Australian Forests & Timber - December 2018 by Provincial Press Group

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In the news

■■ Forestry Corporation of NSW District Manager Peter Walters presents the AFG 2018 NSW Tree Farmer of the Year Award to Tony Kenway at one of his cabinet timber sites in the hinterland near Byron Bay.

An eye for the future: 2018 NSW Tree Farmer of the Year

ony Kenway, of Coorabell NSW, is the winner of the 2018 Australian Forest Growers NSW Tree Farmer of the Year award for his mixed plantations of sub-tropical cabinet timber species throughout the Big Scrub area of the North Coast. The Big Scrub is an area of 75,000 hectares between Byron Bay, Lismore and Ballina. The plantation has created quite a lot of interest and Tony’s company Building Forest Designs is now responsible for

about 220ha of cabinet timber reforestation across five sites within the Big Scrub area. These plantings demonstrate excellence in farm planning, the adoption of farm forestry principles, innovation and leadership - all of which are critical considerations for the award. Foresters will generally select trees of good form, rapid growth, with small branches and gentle taper. As an internationally recognised cabinet maker, Tony, was keen to en-

Well-managed forest yields opportunities Best practice silviculture is creating more opportunities for timber production from regrowth karri forest. Stands of regrowth karri at Warren 1 about 15 kilometres south west of Pemberton, West Australia, were regenerated in 1972 and have just been thinned for the second time after an initial thinning in 1993. Forest Products Commission (FPC) Southern Production Manager Mark Read said the recent thinning yielded about 112 tonnes of product per hectare, including 56 tonnes per hectare of veneer and saw logs. “Areas where thinning has been delayed show trees of suppressed growth, whereas www.timberbiz.com.au

sure that the species selected would yield high-quality cabinet timbers. He also consulted widely with many foresters and timber workers to finalise his list. It was decided that the planting would be with a species mixture. ‘There is little information on how to design a mixed species planting as most large plantations are established as monocultures,” Tony said. ‘There is a valid reason for this as all management and

records can be limited to one species. However, when two or more species are used, challenges arise as to how to treat each individual species in relation to adjacent trees and other species. “Each species will have different growth rates, canopy shapes, and water and nutrient requirements and there will be differences in their tolerance to competing trees and weeds. “It is also likely that management operations such as pruning and thinning will be

different for each species. So, it is easy to say let us have a mixed species plantation but there will be many managerial challenges ahead that few will have encountered before. “I am so pleased to be awarded the NSW AFG Tree Farmer of the Year and to assist with the promotion of agroforestry. I’d like to thank Australian Forest Growers for the award and the Forestry Corporation of NSW for sponsoring the competition,” said Tony.

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these trees were jumping out of their skins!” Mr Read said. “It shows the potential we can achieve when forests are managed within best practice guidelines.” FPC Senior Managers have been looking at opportunities for forest stands like these to provide for a range of market demands. “Given the quality of this forest, it will yield a rich mix of sawlogs,” Mr Read said. “It is critical that we identify new markets to ensure all areas can be managed as well as Warren 1. “If we are successful, we can increase the production of our native forests for the next generation of forest managers.”

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

December 2018 Issue 8 Vol. 27 Established 1991 News Fire reparedness Long Handling Drones Sawmill Profile Green Triangle Awards Certification

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■■ Nine million seeds have now been planted at the Blowering nursery, eventually growing into seedlings to be dispatched to softwood plantations.

Blowering nursery sows the way! Nine millionth seed planted as sowing season wraps up

he Blowering Nursery in Tumut has planted its nine millionth pine seed for 2018 as the annual six-week sowing program concludes. This is the start of a journey which will see the nursery dispatch a pine seedling in eight to eleven months, to be planted and help reforest several thousand hectares of pine plantations across NSW. NSW’s largest radiata pine seedling production nursery employs a casual workforce of 13 staff who sow around 250,000 seeds a day, six days a week, throughout the course of the sowing period. Forestry Corporation of NSW’s Strategy and Risk

Manager Gavin Jeffries said the nursery is a crucial component of Forestry Corporation’s operations. “Wood is the ultimate renewable resource – our forests are regrown or replanted to continue the forest cycle into the future,” Mr Jeffries said. “We’ve dispatched more than 133 million seedlings from Blowering Nursery over the last 19 years which will ultimately help build people’s homes and vital infrastructure. “Over the past winter alone we planted almost nine million seedlings across more than 8,250 hectares of state-owned plantations. This is roughly the equivalent of 17,000 football fields, and 7.3 million of

those seedlings were grown right here in Tumut.” Over the coming 10 months, the crop will be carefully hand-weeded, fertilised, nurtured and watered to produce seedlings in time for planting over June to August. “In around May next year, we expect a crop of more than seven million high quality seedlings to be ready to leave Blowering Nursery to reestablish plantations around NSW,” Mr Jeffries said. “These seedlings will be used to re-establish the stateowned pine plantations that have been or are currently being harvested. This includes plantations near Bathurst, Lithgow, Oberon, Tumbarum-

ba, Bombala, Orange, Walcha and Tumut, where the seedlings will be hand planted over the 2019 winter. “In addition to the crop at Blowering, we are producing seedlings from our other production nursery in Grafton and we will draw the rest of our supply requirement from private nurseries under contract.” Forestry Corporation is Australia’s largest producer of plantation-grown radiata pine, managing more than 200,000 hectares of plantations around the state and producing more than 3.5 million tonnes of timber each year. This is enough to construct around a quarter of all houses built in Australia each year.

Industry recognition steps up As the year concludes it’s timely to reflect on the state of the Australian forestry and timber industry progress following a year of growth and continuing challenges. With an industry value running at $23 billion1, employing over 76,0002 Australians (120,000 across the full value chain), it responsibly manages a vital, strategic national resource and operates one of the most sustainable forests and timber industries in the world. However, as with this nation at present, it continues to need more certainly at all levels of government and regulation for stable and positive future planning and governance. It relies on a natural resource of native forests and established plantations, and forest managers, harvesters, mills and processors require investment confidence to operate efficiently and sustain a skilled workforce, while adopting new technology and research in growing new products and markets. Despite uncertainty of supply in some states, the industry is growing with forestry companies and processors announcing growth initiatives, as exampled recently with OneFortyOne’s planting of 5.5 million trees in the Green Triangle, Hyne Timber’s GLT manufacturing expansion and Timberlink’s $100 million upgrade program to its sawmills. This confidence is good news for all levels of the industry’s

businesses and their workforce. On this score the industry is to be congratulated for its recognition of excellence and staff performance in all manner of production and processing, highlighted particularly this year by the inaugural Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards held at Mt Gambier. The event attracted over 450 industry participants at a gala awards event to celebrate outstanding industry performance in a vibrant production region that bridges South Australia and Victoria. It also showcased the industry as a leading regional development contributor. Australian Forests & Timber News, which supported the event as a Media Partner, congratulates the winners, and the event organisers, who now have plans for the event to run annually. This is just one of many state and national award events that showcase excellence in operations, staff performance, products and design including the VAFI Annual Awards, TABMA Industry Awards, TDA’s Timber Design Awards, plus the AFPA Forestry Industry Innovation Awards to name a few. Congratulations and well done to all winning recipients and event organisers. We wish our readers, contributors and loyal advertisers every best wish for the Festive Season and for a prosperous and suc1 cessful New Year. : ABARES; 2 : ABARES

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

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In the news

Australia’s $20m billion trees plan lacking realistic funding By Philip Hopkins

he Federal Government’s $20 million forestry plan to plant one billion trees is a big policy step, but is inadequate as it amounts to only two cents per tree. That was a key point made by the chairman of the Australian Forest Products Association, Greg McCormack, to the DANA forestry conference in Launceston. “This is a good start, but clearly there needs to be other support to meet the target,” Mr McCormack told the conference. In contrast, New Zealand was spending $240 million on its billion trees policy, which amounted to 24 cents per tree, he said. Australia’s 20 million tree program managed by Landcare had received $37.6 million so far, which equated to $1.88 per tree.

Farm forestry emphasis Australia’s Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper initiatives had also received up to $4 billion, and agricul-

ture received many low-interest loans. Mr McCormack said NZ used a variety of means to encourage plantations. These included Crown land for planting; joint ventures or leases with landowners such as farmers; incentives for planting through grants; options to scale up some native regeneration projects; and emphasising the role of innovation to enable planting, he said. NZ had also announced $249 million funding for the 2018 round of the Endeavour R&D Fund, which included forestry R&D. NZ farmers’ big contribution to NZ’s forestry industry is a model for the Federal Government’s emphasis on farm forestry in its national plan. Mr McCormack said NZ’s challenges were different from those in Australia. It had a problem with high country – the ridges were too steep for cattle and crops, so the steepest were planted for trees, he said. NZ still had a lot of top soil, unlike Australia, and was geographically gifted; there were

many ports, forestry operations were not far from port, and the industry was geared towards exports. Mr McCormack said NZ used other instruments. For example, at Rotorua, algae blooms in lakes had been created due to strong nutrient loads from farmland and cattle getting in water table. It took 60 years for the nitrogen in the creeks to reach the lakes. Mr McCormack said local Maoris had aggregated their land and had expanded plantations at no cost to themselves – they just provided the land.

Generating new income They reduced stocking, put trees on the property and received $2000 a hectare through the sale of nitrogen credits. “They are now generating new income - more than $1million a year in stumpage, and have satisfied the needs of 30-plus families who aggregated their properties,” he said. Mr McCormack said in much of the world, farmers provided more wood than in Australia. “Here, it’s mainly

state government agencies, so, to have more farmers involved is a good thing,” he said. “We will work closely with farmers to ensure the right trees are in the right places and have the right scale. We have strong ties with the NFF (National Farmers Federation) and strong common goals.” Mr McCormack said removing the water restrictions in the Emissions Reduction Fund, as both the Government and Opposition had promised, would greatly enhance forestry’s role in fighting climate change. “Any land with rainfall more than 600 millimetres is ineligible. Our industry relies on regions with 700mmplus rainfall to produce economic trees, wood of the right quality and species,” he said. “With the review of the water rule, forestry can take rightful place in carbon markets. Forestry has received the strong endorsement of IPCC as a relative quick way to achieve emissions targets.”

Mr McCormack said the plan’s commitment to the regional forest agreements (RFAs) was critical, even though only 13 per cent of production came from native forests. “Visit furniture stores and see the amount of overseas furniture in shops disappointing, if you think of the wonderful furniture we have here in forest locked away in national parks,” he said. Mr McCormack also praised the national plan’s emphasis on regional forestry hubs. Industry had long advocated that plantation investment should concentrate on existing plantation hubs. “Fibre does not travel easily and processing is better near the fibre resource,” he said. Investments could the include new infrastructure roads, rail hubs and bridges – integrated industry investments, R&D nodes, communication upgrades, and education, skills and training centres, he said. “In Australia, we need to be at top of our game, given our big distances and small population,” he said.

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In the news

History in the making! Teapot tracks 80 years of forestry change in Coffs Harbour

he recent opening of the new Coffs Harbour Forestry Corporation office marks a period of change and evolution for the organisation. In use at the event was a historic teapot that can trace its roots back over nearly 80 years in the organisation. Since the first tea at the official opening of the former Jetty office in 1941, it has poured countless ‘cuppas’ and followed radical changes in forestry and Coffs Harbour itself. The teapot is in many ways symbolic of the organisation’s culture, reflected Forestry Corporation CEO, Nick Roberts. “Artefacts like the pot are very visual reminders that forestry has a long local history in Coffs Harbour and is deeply embedded in the community,” said Mr Roberts. “Our old Jetty office was the first three-storey building in Coffs Harbour and our organisation has grown and evolved in tandem with the city. “Over the time our staff have cared for the teapot, we have seen great advances in forestry technology and science to sustainably provide timber for our community. “Each year we continue to harvest and regenerate around 10,000 hectares of 8

native forests and 1,000 hectares of plantations on the North Coast. Timber is the ultimate renewable resource. “State forests are special places and will continue to provide for our community, economy and environment well past the next 80 years.” While the organisation has a healthy respect for tradition, Mr Roberts is also proud of the change seen in its workforce since last office opening 80 years ago. “Looking at the photos of the Jetty office opening in 1941, it is apparent that we have much more diversity in our staff now,” he said. “We have more women in the workforce and a much wider range of staff backgrounds — this serves us greatly. “Our diversity is essential to meeting the challenges of modern forestry. Sustainable forest management is a complex task and we need many different ideas and approaches.” State forests are managed through science and monitoring to ensure a balance of outcomes – production, conservation and community. After over 100 years of management, they remain full of trees, provide habitat for a host of native plants and animals, and are great places for visitors to explore.

■■ The teapot in use in Barcoongere State forest near Coffs Harbour while entertaining Lord Robinson, Chair of the British Forestry Commission in 1948.

■■ Forestry Corporation CEO Nick Roberts putting the historic teapot to good use at the opening of the new Coffs Harbour office.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

First-hand knowledge often overlooked by academia To the Editor

aving just read your publication of Chris Crump’s address to the National Timber Councils Association conference I feel moved to write the following. This is not the first time that Chris has impressed a gathering of note. During the investigation into the River Red Gum Forests Chris spoke to an important gathering. From what I heard he was the most impressive speaker. While not a noted public speaker his obvious honesty and passion carried the day. The following comments may be of interest to add to Chris’s address. In 1965 the Australian National University took over forestry education from the Australian Forestry School. I was in that first graduating class receiving a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) from the ANU. From 1984 to 2010 I managed river red gum forests

in the far south west of NSW. In 1989 I left the NSW Forestry Commission to manage 170 square kilometres of private river red gum forest at Balranald. In 2005 that property was purchased by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to form their first river red gum National Park. I had the opportunity to ask the then Regional Director what they had bought this property to “save”. His response was that they had bought it because they believed the forest was in good condition and not in need of saving! Much of the river red gum forests upstream of Balranald to Maude on the Murrumbidgee floodplain had developed after the 1940 commencement of the “Lowbidgee Controlled Flooding and Irrigation Scheme”. Hence while there were some very old trees the extensive stands had only developed post-1940.

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During the NRC investigation chaired by Dr John Williams I became aware of extracts from Charles Sturt’s journal of his exploration down along the river that Hume and Hovel had named the “Hume River”. Downstream of what is now Tocumwal he encountered a “vast reed swamp” that early in the twentieth century became known as the Millewa Forest. When he approached where the Edwards River flows out of the Murray the ground became too wet for his wagons so he crossed to the south side of the river which he also described as a “vast reed swamp” not a forest. That area later developed into the Barmah river red gum forest. Then downstream of where Echuca stands today he kept close to the river as he didn’t want to lose contact with it. From there to below the hill that Major Mitchell named Swan Hill, Sturt ex-

pressed having difficulty finding sufficient wood for their cooking fires. This clearly illustrates that the river red gum forests along those reaches, that we take for granted today, had yet to develop. Major Mitchell had recorded that unlike elsewhere in his travels it was difficult to see just where the river was from the hill as there was no treeline along its banks. River red gum is the most invasive of all the Eucalypt species as it is tolerant of both drought and flood. Due to this ability it has the widest natural distribution of all the Eucalypts. The NRC held a public meeting in Balranald during its investigation. At that meeting a member of the public expressed an opinion that National Park management of river red gums would be inferior to that of the State’s Forest Service. The response

was given by the Professor of Forestry from the ANU who was the leader of the NRC’s Technical advisory team. That professor told the Balranald meeting that he was confident that the forests would be better managed by NPWS. To me that made it clear it was his opinion that these river red gum forests would be better managed by managers without a university degree in forest management. My final comment is that when NPWS took possession of Yanga Station to become Yanga National Park they had no interest in acquiring or even assessing the 16 years of forest growth and flora composition data that I had accumulated during my management. Yours faithfully

Victor I.P. Eddy BSc (for) 5 Dr Abramowski Court MILDURA VIC 3500

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In the news

Waratah Forestry Equipment celebrates 45th anniversary

aratah Forestry Equipment is celebrating 45 years of innovation and service to customers in the forestry industry. The company pioneered mechanized harvesting with first-class products paired with unparalleled customer support. Established in Tokoroa, New Zealand, in 1973, the company transitioned to meet local loggers’ heavy-duty delimbing needs creating a delimber-feller-buncher featuring a four-roller fixed head. Following that innovation, a red grapple processor for the Canadian markets marked the

beginnings of the 600 Series and solidified its place as the original red head in the industry. Today, Waratah heads are found in all logging applications from felling on steep slopes, to cut-to-length hardwood harvesting at the stump, to processing on a landing or debarking on endless plantations. “We’re dedicated to serving loggers across the globe,” said Heather Robinson, general manager of worldwide distribution, Waratah. “As an industry leader and the manufacturer of the original red head, we’re in a unique

position to offer customers experience, expertise and innovation. We’re excited to celebrate the past 45 years and look forward to the next 45.” Since its inception, Waratah, which has factories in New Zealand and Finland, has grown to support a global market. “Waratah is based on quality, innovation and many years of experience,” said John Alemann, general manager, Waratah, New Zealand. “With 45 years under our belts, we are able to innovate better and use our expertise to push the envelope.” Waratah has continued to

innovate by finding new ways to increase productivity and provide customer solutions including reliability and durability. For example, the Waratah HTH622C 4x4 and HTH624C 4x4 help minimize waste and maximize profits as powerful four-wheel drive heads that offer multi-stemming, independent log shuffling, 360-degree rotation and more. TimberRiteTM H-16, Waratah’s measuring and control system, is another recent innovation. This system provides unique versatility with configurable settings for improved head performance, productivity and measuring accuracy.

In addition to the TimberRiteTM H-16 system, Waratah developed WaratahMateTM – a phone app that works with TimberRite to wirelessly share the machine’s production data in real-time. Developed exclusively for Waratah customers, the new app makes it faster and more reliable to send measuring system data back to the company. “We’ve got a huge legacy in this business,” said Alemann. “We are looking forward to developing and providing opportunities that will keep our customers ahead of the competition.”

AFCA Hall of Fame: the tradition continues The latest inductees to the Australian Forest Contractors Hall of Fame continue an outstanding tradition of resilience, achievement and adaptability. The latest awards, made during a special event in Launceston, went to: Industry Icons - Kevin Morgan, Karen Hall Hall of Fame - Phillip Voss, Kevin Muskett, Geoffrey Muskett, Stephen Cocks, Gary Bergin, Douglas Bowen (Dec.) – Presented to Rachel and Troy Bowen in memory of Douglas; Karen Hall Recognition of Service to Industry - Mark Sealy, Garry Kennedy The awards presented to date mean more than 200 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it started and there are now 16 industry icons, including the first woman! AFCA held the AGM as part of a number of activities over two days in Tasmania.

The Annual Report was presented and both Adan Taylor, Chair, and Stacey Gardiner, General Manager, highlighted the busy year as well as the achievements over the past year including, the Forestry Logistics Safety Program. They also noted AFCA’s important and ongoing involvement across industry representing members. The AFCA Board had the following nominations accepted for 2018 - 2019 year: Adan Taylor (Chair), Phillip Dohnt (Vice Chair), Karen Hall, Ricky Leeson, Christian Stafford, Wayne Shaw-Johnston. Tony Stonjek did not renominate. The past year has seen AFCA move into a space where we have led the delivery of a number of national projects and initiatives. The focus has been to promote safety and training opportunities whilst advocating for our members both within the supply chain and with governments.

A significant achievement was the successful bid for funding from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator through the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative to deliver a National Forestry Logistics Safety Training program. Through this initiative AFCA partnered with Engistics to deliver 25 workshops nationally, with over 450 participants. AFCA, working with the Australian Forest Products Association, has also been responsible for leading the development of a National Forestry Log Haulage Registered Code of Practice. In the past year there has also been a significant amount of planning underway for AUSTimber2020. An Early Bird sale for exhibitors took place and it was pleasing to see a number of returning exhibitors make a commitment again to 2020. AFCA membership increased by 13% during the last 12 months.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

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In the news

Picking and choosing between forestry standards causing angst By Philip Hopkins

he Federal Government has foreshadowed a tough approach towards retailers who refuse to sell goods certified under the internationally recognised Australian Forest Standard. The Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, said he was frustrated with some of the major retailers “who seem to think they can pick and choose between forestry standards”. Senator Colbeck, who is responsible for forestry, was speaking during his opening address to the DANA Australian forest and wood products conference in Launceston. “The Australian Government accepts the Australian Forestry Standard (now Responsible Wood, Australia) – we obviously had a part in the development of the AFS,” he said. “I find it hard to accept that the Australian Government won’t be able to buy products that are certified under AFS with the attitude of some of the retailers. “If they have that attitude, I might have a different attitude to them, so we are going to have to play the game pretty hard.” Senator Colbeck did not mention any names, but last month Bunnings and Officeworks indicated they would only sell FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) products after 2020. 12

Senator Colbeck said there was strong acceptance of certification systems. Also, “work needs to be done in that space given the role of some environmental groups in relation to AFS”, he said. Market acceptance of AFS “I’ll have conversations with them and FSC to ensure the market continues to accept AFS. That will be extremely important in the growth of the industry and role of the Australian sector.” Senator Colbeck said acceptance of the value of timber and timber-based products in everyday lives, especially

part in winning the argument about using native forest. “People love those beautiful Tasmanian timbers that are only available through a native forest industry, they have a real emotional attachment,” he said. “We all know for those who oppose the native industry, it’s not about science and fact, but emotion. We need to make our own emotional attachment with the broad community in partly the way we develop our social licence. “We need to work on that message consistently because those who oppose this do ex-

“Native forest sector remains an important part of industry. People in the cities don’t understand the difference – they only know they have a timber-based product” from native forests, was an important part of the industry’s social licence. People understood the difference between house framing and beautiful wood products. A piece of blackwood, jarrah or blackbutt could not be found in a pine plantation. “All those high-end products, beautiful floors we value, furniture and products we all value - the native forest plays an important part in the sector for that quality,” he said. Tasmania’s concept of special species was an important

actly the same thing.” Senator Colbeck said 87 per cent of wood now came from plantations and that would continue, particularly for core products in construction. Lack of understanding “Native forest sector remains an important part of industry. People in the cities don’t understand the difference – they only know they have a timber-based product,” he said. “Unless there is social licence for native forest, that will impact on social licence for the plantation sector.”

In this context, Senator Colbeck said the Government would continue working on the RFAs. The NSW RFA should be signed soon, while talks with Victoria were continuing. “Tasmania is already in place. That’s an important piece of work to maintain access to those resources we have,” he said. “That continues to be ‘contentious’ in some areas. I use that word ‘contentious’ advisedly because that is the work that is now being used in the market to make life difficult for native forest products. “I remain determined we maintain access to those resources. The responsibility for that lies more with the states and some are more difficult than others, but the Commonwealth can play a strong influencing role and I’m determined to do that.” Senator Colbeck said the State Government had turned around the confidence of forestry in Tasmania, stimulating investment. “The Hermal Group’s plans to create a CLT plant near Burnie is indicative of the mood,” he said. Hub consultations soon In the context of the Federal Government’s $20 million, one-billion trees national forest plan, Senator Colbeck said consultation would soon begin about the regional forestry hubs around the country. There would be local bids for recognition as industry hubs, as well as consideration of another couple of places for

■■The Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck national innovation centres to complement those in South Australia and Tasmania. Through greater co-ordination between these centres and Forest and Wood Products Australia, “we could generate something that looks like FP Innovations in Canada”. Developing a strong national innovation setting was a necessary target. “We need to have this industry at the leading edge internationally in forestry. I don’t think we are there now – NZ and Canada are ahead of us – but the opportunity for us together is to make the investments that will drive innovations in the future,” he said. Looking ahead, Senator Colbeck said the situation was bright, with strong demand forecast. “The role now is to get the resource in the ground,” he said.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

■■Laurence O’Toole - The Champ.

Laurence O’Toole and the Chopperoos the best in the world Aussies dominate world titles in Liverpool

ictorian Laurence O’Toole has been crowned World Champion, winning gold at the 2018 Stihl Timbersports® World Championships in Liverpool, England. Donning the green and gold guernsey, the 36-yearold from Doncaster powered through six saw, axe and chainsaw disciplines to triumph over fierce competition from 11 competitors across 11 countries, including the US, Canada and the ninetime world champion Jason Wynyard from Australia’s biggest sporting rivals, New Zealand. The winning moment was a sight for ‘saw’ eyes for the Australian fans who travelled to the packed Echo Arena in Liverpool to watch O’Toole win his first ever world championship. Laurence took on the USA’s Matt Cogar in the final round on the hotsaw, cutting a personal best time of 5.79sec to finish on 69 points, claiming the title of World Champion. With his father Laurence O’Toole Snr in the audience the moment was one of great emotion for Australia’s most famous wood chopping family. World Champion Laurence O’Toole said: “It was a www.timberbiz.com.au

great day, pretty happy with how I went. I’d like to thank everyone back home in Australia for helping me out, especially my Dad for coming over here and supporting me in England. [Komatsu Forest also sponsors Laurence] “I started pretty good in the underhand, but then my worst nightmare happened, I cut a terrible stocksaw and think I got 10th or 11th in that round, and I thought that was my championship over. But I dug deep and did well at some of the disciplines that aren’t my best and I think the single buck won me the world championship in the end.” Competing with razor sharp axes and high-powered chainsaws, the night started out well for Laurence, placing 2nd and picking up 11 points from a maximum 12 on offer in round one. It looked like he’d all but blown his chance in round two with the Stihl Stocksaw, where a mis-alignment on one of his cuts cost him vital seconds and pushed him down the ladder. He recovered well in round three to claim nine points and leave him tied for 4th place, going into the final double points rounds. It was here Laurence showed his

expertise taking 1st place in both the Singlebuck saw and the Spring Board to leave him five points clear of Matt Cogar from the US going into the final round with the Hotsaw discipline, worth triple points.

Final rankings:Laurence O’Toole, Australia - 69 points Matthew Cogar, USA - 61 points Martin Komarek, Czech Republic - 57 points Robert Ebner, Germany 50 points O’Toole’s win was the icing on the cake during a weekend dominated by Australia, with the Australian Chopperoos also making history on Saturday morning beating the USA in the team relay finals to set a new world record time and win their fifth Stihl Timbersports® World Championship, cementing their title as the most successful national woodchopping team of all time. Chopperoos make history The four-man Chopperoos team reclaimed the title from their biggest rivals New Zealand, who defeated the Aussies in last year’s upset in Lillehammer, Norway. Australia came out on top

■■ The Chopperoos - best in the world.

of 21 other countries, including powerhouses the US (2nd), Canada (3rd) and New Zealand (4th), competing in a team relay across four axe and saw disciplines. It was a scorching semifinal against the Canadians that saw the Chopperoos smash the world-record in a time of 45.10 seconds, beating their old record of 46.45. The Chopperoos journey started in the first round time trial where they placed 2nd with a time of 49.41 seconds, over a second and a half behind reigning champions New Zealand. After that minor setback it was plain sailing to the final with wins against the host country Great Britain in round two and Czech Republic in the quarter final, before their World Record against Canada. The team then toppled the US in the final, in a time of 46.63 seconds to take gold. The Chopperoos were led by four-time world title winner and captain Brad De Losa (NSW) competing on the

single buck, with Brayden Meyer (VIC) on underhand chop, Jamie Head (QLD) on the stock saw, and the star of the night both on and off the stage was Glen Gillam (VIC) on standing block chop, using his never before seen giant 13.5 inch axe that demolished every piece of wood that stood in its way.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 13

In the news

■■ Front cover photo: “It is a great day out to see the new forest growing” Jean-Paul Morice, Forest Management Coordinator North East inspecting regrowing forests in Tasmania’s North East highlands.

Massive turnaround for Sustainable Timber Tasmania “The first time in a decade that the public forest manager has been debt free”

ustainable Timber Tasmania has not only shown a $73 million turnaround in the past 12 months but it has further accentuated its mantra … sustainable by nature! The re-badged and re-jigged STT was only launched in July last year and the 201718 annual report now paints a picture of a growing, sustainable industry Tasmania’s Minister for Resources Guy Barnett was strong in his praise for the organisation and outlined the fact that STT had shown a healthy statutory profit including an underlying profit of $6 million - a $20 million turnaround from last year’s

underlying result. This is the first operating profit reported by the public forest manager since 2008-09. “STT has now retired all debt, as well as delivering a $15 million special dividend to the Government. “This,” said the Minister, “is the first time in a decade that the public forest manager has been debt free”. The Minister said the result reflected a more efficient operating model following the restructure, improved prices for products, and increased sales volumes. “In accordance with standard accounting practices, the profit result was not directly impacted by the $60 mil-

lion sale of forestry rights to 29,000 hectares of hardwood plantations, which was treated as a non-operating asset sale. “The Government thanks the Board and staff of Sustainable Timber Tasmania for their hard work in achieving this result,” Mr Barnett said. STT Chairman Rob de Fégely said the profit of $49 million disclosed in the annual report represented a $73 million turnaround from the $24 million loss reported last year. The $6 million underlying result is an improvement of $20 million on the previous year. “Following the successful plantation sale, the business

is debt free and we have a much stronger balance sheet to manage future risks. “Being ‘sustainable by nature’ is a very important for STT, and the financial result achieved in our first year is a positive step on this journey. “The Board is confident that the business fundamentals are in place to continue on the pathway toward financial sustainability in future years.” “Our wood production was only part of the story, with regrowing the forest and sustainably managing our land being important as anything else we do,” said Chief Executive Officer Steve Whiteley.

“All of the native forest areas we harvest are regrown for the future. In 2017/18 we planned and established over 6,700 ha for regrowing and sowed millions of seeds. Production was carefully balanced with the ecology of the forest and the species that depend upon it.” In further good news, the Private Forests Tasmania annual report shows the total private forest harvest rose for the sixth consecutive year, with a 9 per cent increase to 4.25 million tonnes. While these are positive results, the Government is aware that challenges remain in rebuilding the forestry industry.

Facts snapshot A profitable first year for the restructured organisation. 47 Tasmanian businesses were supplied from 1.5 million tonnes of wood produced. 129,000 cubic metres of high-quality eucalypt sawlogs delivered. 10,000 cubic metres of special species timber sold. $145 million of forest product sales. $48 million paid to harvest and haulage contractors. 6,700 hectares prepared for regrowing with 300 million seeds sowed.

Completed 2,800 hectares of fuel reduction burning and attended 43 bushfires. Maintained 2,800 km of roads for forest operations and to provide access to Permanent Timber Production Zone land for multiple use. One lost time injury. Maintained forest management certifications, safety and environmental systems certification and progressed towards FSC® certification.

■■ Chief Executive Officer Steve Whiteley 14

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

How much profit did Sustainable Timber Tasmania make in 17/18?

ustainable Timber Tasmania made a $49 million statutory profit. This included an underlying positive result of $6 million. How does this compare to the 16/17 result? The profit is an improvement of $73 million compared to 2016/17. The underlying result for the same period improved by $20 million. What does ‘underlying result’ mean? The underlying result is calculated by subtracting the operating expenditure for the business from the operating revenues. This is regarded by the Tasmanian Audit Office as a more accurate measure of financial performance as it reflects the earning power of the entity and the capacity to pay operating costs by removing unusual and nonrecurring transactions. Is the result sustainable and has Sustainable Timber Tasmania achieved financial sustainability? Sustainable Timber Tasmania is now debt free with a strengthened financial position. This will enable Sustainable Timber Tasmania to better manage the risks and market conditions. The underlying result of $6 million and positive operating cash flows have enabled the business to fund normal expenditure. What factors contributed to the profit result? Contributions to the profit

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included: • Increased production volumes; • Improved pricing across our wood product range; • Savings realised from the restructure of the business to Sustainable Timber Tasmania (reduced staff and office costs); • Reduction in pension costs; • Reduced interest expense and increased interest income; • Reduction in once off costs

valuation standards. Why did the profit result include $26 million from the forest estate valuation? Changes to forest estate valuation are included in the income statement in accordance with Australian accounting standards. The positive influence of the forest revaluation on the profit was due to: • Improved pricing for forest products; • Contained harvesting and

therefore the transaction did not directly affect the profit result in 2017/18, in accordance with accounting standards. Why was a plantation liability derecognised and how did this contribute to profit? Sustainable Timber Tasmania carried a liability that related to funding for the establishment of hardwood plantations suitable for the production of high quality sawlogs. Following the hardwood plantation forestry rights sale,

compared to previous years (eg. redundancy costs); and • Positive effect of two noncash items, the forest estate revaluation and derecognition of a plantation liability. Who determines the forest estate value? The forest estate is independently revalued annually in accordance with international

operational expenses; and • One year closer to expected future cash flows from plantation harvesting for sawlogs. How did the sale of the forestry rights to 29,000 hectares of hardwood plantations for $60 million impact the profit result in 2017/18? This was the sale of an asset

Sustainable Timber Tasmania no longer managed hardwood plantations that were suitable for further treatment. The liability was therefore derecognised and the $18 million noncash item contributed to the $49 million profit reported in 2017/18. What was the impact of the hardwood plantation sale for

$60 million on the business? The hardwood plantation sale: • Enabled the business to retire all debt; • Set aside $15 million as a once-off special dividend to the Government; • Reduced the forest estate valuation prior to its annual revaluation; • Improved the cash position – enabling the business to better manage future market condition and risks; and • Triggered the derecognition of an $18 million non-cash plantation liability. Does Sustainable Timber Tasmania have any borrowings? No, Sustainable Timber Tasmania is debt free for the first time in several years. Does the reduction in pensions costs for past employees mean they lose entitlements? No, former employees will retain all rights under the relevant pension schemes, these costs are now met by the Government. Does Sustainable Timber Tasmania receive Government funding? Sustainable Timber Tasmania receives Government funding for its contribution to: • the statewide fuel reduction program; • bushfire preparedness; and • enabling Permanent Timber Production Zone land to be managed, accessible and available for multiple use.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 15

Fire Preparedness

Seasonal strength for forest firefighting The Threat

orestry Corporation is responsible for preventing and managing fires across two million hectares of NSW State forests. It also assists the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service with large bushfires in NSW and contributes to interstate and overseas firefighting deployments. So with a big estate to protect and a hot summer underway, Forestry Corporation is preparing for a busy season ahead. Forestry Corporation’s Fire

Manager, Tim McGuffog, is very clear on the threat from bushfire. “As we’ve seen many times in the history of forestry management, bushfires have the potential to decimate forests,” Mr McGuffog said. “There are many examples of big timber losses. One event in the 2006 bushfire season burnt out 13,000 hectares of pine plantation in the Bondo, Billapaloola and Buccleuch State forests. Bushfire is the reality of the Australian summer.

“It can have a huge impact on our operations and bottom line, but our overarching concern is the risk to our staff and other individuals. A good fire is one that everyone walks away from safely. “For this to happen, we need the right systems in place and teams of skilled, resourced and experienced firefighters.”

The Response Forestry Corporation has implemented a seasonal firefighter training program

to bolster our capability and meet the bushfire threat head on. Each year the organisation recruits and trains over 100 seasonal firefighters to help protect NSW State forests. This program has run in its present form for the last five years to enhance Forestry Corporation’s firefighting capacity when they need it the most. South Coast Protection Supervisor Julian Armstrong understands the value of the seasonal workforce.

“We rely on our seasonal firefighters enormously over the summer months,” Mr Armstrong said. “Through our seasonal recruitment and training programs, we have a fluid workforce ready to go when fires hit.” Between fire events, the seasonal team still brings a lot of value to Forestry Corporation. “There is always plenty of work to do – whether it be road and fire trail maintenance, weed spraying or the

Profile: Seasonal firefighting offers Sabina a chance to make a difference Included in the 2018 seasonal team is Batemans Bay local, Sabina Hughes, who joins as a new recruit already with strong firefighting experience. Sabina also works for Fire and Rescue NSW and is keen to further develop her firefighting experiences. “I fell in love with firefighting years ago, it’s a great field to challenge myself and see adventure,” Ms Hughes said. “The seasonal work complements my Fire and Rescue NSW position well, and I can get more involved in managing bushfires and fire prevention. “Being able to go to a fire to play my part is a massive confidence boost. Our training is comprehensive and we get to make a difference when it matters.”

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Fire Preparedness

countless other things we need to do to prepare for bushfires,” he said.

The Right People Seasonal firefighters come from a wide range of backgrounds. “There is no standard mold for our seasonal workforce. Many are young, others semi-retired. A few work between us in summer and on the ski fields in winter,” Mr Armstrong said. “Most have firefighting experience with us or another agency, but this isn’t essential as we offer a comprehensive training program to newcomers. “We find that our seasonal recruitment brings a lot of valuable skills into the busi-

ness. Our HR unit is closely involved to help us get diversity in our recruits.” Seasonal firefighters are either recruited as fixed-term or casual. Fixed term means 38 hours a week for six months over the fire season. Casual firefighters work as needed, and are rostered on for one week on, two weeks off. Meaning they can work firefighting in with their other commitments. Forestry Corporation HR Advisor, Mohamed Hannaway works closely with operational staff on the seasonal recruitment program. “We want right the mix of skills and experiences, so we’re very intentional about the way we recruit,” he reports.

“A big part of this is the language of the advertising — it makes a big difference to the diversity of who applies.”

The Training Once the seasonal team is recruited, they are enlisted into firefighting ‘bootcamp’. The five-day intensive training program is designed to get the new recruits ‘fire-front ready’. They learn best-practice firefighting in one of three streams – basic, advanced and crew leader. Certified trainers run them through the theory and practice of these positions and they are tested throughout the week. “Our training program is

comprehensive and recruits also get the opportunity to learn other skills like using chainsaws, first aid, chemical use and driving trucks when they return to their depots,” Tim McGuffog said. “Safety is always on the top of the list though. “Our firefighters’ wellbeing is our biggest concern and it all comes back to correct training and procedures.” To find out more about Forestry Corporation’s firefighting role, visit www. forestrycorporation.com.au. Profile: Seasonal firefighting offers Sabina a chance to make a difference Included in the 2018 seasonal team is Batemans Bay local, Sabina Hughes, who

joins as a new recruit already with strong firefighting experience. Sabina also works for Fire and Rescue NSW and is keen to further develop her firefighting experiences. “I fell in love with firefighting years ago, it’s a great field to challenge myself and see adventure,” Ms Hughes said. “The seasonal work complements my Fire and Rescue NSW position well, and I can get more involved in managing bushfires and fire prevention. “Being able to go to a fire to play my part is a massive confidence boost. Our training is comprehensive and we get to make a difference when it matters.”

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Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 17

Fire Preparedness

Commonwealth mechanical fuel load reduction trial

ew data and understanding will soon be available on the impact of mechanical fuel load reduction following VicForests recent participation in the national Mechanical Fuel Load Reduction Trials. The trial is sponsored by the Commonwealth Government and is being conducted across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

Part of the Commonwealth Government’s National Bushfire Mitigation Programme, the $1.5 million national trials aim to determine whether fuel reduction by mechanical treatments compared to conventional fuel reduction burning is: cost effective, acceptable to the community, mechanically feasible, and reducing fire risk across the landscape.

In Victoria, VicForests collaborated with staff from the University of Melbourne’s School of Ecosystems and Forest Science to test four different treatments for fuel load reduction during December 2016 to May 2018. VicForests trialled a range of measures including mechanical only, burn only and combined mechanical and burn treatments during planned

operations in the Drummer State Forest, east of the Cann River. Mechanical treatments began in December 2016 and produced around 200m3 of mixed species pulpwood per hectare with stumpage from the trial sold to Allied Natural Wood Exports in Eden, NSW. Burn treatments were then conducted in May 2018 with

VicForests staff continuing to monitor sites to evaluate the impact of different treatments, including their ecological impact Data and findings from the trial will be combined with similar projects in New South Wales and Western Australia and included in a final report for the Commonwealth Government to be produced in the coming months.

Navigating recent changes to fire safety By Steve Oxley National Product Manager for Vehicle Fire Suppression Wormald In the forestry industry, fires can have a catastrophic impact. Not only do they present a serious threat to people’s lives, but an out of control forest fire can have devastating impact on wildlife such as native plants and animals, and could potentially destroy an entire plantation that may have taken years to establish. Heavy machinery used in forestry such as forwarders, log skidders, harvesters and excavators are also at risk of damage or destruction from fire, and can be costly to repair or replace. Hazards vary depending on the environment. The combination of factors such as heat produced by a vehicle’s engine, flammable liquids, exhaust and electrical components in an enclosed engine compartment put vehicles at risk of a potentially devastating and costly fire. Forestry machinery also tends to collect leaves, bark and pine needles during operation, which when in contact with an extremely hot operational motor, can increase the risk of starting or fuelling a fire. While it may not be entirely possible to prevent a fire, every effort should be made to minimise damage or the risk of injury should a fire occur. Fire safety compliance is an ongoing challenge for forestry businesses, and keeping abreast of recent developments, both in terms of new regulation and next generation products, is vital.

Installing adequate fire protection equipment For forestry machinery operators, fire protection includes a range of options, such as, basic fire extinguishers, advanced vehicle fire suppression systems and adaptable portable units which can be suited to a range of different fire scenarios, as well as personal fire protection such as breathing apparatus and fire blankets. 18

Portable extinguishers including dry chemical powder (DCP) are well suited for most fire types particularly those involving oil (for example. hydraulic oil, diesel or oil from pine needles). Air water extinguishers may also be carried to put out spot fires on the ground, while in NSW, legislation requires forestry machine operators to carry a portable backpack water sprayer and tools to rake up debris.

The value of vehicle fire suppression systems Australia’s forestry industry is government regulated, with requirements varying state by state, and by type of activity. In some regions, while it may not be a legal requirement to have fire suppression on machinery, many industry leaders are taking a proactive approach to protect workers, wildlife and the environment by fitting machinery with vehicle suppression systems. Heavy vehicles are commonly designed with rear engines, which can mean that the operator will not immediately see the signs of fire as they focus on the task ahead. A vehicle fire suppression system can provide early detection of a fire, alerting vehicle operators to evacuate in the case of emergency, and can help to minimise vehicle and other damage.

Fire safety equipment can now be upgraded to include Fluorine Free Foam Foam is the most commonly used medium for extinguishing a fire in the forestry environment. Fluorine Free Foam products are now available in response to global concerns about the environmental impact of Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFFs). This is because many AFFFs contain fluorinated surfactants that form part of a broader group of chemicals called PFAS, identified as having adverse impacts on the environment. The use of solvents in fire-fighting foams represents risks to the environment due to their significant organic load composition. Solvent-containing foams have a

high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) that can overload water treatment plants or, if released into a river or lake, contribute to the phenomenon of asphyxiation resulting in oxygen consumption. Removing solvents reduces COD by up to 75 per cent. Wormald is expanding its range of Fluorine Free Foam in partnership with 3F, a recognised leader in products that do not use fluorinated compounds. 3F’s Freedol SF is a fluorine and solvent free foam agent that has a significantly lower COD compared to typical AFFF’s. The foam complies with Queensland’s Fire Fighting Foam policy, which was announced in 2016 and requires full compliance by July 2019, and the recently amended South Australian Government’s Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2015. Existing AFFF systems can be easily upgraded to use 3F’s fluorine and solvent free foam through minor system modifications, after which, the new concentrates essentially become a ‘drop in’ replacement for the previous vehicle suppression system solution containing fluorine. This makes converting a vehicle suppression system a simple process. The Wormald fluorine-free foam vehicle suppression system is approved by Global-Mark and meets the performance requirements of the revised Australian Standard AS 5062-2016 - Fire protection for mobile and transportable equipment. AS 5062-2016 specifies the minimum requirements for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of vehicle fire suppression systems. With changes to maintenance procedures (including routine service tolerance frequencies and baseline data reporting requirements), the revised standard promotes improved fire safety for mobile plant used in transport, mining, forestry, civil works and port facilities. For more information on fire suppression solutions, including the legislation in Queensland and South Australia and how this affects businesses, visit www.wormald.com.au/fff.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

■■Australian Bluegum Plantations, winner of the Economy Award - Tim Johnston, VAFI; Darren Shelden, Australian Bluegum Plantations

■■Pyrenees Timber, winner of the Community Award - Tim Johnston, VAFI ; Ian Crick, Pyrenees Timber; Nathan Trushell, VicForests

■■Emma Gall, HVP Plantations, winner of the Special Recognition Award: Individual Excellence - Tim Johnston, VAFI; Emma Gall, HVP Plantations

■■Stafford Logging, winner of the Sustainability Award - Darren Shelden, Australian Bluegum Plantations; Chris Stafford, Stafford Logging; Tim Johnston, VAFI

Innovation and sustainability recognised

everal businesses were recognised for their innovation and sustainability credentials, as well as their community engagement, at the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) Awards. VAFI CEO, Tim Johnston, said the 2018 VAFI Awards were recognition of the outstanding work by businesses in the Victorian timber and forest industry and were examples of how the industry was working to ensure it had a bright future. “The work that goes on each year by those in the industry is second to none and I am always amazed by the high calibre of entries we get for the awards. It is fitting to see the hard work of VAFI Members recognised appropriately,” he said. The 2018 VAFI Award recipients were: Stafford Logging, winner of the Sustainability Award. Tim said Stafford Logging was aware of industry’s responsibility for its footprint in the

forest. “n the 2017-18 harvesting season, the team harvested all coupes to the net harvestable area or “marked coupe boundary” often in difficult terrain, such as steep slopes,” he said. Pyrenees Timber, winner of the Community Award. “Pyrenees Timber won the Community Award, which is sponsored by VicForests, because of the active work of Ian Crick regarding the VEC Central West investigation. “Ian has been vocal and outspoken throughout the VEAC process, from writing a submission, attending local meetings and briefings, to organising field trips and talking to local media,” Tim said. Australian Bluegum Plantations, winner of the Economy Award Mr Johnston said Australian Blue Gum Plantations had won the Economy award for its Softwood Relocation Project. This project included relocation of receivals and storage of woodchips as part of the

Stridem specialise in plantation reversion.

expansion project, and adding a second ship loader and truck unloader. Mr Johnston said ABP had used a high percentage of local contractors for the project. This initiative, completed by July and officially opened in October, aligned with VAFI’s goal of expanding Victorian forestry. Emma Gall from HVP Plantations won VAFI’s Special Recognition Award for Individual Excellence. Tim said Emma was nominated for her brilliant planning for a recent harvest in difficult blocks. “Her diligence and tenacity resulted in the harvesting occurring in very difficult terrain which included extremely erodible sand and waterways leading to a creek used for local drinking water. “She worked with the right people to highlight the sensitivity of the environment and coupes ensuring that post-harvest rehabilitation went well,” Tim said. Photography by Capture point media

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

Mike Lloyd 0427 800 911 m_mlloyd@bigpond.com www.facebook.com/stridemboyupbrook

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Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 19

Log Handling

SMHW40 specs Engine - Isuzu 285hp Tier III Weight - 44,800kg Reach - 13.5, 15 or 18mt Fuel capacity - 540lt Max cab height - 6,438mm Transmission - 4WD and four wheel steer Grapple - 1.3 or 2.0m2

Sany Material Handlers coming to Australia

any has built a reputation in the Australian forestry industry of building quality excavators, highly suitable for the forestry industry,

through the experience of the SY245F excavator now widely used in both harvesting and log loading applications throughout the country. Sanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Australian dealer

Randalls Equipment have enjoyed broad acceptance of the product which has proven to be great value and highly reliable through minimising the level of

technology relating to electronics and emissions controls and utilising quality Japanese major components such as the Isuzu engine and Kawasaki hydraulics.

Following this success, Sany and Randalls will introduce a range of material handlers with similar attributes that will be suitable for millyard and loading applications

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Log Handling

■■ Peter Randalls makes a close inspection of the Sany Materials Handler.

where higher levels of production and high stacking ability are required. The first model to come to Australia will be the SMHW40 Material Handler. This model, when fitted with a Randalls 1.3m2 rotating grapple, will have the ability to stack timber up to 15m high using purpose-built ma-

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terial handling booms and a high lift cabin. Just like the SY245F the SMHW40 uses high quality components throughout such as a 285hp Isuzu engine, Kawasaki pumps and valve and Dana transmission and axles. The SMH40W uses the same upper structure as the SANY SY365 Excavator.

Peter Randalls, Managing Director of Randalls Equipment, recently visited the facility in Zhuhai, China, where the product is manufactured and was impressed with what he witnessed. “Sany have a massive manufacturing base in China and the Zhuhai facility is just one of those. I’m con-

tinually impressed with the Sany facilities in China and the volumes of machines they now build for markets throughout the world. “Sany are in every sense a global player in the construction equipment business and they are the number one manufacturer in China of construction equip-

ment which really says a lot about what they are doing as China is by far the largest market in the world for the sales of construction equipment. Based on our previous experience with Sany products I have no doubt that the SMHW40 will be a winner in Australia,” said Peter.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 21

Log Handling

Sany-Randalls combination a surefire winner for log handling

ince 2014, Randalls Equipment Company has been the Australian distributor for Sany excavators sold into forestry applications in Australia. Over this period there have been machines sold into various applications such as harvesting bluegum as well as pine. One application that lends itself particularly well to the Sany carrier has been log load-

ing. When fitted with the Australian built Randalls 0.55m2 or 0.80m2 rotating grapple or fixed grapple and a guarding package, the machine is transformed into a high quality, highly productive log loader that can be used in a millyard or in the forest loading trucks. What makes this combination so appealing is the value for money for a new machine with a full factory backed twoyear/5000 hour warranty provided by Randalls. This means the buyer gets 100% support

from Randalls on the complete machine. When we look a little deeper inside the Sany excavator and the company building them it becomes apparent that this is a truly world class company building world class equipment. The SY245F runs an Isuzu 6BG 175HP Tier II engine, Kawasaki pumps and valve and Hydash track drives. Sany itself has been building excavators for more than 20 years and have refined

their engineering processes to a point where the quality is equal to that of Japanese built excavators. Sany currently have the capacity to manufacture as many as 80,000 excavators per year and they are sold in all parts of the world. The range of Randalls grapples has grown over the years off the back of strong demand from Countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Due to the demands of log loading in these parts of the

world so to the design and strength of Randalls grapples has been adapted to enable them to work in some of the toughest conditions in the world. Today, Randalls remain the sole Australian manufacturer of rotating log grapples. Randalls products are built from start to finish in Melbourne using robotic welding and advanced machine tools in order to produce a top quality Australian product that will withstand anything you can throw at it.

Sany SY245F Randalls Grapple Range Specifications 0.36HD – 378KG 0.45HD – 480KG 0.45IR12 - 570KG 0.55IR22 – 830kg 0.80IR22 – 980kg 1.3IR22 – 1,400kg 2.0IR22 – 2,300kg

Machine weight – 25,000kg Engine – Isuzu 6.49lt Tier II Power – 175Hp Fuel capacity – 340l Oil flow – 2 x 252lt

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Log Handling

New head shows excellent durability and performance “A tidy, solid unit that does not struggle to do the work” By Kim Hansen Onetrak Marketing Manager

ielding Logging is a family owned business that has been operating in northern Tasmania for 30 years. Laurence, Glenys and sons Adam and Jeffrey all participate in the daily running of the operation. Fielding Logging and their production team of eight are currently contracted to Foreco. The team produces 2500 tonnes of eucalypt plantation products per week, being mainly export peeler logs and chip logs for the pulp and paper industry. I met Jeffrey Fielding from Fielding Logging on their site 30 minutes east of the Hampshire chip mill in northern Tasmania. He has been working in the family business for

14 years and has been operating log processors for eight years. “We prefall around 80% of the trees with a disc saw and generally process the pre-felled trees in field into short length, then using the forwarder to deliver it to road side to be loaded,” Jeffrey explains. To meet their production targets Fielding Logging use a range of Tigercat equipment which include an LH822C harvester fitted with Tigercat 575 harvesting head, an L830 Feller Buncher fitted with Tigercat 5702 disc saw, two H845C harvester, one fitted with the Tigercat 570 processing head, an H845B harvester, a 1075B forwarder and a Hyundai R250LC-9HC excavator to load trucks. Jeffrey is currently operat-

ing a Tigercat H845C harvester fitted with the new Tigercat 570 harvesting head. The new 570 is the latest addition to the Tigercat harvesting head lineup. It is a two-wheel drive harvesting head best suited to in-stand harvesting with an optimal range 150-510mm diameter. With optional hydraulically timed processor knives, the 570 can also be used for roadside processing. “We decided to purchase the Tigercat 570 harvesting head as we were very happy with the performance of the earlier 575 model - which we still have,” Jeffrey says. The 575 is developed for in-stand harvesting, roadside processing, multi-stem pulpwood and eucalyptus debarking. The D5 system combines field-proven hardware and bucking control with a simple

and intuitive Tigercat-developed user interface. “With over 1000 hours now on this unit and with no down-time issues, the 570 has proved to be ahead of its class in both durability and performance. The product support from Tigercat and their agent Onetrak was an equally important factor for us when we decided to purchase the 570,” Jeffrey adds. “The key features that contribute to the excellent performance is that it is a tidy, solid unit that does not struggle to do the work. The saw is brilliant, particularly the saw limit control - and the measuring sequence is fast and accurate,” Jeffrey says. The 570 harvesting head is optimal for superior feeding, delimbing, measuring and debarking, especially in

sub-optimal stem form conditions. Available in 3 levels of control and reporting, the D5 system handles multiple jobs with multiple operators, and allows for customizing menus and settings, right down to joystick button functions. Touching the length or diameter log symbols immediately direct you to the calibration setting screens. Indicator icons link to relevant setting screens. Production windows link directly to production reports and bucking instructions. The main diagnostics screen is a map of the system. Simply touching a controller icon takes you directly to where you need to be. “The Tigercat 570 is the best head I have used by far it just seems to be built to do the job and do it easily,” Jeffrey concludes.

Onetrak extends Queensland coverage with new branch Onetrak recently expanded by opening a Queensland branch in the suburb of Rocklea, just 20 minutes south of Brisbane. An opening event was held on 18 October to officially welcome customers and suppliers to the new branch. The new facilities hold sales, service, parts and rental departments to provide a complete heavy equipment offering to the region. “We have a growing loyal customer base in Queensland and this new investment will position us to provide better service to this segment. It’s a welcome move by many of our customers - not least the many forestry contractors in the region,” says Onetrak Managing Director David Hazell. “Forestry contractors rely heavily on the aftersales support to maintain their ma-

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chine investments and we are pleased to now offer improved local support including sales, a forestry trained service technician and parts inventory. “Tigercat is our flagship brand in the forestry segment and in addition to that Onetrak now offers Fuchs material handlers, Dressta dozers, Striker crushing & screening equipment and Hidromek construction equipment,” David said. The new Queensland branch is the seventh Onetrak branch with locations around Australia including Brighton in Tasmania’s south, Somerset in Tasmania’s north, Hallam in Victoria, Tumut in New South Wales, Bunbury in Western Australia and Mt Gambier in South Australia. Contact the Rocklea branch on 07 3277 2495. For Tigercat sales enquiries please contact Phil Turnbull on 0418 472 839

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 23

Log Handling

Komatsu Forest meeting new demands in log handling

omatsu Forest introduced the Timberpro TL765 into the local markets to meet the new demands in log handling appearing in Australia and New Zealand logging areas. The TL/TN 765D are proving to be ideal utility carriers for most of the old and especially the new attachments appearing on the market with its offerings of several boom options; fellerbuncher, harvester and shovel logger boom sets. It should be noted the Timberpro tethering hitch (standard on TL models) is fully integrated into the base frame and meets the New Zealand and USA safety standards. Two prime examples from these new markets are the TL765D fitted with live heel and Satco 630E directional felling head operated by Mangan Logging in the Oberon NSW region. And the TL765D with standard tethering hitch fitted with a KF800 24

controlled fall bar saw operated by Mechanised Cable Harvesting in the mountains outside Nelson South Island NZ. The key Timberpro features in these applications are the market leading track and slew power, coupled with great operator visibility and all round sturdy structure make the TL765D a real stand out.

■■ TL765D / Satco 630E Felling

Trevor Myhill (operator) Mangan Logging Timberpro TL765D fitted with live heel and Satco 630E directional felling head. It’s the machine I’ve been waiting 30 years for, to be honest!! I’m a second generation logger, my father was a log-

ging contractor and I worked for him and then worked for myself. I’ve been pretty much involved with the industry for my whole life. In that time there has only been a handful of machines that have impressed me and this one is at the top of the list. Every machine could be improved, don’t get me wrong, but in

terms of how the thing performs and how much faster it is and how easy it makes my job, the TL765D is probably one of the best machines I’ve ever operated. The visibility from the inside cab is outstanding, there aren’t any bars across windows which always seem to be in the wrong spot and the main pillars are well out of the way. Hydraulic speed and power is great, I find I’m not waiting for the Timberpro to catch up with me for the first time ever! Which leads to a lot less fatigue and frustration for me. The levelling system is also a standout with how far it can go (22 degrees front, 20 degrees to the side and 8 to the rear) I’m working for Mangan Logging operating 20km east of Oberon in Jenolan State Forest in clearfall unthinned radiata pine. It’s as steep as anywhere I’ve worked using a

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Log Handling

ground based system. The Satco 630E live heel basically eliminates two machines from the site. Until I started working for Mangans I had never encountered one and was unsure of the usefulness of it on a felling/shovelling machine and now this is the third machine I’ve run with one and I wouldn’t want another machine without one. It’s all about what extra it can give you. What it gives me when I’m on steep slopes and when I’m moving about is I can use it for extra stability and traction, so, if I’m going down a steep slope I can turn the felling head towards the heel, grab the heel and put the heel basically straight out in front of me and virtually use that as a brake and a stabiliser when I’m going downhill. If I’m going uphill and I can’t get traction I can use it to pull myself or push myself uphill. Also, I can also use the heel as a digging implement to put in a bench track. Obviously it’s a little bit slower than having a bulldozer or an excavator to do that work but I don’t need a bulldozer or excavator. I’ve got a $15000 heel in place of multi-thousand dolwww.timberbiz.com.au

lar non-productive machines something. If I get half way climb up the slope -- you know across and find there’s a big when it’s really steep -- you’ve on site. It’s (the heel and the head) rock face then I can divert. If got that extra ability there. In that regard obviously I’m always exactly where I need it I find there’s something I can’t get around I can change the not going to go to the same to be when I need to use it. It’s always right there in track as I go I’m not falling slope as the guys that are on front of me … I don’t have to an area needing to go and get winch assist or tethered but I go back to the yard. Maybe a secondary machine and then don’t need that around here because we the bullare a ground dozer’s over based systhe side of tem; I the block or wouldn’t something go any like that. It more than takes time to 35 degrees go and get it I suppose, I (sometimes don’t need you find it’s the capacity got a flat to go to 50 battery) and or 60 (and bring it back the extra … all of that cost). sort of stuff That beis eliminating said, I ed. certainly It’s there. have a It’s usable. greater Like I said, cait’s not the ■■ Mangan’s TL765D fitted with Live Heel and Satco 630E Shovelling slope pacity than fastest, but the time factor comes in when coming back and finding out I would without it. The 630E .. It’s great. It’s you think it’s right there, you everything’s wrong. You can keep that fluid got the auto saw tensioner don’t have to go and get it. which is fantastic. Changing I can set the track and state, and that’s important. You’re not constricted. the chain doesn’t require any things as I go if I’m falling a slope and my track is going Which is awesome from my tools … the hardest part is getting in and out the cabin!! It’s to run approximately across point of view If it’s wet and you can’t that quick a process. this direction or this grade or

I set everything from within the cab . I tell diagnostics I want to do saw maintenance. It extends the bar out, slackens the adjustment on the chain. I grab a new chain take the old one off put the new one on. It’s as easy as that. The rest of the head itself is more solidly built than previous models. I ran an ordinary 630 head about eight years ago and it was lighter construction. Had a couple of issues with that. This one is a lot more solidly built. I’ve also got access to adjustments now that I didn’t have before. This one so far has been absolutely trouble free, 781 hours up in four months, it’s a good solid head. It does everything I want it to do. It’s great for shovelling. It’s got great capacity in its jaws and good grapple power. The saw speed is awesome. It’s a really quick saw and the head gives a low stump height which the skidder operator appreciates, especially in this unthinned stuff. And it’s reasonably light -- it comes in at 2 tonne. This being electronic is a step up in reliability it seems. Yes, I’m very happy with it. Continued on Page 26

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 25

In the news

■■ MCH’s Timberpro TL765D fitted with KF800

Komatsu Forest meeting new demands in log handling Continued from Page 25

With the TL765D/630E as a package I’m actually working an hour a day less and a day less a week. And my production hasn’t dropped. If anything it’s probably gone up a little bit. That’s the impact it’s had on my world. I’ve got my weekends back because it’s so productive. My working week used to be up to 65 hours a week plus travel now it’s back to 50 hours a week plus my travel time. Nathan Taylor Mechanised Cable Harvesting Wakefield, Nelson, New Zealand (top of South Island) Nathan is in partnership with Hamish Matthews and Ross Wood MCH mainly does tethering

operations around Wakefield and has two crews; one harvesting for Tasman Pine Forestry, and the other for Nelson Forestry (now owned by OneFortyOne). The OFO crew is currently operating a Timberpro765D fitted with a KF800 controlfall bar saw. Nathan said the Timberpro and KF800 package was ideal for their work. “We bought the Timberpro in mid-May. Some of the stats stacked up on it really good and that’s why we opted for it,” he said He also cited the slew power as being “really impressive” and it also has “quite good side tilt” plus it has ease of operation. “Basically, it’s a good package (Timberpro and the KF 800). “It’s got good stability and

it’s good power-wise – really, really good. The feedback from the guy who operates it is that he loves it. Power-wise it’s great. He’s really happy. “As I said, we went with the Timberpro because the package was very good,” Nathan said. When asked about features of the KF800 his response was … “It has full rotation, it’s got the high wrists so we can actually pick up a windblown tree and run it off. It gives us the ability to fell say 2 tonne or 2.2 tonne trees and place them in piles for our grapple (Falcon DC grapple). The ability to put logs in nice piles was the cream for us, really. “Plus, we’re also able to fall full length trees. There’s not many other people in NZ producing full length trees, espe-

cially the way we’re doing it. “It gets down to grabbing a tree, cutting it and placing it in a pile. “With a floppy head usually you fell a tree then you have to shovel into place and then place it in a good spot for the grapple to pick up. With the fixed head we can basically grab a tree, cut it and then just place it direct in the pile and then move into the next one. “It’s as simple as that. The head is awesome, to be honest. “We’re really happy. The amount of people we get inquiring about the fixed head in NZ is staggering. “For you guys in Australia it’s probably quite a known thing but not here in New Zealand,” he said. The whole decision-mak-

ing process behind the latest purchase followed a quick trip to Australia. “We caught up with Andrew Mahnken (Mountain Logging) and spent two or three days with Andrew who showed us around looking at different types of heads. We came to the conclusion that this KF 800 in conjunction with the Timberpro was probably going to be the best choice for what we wanted to do. “That’s really how it came about. “Our interest is trying to cut full length trees. We see this as an opportunity here in NZ; cutting the 2-2.5 tonne trees,” Nathan said. His overall comment on the “package” … “We’re pretty happy, to be honest.”

■■ KF 800 head has full control of tree placement

New factory with focus on optimization Komatsu Forest plans to build a completely new factory in Klockarbäcken, Umeå, Sweden. According to its latest information sheet, the new factory will be “optimized with human possibilities in mind”. The company already has high demands on work environment, safety and product quality, which is also something that characterizes the vision of a new factory. “We want a factory that is based on human capabilities, where technology, good ergonomics and safety are prioritized and help to enable good quality in our manufacturing. We want to build an attractive and efficient workplace where our employees thrive and grow and where we can keep product quality at the forefront,” said Martin Ärlestig, Factory Manager, Komatsu Forest 26

“We have high environmental targets for our production already today, but when a new factory is built from scratch, we can seek environmentally friendly solutions all the way. Our target is to become CO2 neutral in our production,” he said. For a decision to invest in a new plant to be realized, support is required to assist the company’s venture; such as a sustainable infrastructure solution that meets the company’s future transport needs on road and railroad and regional support is needed to complement the large investment made by the company. Komatsu Forest manufactures forest machines that are sold worldwide. The company, which is wholly owned by the Japanese company Komatsu LTD, has its manufacturing and head office in Umeå.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Guest Columnist

Optimizing forest nursery production By Joachim Nachmansohn Nachmansohn Consulting & Co.  Fertilizer Soil & Water Management or forest nurseries it’s quite simple to obtain all the benefits from managing resources on demand, if you (1) focus on the quality, (2) stick to one simple methodology with precision, and (3) realize that you don’t need to grow the plantlets unnecessarily big. Allow me to illustrate with a successful trial of both spruce and birch. The trial compared different fertilizer regimes and was performed under commercial-like conditions, in which a complete liquid fertilizer was supplied via the irrigation system to the peat soil in which the tree seedlings grew (see table for details). In the trial three fertilizer supply methods were compared:

Conventional supply A conventional linear supply. Approximately constant pre-determined amounts of nutrients were supplied over time, in the same manner and amounts as in conventional commercial production in the area.

Demand-driven supply, intended to sustain maximal growth

The nutrient supply followed the growth pattern of the plant, and dosage increased with the growth rate of the plant. The total amount of nutrients supplied by the end of the season was less than 50 % of the conventional supply.

Demand-driven supply at growth limiting rate The nutrient supply followed the same pattern as in previous method, but at a limited rate that ensured limitation in the nitrogen supply. This meant a nutrient supply over the season that was about 50 % of the previous method (no. 2). However, by the end of the season a few larger nitrogen recovery doses were given to improve the nutrient status in the tree right before harvest. This meant that the total amount of nutrients supplied was almost as high as in method no. 2. The results were very clear. Method no. 1 and 2 had similar result. The trees from method no. 1 were marginally taller, with a slightly larger biomass. The trees from method no. 3 reached about 2/3 of both height and biomass of those in method no. 1. All trees looked healthy by the end of the season, and all were ready for plantation in bare ground.

Another interesting comparative feature was the rootsize relative to the whole tree. Method no. 1 gave the smallest relative root size (by far), and the method no. 3 the largest (by far). Relative root-size is an incredibly important trait for boosting growth and withstanding stress after replantation in the bare ground. Nutrient status in the plant is also another important factor when the plantlet is planted in the bare ground, as it needs immediate access to nutrients to grow. Due to the large fertilizer additions by the end of the season in method no. 3, the trees from that treatment had the best nutrient status by far. And let’s not forget the environment. Method no. 1 led to the highest nutrient losses through leaching without comparison. So, in summary, the demand-driven supply methods provided healthier trees with larger root systems, with considerably less fertilizers, and considerably smaller nutrient losses. And depending on version of the demanddriven supply, i.e. aiming for maximum growth or limited supply, the trees were either grown to virtually the same size as the conventional with the half amount of fertilizers,

or the trees were successfully charged with a good nutrient storage before planting in the bare ground. Also, the minor differences between method 1 and 2, can easily be mended with minor adjustments in the standard demand-driven method. To implement this method in forest nursery production is reasonably easy. Simply use a complete fertilizer that reflects the ratios in the table that I have provided, and frequently supply it in doses matching the growth rate of the plant, that is: increase the doses with the same percentage as the seedlings increase in biomass for each time unit. Remember to keep the nutrient supply all the way to transplantation in order to enable top nutrient status in the plants. If you implement this methodology you can attain the following benefits in your production: Considerably lowered fertilizer consumption, More vital plants, Stronger root system, Nutrient storage in the plant, Energy storage in plant, Virtually remove nutrient leaching from nursery production. The main take-away from my message is that it’s simple, it’s worthwhile and it’s profitable.

MACRO NUTRIENT

PER L FERTILIZER

MICRO NUTRIENT

PER L FERTILIZER

Nitrogen (N)

100 g

Iron (Fe)

0.7 g

Phosphorus (P)

13 g

Manganese (Mn)

0.4 g

Potassium (K)

65 g

Boron (B)

0.2 g

Sulphur (S)

Zink (Zn)

0.06 g

Magnesium (Mg)

Copper (Cu)

0.03 g

Calcium (Ca)

Molybdenum (Mo)

0.007 g

■■ Amount of nutrients in the liquid fertilizer used in the trial. The ratio between ammonium and nitrate is 40:60. It is a commercial fertilizer that is based on the discoveries behind demand-driven fertilization.

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

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 27

Drones

All-seeing drones play vital role in wild life management

he koala in Victoria’s Strzelecki Ranges has a new ally to guard its safety – the all-seeing drone that detects any animal in its sights. It’s the preferred technology that family company Hazelwood Forestry, based in the Latrobe Valley, is now using for its business of wild life management. “Most of our work is koala management with Hancocks who have been on the front foot in managing koalas. We are really ramping up how to manage and protect them in forestry operations,” said Eloise Cluning, who operates the Hazelwood North company with husband Russell, an experienced local forester. Hancock Victoria Plantations has blue gum and pine plantations throughout the Strzeleckis. “Koala spotting – we do it every day before that day’s harvest. “We actually capture and translocate koalas under a permit from DELWP,” said Eloise. “Despite some previous trials of drones for Koala spotting having only mild success, we were looking for a tool to assist in identifying Koalas within pine plantations, where they are typically very difficult to see,” she said. “We had trialled handheld thermal cameras without success, so, we contacted a local supplier and arranged a trial where we could easily see the application for our needs,” said Russell.

Fine tuning “After some fine tuning we realised just how effective the thermal drone actually was, over all plantation species. We have since begun trialling the drone for other wildlife population studies including deer, wallabies and kangaroo.” The spidery-looking drone 28

weighs 9.5 kilograms, has a wing (arm span) of 1.66 metres, a height of 1.5m and a top speed of 65kph. “It’s difficult to move around, and is probably the biggest off-the-shelf registered drone you can buy. We picked that drone - it’s heavy so can handle quite a lot of wind before it gets too difficult,” said Eloise. The company had been doing manual spotting for six-and-a-half years before branching out into drone technology. It does surveys and population studies, assessing areas to which it can translocate families and what sort of management might be required. This takes place not just before harvesting, but also before controlled burns. It’s a tough business, getting up early, even in winter. “We can operate in the dark. I really don’t know why all the harvest operators want to start at 3am in the morning, but they do! “ she said.

Obstacles everywhere Eloise said the forestry environment for flying was difficult, finding places to take off and land. “There are dozens of obstacles. It’s not as straight forward as flying in an open paddock,” she said. The animals are identified through thermal imaging. While they survey, the harvesters cannot come near the tree. “It’s quite labour intensive and obviously a lot of koalas we are translocating are within the coupe boundaries. If we do not identify them and move them, they would be injured or killed. Koalas, unlike other wildlife, can’t jump out of the tree and move,” she said. “They are at risk of being felled with the tree and processed with the tree, or flicked out of adjoining trees with trees being felled. They are not threatened in Victoria, but it’s important we

■■Eloise and Russell Cluning. protect them and move them elsewhere.” Koalas are quite visible in blue gum forest, but they get confused, spending a lot of time in pine trees. “Seeing a koala in pine trees is very difficult. Even with young pine, you’ve got such a dense canopy it’s very hard to see. The drones have helped in that regard,” said Eloise.

Safety factor The drones have also greatly improved safety compared with manual spotting. “We ask the harvest operator to pause what he is doing - the machines are intimidating. We don’t have to be in the harvest area; we can be on a landing further away.” It also removes the hazard of having to walk in steep terrain through scrub and blackberries. The pilot plays a crucial role; an automated drone does not have the flexibility to give the accuracy needed to find the animals in often dense forest. “A drone is far more accurate than any person. We have to stop the flight to check out every heat feature. Every heat signal looks the same to begin with – you need more time to identify it as a wombat, a koala, or a bird. Then you have to do some planning,” said Eloise. “Contrary to what you think, the lowest point is the

best. In the gully you can fly up and keep line of sight opposed to on top of the hill, where you have to work from above the tree line and down. It gets easier as harvesting goes along as you have more clear fell area.” Weather – too much daylight, heavy rain or fog - can hamper using drones. However, eagles are the biggest enemy. “Generally in the dark, the eagles leave us alone, but they definitely work in packs. Once, there were five eagles, I got chased as I brought the drone in to land,” said Eloise. “A few have checked out the drone. Sometimes it’s a bit too big and noisy for some; you have to be a brave eagle to take it on. One actually threw the drone into a tree. Eagles were circling as we retrieved the drone.” Hazelwood Forestry was established in 2006 focusing solely on inventory measurement for then Grand Ridge Plantations. Now it has a team of 12 core staff with numerous seasonal casual staff. The most noticeable shift has been in working hours, with drone crews now starting as early as 3am. “While we specialise in Koala management services, we offer our clients all typical silviculture services, inventory services and research assessment,” said Russell.

2,400 ha of plantations retired for koala habitat The Queensland Government is increasing the protection of vital koala habitat in the Sunshine Coast region, with 2400 hectares of land being protected through a partnership with the Government, Noosa Shire Council, Noosa Parks Association and HQPlantations. The $3.5 million investment to retire the land from plantation forestry for conservation purposes is being jointly funded by the Department of Environment and Science (DES), Noosa Shire Council and Noosa Parks Association. “Through this project, HQPlantations are proving themselves to be wonderful corporate citizens, and our local community environment organisation, the Noosa Parks Association, are once again demonstrating their capacity to conceptualise long-term goals,” said Noosa Shire Mayor Tony Wellington.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Drones

Increasing use of drones in forest management

here has been a significant uptake of drones or ‘Unmanned Ariel Vehicles’ (UAVs) in forest management, according to a leading industry researcher interviewed during the latest episode of WoodChat, Forest and Wood Products Australia’s (FWPA) podcast series. The episode focused on the growing body of evidence around the effectiveness of UAVs, coupled with other technologies such as sensors, in capturing important and increasingly accurate data. This data can determine tree characteristics within plantations, and aid smart decision making. Hosts Sam and Victoria www.timberbiz.com.au

spoke to Dr Christine Stone, Principle Research Scientist in the Forest Management Program at the NSW Department of Primary Industries, who has driven a number of projects that make use of this remote sensing technology. Dr Stone explained that she has been working alongside a team of researchers and representatives from various industry bodies and companies, to progress research initiatives around this common theme. “Because the technology is progressing rapidly, the number of options is constantly increasing. For this reason, we have been working to compare the options and their associated benefits, and provide

guidance regarding what applications each may be suitable for,” said Dr Stone. “Capturing the data required for decision making, planning and operations in this way has a variety of benefits for forest managers. For instance, the data can be used to virtually measure stock in a way that could prevent the need for inventory crews having to go out into the field, particularly when it comes to estates where access is difficult, or an OH&S risk is present. “This technology is also showing itself to be useful in other aspects of forest management, including determining how successful planting has been, fire management and

detecting animal habitats,” said Dr Stone. During the episode, the hosts also chatted to Rod Meynink of MBAC Consulting Group, about a recently developed proof of concept which explores how this technology could potentially be used to detect Koalas in plantations. This episode of WoodChat was the sixth in the series, and followed topics including the environmental benefits associated with using timber in construction, a new tool which predicts how climate will impact growing conditions in the future, the economic benefits of wood in the workplace, and a genetic DNA testing system that can predict key commer-

cial attributes of trees during the earliest stages of their lives. Future WoodChat episodes will cover everything from the initiatives that are engaging and securing future industry leaders, to micro timber and the development of a 3D printed gradient timber panel composed of forestry waste and by-products. The WoodChat series represents FWPA’s commitment to exploring new ways of communicating industry news and innovations. Each episode in the series includes in-depth conversations with experts on recent discoveries, innovations and initiatives.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 29

Sawmill Profile

■■ Ed with one of his eight rigs at the ready

Business has seen some changes since starting back in 1963 Morgan Sawmill, 4487 Wilkins Highway JAMESTOWN SA 5491. 08 8664 0392

d Morgan and his son Luke draw on muchneeded adrenalin to grow their sawmill businesses. Not willing to stand still, they have hewed out a name for themselves in Jamestown, South Australia, the birthplace of R. M. Williams, two hours from Adelaide. Ed Morgan doesn’t wrestle with words, always has one handy to illustrate the frustrations of red tape and the bureaucracy but is quick to find a positive. How else would the business have grown so rapidly without the foresight shown by three generations of Morgans? When they purchased their first green mill in 1963, they were still the smallest of eight mills in the area; six years later they bought another saw mill at Wirrabara, in the Flinders Ranges, because it

had mains power in the town. mill Direct in Adelaide; ex- for the Wirrabara forest and The nearby forest, however, panding into manufacturing together with local farmers, was ravaged by a fierce fire export containers, including they have purchased the rights which swept through the area pallets and boxes, many un- to harvest the Bundaleer planin 1986, causing widespread der the Chep label. The pace tation. When the new Liberal damage. The state govern- of change was rapid as new government took office they ment granted a contract to the acquisitions beamed on the reversed a decision to preMorgans to salvage what they radar - by 2010 they moved vent local green mills from accessing Mt could from Lofty: “We the burnt had years logs. “We of meetings kept going "If you work things out beforehand, with departand growmental officing and were you'll do alright" - Ed Morgan ers and even successful in the Premier, buying the still no log largest mill in the area, which had gone into Riverland Treated Pine, supplies until 2018 under the in Loxton North, providing a Liberals.” bust,” said Ed Morgan. The company employs over After closing one mill in wood-treatment arm to their need of a major refit, they burgeoning enterprise. In 2014 seventy people and operates bought another going con- they also acquired Northern eight rigs for hauling timber cern in Jamestown, upgrad- Plantation Management, to and domestic purposes. Like ing it to accommodate future harvest, log and plan for future most saw mills, the Morgans have trouble finding people to trade. The company extended forests. They hold a 99 year lease work them. “We have safety its footprint by buying Saw-

■■ Ed Morgan with his son Luke, of three generations at Morgan Sawmill 30

■■ Ed Morgan on a mountain of woodchips

equipment, state of the art, training systems in place, yet I find it incredible we cannot find more workers. It’s better to earn $600 a week, than do nothing.” Ed is interested in making useful product from by-products of timber waste, “making better use of what we have. If we can help the environment, what’s wrong with that,” he asks. “I need more time to work on it though,” said Ed. With continued good customer support the Morgans will develop other pursuits if they ‘stick to core business,’ Ed muses. In his sixties, with a son and grandchildren to take over the business, Ed just wants to go fishing when he retires. Photos by Ed Morgan (father), Luke Morgan (son)

■■ Morgan Sawmill’s Ed and son Luke, preserving timber supply and offering quality product

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Bio

There’s a strong future for wood pellets, but they need special handling

A study of current wood pellet bulk handling at European import terminals found the equipment and processes need to be modified from those used for other bulk materials. Factors including dust emission and explosions, degradation in storage, selfheating and ignition need to be considered in the design of dedicated wood pellet port terminals, as demand for this biofuel increases. While wood pellet terminals might be able to cope with the low amounts being traded currently, a re-examination and redesign of terminal facilities to accommodate the increased

serious about lowering carbon emissions from the power sector should pursue the use of wood pellets as a replacement for coal. The white paper highlights England as a real-world example of how pellet-fuelled pulverised coal power stations can be part of the solution to lower carbon emissions. But it isn’t all smooth sailing. Wood pellets, especially when they are fresh, are chemically active and can emit significant quantities of carbon monoxide. Fatal accidents have occurred in storerooms and on board ships as a result of CO poisoning.

n Australia’s export market, wood pellets remain in the shadow of woodchips, but globally the demand is growing rapidly. Australia’s woodchip and wood pellet exports totalled 7.495 million bone dried metric tonnes (bdmt) over the last year. Most of this tonnage consisted of hardwood chip exports, at 6.747 million bdmt, with only 97,497 tonnes being wood pellets. Nonetheless, Australia’s wood pellet exports are growing and their future looks bright. Industry analyst FutureMetrics has published a new white paper arguing that countries

volumes will probably be required by 2030. Apart from adapting the handling process, there might be merit in researching the replacement of normal wood pellets, which currently constitute 100% of the co-firing fuel, with steam-treated or torrefied pellets. These types of pellets are generally more energy intensive and costly than conventional pellet production methods, but have a higher calorific value than normal wood pellets. They are also more resistant to moisture and degradation, and can generally be handled with conventional

bulk equipment, with minimal or no need for retrofitting or replacing infrastructure, resulting in greater operational flexibility with lower investments. The market for torrefied pellets is less mature and its future is not yet clear. Source: Dafnomilis, I., Lodewijks, G., Junginger, M., & Schotta, D.L. (2018). Evaluation of wood pellet handling in import terminals. Biomass and Bioenergy, 117, 10–23. FutureMetrics (October 29, 2018). Coal Power Stations that Convert to Wood Pellets Supply Reliable On-Demand Baseload and Peaking Power.

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Green Triangle Awards

There’s no secret about the Triangle, it’s got everything in its favour! Awards night highlights unique region

multi-generational logging company was announced as the supreme winner of the inaugural Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards at The Barn in Mount Gambier. More than 450 people were on hand on 26 October to celebrate as Reid Logging picked up the top prize, along with the prize for harvesting excellence, with employee Adam Sealy taking out the individual forest operations crown. Reid Logging was founded in 1966 by the late John Reid and has been at the forefront of the mechanization of the industry. While initially a manual tree falling and haulage company, the company moved exclusively to harvest operations in 1990. The company has constantly invested in new and innovative machinery and is known for its integrity and high quality work. Reid Logging has an impeccable safety record and has been recognised for that. The company regularly exceeds best practice to ensure the safety of crews and is committed to ongoing training, with staff involved in the development of industry standards on fatigue management.

Reid Logging’s audit scores are second-to-none with a low rejection rate, and workers proactively manage quality. Leonie Stapleton from Timberlink was honoured with a lifetime contribution award, recognising her long-term commitment and involvement in an industry that has historically been male-dominated. OneFortyOne Wood Products received three awards, taking out the timber processing as well as the regional and community development excellence prizes and Des Schebella was applauded for his outstanding contribution to the timber industry. The Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards (GTTIA) were established to celebrate and reward those involved with the timber industry and cover all facets of it from nursery to silviculture, harvesting to haulage, logistics, processing and everything in between. GTTIA chair Adrian Flowers said the committee was very happy with nominations. “We had excellent numbers, and all were of a very high calibre right across all categories. It was about recognizing everyone who contributes to

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the success of an industry that annually generates more than $778 million gross regional product,” he said. The Green Triangle is home to Australia’s largest collective plantation and timber processing industry with more than 355,000 hectares of soft and hardwood plantations producing timber for local manufacturing as well as for the national and export markets. The industry provides employment for around 8500 people. The awards are run by a nine-strong committee who represent a diverse section of the industry. “It had taken 18 months to bring together and I thank each member for their support,” Mr Flowers said. “To our sponsors, we offer our sincere appreciation for your support to the industry and these awards which have exceeded all expectations.” The awards dinner was held at The Barn in Mount Gambier with Australian comedian Tommy Little MC for the evening. Staff from numerous local forestry operations attended and highly charismatic comedian Tommy Little from Chan-

nel Ten’s The Project, was an ideal pick to host the night. The awards could we’ll become an annual event, however, the final word on that won’t come until the end of November.

New Hub launched And while still on the topic of the Green Triangle, news has broken about a new “hub” that is designed to boost the region as well. Nine forestry industry companies have come together to form the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub which will act as a catalyst for the development and management of the Green Triangle and also aim to raise the profiles of the forest industries in the region. The Nine companies are: AKD Softwoods, NF McDonnell & Sons, New Forests, Green Triangle Forest Products, Australian Bluegum Plantations, Timberliknk, Borg Manufacturing, Hancock Victorian Plantations, and OneFortyOne. Ian McDonnell, a spokesperson for the new body, said it would act as a vehicle to enhance knowledge and collaboration on matters that were

not market competitive for forest industries companies in the Green Triangle value chain. He explained that the group idea was to collectively tackle a number of core industry issues including resource security plus the overall public profile of the industry. Mr McDonnell was upbeat about the future, adding that the Green Triangle region had the potential to grow significantly over the next decade. “We are Australia’s largest plantation and timber processing industry and understand the need to drive growth and innovation to create more jobs and open up more markets. He felt the hub could help progress the industry and strengthen the communities that undepin it. And the good news is … Yes, the Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards will be held next year (barring any natural disasters). The intent, from its inception was to make the awards an annual event on the calendar. The committee will be meeting in the near future to hold an AGM as a means of setting the committee for 2019 and then planning will commence.

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Green Triangle Awards

Green Triangle Timber Industry Supreme Timber Industry Award - Reid Logging -

Sponsors Gold - HVP Plantations, OneFortyOne Plantations, Kalari, Timber & Forestry enews, Timberlands & Pernola Plantations, GTTIA, Teagle Excavations Silver – Port of Portland, PF Olsen Australia, Scania, QUBE Ports, South West Fibre, OneFortyOne Plantations, SFM Asset Management, PFP Group, Fennell Forestry, ISO Marshalling PTY Ltd, Cummins, Barry Maney Group, Border Watch, Trelleborg, Beaurepaires Bronze – Glenelg Shire, Precision Engineering Portland, ForestWorks, Daily Timber News, Australian Forests & Timber News, Triple Limestone, Hit 961, MIXXFM Hamilton, 981 3HA, Trimble Forestry Logistics, Komatsu Forest Pty, Sureway Employment & Training, Onetrak, Climate Friendly, Trimble Forestry

Trainee Forest Operations Work, Health, Safety & Environment Outstanding Contribution to Timber Industry Outstanding Contribution (male) to Timber Industry Innovation Award Timber Processing Excellence Harvesting Excellence Silviculture Excellence Distribution & Logistics Safety Excellence Regional & Community Development Lifetime Contribution Award

Ben Bruhn – Tabeel Trading Pty Dylan Edwards – L V Dohnt & Company sponsored by Port of Portland Adam Sealy – Reid Logging sponsored by PF Olsen Bryan Haywood – Nature Glenelg Trust sponsored by OneFortyOne Plantations Linda Cotterill – OneFortyOne sponsored by Pacific Forest Products (Australia) (female) Des Schebella - OneFortyOne sponsored by QUBE Ports James Williamson – Porthaul sponsored by South West Fibre OneFortyOne Wood Products sponsored by Trident Tyre Centre & Scania Reid Logging sponsor Timberlands Pacific & Penola Plantations A & M Contracting sponsored by Teagle Excavations Porthaul sponsored by HVP Plantations Tabeel Trading Pty Ltd sponsored by OneFortyOne Plantations OneFortyOne Plantations sponsored by Kalari Leonie Stapleton – Timberlink Australia sponsored by Climate Friendly

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Pacific Forest Products (PFP) offer a range of log exporting services from sales and marketing, on port logistics, export documentation and Wharf Gate Log purchase PFP have been operating since 2002 in New Zealand and 2014 in Australia. We are currently exporting logs from the port(s) of Portland, Burnie, Bell Bay and Hobart. PFP works with forest owners to maximise the value of their assets through best practice forest product exports If you are interested in selling logs for export please contact Andy via email on andyb@pfpltd.com.au or visit our website www.pfpltd.com.au Andy Bell Regional Manager Australia +61 428 547 523 andyb@pfpltd.com.au 91 Bentinck St, Portland Victoria 3305 PO BOX 519 Portland Victoria 3305

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Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 33

Certification

Fast Facts The standard was developed over 5 years, with input from a range of economic, environmental and social stakeholders. The development process included extensive consultation, expert input, and field testing. There are two forestry certification schemes operating in Australia, the FSC and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) accredited ‘Responsible Wood’ standard. According to the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), over 90% of Australia’s native forest operations are independently certified under the FSC or Responsible Wood certification schemes. The forest industry is vital to our regional communities, directly employing more than 70,000 people.

■■ HQPlantations Beerburrum Plantations. Hybrid species of Caribbean and Slash pine (Pinus caribbea and Pinus elliottii) developed for sub-tropical Queensland as part of HQPlantations ongoing tree improvement program.

New Australian standard for forest stewardship

ustralia’s forestry industry is set to benefit from the launch of a second Australian certification standard for the sustainable management of the nation’s forests. Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Richard Colbeck welcomed the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) National Forest Stewardship Standard, which joins the existing “Responsible Wood” certification standard in providing assurances that Australian wood products are from forests managed to the world’s highest standards. “Australia’s forest and wood products sector is a great contributor to our nation—through the jobs and wealth the industry creates and its dedication to 34

sustainable production,” Minister Colbeck said. “Global demand for timber products is projected to quadruple by 2050 and the new Australian FSC Standard will help us tap into this growth market by utilizing a globally recognised trust mark for sustainable forest management. “Certification continues to be an important part of the Australian forestry sector and demonstrates the strong sustainability credentials of our well-managed forest industries. “Consumers are increasingly aware of, and interested in, the origins of the products they buy and the processes that go into making them. “Both nationally and internationally, certification has developed as a way of providing assurance to consumers that the wood products they are purchasing are from sustainably managed forests. “The new FSC national standard was jointly agreed by industry, environment and

community interests. Australia now has national standards aligned to the two global certification systems, PEFC and FSC, which have been specifically tailored to Australia’s unique conditions and highquality regulatory framework. “The Australian Government contributed $900,000 to the development of both the new FSC standard and the Responsible Wood standard and is fully committed to sustainable management of Australia’s forests. “This new FSC standard will also complement the Coalition Government’s new National Forest Industries Plan, which will help plant one billion new trees to meet future demand and establish research and production hubs to help set up the industry for decades to come. “The forest industry is in a strong position to continue to grow and prosper, and the Australian Government will be there every step of the way.” FSC is recognised by con-

which will support the Australian forest sector in demonstrating responsible forest management. “As investment managers, our responsible investment policy includes the adoption of the FSC Principles & Criteria and has led to the certification of over 450,000 hectares in Australia since 2010. The new standard pro“Certification continues to greater be an important part of the vides clarity and reflects the charAustralian forestry sector of and demonstrates the strong acteristics the Australian forest sector, sustainability credentials our of our well-managed forest including unique environments, bioindustries” diversity, and est Stewardship Standard gives the ways in which we our forest consumers confidence the Aus- sector works together with lotralian wood products they buy cal communities and traditional are from forests managed to the owners of the land,” said New world’s highest standard,” said Forests CEO, David Brand. Currently, FSC certifies 1.22 Sara. “New Forests has welcomed million hectares of Australian the new Australian Standard, forests to full FSC Forest Mansumers world-wide as guaranteeing that timber and paper products – from furniture, to flooring, to books and printing paper – are produced sustainably, in a way that protects forests and supports workers and communities,” said Sara Gipton, FSC Australia CEO. “The new FSC National For-

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2018 www.timberbiz.com.au

Certification Unions reject “historic” forestry agreement A claim that the Forest Stewardship Council has reached a “historic” deal that unites “timber companies, unionists and green groups on how forestry should be conducted in Australia” has been rejected as false, with the union representative involved in the negotiations not only voting against the final draft, but demanding this formal opposition be disclosed in any announcement. The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union was appointed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standards Development Group in 2013 to represent the broader union movement in negotiations for the FSC Australia National Standard. Not only did the CFMEU representative formally vote

against the proposed standard, but provided detailed proposals to the negotiating committee, along with FSC leadership in Australia and internationally, detailing the weakness of the proposed standards on workers’ rights and their failure to

Gipton requesting that: “all communications, including any media releases will include the fact that the ACTU has not endorsed the standard”. CFMEU National Secretary Michael O’Connor (pictured) slammed the FSC Australia National Standard, describing it as “a dirty deal struck by big business and big environment”. “The standard in its current form does very little to defend workers’ rights,” Mr O’Connor said. “FSC is a big deal in Europe but it is fledgling in Australia. The union movement will not back it until it adequately addresses workers’ rights and we are urging consumers to likewise reject it as an exercise in green-washing that fails to properly engage with the men and women working in the forestry sector.”

“The standard in its current form does very little to defend workers’ rights,” Mr O’Connor said.

agement standards, an increase of 37% since 2012. “Over the last two decades, increasing numbers of Australian forest managers have been certified to international FSC standards. Now, they can be certified using an FSC standard tailored to Australian conditions,” Sara said. She said the FSC Standard set out rigorous requirements, including strong protections for (i) Indigenous rights and sacred sites; (ii) old growth forests, threatened species, and waterways; and (iii) workers’ health and safety. The standard also includes strong provisions for stakeholder consultation and local jobs. Some components of the Australian FSC Standard will undergo review and further strengthening in the near future, as FSC globally invests in further developing standards to ensure worker’s rights, health and safety. David Rowlinson (Planet Ark’s Make It Wood campaign manager) said a central component of the campaign was the need for the wood to be certified, which demonstrates that the wood comes from legally www.timberbiz.com.au

harvested and well-managed forests and plantations, and ensures that when a tree is harvested another is planted in its place. “Planet Ark is delighted to see the introduction of FSC’s National Forest Stewardship Standard, which has been developed specifically for Australian conditions, and will have a continuing positive impact on Australia’s built environment.” Certification throughout Australia and New Zealand is not just a piece of paper … it’s a way of life. Responsible Wood also plays a major role in certification and currently has 8.78m ha of Australian forests Responsible Wood certified (to AS 4708-2013 Sustainable Forest Management). It has 30 forest owners covered by the scheme (to AS 4708-2013 Sustainable Forest Management), plus 250 individual sites operating Chain of Custody schemes (to AS 47072014 Chain of Custody for Forest Products). Responsible Wood Marketing and Communications Of-

ficer Jason Wood explained that AS 4708-2013 Sustainable Forest Management was the Responsible Wood equivalent to the FSC National Forest Stewardship Standard. “The latest standard (released in 2013) is actually our latest generation of standards; the previous standard which was endorsed by Standards Australia was in 2007 and we are currently undergoing our very own standard review. We are currently working with JAS-ANZ, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand to develop the first approved Trans-Tasman standard for forestry management between Australia and New Zealand. “We believe that all forms of certification is a positive for the industry,” said Jason. “There is so much mixed messaging in the marketplace around certification so the more we can promote environmental and sustainable forest practices through growers, the supply chain and to end-consumers alike the better it is for responsible forestry in Australia.”

address Australia’s significant noncompliance with International Labour Standards. When it became clear FSC Australia intended to press ahead with the standard without industry consensus, the union wrote to CEO Sara

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