,

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

Wandoan and Eidsvold. The latest acquisitions in the sawmilling division both in 2005 have been the Wondai dry mill and Wondai green sawmill.

Weinig Queensland representative Gary Spillane said that the OptiCut series of automated scanning and crosscutting saws offer innovative cross-cutting combined with state-of-the-art control technology and software – everything from a single source.

“An outstanding application of high-performance optimizing cross-cut saws is their integration into fully-automatic cross-cutting lines with automatic defect and quality detection.”

The OptiCut system can grow along with the requirements of the operator. It can be upgraded and retro-fitted at any time, and another advantage is that customers of DimterLine OptiCut machines benefit from the service of an experienced manufacturer and the security of the worldwide presence of Weinig.

“Manufactured since 2003 as part of Weinig Dimter highspeed production series for defect cutting, cutting of fixed lengths and optimization in the highest performance category OptiCut machines are offered

by Dimter with up to 540 cuts per minute,” said Mr Spillane.

In connection with an integrated high-performance scanning system, up to 100 running metres of timber can be cut and optimized per minute.

The process can be organised to be fully automatic, from the vacuum destacking of the raw material to the stacking of cut lengths.

In relation to Parkside’s relationship with Weinig, Ross Lakin said; “… yes we are very pleased that we have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Weinig. In fact, since the scanning and optimising docking installation at Wondi we have purchased another Weinig machining system for another one of our sawmills.” www.timberbiz.com.au

Mills

30 years of service across the world Keith Smiley

O

ur Kiwi brothers are a surprising and innovative lot, but one invention stands out from the rest.

Peterson Sawmills is located in Rotorua, a smelly town sated with sulphur dioxide, in clean-green New Zealand. It has not curbed the enthusiasm nor invention by the Peterson family, now celebrating thirty years of service across the world.

According to an American reviewer on their elaborate website, Peterson portable sawmills are as robust as any other but its engineering and longevity, is a cut above the rest.

“Copying is the greatest compliment but try as they might, copycats still cannot replicate our machinery nor its versatility,” says, Maurice Liempd, Peterson’s marketing specialist.

The portable sawmills use circular tungsten blades, which last longer than band saw blades. They get about six years out of a blade and they can be sharpened quickly, without removal from the mill; handy when you are deep in a forest.

Carl Peterson started the ball rolling in 1989 with an innovative lesson for fixed machinery, by releasing ‘the world’s first commercially available portable sawmill’, according to Maurice. They may have won their share of awards but quality, service and versatility remain the hallmarks of Peterson’s success. When Carl retired and handed the reins to daughter Kerris and her husband Chris Browne, competition was fierce.

Kerris Brown with sales rep, • Greg Sheehan.

A single Peterson unit can mill, slab, plane and sand, by hand or by automatic operation on any surface or incline. With customers scattered across the globe from Papua to Germany, New Zealand to North America, Petersons have adapted to these dramatic and variable conditions, establishing a recognized brand, to satisfy these markets.

The entry level Junior Peterson portable sawmill is basically for a part time miller.

It will cut 4x2s and 6x2s for rudimentary tree stakes. A Peterson, cuts a board one at a time allowing you to select the log you are cutting, which is useful for grade sawing. The product range supports a clip-on slabber for very wide boards. Their AllTerrain sawmill is designed for rugged terrain, in jungles, forests and uneven ground, and a model up, called Winch Frame, is the most popular one, for efficiency and be-

cause it can be upgraded.

Kerris Browne is in ‘a man’s world’, she confesses but is quick to point out there is a woman at the helm of Norwood, a large sawmill company in Canada. “I hire men to sell our mills. You can only push it uphill, so far. Men and machinery go together and customers feel more reassured. I know it’s not right but its fine with me,” said Kerris.

She is not one to get rattled easily, and in her own Canadian-NZ vernacular, she’s been through ‘some pretty good curved balls’.

With an annual turnover of about $2 million, they sell between fifty and 100 sawmills each year. Competitors tend to premake their units, while Peterson’s mainly custommake their portables - a factor in their survival.

They have reps in Canada and USA but are keen to start a network in Australia. Selling from a factory outlet in New Zealand directly to the Australian market is one way around this networking issue. The freight costs in North America are so expensive and prohibitive in many cases, especially for South American countries - where freight needs to be routed through Singapore and USA to get to anywhere south of the equator. “It’s a nightmare,” says Kerris.

“We are creating businesses and income for thousands of people. We sell a lot of automated machinery to Australians who get sick of pushing the mill.”

Kerris is cautiously optimistic, likes to ‘think things through’ and be well prepared, hiring people who are ‘better’ than her.

What’s On 24-27 September 2019 International Nondestructive testing and evaluation of Wood Symposium. Freiburg, Germany. Udo.Sauter@ forst.bwl.de 30 September 2019 Queen’s Birthday (WA) 6 October 2019 Daylight Savings starts – ACT, NSW, SA, TAS, VIC 7 October 2019 Queen’s Birthday Qld Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA) 17 October 2019 20th Australian Timber Design Awards Melbourne, Vic Contact 0420 232 253 18 October 2019 TABMA National Awards Dinner Sydney 22 October 2019 Responsible Wood AGM University of South Australia, Mt Gambier SA 26 October 2019 Queensland Timber Industry Gala Evening Hosted by TABMA www.tabma.com.au 1 November 2019 Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards Mt Gambier, SA 1-3 November 2019 Timber and Working With Wood Show, Epic, Canberra 5 November 2019 Melbourne Cup Day (Vic) 13-14 November 2019 ForestTECH, Melbourne 19-21 November 2019 Malaysian Wood Expo Kuala Lumpur 24 December 2019 Christmas Eve (SA) 25 December 2019 Christmas Day (National) 26 December 2019 Boxing Day (Nation except SA) Proclamation Day (SA) 28 January 2019 Australia Day

(as January 26 falls on Saturday the following Monday is observed)

2020 26 March 2020 NZ Wood Resene Timber Design Awards Grand Millennium Hotel, Auckland 30 March - 4 April 2020 AUSTimber, HVP Flynn site, Latrobe City, Victoria

2021 2-5 June 2021

• All terrain mill completing a dream cut. www.timberbiz.com.au

Elmia Wood, Jonkoping Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

33

Classifieds Get your digital edition today aftdigitaledition.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) 8369Â 9517 or email: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au

FOR SALE Prices include GST

Brentwood Shredder

Outfeed Conveyor 2 x screen sizes

$25,000 Gibson Multi saw

Reduced PRices

Tigercat M726 Feller Buncher

NEW Tigercat 610E Skidder

$295,000 +GST

$POA

Dressta TD20M Dozer

Komatsu XT450L-2

$POA

$195,000 +GST

Tigercat 630C Skidder

NEW Tigercat 1075C Forwarder. $POA.

$95,000 +GST

over arbour 200mm depth of cut all guided saws, 1 moving saw the rest fixed with guides Plenty of guides all in good working order 25mm up to 100mm.

Machine is working up to August 28.

subscribe to

DAILY timber news

$85,000

Sign up at

CONTACT:

CLEARANCE Milling & Processing Machinery

Dimpter 204 Optimising line

complete with in-feed and out-feed.

$18,500+GST

Komatsu 895 Forwarder

$295,000 +GST

www.timberbiz.com.au

Kim Hayter 02 4653 1352

10HP board multirip saw $8,000+GST

Hyundai R250LC-9HC + Waratah HTH616C. $499,000 + GST

Tilt Hoist pack destripper

Timberking TK722

Tigercat LH855C

$95,000 +GST

$385,000 +GST

John Deere 748G

Komatsu PC250

$65,000 +GST

$60,000 +GST

with multi Bundle infeed and strip conveyor -very good unit.

$32,000+GST

REACHING OVER 4,000 emails every week.

Daily Timber News provides value for advertisers and an opportunity to build your brand in this niche market, or to sell off any second hand equipment.

Advertise with us today!

Call (08) 8369Â 9517

Timberjack 1710D Forwarder

$75,000 +GST

Komatsu PC350LL

$220,000 +GST

1300 727 520 www.onetrak.com.au All Prices exclude GsT

34

40kw Hydraulic hob resaw $22,000+GST

Linde 2.5t diesel forklift

Perkins motor, Dual wheels side shift.

Austral Timber Group

$8,000+GST

or email: g.dealmeida@ ryanmediapl .com.au

Contact: Ken Baker 0438 643 992 or ken.baker@dynagroup.com.au Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

www.timberbiz.com.au

Classifieds

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

Volvo FC2421C Single Grip Harvester, 2010 Model.

New undercarriage, reconditioned Rosen 360 degree fixed felling head. $150,000 + GST

Komatsu Processor XT450L Harvester with Harv Head. 2015 Model. 8500 hours Reconditioned engine and slew box. Fitted with 398 Komatsu Harvesting Head $250,000 + GST John Deere 2154D Forestry Excavator Year 2015 with Satco 630 Felling Head. Hours 11000.

Two units available EACH $180,000 + GST

Kenworth C509. 2015 Model. 745,000kms.

Cummins E5 Engine, 18 speed, 46/160 with crosslocks. Elphinstone Eziloader 2015 Model BPW axles. $330,000 + GST

2015 & 2016 Elphinstone Eziloaders EXTE winches, BPW axles. All truck equipment included.

3 UNITS available EACH $160,000 + GST

Volvo EC290BLC Excavator. 2005 Model. 14,000 hours. Fitted with hydraulic folding cabin. Rotobek hydraulic grab. $60,000 + GST

2017 Kennedy flat tow EXTE winches with ice chains. Hendrickson HXL7 axles. Travelled only 250,000kms. Lightweight tare with Elphinstone scales. $80,000 + GST

Kenworth T909 Prime Mover. 2016 Model with Kennedy Tri-Tri Stag 5 bay b-double. EXTE winches Elphinstone scales. Travelled 460,000kms. As new condition. $380,000 + GST

Doosan DX300LL Log Loader – Excavator. 2012 Model Fitted with Ensign 1530 grapple. 9000hours $80,000 + GST 2017 Elphinstone Triaxle 3 bay adjustable flat tow. Hendrickson HXL7 axles. EXTE winches, Elphinstone scales. Excellent condition, travelled only 250,000kms. $90,000 + GST

Barker Walking Floor B-Double rollback A Trailer.

2006 Model. BPW axles, 140m3 combination.

Cargo floors, excellent condition. 2 UNITS available.

EACH $160,000 + GST

John Deere 903MH Track Harvestor. 2015 Model.

Fitted with 623C Waratah. 13,000hours. Full service history supplied. $300,000 + GST

2015 Kennedy Tri-Tri Stags, BPW axles on airbag.

Elphinstone scales EXTE winches. Light weight tare, excellent payload. 3 UNITS available EACH $160,000 + GST

Phone: 07 5482 7388 www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News September 2019

TWO available John Deere 648L Log Skidder Complete with 4000 Series Winch 2015 Model. 4500hours John Deere 848L Grapple Skidder 2015 Model.

5500hours EACH $300,000 + GST

www.corbets.com.au 35

The NEW Generation…

NEW Komatsu 931 The new Komatsu 931 is a powerful and robust mid-sized harvester coupled with the C144 or S132 heads meets the demanding logging conditions found in first and second thinnings. Komatsu’s latest technology provides increased production capacity and operator comfort through features such as; • New 3-pump hydraulics regulated with the engine for more power and work capacity.

• New power-optimised transmission and bogie for improved climbing and crawling speeds.

• New noise reducing cab with superb visibility, keyless system,media hub and auto level.

• New Stage 4/Final engine with low emissions and fuel consumption. (Stage IIB for Aust & NZ).

The NEW Generation Komatsu harvesters are leading the way in Australia.

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