Australian Forests & Timber - November 2020 by Provincial Press Group

November 2020

QUEENSLAND TIMBER Faith in the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundations

ROUND TABLE

Sunshine State looks to the future TOUGH TIMES IN TUMUT Timber shortages a major concern

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In the news

Recovery milestone hides timber shortage

ORESTRY Corporation of NSW is celebrating an important recovery milestone with two million tonnes of fire-affected timber harvested, hauled and sold from the organisation’s bushfire-affected Tumut and Bombala softwood plantations. But Timber New South Wales is warning that the South Coast is almost closed and that mills are facing huge shortages of hardwood and softwood. She said the material being harvested was going to chip mills and not for sawlogs. And is it believed that on the south coast the shortages are causing major friction between mill owners and Forestry Corp. “There is no hardwood,” Timber NSW general manager Maree Mccaskill said. “Nothing is going into the mills on the south coast,” she said. “There is a stand-off with Forest Corp with their coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval requirements and then post the bushfires the EPA’s site-specific conditions. “So they are down to nego-

tiating block by block, and nothing has happened.” On the north coast of the state the same problem existed. Ms Mccaskill said the EPA was trying to starve the timber industry out so it financially collapses. Ms Mccaskill said the south east mills were “about to hit a cliff”. “That is why Hyne and AKD are screaming, because there is no timber,” she said. Claims recently by Hyne that it may be forced to shut its Tumbarumba mill because of the shortage of timber was no idle threat. “There is not enough timber to go around and keep those mills going,” Ms McCaskill said. Forestry Corporation’s Acting Snowy Regional Manager, Louise Bourke, said the milestone represented around 46,700 truckloads of logs and was a significant boost for communities recovering from the devastating 2019-20 bushfire season. Ms Bourke said the salvage harvesting program had meant the local timber industry was having an incredibly busy year, and could con-

FIRE DAMAGE Tumut 100,000 ha (approx) of radiata pine. 36 per cent damaged. Salvage operations underway.

Bombala 33,000 ha (approx) of radiata pine. Approx 30 per cent damaged. Salvage operations underway.

Walcha and Grafton 26,000 hectares of southern pine and radiata pine. 36 per cent damaged. Salvage operations underway.

Bathurst 72,000 ha (approx) of softwood plantations. Approx 3 per cent damaged.

tinue to support the region’s recovery from the impact of the bushfire season. “Whilst the fire was clearly a devastating event, the recovery process has been a boost for some local contracting businesses this year in what are otherwise very difficult times,” Ms Bourke said. Roughly one third of the plantations in the area surrounding Tumut and Bombala were impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires. Fire-affected timber has the same structural properties

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as unburnt timber, so can be harvested and processed into house frames, furniture and other essential renewable wood products. After a fire, there is a 12-month window to salvage the timber before it starts to deteriorate. Meanwhile salvage harvesting on Kangaroo Island, where around 90 per cent of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers’ trees valued in excess of $100 million and all of the island’s independent plantations were affected in

some way by the by fires in January, will soon begin. Advice to the company is that the target logs must be harvested within two years and stored under water or sprinklers in order to preserve value. This strategy is expected to allow the company to maximise recoverable volume, as it awaits approval for the KI Seaport facility at Smith Bay. KIPT is also in discussions with independent growers on the Island regarding harvest of their fire-damaged trees.

AFPA’s CEO Hampton fills FSC vacancy FSC AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND has filled a casual vacancy on the board and appointed AFPA CEO Ross Hampton to the Economic Chamber Director vacancy and elected three new directors. Carlie Porteous (VISY), David Collard and Michelle Freeman (IFA) join Craig Dunn (Opal), and Sarah Rees (Australian Forests and Climate Alliance) who were returned to the board, having successfully renominated after completing a three year appointment, and Peter Cooper (The Wilderness Society) who was elected after having filled a casual vacancy. The resignation of Mark Gauthier (chair), created a casual vacancy and after considering the nominations the board has appointed Mr Ross Hampton to the Economic Chamber.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

Susie Russell (Northeast Forest Alliance) was appointed as the chair and Mark Annandale as deputy chair for 2020-2021. Meanwhile the FSC international has issued a statement regarding what it describes as “a situation involving the Board of Directors of FSC Australia and New Zealand”. “Currently, there is a situation involving the Board of Directors of FSC Australia and New Zealand (FSC ANZ). This is impacting the operations and brand integrity of FSC,” the statement says. “FSC International is conducting discussions with FSC ANZ members regarding specific ideas and proposals that will chart a path forward for FSC Australia which is in keeping with FSC’s mission and values.”

In the news November 2020 Issue 7 – Volume 29 Established 1991

3―4 5 ― 10 12 ― 13 24 ― 26 28

News Queensland Round Table Training Mill profile

Front Cover: Jake Peters, Service Technician, RDO Equipment, Ian Reid, Director, Austimber Harvesting & Haulage, Ryan Sim, Service Technician, RDO Equipment, Jim King, Operator, Austimber Harvesting & Haulage, Mark Hellberg, Sales Professional, RDO Equipment, Adrian Wapling, Product Specialist, Forestry, John Deere and Duncan Johnston, Director, Austimber Harvesting & Haulage at the delivery of RDO’s 50th forestry machine in Australia since launching last year. Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Robyn Haworth Editor: Bruce Mitchell b.mitchelll@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Advertising: Gavin de Almeida g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Publication Design: Peter Frezzini Trader classified: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9522 Subcription rates One-year (8 editions) $55 Two-years (16 editions) $95 Accounts: Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Melbourne Office: Suite 2262, 442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122 Phone: (03) 9810 3262 Website www.timberbiz.com.au Printed by Lane Print, Adelaide, SA

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The opinions expressed in Australian Forests & Timber News are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Australian Forests & Timber News copyright 2020 © Ryan Media. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

MEDIA

Forest growers’ support sought for R&D and biosecurity levy

USTRALIA’S forest growers are being asked to support a proposed increase to the sector’s R&D and biosecurity levy to address the decline in funding and capacity for vital forest science research, development and extension (RD&E) and to tackle ever-increasing biosecurity threats. A group of forest growers that collectively produce more than 90% of Australia’s log volume has developed a research strategy that, if supported across the sector through a proposed increase to the Forest Growers Levy, will boost productivity, lower costs, increase resilience and reduce losses from drought, fire, pests and diseases. The Australian Forest Products Association has backed the proposal and urges all Australian forest growers to support the minor increase which will deliver benefits across the plantation and native forest estates through Commonwealth-matched RD&E projects. “With this proposal forest growers have the chance to increase current investment levels for RD&E and biosecurity to grow our renewable industry over the long term,

Key Points roposed increase to the • PForest Growers Levy, will

boost productivity, lower costs, increase resilience and reduce losses from drought, fire, pests and diseases.

he increase has the • Tsupport of the Australian Forest Products Association.

increase goes ahead • Ifitthe would see up to an additional $3.45 million raised annually.

increase the resilience of our forests, and build muchneeded RD&E capacity,” AFPA Chief Executive Officer Ross Hampton said. “Australia’s biosecurity threat from exotic pests has never been higher. For example, Giant Pine Scale was discovered in 2015 in Victoria and then South Australia and has since been declared un-eradicable in Australia,” he said. “This exotic pest may be slow moving, but it has a devastating impact on the trees it infests. Investing in biosecurity will help us improve Aus-

tralia’s success rate in eradicating exotic pests which currently sits at half the success rate achieved globally. “I encourage forest growers across Australia to become involved in the current consultation process and participate in voting,” Mr Hampton said. “Achieving this proposed RD&E & biosecurity levy increase is a critical next step to investing the future of our renewable forest industry.” An increase of $0.13 per m3 to the forest grower levy rate is proposed, in two parts: an additional $0.085 per m3 to significantly increase investment in RD&E through FWPA and, an additional $0.045 per m3 to the biosecurity levy for PHA to coordination of protection against the threat of exotic pests. If the ballot is successful and the Australian Government agrees, the increase to the forest growers levy would occur over a staged implementation and see up to an additional $3.45 million raised annually with matched funding from the Australian Government of up to $2.55 million. AFPA is also proposing that small and medium growers that

harvest less than 20,000m3 annually be exempt from paying the levy. If the exemption is successful 96% of industry by volume would be paying the forest growers levy. The first stage in this process will involve extensive consultation with all forest growers to provide feedback to help refine and further develop this proposal. As a forestry grower, you can offer your feedback in the manner that best suits you, for example, one-on-one conversations, telephone conferences and virtual town hall-style meetings. It is AFPA’s intention once there is broad consensus to engage a third party to conduct a ballot in which all potential or existing forest grower levy payers can vote. The proposed levy increase needs to be agreed and voted on by a majority of forest growers who participate. To register to be part of the voting process, and participate in the consultation process, please visit https://ausfpa. com.au/forest-growers-levy/ or email forestgrowerslevy@ausfpa.com.au or call (03) 6163 8901 by the 6 November 2020.

Tumut timber facing giant bushfire recovery disaster A battle ground appears to be forming between timber-strapped mills and New South Wales’ Forestry Corporation. The timber industry in the Tumut region is slowly heading into disaster territory. Put simply there is simply not enough timber to go around following last summer’s bushfires which decimated 40% of Hyne’s local log supply at Tumbarumba alone. It can only be assumed that AKD is in the same boat, along with all the smaller mills. The burnt timber that can be salvaged seems largely destined for chip mills. Hyne says that it has confirmation that at least 441,000m3 of sustainably

grown, plantation pine from Victoria and South Australia can be made available to the at the Tumbarumba mill over the next three years. The company says that, with government support, it can secure secure 181 jobs directly and $70 million in wages and salaries pouring into the local economy. The Federal Government and the NSW State Government seem to have their attention diverted elsewhere, justifiably or otherwise.

Unless the State Government in the first instance steps in, and soon, the situation on NSW’s south coast is going to get ugly. There already strong rumors that the shortages are causing major friction between mill owners and Forestry Corp which could possibly end up in court. That would hardly help the situation, but may prove inevitable. Meanwhile the push for an increase in the Forest Growers Levy to fund vital research including the increasing risk of biosecurity deserves to get a vote of approval. In the big picture the small increase in the levy does not appear excessive, and the results could be industry changing.

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Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

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Queensland Timber

Proud to be known as a ‘friend of timber’

INCE 2015 it has been an absolute privilege to be the Member for Maryborough. My electorate has a proud history when it comes to timber. From the very beginning the city of Maryborough has had jobs and locals involved in the industry – a tradition that continues to this day. I am also proud to be known as a ‘friend of timber’ when I am down in Parliament House in Brisbane. Rest assured, the timber industry is well represented when I am on my feet in the chamber. Last year, before the pandemic hit, the Government announced our Timber Industry Action Plan. I had the pleasure to update the Queensland Parliament on a key announcement – which is recorded in Hansard – A great time was had in Maryborough. We announced our policy to extend the timber agreement for a further two years. This is fantastic for the Maryborough community. This means 500 jobs will be saved in and around the Maryborough electorate. Curly Tatnell from DTM Timber is a good mate of mine and a very good resident and employer who employs many people in the community. On 7 November the Fraser Coast Chronicle reported— Mr Tatnell said he had never encountered such support for timber from a Labor government as he was now experiencing with the Queensland government. This is an action plan that locks in hardwood supplies in the Wide Bay-Burnett region up to 2026 and guides the preservation of Queensland’s timber industry, which employs 8800 people across the state, including 500 Maryborough and Wide Bay locals, and injects $3.8 billion into the Queensland economy every year. We all know the importance of the timber industry to our region, and I will fight for these jobs. I am extremely grateful to the timber workers, employers and industry groups for the commitment they have shown in ensuring a future for this industry and I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and be their voice in government. www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

MY VIEW Bruce Saunders MP Member for Maryborough

We will be establishing a timber advisory panel responsible for overseeing and making plans with the industry for the future, conduct a comprehensive two-year study to identify future options for timber supply, including on private land, to be completed in 2021, and other arrangements. With the impact of COVID the panel has not been finalised but, with a re-elected Palaszczuk Government and me as a fighting force in Maryborough, we’ll have it done and announced soon. I want to be a part of the future of timber by encouraging Queensland timber to be prioritised in the building and construction sectors to support local jobs and the economy. That is why I was a strong advocate for the new Maryborough Fire and Emergency Centre to be manufactured from timber products while maintaining the historic brick façade, also manufactured in the city. The new facility will be made from timber, sourced locally, and manufactured at the new Maryborough Hyne Glulam Timber Plant recently constructed with the support of the Palaszczuk Government. The new $12.1M Fire and Emergency Services Centre will support the local timber industry and will become an example for Maryborough and visitors of how important and versatile timber is. I will continue to support projects like this to ensure the timber Industry in our region thrives. I am proud to be a part of a Labor Government that has shown its commitment to supporting a sustainable and responsible forestry industry for all Queenslanders. 5

Queensland Timber

• Inside Parkside’s mill producing timber for housing and, below, the original Parkside office.

Parkside growing from basic roots Government support needed to develop hardwood estates

imber companies in Queensland don’t get a lot bigger than Parkside. Parkside is Australia’s largest hardwood miller and timber manufacturer producing world class timber products to Australia, Europe, Asia and the Americas. And the company, which began life in 1911, has already been recognised by TABMA as one of the most innovative operation in the country. Parkside is also the largest producer of Queensland Spotted Gum, Jarrah, Karri and Wormy Chestnut products. It all began in 1911 when Bruno Tapiolas Vila, looking to start a new life from his economic broken country of Spain, arrived in Australia aged 20 years. He quickly found work in the cane growing industry in Ayr, North Queensland. It wasn’t long before Bruno owned the farm which was the start of his aspirations for a future for his family. Soon after World War II, Bruno wanted to build a new home for his young family

and realising that building materials were in short supply, embarked on a 400km journey to the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland to source timber. It didn’t take long for word to spread that he had found a good supply of timber and Bruno then began to sell the timber loads he bought back. Bruno saw an opportunity and in 1947, North Queensland Parkside was born with a timber sales and joinery business in Ayr. Not satisfied with selling only building materials, Bruno decided to start his own home building construction company - Tropical Homes, which has grown today to become one of Queensland’s largest project home builders with well over 15,000 homes built for Queenslanders. With Bruno’s three sons Wilfred, Brunie and Joe involved, the business grew very quickly and the company needed a guaranteed supply of timber to supply the expanding business. An opportunity presented itself in 1962, with Parkside acquiring its first sawmill at Eungella west of Mackay,

which saw Parkside expand its timber sales and building materials business into Townsville in 1966. Then in 1972, Parkside acquired a larger and more efficient sawmill in Mackay. With a guarantee of its own timber supply, Parkside grew to become a dominant player in North Queensland for timber sales and building materials. With a continued passion for timber, over the following decades, Parkside acquired sawmills at Builyan, Theodore, Wandoan, Eidsvold and Wondai in South West Queensland. Then late last year Parkside expanded its milling operations by acquiring mills and processing plants at Greenbushes and Nannup in Western Australia and Orbost and Bairnsdale in Victoria. The Tapiolas family saw Australia as the land of opportunity and with Bruno’s son Joe Tapiolas driving the business it continued to expand and flourish into residential land and commercial development with estates created in Ayr and Townsville in the mid 1960’s.

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s saw the third generation of Tapiolas family join the business with Wilfred Junior, Peter and Robert. The main issue facing Parkside today in Queensland is resource availability and security. Parkside Group CEO John McNamara said the Queensland Government was not showing strong support for developing hardwood forest estates, both Government and privately owned. “The ability to have highquality hardwood forests under internationally recognised forest management systems that are good for the environment and economic development is a difficult

principal for politicians to understand,” he said “But we must continue to press hard to have that story told and hopefully the politicians and the general public will be able to grasp that well managed hardwood forests deliver the best ecofriendly products available in the market.” The Parkside sawmills are all set up to process different log sizes and species to satisfy different markets and the design and structure of the mills are set for these markets. The company currently supplies green off-saw market predominately for outdoor decks, pergolas, commercial timbers, parks, and specialised outdoor products.

Parkside has owned sawmills for over 75 years, and throughout this time have constantly developed them to become some of Australia’s premier sawmills. WONDAI - QUEENSLAND DRY MILL Parkside is proud of its world class hardwood dry mill facility. Wondai Dry Mill is the corner stone to the Parkside sawmilling operations. The Wondai Dry Mill produces hardwood decking, flooring, cladding, F27 and decorative timber to suit most applications. The quality of product produced from this mill is second to none in the marketplace. WONDAI - QUEENSLAND GREEN MILL

THEODORE - QUEENSLAND GREEN MILL

Parkside Theodore Green Mill is located two and Parkside Wondai Green Mill was recently up- a half hours southwest of Rockhampton. With acgraded. The technology utilised in this mill is rare- cess to a large Spotted Gum resource located in ly seen in hardwood green sawmilling. lt focuses Western QLD it focuses on cutting F27 dry mill on “cutting to order” for our customers - green off feed stock material and cutting to order green sawn timber orders and dry mill feedstock mate- off sawn product for our customers located from Rockhampton to Townsville. rial.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

WANDOAN - QUEENSLAND GREEN MILL Parkside Wandoan Green Mill is a hardwood green mill based 5 hours west of Brisbane. This automated and modern operation focuses on turning sawlog into timber boards for further production at our Wondai Dry mill. www.timberbiz.com.au

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Queensland Timber

QLD Future

Industry will remain strong i

WITH long-term demand for renewable timber products predicted to rise, Queensland’s softwood plantation timber growers and manufacturers are ramping up planting and production capability for the future. Peak industry body Timber Queensland’s CEO Mick Stephens said investment in greater operational capability in forestry and timber processing and manufacturing was taking place to position the industry more strongly to meet this demand. “Despite the current challenges of COVID-19, and the impacts of the recent bushfires in New South Wales, we are pleased that major industry players are looking to the future with new and planned investment in Queensland which will grow local business and jobs in the future,” he said. The largest single grower, HQPlantations is undertaking a significant planting program of 6400 hectares, across both their Southern Pine and Araucaria plantations to maximise timber production. HQPlantation’s CEO Jeremy Callachor said the company is also investing to protect forest habitats and timber production from wildfire. “This year we plan to undertake around 17,000 hectares of hazard reduction burning and will invest $2.8 million in six new fire tankers and commence a three-year radio network upgrade at a cost of $5 million,” Mr Callachor said. “We’re also continuing investment in research, development and extension programs in silviculture and tree breeding to enhance forest productivity and improve fibre quality for the market,” he said. AKD Softwood has growth and investment plans for their Caboolture sawmill that will double log intake after recently recommencing operations following brief closure period due to a storage shed fire. “AKD are incredibly proud of the team that have worked hard together to get us to this point, and they will now lead us through this period of growth,” AKD CEO Shane Vicary said. “We plan to double the volume of timber, providing security of supply and by investing in a new Continuous Drying Kiln to lift drying capacity we’re producing a stable and consistent product for the market,” he said.

Philip Hopkins

imber Queensland chief Mick Stephens is upbeat. He’s confident the economically important forest and timber industry, both hardwood and softwood, can grow. The caveat - the right decisions must be made by the new government after the state election. The foundations are solid: the industry contributes $3.8 billion to the state economy, employs 23,200 people – 11,600 direct jobs and the remainder indirect – with 70 per cent of direct jobs in sawmilling and wood and paper manufacturing. With a harvest of three million cubic metres of wood per year, the industry has almost 100 sawmillers and processors, half a dozen engineered wood production plants, and numerous timber truss and frame manufacturers. “There is a big opportunity to grow the hardwood industry in south-east Queensland. Fortunately, we have quite a significant private native forest resource and the challenge there is to get better education and awareness around extension and forestry management,” Mick said. “For a lot of those land holders, who are primarily graziers, they do the odd sale of timber, but we want to work with those landholders to manage those forests as longterm asset and use that to provide overall higher return to landowners.” A key step will be to plot a way forward from the failed South-East Forest Agreement. The original 1999 agreement aimed to phase out timber harvesting from native forests by 2024 and transition to hardwood plantations planted after 1999. “Those plantations, acknowledged by government and industry, are inadequate to substitute for native hardwoods. The plantation program failed, but there are still areas for state forest available for wood production going forward,” said Mick. When the agreement started, about 400,000ha was immediately placed into a national park. “In the remaining state forest, there is an opportunity for the state government to use that resource in the future to provide a supply for the industry. What we are asking for, is to sit down with government and look for long-term allocations for industry, which is

Key Points ueensland timber • Qindustry has almost 100

sawmillers and processors, half a dozen engineered wood production plants, and numerous timber truss and frame manufacturers.

for the future will • Abekeytostep plot a way forward from the failed South-East Forest Agreement.

imber Queensland • Testimates the industry

in the south-east could double in mill door value to more than $410 million by 2034.

essential for investment.” Coupled with that is accelerated support for private native forestry management and growth, and a native forest regulatory code that is practical and cost-effective. Mick maintains that there is still a substantial resource available, which, combined with a better assessment of private native forest, could result in a further 100,00 hectares of forest being available to industry. “It’s a combination of good quality sawn wood and other options, all merchantable,” he said. The current state annual native hardwood harvest is about 280,000 cubic metres, of which about half is private and the rest is Crown land. Timber Queensland estimates that with the confidence to grow, the industry in the south-east could double in mill door value to more than $410 million by 2034. However, without government action, Timber Queensland warns that there is a big risk of industry collapse, mill closures and job losses across the region. Other opportunities for growth are in far north Queensland, where there is a lot of private native forest and indigenous native forest. A recent study by the Cooperative Research Centre for Northern Australia found that the forest products industry could treble in value to $300 million per annum and create 600 new jobs over the next five to ten years. “There is a realisation in indigenous communities that the resource can be managed sustainably and provide economic develop opportunities

and build an industry. We are working with those communities and stakeholders to potentially build an industry for the future,” said Mick. “Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson is connected with Cape York Partnerships, which had a sawmill, Cape York Timbers, sitting on an allocation of 50,000 tonnes over 10 years. This equates to 5000 tonnes a year.” Northern Australia has a large area of Crown leasehold where the Queensland Government owns the timber reserves in those areas. “We are asking the government again to sit down with industry and allocate on long-term basis a portion of that to help build a long-term industry along with indigenous resources,” said Mick. What makes this possible in Queensland is that there is a higher level of support for the industry across the community, particularly compared with southern Australia. “There is better recognition of its role in regional Aus-

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

tralia. Queensland has 30 per cent forest cover (51 million hectares) and a long history and tradition of selective harvesting in those areas. The issues you get in southern Australia about clear felling, we don’t get in Queensland,” said Mick. Of this 51 million ha, less than one tenth of 1% is selectively harvested from Crown land each year. Mountain Ash forests are associated with clear felling, but Queensland has more open savannahs. “There are more open forests with selective logging, so the perception of reality is very low impact, there are fewer concerns,” said Mick. However, there are concerns about land clearing for agriculture. “But again, we can play a positive role. We want to work with landowners to retain those areas as forest with appropriate forestry codes and maintain long-term forestry cover,” he said, with less runoff of any fertilisers to the Great Barrier Reef, for example. www.timberbiz.com.au

Queensland Timber

if right decisions are made

Queensland cypress being loaded at HQP’s FNQ • operation and (below) being processed.

BRIEFS FWPA Chair retires AFTER eight years as a director, and five years as chairman, John Simon has advised that he plans to retire from the Forest and Wood Products board. Mr Simon said that next year FWPA would undertake a major refresh of its strategic direction, and that, in his view, it was important that the next chairman of the company leads this activity. Mr Simon was appointed as the chairman of FWPA in November 2015. FWPA’s AGM will be held via a Zoom conference at 4pm on October 22. OFO’s new CEO ONEFORTYONE has filled its vacant CEO position appointing Andy Giles Knopp to the role. Mr Knopp has been a member of OneFortyOne’s executive team since 2016 and will step into the CEO role previously held by Linda Sewell, who resigned in August after nearly eight years. Mr Knopp has been acting CEO and CFO of OneFortyOne. Before joining OneFotyOne he held a number of senior roles in the telecommunications sector. Paine to lead SAFP

Queensland has the advantage that private land is already covered in forest, unlike in Victoria, where farmers have to plant mainly from scratch. “We have a private forest code well understood in the timber industry and that is compulsory under the Vegetation Management Act,” he said. A significant native cypress pine sector also exists but is further inland than the eucalypt-dominated forest. It has an annual harvest of about 120,000 cubic metres. Queensland is unique in having a plantation estate based on a native softwood species – 44,300 ha of Araucaria (hoop pine) with a rotation period of 45 years or more – most of which were planted as early as the 1920s, according to a May 2018 report prepared for Forest & Wood Products Australia. In contrast, most of the 149,000 ha of softwood plantations are southern pine. Plantation timber growers are ramping up planting; the www.timberbiz.com.au

largest single grower, HQ Plantations, is doing a big planting program of 6400 ha across both southern pine and Araucaria plantations. However, Mick conceded that Queensland, like the rest of the country, faces challenges in attracting greenfield investment in softwood plantations. This was due mainly to the high upfront costs and the long period for harvest returns. “We are looking at models to attract new investment in plantations that include carbon. A Land Restoration Fund, a state scheme with half a billion dollars, is a mechanism,” he said. Other impediments included the water rule under the Emissions Reduction Fund, which had to be signed off to guarantee water availability was not affected. “That’s a regulatory impediment we are working through,” he said. Mick said another avenue he was keen to push was ‘silvo-pastoralism’, where agroforestry is combined

with cattle. “Queensland is already familiar with cattle. Beef is king,” he said. The CRC for Northern Australia identified silvo-pastoralism as a potential model to generate new greenfield investment. “You combine trees and cattle on same area of land and get cash flow from livestock through the years of rotation,” he said. The Federal Government’s proposed concessional loan support scheme was another mechanism to ush plantation investment. “The low cost of capital can certainly help raise internal rates of return and improve the profitability of new plantation investment. I understand it is still being formulated based on feedback from industry,” he said. Mick sees engineered wood as a big component of the forest industry going for-

ward. “It adds value to material that otherwise would be put into lower value use. For example, we can use smaller diameter logs and create engineered product and substitute for solid sawn timber,” he said. A driver of the growth would be mid-rise commercial construction where engineered wood products are now ‘deemed to satisfy’ the building code. “That market will grow into the future. Hyne has invested in glulam in Maryborough and there is interest in industry more broadly as market grows,” he said. However, an XLam-style CLT plant was probably not on the agenda at the moment. “In Queensland, anything is possible. We are at the early stages of market with that facility in place (in Wodonga), but it’s too early now for investment,” he said.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

A FORMER Property Council executive has been appointed the South Australian Forest Products Association foundation CEO. Nathan Paine was with the Property Council of Australia for eight years as Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for the national operations of the Property Council, and as Executive Director (South Australia). For the past six years, Nathan has run his own consultancy, Property & Consulting Australia, where he has worked with a wide range of clients to translate and navigate the world of politics. From broad economic needs to specific requirements, Nathan has delivered on subject matter including Property Planning and Development, Energy, Water, Nuclear Waste, Defence, Transport and Infrastructure, Medical Devices and Unsolicited Bids. He has also worked for the state’s peak business group - Business SA - as Chief Political Advocate and as the federal lobbyist for the Motor Traders Association of Australia in Canberra. 9

Queensland Timber

• GMT’s cable operations in the Mary Valley and, below, loading trucks.

Logging company looks to maximise value, reduce waste A

FTER a 12-year career in public accounting which resulted in successful completion of a Bachelor of Business Degree from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, and subsequent qualification as a CPA, Adan Taylor turned to timber. He became a director and part owner of his parents’ company GMT Logging Pty Ltd in 2004, and purchased the business outright in 2016. GMT now harvests as a contractor for HQ Plantations in the Hoop (Araucaria) and Southern Pine Plantations in South East Queensland. The business was started by Adan’s father Geoff Taylor (AFCA Hall of Fame inductee in 2014) who started in a mill yard and was later asked to assist in some hand falling because he had chainsaw experience in Imble near Gympie in Queensland. Imble is the hub of a great

He said ACI Timber Products moved in and built a big mill when the forest as ready to switch for final crop. Hoop pine is a native “It was a bigger mill to hanrainforest species grown dle bigger diameter timber in the Mary Valley and and they were looking for Brisbane Valley in South East Queensland, and also people to help them harvest the thinnings at the time,” he at Kalpowar near Monto said. and Cathu near Mackay in In 1991 ACI sold the mill to Central Queensland and Hyne and Geoff put in a tennear Atherton in North der to be principal contracQueensland. tor. Adan Taylor became the “We harvested their clear first Queensland Director fall products going into that of AFCA in March 2014, and mill and transitioned away Chairman in 2016. from thinnings taking on everybody who was doing it He also holds a position including a cable operation.” on the Board of Private But the GFC hit in 2007Forestry Service 2008 and Hyne found it diffiQueensland, based in cult to maintain the volumes Gympie. through the mill and sought to renegotiate cancel supply deal of Queensland’s hoop contracts with HQP which pine plantation and Aden manages Queensland’s State said there was a mill there plantation forests under a 99operated by Hyne which was year plantation licence. HQP chose that time to taking in a lot of thinnings transition to be a mill-door material.

Key Points

•

seller, which meant the mills would negotiate with HQP to sell them the logs they wanted. “We now harvest 260,000 tonnes each year clear fall hoop pine and another 35,000 tonnes of thinnings in the Southern Pine Plantations, employing 32 people made up four clear fall crews and one thinnings crew,” Adan said. Adan fills the role of a General Manager and is passionate about the future forest industry, focusing on efficiency

and innovation in both their ground-based and cable operations. “As an industry, we must strive to eliminate all waste (time and resources), thereby maximising the value derived from a tree that has been growing in the forest for many years,” he said. Adan became the first Queensland Director of AFCA in March 2014, and Chairman in 2016. He also holds a position on the Board of Private Forestry Service Queensland, based in Gympie.

•

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

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Round table

Queensland a timber State from the beginning Q ueenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forest resources are characterised by large, highly productive softwood plantations and extensive areas of relatively slowgrowing native forest comprising both hardwoods and cypress pine. These forests support a regionally based processing sector, and most timber is used to produce building products.

But questions of supply continue to be an issue, particularly when it comes to native timber. In this Round Table three leaders in the field, Mick Stephens from Timber Queensland, Adan Taylor from GMT logging, and Sean Ryan from Private Forestry Service Queensland share their views on the importance of the industry in their state.

Q&A Panel

Mick Stevens

Adan Taylor

Sean Ryan

Timber Queensland CEO

GMT Logging General Manager

Executive Officer Private Forestry Service Queensland

hy will forestry be important to the Queensland W community in the future? Mick Stevens Forestry will be important in the future given some very solid drivers for growth and the ability for the industry to provide jobs and economic activity in many regional areas. Demand for timber is projected to rise in line with housing and construction activity and the Queensland population has a long affiliation with timber, which is typified by the classic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Queenslanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home. You only need to walk around the older suburbs of Brisbane or any local town, and you will see the ubiquitous Queenslander and widespread use of timber. Timber is ingrained in the history and culture of the State, where consumers often require a specific local species for durability, strength, appearance or heritage purposes. In addition, with our outdoor

lifestyle and enviable weather, there is regular demand for Queensland sourced timber for decks, cladding, framing, beams and posts. Other key drivers include the trend toward timber in biophilic design, and the carbon friendly benefits of using timber compared to other materials. Queensland native timbers compete with wood imported from tropical natural forests, and policies aimed at greater forest sustainability in developing countries (World Bank Group 2016), will influence future global supply. This represents a market opportunity for Queensland, given the high regulatory standards for sustainable forest management. Queensland also has a diverse forestry industry with native cypress, native hardwood and exotic softwood plantation sectors. Each of

these sectors provide a broad range of products, and generate long-term stable jobs compared to more cyclical or volatile industries such as mining and tourism. This diversity enables the industry to generate almost $4 billion in output per annum and support 25,000 jobs, with over 70 per cent located outside the Brisbane area. Finally, Queensland is the largest forested state with 51 million hectares and has extensive forest resources that could be more fully utilised in the future. These include crown and private native forestry resources, as well as land that could be used for plantations if given the right market signals such as more equitable access to carbon markets. This growth potential will be important to the Queensland community looking for long-term renewable industries.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

Adan Taylor Forestry will continue to support regional employment and infrastructure through 10 million hectares of private native forest area across Queensland. The forestry industry will also be important in continuing to minimise bushfire risk and in drought mitigation. It will vital in supplying to the expected housing growth and meeting an increased demand in building material. And it also fill a general demand for alternatives to fossil fuels for power generation and plastic packaging. Sean Ryan It can be split up into two areas; the softwood plantations and the native hardwood areas. The peak hardwood in South East Asia is diminishing and we will become increas-

ingly reliant on our own hardwoods, as it should be. Particularly so if we ever start to consider the carbon footprint that is associated with importing all that wood. Queensland currently imports 100,000 cubic metres of foreign hardwood each year, which is really fairly disgusting, compared with what we should be producing ourselves. From when plantations were sold as a State resource to Hancocks they have diminished by tens of thousands of hectares through cyclones and a lot has been converted to national parks and a lot of the joint venture hardwood plantations have been abandoned. I think there is concern for the future supply of pine particularly because we are exporting very large volumes of pine out of Queensland at present, which I think we will come to regret in the coming years. www.timberbiz.com.au

Round table

ow will the forestry industry meet predicted increasing demand for wood and H fibre over the next generation/20-30 years? Mick Stevens Queensland is really in the box seat when it comes to opportunities to meet the growing demand for wood and fibre. The annual harvest of cypress and native hardwood sawlog is already around 400,000 cubic metres, together with over two million cubic metres of plantation softwood sawlog. The plantation softwood industry is well-integrated with sawn production in south-east and north Queensland which supplies into the fabrication and housing market. Recent investment by Hyne timber in their glulam facility and a planned doubling of sawn production by AKD Softwoods at their Caboolture site highlight the ability to increase supply in the immediate future from available resources. Further increases in plantation productivity through genetics and silviculture will also lift output. Queensland also has suitable land for plantation expansion. New agroforestry investment models may help

pave the way for new commercial wood plantings. This was indeed the topic of my international Churchill Fellowship back in 2008 and I believe we are only now starting to collectively realise this opportunity. The recent CRCNA forestry analysis identified silvopastoralism (i.e. integrated timber and livestock production) as a prospective means to overcome high-up front costs and the long-time period until harvest returns, through diversified income and reduced costs such as fuel (grass) and weed control. The other major opportunity comes from private native forestry. In southern Queensland alone, 1.9 million hectares of private native forest has been identified as potentially harvestable, as well as over 6 million hectares of private native forest across northern Australia which includes Far North Queensland. Indigenous forestry represents an opportunity for supply growth given these northern forests are predominately on

indigenous owned or co-managed lands. For all private landowners, greater knowledge via extension and improved silviculture can further increase yields. Finally, innovation in processing recovery and engineered wood products will provide the ability to add greater value to previously uncommercial or small diameter logs, increasing the overall recovery from harvesting operations. Adan Taylor The forestry industry will be able to meet the predicted demand for wood and fibre by utilisation of our large private owned resource. Value chain collaboration will increase yield of existing resource including outside the known forestry industry, for example through aboriculture. We will meet the needs by improving training delivery to provide a career path for new entrants, and through working with indigenous communities to manage public owned forest areas.

The industry will also need to work with Australian government trade officials working with overseas machinery manufacturers to drive down the “wealth tax” added to products made for Australia by certain countries. This will drive down the huge capital costs of mechanisation. But increased security and availability of resource will only be achieved by the industry working together to counter flawed research and misinformation saturating the public space by the booming business of environmental activism. Sean Ryan We’ve got to claw back all the hectares we’ve lost in pine plantations, and it is significant. We need to increase the pine plantation area and we need to ramp up our input into the private native forestry resource and get that a lot more productive than it currently is. In southern Queensland there is around two

million hectares of private native forests and a lot of that is either poorly managed or not managed at all and we need to drastically up that process of assisting landholders to manage it or we won’t have any hardwood at all. There is also the threat of being locked out of native timber. At the moment it is not as bad as Victoria and even New South Wales with their restrictions. But the push is for further restrictions on the Code of Practice and if those forecast restrictions come in that could kill any future management of private native forests resources. The changes to the code being talked about are idiotic, unscientific and will absolutely suppress future production. I think there is a real risk of unsustainable changes. Just at a time when New South Wales is reviewing its code and realising it is unworkable the Queensland review is going the other way and making our code unworkable.

hat will forestry look like over the next 10-20 years across areas such as supply W chain – planning/harvesting/transporting/processing/product diversity. Mick Stevens Forestry will look different in terms of the adoption of new technology and innovation across the sector. We are already seeing greater mechanisation and automation in the forest harvesting and wood manufacturing sectors, which will continue in line with technological advances such as laser scanners, robotics and GPS trackers. Precision forestry management using technologies such as LIDAR, drones and remote sensing will continue to be used and updated in the plantation sector. I would also expect to see more significant gains in technology adoption in native forestry management in both private and state forestry, driven by the need to maintain competitiveness. Along with leading

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edge technology, there will be a corresponding requirement for more highly skilled and trained workers. Greater utilisation of lower value logs and wood waste will be more prevalent, utilising the advantages of engineered wood products and biomass in the emerging bioeconomy. Presently, wood waste is a problem for many processors but not a big enough problem for economic solutions due to limited scale. This is likely to be overcome by improvements in technology and lower capital costs which should see more regional and local scale bioprocessing and bioenergy options. Housing affordability and social housing will be significant issues over the next few decades and the supply chain will respond through further advances

in timber pre-fabrication to provide versatile, lowcost options for housing and related construction projects. This will include greater use of CLT, LVL, glulam and plywood in commercial and residential buildings as production capacity grows to meet the market. Other developments will include the evolution of construction methodologies via design for manufacture and assembly systems to reduce costs and increase speed of construction. Adan Taylor The future will depend on greater involvement of indigenous communities and through connection to country through forest management. There will also be better collaboration throughout the value chain – eg cur-

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

rent research grant application. Partnerships between forest managers and core contractors instead of set term contracts routinely put to market will be needed. Only then will it be possible to invest in emerging technologies such as new log tracking technology to prevent illegal logging, use of AI to improve safety and efficiency, increased mechanisation of manual tasks, optimisation of costs to compete with alternatives to wood fibre, engineering aimed at lowering of load heights and improving restraint of logs in the haulage space. Sean Ryan From a hardwood perspective there is an emerging biofuel market

on multiple levels. On the international front Japan is closing down its nuclear reactors and investing in co-generation plants using a combination of coal and fibre. And Japan’s demand will be massive; in the region of tens of millions of tonnes per year. There is a real opportunity there for us to go into our private native forests and thin them out. At the moment they are grossly overstocked and by going into those forests and carefully thinning them out and saving the best quality trees at optimum stocking levels we can turn around those forests massively. We are looking at techniques right now to make that happen and make sure there is the opportunity to improve the productivity of those forests. 13

Biomass

Biomass ‘ignored’ in emissions roadmap Philip Hopkins

HE Federal Government’s Technology Investment Roadmap to cut greenhouse gas emissions while boosting the economy ignores biomass, a renewable technology widely used in Europe and Japan, according to a leading Australian advocate. The five priority technologies, announced by the federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, are ‘clean’ hydrogen, energy storage, low-carbon steel and aluminium, carbon capture and storage, and soil carbon. “But investment in forestry and bioenergy appears to be a ‘third way’ that Minister Taylor says does not exist,” said Andrew Lang, a senior consultant and former board member of the World Bioenergy Association. “It is central in the policies and strategies of many OECD countries and is seen to stimulate the economy and help decouple GHG emissions from GDP growth.” Mr Lang, also president of the Victorian Bioenergy Network, said this ‹third way› development of forestry, bioenergy and the bioeconomy – should be central to policy. It would create economic activity with low or negative emissions by sequestering carbon and completely substituting for fossil sources of energy. “Why it does not appear to get any mention in the statement is a real concern, and casts doubt on the process for assessing the

Key Points technologies • Ftoivecutpriority greenhouse gases

have been identified by the Federal Government.

evelopment of forestry, • Dbioenergy and the bioeconomy should be central to policy.

iomass-to-energy • Btechnologies central to

planning in industrialised European countries.

technologies,” he said. A spokesman for Mr Taylor said bioenergy was an important emerging technology of particular importance to regional Australia. “That’s why the Government has asked ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Association) to develop a Bioenergy Roadmap to identify opportunities to grow our bioeconomy,” he said. “The Government’s $1.9 billion new energy technologies package includes support to reduce barriers to biofuels uptake and accelerate the development of new ERF (Emissions Reduction Fund) methods, which will provide targeted incentives to support deployment of new bioenergy projects.” Mr Lang, who was a pioneer in the sustainable use of sugar gum plantations in western Victoria, said biomass-to-energy technologies, as part of a bioeconomy, were central to planning in most industrialised European countries. “It can cost-effectively pro-

Investment in forestry and bioenergy appears to shelved as a ‘third way’ by the Federal • Government. vide power, heat and transport fuels that fully substitute for production of these from fossil fuels,” he said. It created many jobs in rural and regional areas, with biomass usually in the form of organic wastes and wood residues. “Biomass is presently the source of over 60 per cent of all consumed renewable energy in Germany, Denmark and Austria,” he said. “Denmark presently gets about 12% of its power from biomass, Finland gets over 14%, Germany 10%.” Finland, Austria and Sweden were developing bioenergy backed by hydro power, he said, because it gave them the most cost-effective way to get stable baseload and peaking power supply, as well as industry and space heating, and transport biofuels. Mr Lang said energy from biomass was being developed because it is relatively cheap, with technologies highly efficient and with high capacity factors. “In Australia, enough economically available biomass is annually produced that it could supply over 15% of national power demand and 30% or more of consumed energy,” he said, referring to a commissioned study in 2011 by the then Ru-

ral Industries Research and Development Corporation (now Agrifutures Australia). The technology roadmap’s low ranking of bioenergy technologies “means that the advantages of development of a wider bioeconomy are not recognised” in Australia, Mr Lang said. Biomass was linked to co-production of low carbon structural materials, substitutes for petrochemicals, substitute for materials like plastics and synthetic dyes and fibres, and conversion to jet biofuel. Mr Lang said the power and heat from biomass should be seen together economically, as in Europe, where heat produced could be used in local housing and commerce, or in neighbouring industry. “The general low level of awareness of bioenergy technologies in Australia is a major issue, but … regulation and planning rules allow biotechnology technologies at present,” he said. Mr Taylor’s spokesman said the Government had already provided support for biomass and bioenergy more broadly. This included: The ERF offers credits for emissions reduction from biomass. Businesses in the waste sector can earn credits

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

for approved activities that reduce emissions from the decomposition of organic waste to methane. Industrial and transport businesses may earn emissions credits by substituting higher emissions fuels with biomass, biofuels or biogases. ARENA has provided $128 million into Australia’s waste and bioenergy sector. For example, ARENA has supported MSM Milling’s Biomass Fuel Switch project, which involves replacing current LPG fuelled boilers with a 5 megawatt biomass fuelled boiler, using locally sourced timber residue as a fuel source. From inception to 30 June 2020, the Government through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has invested over $338m in bioenergy projects worth more than $1.5bn. Biomass is an eligible source of renewable energy under the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET), when combusted to produce electricity. This includes wood waste. Renewable energy power stations accredited under the LRET are entitled to create largescale generation certificates that can be sold to offset the cost of investment.

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Silviculture

Developing new ways to improve plantation descriptions I

ndufor, Scion and the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury in New Zealand are currently developing new methods to improve regional descriptions of plantations and small woodlots. These methods will use a range of freely available datasets that include LiDAR and satellite imagery. Such media can be used to map plantation areas accurately and to provide updated estimates of resource age class and volume. The collaboration will construct a spatial framework, showing the location and extent of forest plantations and woodlots. To this will be added resource datasets that describe a range of forest attributes. Until now, this work has relied on manual delineation or semi-automated approaches. A defining feature of the new initiative will be the capacity to show the dynamic characteristics of the forests. Rather than confining

the resource description to some past date, the system will show the results of ongoing growth. This can then be extended to predicting future supply. In providing this capability, LiDAR-based methods will figure prominently. Pete Watt, Head of Indufor’s resource monitoring team, notes that the initiative is timely given the government’s recently announced intention to fund further

LiDAR capture. This will increase the coverage to 80% of New Zealand’s forested area. As proof of concept, a prototype has been developed and run across a large portion of the Wairarapa region. The algorithms applied distinguish the woodlots from surrounding landcover and generate clean boundaries. Once forest boundaries have been mapped, metrics

calculated from the LiDAR (LINZ 2013) are used to create volume and age class predictions, like in research previously conducted in the Wairarapa. In this example, the volume estimate, by stand is derived using the equation described in Watt & Watt (2013). By modifying the regional growth models described in Garcia (1999), stand age may be estimated as a function

of the LiDAR-derived canopy metrics. Further developments will refine the prediction processes used in estimating ongoing growth and capturing change using satellite imagery. While LiDAR provides the most authoritative start points for such estimation, ongoing verification and calibration of the growth routines is more economically provided by photogrammetric point clouds.

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Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

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Milestones

Eye in the sky on fire watch

AN eager eyed robotic camera with the ability to undertake a 360-degree scan of the landscape is anticipated to enhance fire management across the Green Triangle this summer. A sophisticated FireHawk camera has been installed on the Bluff communication tower at Tantanoola, halfway between Millicent and Mount Gambier, in an Australian-first to test the capability of the computer aided fire detection and risk management system. Early results of the $60,000 trial have shown the camera can detect fire up to 30km away, providing industry with confidence the technology has the potential to significantly enhance fire management this coming season. The camera has been installed by the Green Triangle Fire Alliance, a group representing about 90 per cent of the region’s forest growers, in an effort to provide improved protection for its assets and to guard the broader community. The camera provides a panoramic scan of the landscape, streaming up-to-the minute 24-hour surveillance. Using artificial intelligence and tailored algorithms, the system sends alerts to fire managers mobile phones when smoke is first identified, allowing for an immediate ground or aerial response. The technology is currently used in countries such as Chile and South Africa as a defence to protect forest and agricultural crops. Green Triangle Fire Alliance chair Laurie Hein said the local trial had highlighted the potential for a camera system to further augment the existing fire detection systems. He believes cameras will be commonplace fire management tools in the near future alongside other emerging technologies, such as drones and geostationary satellites. “This technology is one of the more advanced detection tools we have seen in fire management in the Green Triangle since the introduction of digital communication tools,” he said. “For the first time we will have 24-hour surveillance, scanning the landscape for a fire threat anywhere within the tower radius, providing immediate data to our network of fire managers.” 18

The 1270G Wheeled Harvester in action in Gippsland and (below) Austimber’s Ian Reid, Mark • Hellberg from RDO Equipment and Duncan Johnston from Austimber.

RDO hits the big 50 in Australia

DO Equipment celebrated a big milestone in September, delivering its 50th John Deere forestry machine to loyal customer Austimber in Gippsland, Victoria. After what has been an unpredictable and extraordinary year, RDO and John Deere are both celebrating the success of achieving 50 sales in just over 12 months since RDO Equipment took over the John Deere Construction and Forestry contract in all states except WA. “No doubt this past year will be one to remember for all sorts of reasons, but we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the support of John Deere and continue our success in the Australian forestry sector,” said Nathan Psaila, National Sales Manager for RDO Equipment.

Key Points DO delivers its 50th John • RDeere machine delivery in around 50 weeks.

DO Equipment took • Rover the John Deere

Construction and Forestry contract in all states except WA about 12 months ago.

pecial commemorative • Sartwork featured on the

1270G Wheeled Harvester.

“Our teams in both forestry and construction have worked incredibly hard over the past 12 months to cement our position in both markets, so this sale is a testament to their dedication and performance, and I know our customers would say the same thing.” Simon Shackleton, John

Deere’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing - Forestry Equipment, agrees that RDO has made its mark over the past year. “There has been a great response from customers and industry towards RDO, so it’s no surprise they’ve hit their 50th machine delivery in not much more than 50 weeks.” Ian Reid from Austimber was the lucky recipient of the 50th machine, which also happened to be the business’s 25th John Deere machine purchased, a 1270G Wheeled Harvester. “We’ve been really impressed with how RDO has started its operation in Australia. Their support staff in particular have been great. Anytime I have had any dealings with them I’ve been met with a ‘can do’ attitude. They work really hard to make

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

sure we’re never left waiting,” Ian says. “We’ve had a couple of occasions where we needed parts which were overseas, and they organised prompt freight for us, so we had minimal machine downtime.” “Particularly during the last few months with the added pressure of coronavirus restrictions, there has been minimal impact in our dealings with RDO. Machine deliveries have been trouble-free and on-time, and parts supply and our regular maintenance schedules haven’t been impacted either,” Ian says. “We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the RDO and John Deere teams and know we’re in safe hands with any future machine purchases.”

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Milestones

Clark Making Tracks

CLARK Tracks Ltd, part of Nordic Traction Group, specialise in developing and manufacturing forest machine tracks to suit almost all skidders and Cut-to-Length forest machines. Clark build tracks with maximised performance and durability. Throughout the comprehensive range of tracks, innovative features and metallurgical know-how give long service life and the highest possible durability. The Clark Tracks range starts with super tough all season, all terrain tracks, like Terra85 for smaller machines (Harvester and Forwarder to 14t payload) and Terra95 and FX-track for heavier Machines (Large Harvester, 6WD Skidder and Forwarders up to 25t payload. Clark offer super aggressive climbing tracks, based on the Grouser High Traction model, these being CS for Harvesters and CX for Medium Forwarders up to 18t payload. At the opposite end of the performance spectrum, we offer Ultra-Flotation tracks, suited to soft ground, sensitive soils and brash mat operations. TXL remains a best seller for such applications, with a profile that resembles and excavator track pad and available up to 1000mm wide. Clark Tracks are built with the best quality, boron steel available. The steels used and our in-house heat treatment result in tracks with exceptional hardness and toughness. The innovative Haggis-Link features special flanges to prevent link twisting, a common and rapid failure mechanism on older tracks along with a patented, Ovoid link pin. The round part of the Ovoid maximises contact with the internal face of the C-Link, reducing pressure on the mating surfaces and decreasing the wear rate and thereby extending life and increasing the period between track retensioning. More reliable, longer life, less downtime. The Haggis link system achieves all these objectives. Right now, Clark Tracks operates from two adjacent factories in Dumfries, Scotland. By summer 2020, a third production unit will be occupied. With more automation and more powerful heaters. This 3rd factory will enable us to more than double our current production capacity. Clark partner with Randalls Equipment in Australia who stock a wide range of tracks to suit forwarders, harvesters and skidders of all brands. www.randalls.com.au 20

Ponsse Scorpion five years in production T HE PONSSE Scorpion was first presented at the Elmia Wood Fair in Jönköping, Sweden, in the summer of 2013 and the model went into production six months later. Now, almost one thousand machines later, it is a good time to look at how well the customer expectations have been met. The development of the Scorpion began in 2009, based on Einari Vidgrén’s initiative. “Einari strongly supported the development of a new machine type. We had a clear direction. The machine should not be similar to our competitors’ products but clearly better,” says designer Pentti Hukkanen who was responsible for the Scorpion’s layout design. “We realized early on that a remarkable increase in harvesting productivity would only be possible if the ergonomics were improved.” With this in mind, Ponsse’s product development team began to develop a new machine type. The first prototype was quietly completed in August 2011. Its productivity and ergonomics were thoroughly examined at the factory’s testing sites. The results were encouraging. The new structure worked and the operator ergonomics as well as visibility took a big leap forward. Impressed by the good test results, Ponsse gave the first machine to a customer for field testing at the beginning of 2012. “Ponsse has always developed its products in close cooperation with its customers. This is why we wanted to collect user experiences right from the start. Our customers give us valuable feedback on the functioning of the machines and aspects requiring further development. As we begin field testing at an early stage of the development process, we are able to take requests into consideration early. This ensures a flexible product development process that takes our customers’ wishes into consideration,” says R&D Director Juha Inberg.

Key Points

evelopment of the • DScorpion began in 2009. was first presented at • Itthe Elmia Wood Fair in

Jönköping, Sweden, in the summer of 2013.

lmost one thousand • Amachines have been built.

The field tests produced a lot of feedback on the machine’s chassis and symmetry. Product development continued alongside field testing. The machine’s structure and automation featured various new solutions and it took a lot of time and resources to test their functioning. The main area of interest during testing was the two-forked crane behind the cabin. The crane structure was tested in the field and through fatigue testing, during which the field conditions were repeated at an accelerated pace. The team finally chose a cast structure that withstood even demanding slope conditions. WITH MORE THAN 1,000 SCORPIONS UNDER THE BELT During the past five years, a great deal of user experience has been accumulated and the Scorpion has been actively developed in accordance with the principles of continuous improvement, for example in terms of fuel efficiency. In many market areas the PONSSE Scorpion has become the most popular harvester model. “Five years and over one thousand Scorpions later, we

are very proud of this model. It has definitely lived up to the expectations with regard to ergonomics and productivity. In terms of productivity and efficiency, the PONSSE Scorpion is still a completely unique harvester,” says Product Manager Jan Kauhanen. “Ergonomics have a great impact on the productivity of timber harvesting. With the Scorpion, any swaying caused by uneven terrain does not affect the cabin and the operator can fully concentrate on their work. The active suspension system automatically balances the cabin at all times and as the operator sits in the centre of the movement, they are not affected by forces pulling in different directions. Also, the fact that the crane is located behind the cabin makes the machine more stable and the operator can use it equally well, no matter what side of the trail they are working on. Visibility is also an important element in ergonomic work. When using the Scorpion, the operator is always able to see all the trees around the machine, which improves the quality of harvesting, especially at thinning sites,” Jan Kauhanen says. IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND In Australia, the experience thus far with the Scorpion King has been equally impressive. We spoke to Randalls Equipment’s Sales and Service Manager, Davin Fran-

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

kel about his experience with the Scorpion King. “Today we have Scorpion Kings working in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and even in New Zealand. Myself and others here at Randalls have been in this business a very long time and have dealt with various brands so we know a good machine when we see it. Yes the machines look great but it needs to go further than just good looks and it does. We are so impressed with the performance and most importantly the reliability of the Scorpion King. Because the machine looks so uniquely different to anything else on the market it can be somewhat daunting and maybe even a bit scary to some. It’s far from scary and in fact the feedback we have from every operator that has been fortunate enough to spend time in the seat is there is nothing like it for productivity, performance and comfort. We understand that change takes time and we are pleased that we are giving contractors broader purchasing options when high productivity, low fuel consumption and taking care of their operators ergonomically is front and centre in their buying decisions. We recently traded the first Scorpion King ever sold in Australia back in 2015 on a new one so that alone would give a good indication of the customer experience”, said Davin.

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OUTRUN™ THEM ALL. KEEP PRODUCTIVITY MOVING FORWARD WITH INCREASED CAPACITY. Now rated 21 metric tonnes the 1910E increases your capacity to move more wood… and that’s what it’s all about. The 1910E Forwarder is built forest-tough, with robust axles together with increased diesel power providing the strength to carry hefty loads over long distances and deliver solid tractive performance in every operating condition. Combine this with durable booms and Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) system, upgraded hydraulics and electrical components that won’t let you down. Plus, with forward-thinking advancements in rotating and levelling, and ergonomically advanced cab, operators are kept safe and comfortable for maximum productivity and reduced fatigue. Find success in the forest with a 1910E Forwarder.

TRACTAJCF62995_AU_FORWARDER_ATFN

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Milestones App to help with OHCS issues HEALTH and safety on work sites is a growing concern for Australians. Almost 30 per cent of Australia’s work force are trade professionals and, among this group, 18 per cent of common injuries involve muscular stress. With these statistics in mind, the need for a tool that helps professionals care for their health has become essential. Anyone who works with power tools for long hours is at risk of ‘white finger’ syndrome, so the myMirka app was developed to ensure trade professionals have a simple way of looking after their hands. The app measures and tracks operator exposure to long term vibration when using power tools against the ISO 5349-1:2001 standard and depicts this on a coloured scale. When the tracking enters the red zone, the app will recommend that the operator takes a break. These features are documented by using Bluetooth technology and vibration sensors, which are integrated into Mirka’s electric sanders – the DEOS and the DEROS. This makes it easy to track vibration and speed in real time as well as daily vibration exposure. The myMirka app and a Lite version are available for both iOS and Android and can be found in the App store or Google Play Store. The Lite version has all the features that do not require Bluetooth connection with the tool so that, wherever users are in the world, myMirka digital services are available. No matter what kind of surface professionals are working with, their hands will always be their most valuable tools. Now, thanks to this innovative new app, anyone who uses power tools on a regular basis can look after their hands much more easily, creating a healthier, happier workplace. Product enquiries: TENARU 1300 745 536 or www.tenaru.com.au 22

Sany’s six years in Australia Machines made and fully supported by one supplier

n 2014 Randalls Equipment Company imported their first Sany excavator to Australia having reached an agreement with Sany to become a dealer in Australia for the Forestry market with the objective of providing contractors with a high quality, low cost solution for log loading and debarking. “We looked at the applications and what was needed by the contractor and what we found was that for these applications, contractors did not need any of the technology with regards to emissions and electronics that is now difficult to avoid on many of the other brands on the market” said Peter Randalls, Managing Director of Randalls Equipment Company. “Our customers demand reliability and service at a reasonable price and we could see that Sany was offering a quality product at a very reasonable price that would do everything our customers wanted when it came to loading and harvesting applications” Peter went on to say. Since the first machine arrived in 2014 more than 50 units have followed, all sold and serviced by Randalls Equipment. Randalls now have Sany excavators set up and running in various forestry applications in every state in Australia except the Northern Territory. Randalls offer contractors a very at-

tractive and personalised option when it comes to purchasing an excavator for forestry applications. They not only sell and service the unit, but utilising their manufacturing facility and resources in Melbourne, are able to modify machines to suit unique customer requirements, install various attachments such as their own Randalls rotating log grapples, fixed style log grapples and harvesting heads for both pine and hardwood. All this means that when a customer purchases a Sany machine from Randalls, they get a machine set up for their application that is made and fully supported by one supplier. It makes the process very easy and streamlined for the customer without the hassle of dealing with multiple providers to get what they want. We spoke to Davin Frankel, Sales and Service Manager at Randalls on what he thinks has been the key to Sany’s success in the forestry sector in Australia. “Firstly, the machines are built to a high standard with a level of quality which is comparable to any excavator on the market. Secondly, the components and systems used on the Sany excavator are also quality components and they are simple. Kawasaki valves and pumps, Isuzu Tier 2 engines, Hy-Dash final drives are all world-renowned com-

Sany SY245F Specs Machine weight – 25,000kg Engine – Isuzu 6BG1 6.49lt Tier II Power – 175hp Fuel capacity – 340lt Oil flow – 2 x 252lt Hydraulics – Kawasaki ponents used in Sany Excavators. Of course we like to provide service however the simplicity of the machine and it’s systems does not require the dealer to always provide service where a customer might already have his own service capability to undertake scheduled maintenance and repairs. You could say that a Sany excavator is what some of the bigger brands were 20 years ago from a technology point of view. Our customers appreciate that and often tell us that they don’t need or like all the other garbage” said Davin. “In addition, our ability to custom build a machine for any application in our own factory at a very attractive price has been a big win for customers. Now that we are over the Made in China concerns that some customers legitimately had in the early days, we can now focus on improving our own modifications and identify-

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

Options: Harvester spec Log loader spec Elevating cabin

ing custom options and other products in the Sany range that are suitable for forestry applications. Some of these are elevating cabin options through to wheeled material handlers for log yard applications”. Randalls recently delivered the first SY245F fitted with a Sany custom elevating cabin. Built on the same excavator platform as every SY245F sold, the hydraulic elevating cabin enables the operator to vary the height of the cabin from ground level all the way up to 5,375mm operator eye level or anywhere in between. This is particularly useful for truck loading and for high stacking in log yards. Next to come will be Material handler boom options for this model, and also a range of wheeled material handlers which will be highly suitable for log yard applications when fitted with Randalls rotating grapples. www.randalls.com.au www.timberbiz.com.au

Research BRIEFS Forest sale

• Tasmania’s Bell Bay port facility

Port congestion under review TasPorts exploring opportunities to improve logistics

OR the past three years, PhD researcher Mihai Neagoe has been working with the forest industry to help address port congestion. “Few things are as frustrating as being stuck in traffic congestion. While congestion has not been as great a problem in many Australian cities in the past few months, it’s certainly been an ongoing issue in many Australian ports handling forest products,” the ARC Centre for Forest Value PhD candidate said. Mihai worked with several forestry ports in Tasmania and on the mainland, and collected data from the supply chain to gain a better understanding of what is causing port congestion and how it can be addressed. In his research, Mihai devel-

“The simulation model showed that improving logistics coordination with a Terminal Appointment System was more effective than investing in additional infrastructure,” Mihai said. With industry collaboration being a key factor in Mihai’s research success, he credited TasPorts’ Senior Commercial Manager Darrell Clark for supporting his research. Mr Clark said the project proPhD researcher, vided supporting data that Mihai Neagoe dispelled myths about the causes of congestion. “This has resulted in customers understanding the potential benefits of a Terminal Appointment System and oped a simulation model to that a cooperative, solutionshelp guide decision-making driven approach can achieve towards the most effective a better outcome for all parapproaches and limit unnec- ties. The project has also improved engagement with our essary expenses.

•

key customers at the Burnie Chip Export Terminal,” Mr Clark said. “TasPorts is exploring the opportunities to progress the implementation of a Terminal Appointment System at key ports, to improve the logistics of product movements into and out of the port. Turning a research study into a practical outcome that improves the logistics of our ports, is a great outcome for TasPorts, the University of Tasmania, our customers and wider Tasmanian community. “TasPorts is keen to collaborate with the University, with opportunities to consider further research flagged in areas such as logistics solutions regarding berth utilisation and shipping capacity.”

Two new mulchers to fit excavators CATERPILLAR has introduced two new mulchers to fit Cat excavator and wheeled excavator machines and to meet customer needs in specific land management applications. The new Cat HM2615 & HM4015 Forestry Mulchers are purpose-built tools for use in land management applications such as clearing right of way, roadside maintenance, removal of invasive species, vegetation management, and many more. The HM2615 & HM4015 models are an addition to Caterpillars current offering of mulchers on BCP SSL & Mini HEX machines customers are already accustom to. Both models will be a new solution for HEX and WHEX machines ranging from 11-26-ton class at a marketwww.timberbiz.com.au

based price. Four part numbers will be available for ordering the mulcher head alone with two of the part numbers being the bite limiter, differentiating between two rotors styles (Standard rigid tooth & rotor with bite limiter ribs).

For machine compatibility bolt on brackets, hydraulic connecting lines, case drain lines, and wiring harness will be offered as separate line items to an order. This provides the flexibility dealers and customers need to fit multiple machine models. Both Mulcher heads include a hydraulic door designed to minimize debris throw and improve material refinement, as well as a staggered tooth design for high productivity minimizing opportunity to stall the head. Additional features include replaceable counter blades, bolt-on replaceable skids, replaceable protection chains, bolt-on replaceable carbide teeth cutters, multiple service access panels, & replaceable poly chain belt.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

A SUBSTANTIAL Gisborne forest has been bought by an offshore investor in a collaborative transaction concluded by Colliers International’s specialist forestry teams in New Zealand and Germany. Te Rata Forest is a 2,008ha freehold property, predominantly planted with mature radiata pine, located 80km north of Gisborne. It was marketed for sale by Colliers’ Forestry team in New Zealand, and purchased by an institutional investor who engaged the German Land and Forestry team in an advisory role. Warwick Searle, Forestry Director at Colliers New Zealand, says the transaction highlights the benefits of having a truly global reach. Print mill under review THE future of another major industrial operation in New Zealand is under reportedly review because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Norwegian forest products company Norske Skog is reviewing the future of its Tasman newsprint mill at Kawerau. Norske Skog said Covid-19 has had a rapid, negative and likely irreversible impact on the industry in the region. It said it was now looking at various long term options including making bleached chemical pulp and once it had a preference it would be put to staff. The Kawerau mill employed about 160 staff and it had been battling for survival for more than a decade. PF Olsen fined FOREST management company PF Olsen has been fined $198,000 for poor harvesting practices that contributed to the devastation caused by forestry waste at Tolaga Bay in June, 2018. The company pleaded guilty earlier this year — a day ahead of a scheduled judge alone trial — to a Resource Management Act charge that between June, 2017, and June, 2018, it discharged contaminant, namely sediment and forestry waste, on to land at Paroa Forest in circumstances where it could (and did) enter water. The offence is punishable by a fine of up to $600,000.

Training

Developing the future caretakers of our forests and our forestry T HE demand for forest stewardship is greater than ever. Multiple and competing ecological, social and economic pressures, catastrophic fires and seemingly endless drought mean we need to act fast to secure a prosperous and healthy future for the world’s forests. But who will be the caretakers? Forests need skilled people to care for them. Professionals and researchers are urgently needed, and demand for university-qualified forestry experts far outstrips supply. At Southern Cross University, the only dedicated undergraduate degree in Forest Science and Management in Australia produces between five and 10 new professionals each year. Over the last decade, the great majority of graduates from the degree, accredited by the Institute of Foresters of Australia, have found employment straight out of university, often securing part-time work during their studies and job offers before they graduate. This high-demand graduate scenario is likely to continue given the pressing need to not only mitigate the effects of climate change on forests but to manage our natural resources in a manner that ensures they are available to future generations. Andrew Egan, a graduate of the Southern Cross Bachelor of Forest Science and Management who now runs his own forest management consultancy, Egan Forest Management, said a degree laid the base for a diverse career in forestry. “We are seeing great opportunities in the field and an increase in working smarter with more use of technology and data em-

ployed in decision-making,” he said. “Working in a sustainable industry is important to me. If managed properly, wood is the ultimate renewable resource,” he added. The Australian Skills and Industries Committee estimates Agricultural and Forestry Scientists will experience the largest employment growth in the forestry sector in the fiveyear period between 2019 and 2024, of around 15 percent. Southern Cross is one of the few tertiary education providers to produce forestry professionals in Australia, ranked in the world’s top 3% of universities for Forestry and Agriculture by the prestigious QS Rankings 2020. The University is also ranked number 1 in Australia for both overall experience and graduate salary in Environmental Studies by the Good Universities Guide 2020. These results are underpinned by extensive and dynamic research activity. The University’s Forest Research Centre actively investigates the ecology of native forests in Australia and throughout South-East Asia and the South Pacific, looking at innovative and best practice opportunities to develop forestry and agroforestry. These have included projects from Vanuatu to Vietnam and locally,

harvesting rainforest timber from plantations in Northern NSW and evaluating droughtproof production systems for the Richmond River catchment. Southern Cross forestry sciences are ranked ‘well above world standard’ – the highest possible result in the 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia Report by the Australian Research Council. Director of the Forest Research Centre Dr Graeme Palmer said that the University’s wide ranging research in both natural resource management and production forestry underlined the need for highly skilled forestry professionals who were engaged with making the latest science and more appropriate technology available to the broader field of forestry. “The opportunities in research are substantial and growing, as the need grows for new knowledge to manage climate change, conserve biodiversity and provide renewable material options for the built environment,” he said. Dr Palmer said that it was up to established professionals in the industry to try and attract young foresters into training programs. “We need to shift the idea of forestry as a destructive industry and engage more young people with the idea that a truly sustainable industry needs a balance between conservation and science-based, sustainable management. Universities are uniquely placed to train this next generation,” he said. The Southern Cross University Forest Science and Management degree was redesigned following extensive consultation with industry in 2019. It provides students with a broad forest systems

perspective, suited to tackle natural resource management issues ranging from water security and forest fires to sustainable wood products. Career outcomes are diverse in forested land rehabilitation, forests in the urban environment, forest conservation, recreation and wood production. Students can choose their own study path to a job, with options both at Lismore campus (in close proximity to a variety of forest types and industries) or online. “Studying online suits many people who may already be working in the industry or an associated field.

They can combine this convenience with a few weeks every year of field work, which is critical to producing job ready professionals,” said Dr Palmer. Southern Cross University was a pioneer in online education and boasts two decades of experience in delivering courses to students wherever they are located, with extra support available for academic and study success. The University also offers postgraduate courses in forest science and extensive research opportunities. For more information visit: scu.edu.au/forestscience

Southern Cross Bachelor of Forest Science and Management • graduate Andrew Egan.

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

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Reset your future

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Top 3% of universities worldwide in Forestry and Agriculture (QS Rankings 2020).

Training

BRIEFS

Certification plans LEADING forestry experts have called for the certification of all Australian forests to find out how well our forests, including national parks and reserves, are managed. Consultant Rob de Fegeley AM and Ric Sinclair, managing director of Forest & Wood Products Australia, said all forest management in Australia, including conservation reserves and small forest holdings, should be independently certified under internationally recognised sustainability criteria. Currently, only production forests are certified. Mill expansion DARTMOOR in Western Victoria looks set to receive a major boost with one of the area’s largest employers eyeing off a significant expansion. Alliance Timber Group is looking to significantly boost its workforce at the same time it also received two unexpected boosts from the coronavirus pandemic – which ironically saved it from reducing staff. The Dartmoor mill site is looking to extend its opening hours to 6am to 10pm seven days a week. Koala claims rejected THE Forestry Corporation has rejected reports suggesting that there has been a 100 per cent decline in koalas in the Kiwarrak area of New South Wales due to the Hillville fire. Forestry Corporation says it has confirmed so far eight healthy koalas have been found during surveys following the wildfire in the Kiwarrak State Forest, with further comprehensive surveys still underway. Senior Ecologist Chris Slade said the koalas had been observed in Kiwarrak State Forest during targeted searches immediately following the fires in collaboration with local wildlife care groups. Salvage partnership A PARTNERSHIP between Forestry Corporation and Sydney Heritage Fleet has seen a shipment of bushfire salvaged timber delivered to help preserve heritage ships across Australia. The timber comes from the Sugar Pine Walk and adjacent Douglas fir plantation near Tumut which were destroyed in the 2019-20 bushfires, but still salvageable. 26

MechLog takes on training program Taking Tasmanian-based forestry company from ‘Good to Great

ECHANISED Logging has embarked on an ambitious training programme to take the Tasmanian-based, national forestry company from ‘Good to Great’ with the assistance of the Tasmanian Government, Rural Business Tasmania, and Good to Great Tasmania. Speaking about the initiative, MechLog’s CEO, Ms Jillian Aylett Brown, said that since the company commenced operations in 1994 it has prioritised training and development; and that programmes such as Good to Great offer SMEs an opportunity to empower and recognise the full potential of every employee. “We are fortunate that most of our staff have been with MechLog for many years; some from the very beginning. This is not simply good luck. Over the years, we have identified career paths for our staff and encouraged and supported them to improve their skills and to take on more responsibility. The reward is more than a better pay packet. The reward is a sense of empowerment and being valued,” Jillian said. “MechLog has grown to a point whereby we need to look to the future. We started as a Northeast Tasmaniabased company, but we have grown to have significant operations across the State and in the Green Triangle on the South Australia-Victoria border. As the company continues to grow, we need our staff to be able to grow with us and to be trained and ready for the challenges ahead. Good to Great is the start of that process,” she added. “The responsibilities that our team leaders take on to lead their field crews is crucial to MechLog’s success as a forestry company. As directors of the company, we value their work and commitment. We view it as our responsibility to assist every employee who is interested in building their skills as part of the MechLog team to have the opportunity to do so. “MechLog has accessed a $15,000 grant through the Tasmanian Government’s $500,000 Forest Contractors Resilience programme, and delivered by Rural Business Tasmania, which we will use to participate in the Good to Great Leadership programme. “Good to Great is delivered

by Tasmanian leadership educator, Mr Jon ‘Fletch’ Fletcher, who will assist MechLog to recognise and develop our leadership group. We are confident that by understanding our staff and their individual learning styles, as well as understanding the team dynamics within our 38 employees, we can identify leadership candidates and build even better teams. The Minister for Primary Industries and Water, the Hon. Guy Barnett, said that the Tasmanian Government is the strongest supporter of the forestry sector and that it is committed to protecting

may also be eligible for up to $15,000 to deliver agreed business improvements,” Minister Barnett said. Mr Jon Fletcher said that the Good to Great Leadership programme is open to core or emerging leaders from various companies, or leaders within the one company, who come together to form a leaders cluster. “The Good to Great Leaders programme is a comprehensive five-days over fivemonths programme, which allows the participants to share real workplace experiences and situations, creating an active learning

to accelerate the change that can transform an organisation, such as MechLog, or team from being good to great,” Mr Fletcher said. Ms Jillian Aylett Brown said that while Tasmania’s forestry sector has changed significantly over the last 40 years, finding ways to improve the industry is as much a necessity as it is a responsibility. She is encouraging all Tasmania’s forestry contractors to apply for funding to improve their business practices under the $500,000 Forestry Contractor Resilience Program through Rural Business Tasmania. “We highly recommend that

• MechLog WHS Manager, Duncan Norton with CEO, Jillian Aylett Brown. and building the industry as the economy recovers after COVID 19. “COVID-19 has created significant challenges for many industries, including forestry, and on July 15 I met with industry representatives to discuss these issues in a Forestry Roundtable,” Minister Barnett said. “We are pleased to announce that the Forestry Contractor Resilience Program will be extended from July 31, 2020 to January 29, 2021 to further support Tasmanian forestry contractors,” he added. “Tasmania’s forestry contractors can apply under the $500,000 Forestry Contractor Resilience Program for funding to improve their business practices, which is being delivered through Rural Business Tasmania. “Under the program, Tasmanian forestry harvest and haulage contractors have the opportunity to work with specialists in business and financial management to identify future opportunities and build stability and resilience into their operations. “Eligible applicants will receive five hours of professional business coaching and

environment with open conversations and honest peer feedback,” Mr Fletcher said. “The goal of the programme is to support the leaders through facilitation. They explore what strong trust-based relationships can look like and the benefits of strengthened relationships with their colleagues that they can then apply in their own workplace. “Everything we do is focused on challenging teams to think differently. To do less good work and to do more great work. To not settle for being a good team but to aspire to be a great team. Few teams ever choose to achieve their potential, being good is simply easier than being great. “The Good to Great Leaders programme challenges teams to cross the line and set themselves apart from the others in their field. It drills down into their culture, creating an environment that encourages open honest reviews of performance. “During the Good to Great programme, we action and review participants’ leadership performance, and the non-negotiable behaviours, which we believe are required

Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

forestry contractors take advantage of this opportunity. The programme has helped MechLog immensely by assisting us to provide a career pathway, which is fully supported by training and personal development. We believe in the potential of all of our staff members and we will be using this programme as the training standard within MechLog. The $15,000 grant from the Tasmanian Government has enabled MechLog to fill this skill gap by developing a programme to build the skills of each team leader. “This is a great initiative by the Tasmanian Government and a timely programme. It is perfect for the forestry sector. Under the programme, Tasmanian forestry harvest and haulage contractors have the opportunity to work with specialists in business and financial management to identify future opportunities, and build stability and resilience into their operations,” Jillian said. The Programme guidelines and application form are available from Rural Business Tasmania at www.ruralbusinesstasmania.org.au or by contacting Mr Stephen Hansen on 1300 883 276. www.timberbiz.com.au

Sawmills

Sawmill investment creates new jobs in Great Southern

• Timber processed at the recently upgraded Redmond Sawmill, near Albany.

NO ONE KNOWS

air fl W LIKE SMITHCO

FTER injecting more than $4.5 million in the Redmond Sawmill in Western Australia, Managing Director Corey Matters has increased his staff numbers from seven to 20. The investment has seen Redmond Sawmill, near Albany, receive a complete upgrade to predominately automated machines, including a large kiln, and has more than doubled their timber processing capacity. The sawmill was originally established in 1997 by the Gatti family, before Corey purchased the business in 2015 and saw great potential for expansion. “I could see an opportunity within the market and decided to invest in the infrastructure, so we could capitalise on that opportunity and attract skilled labour,” Corey said. The significant investment has also allowed them access to new markets, by supplying products such as timber battens. Corey has enlisted the help of industry veteran Rob Hossen as Operations Manager, who is helping to guide the growth of the mill. “This level of investment is great for the local community,” Rob said. “Corey had a vision and he’s bought it to life. The mill is now

far more efficient but we’re employing more people.” The mill processes mainly Jarrah and Karri, sourced from sustainably managed forests around the South West and Great Southern regions. The timber is processed specifically for the needs of the infrastructure market (wharfs, jetties, rail), structural market (timber battens, fence posts, garden sleepers), flooring, decking and furniture and joinery. Products are sold both locally, interstate and exported, and sales have doubled since the upgrade despite the fact they are currently operating at 70 per cent capacity. There is also minimal waste, with solid market demand for byproducts such as firewood, sawdust and woodchips. Corey said even at full operating capacity demand would outstrip the supply, but that was a healthy scenario for the business. “This is a profitable business and an industry worth investing in, as long as we can secure our resources going forward, then it will continue that way,” he said. Looking to the future, Corey said there was potential for further expansion in value-adding, which would result in more local jobs.

We’ve been a leading force in air flow design for almost 3 decades, with 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-bladed propellers, designed and manufactured exclusively for the lumber industry. Now, they are even more capable with higher- temperature capacity for certain applications. We combine this technology with unsurpassed customer service, design consultation and technical expertise, so whatever your air flow need, you can trust SmithCo to deliver.

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• The automated control cab at the upgraded Redmond Sawmill. Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

Mill Profile Looking Back 2019

• Magnificent slab to grace anyone’s table

Lone miller cuts the grade Keith Smiley

N recent years small to medium sized saw mills have been narrowed by acquisitions, but one lone saw miller bucks the trend. Richard Storton makes a ‘comfortable living’, cutting dead timber, left gently in repose on the farmer’s field. The English-born saw miller is a breed apart. What started as a hobby, and by necessity to cut fire wood for the family home, Richard’s love for timber was destined to bring rewards. After leaving school at sixteen, he worked on a dairy farm, later shearing sheep; still he hankered for the smell of sawn timber and to be his own boss. “Wood is alive, a living thing, while steel is cold,” says Richard. “I’m not interested in making money but to me it’s a journey; as long as you enjoy what you are doing, who cares?” As a ‘salvage’ saw miller, Richard finds a home for the felled timber which has been located by an arborist or farmer; so each week can be vastly different and spread across the state. Richard uses a Lucas Mill, manufactured in Yackandandah in Victoria. He’s had the saw for 13 years, upgraded from an Alaskan Grandberg Mill. With the Lucas, instead of just sawing slabs, the device is engineered with a circular blade, to saw slabs, as well as dimensional timber. They mainly use radiata pine or the larger species, ponderosa pine, but the dimensional cuts are usually sawn into beams – propping up some of 28

South Australia’s finest buildings. Richard loves what he does. Some of his quarries left bare on farms across South Australia are turned into works of art, or for residential structures. ‘Live edge’ slabs as some call it, can be used in furniture design; its gnarled looks are strikingly attractive, something that could not be fashioned by woodworking machines. His slabs of renown are also being exported overseas, mainly to United States. They are beautiful, and bespoke, cut from freshly sawn pine. Each slab is special and many are gracing local vineyards such as Torbrecks or down the road at Greenock Tavern, Rolf Binder wines or on the Westside at Tscharke Winery, also in the Barossa, where the Stortons live in Nariootpa. He is happy to be in the Barossa

for its scenery but prefers to drink beer and spirits. Nariootpa which is a major commercial centre in the Barossa, is a two hour roundtrip from Adelaide. Strangely enough, you can find grape vines hanging from buildings in the main street. It is also a sanctuary for Penfolds, Eldertons, Kaesler and Wolf Blass wineries to name a few, in good company to where Richard lives with his family. Aged 51 and in ‘good condition’, Richard is a contented man, driven by making a difference to the land. He will distance himself from cutting down the trees which he says is better done by the arborists, but he believes he has a green thumb, helping nature eradicate deadwood and turning it into profit. Some logs are deep in the forest or in creek beds, so the task can be challenging.

With his wife Clare working in aged care and son Bryce, and daughter Sydnee now in the twenties, Richard is free to travel the state he so loves; and there is plenty of work around. “We haven’t stopped working, and Covid has made it busier,” said Richard, who, nevertheless, finds time to explore his new-found interest in beekeeping. “I want the bees for pollination of my trees: I get better fruit and blossoms from them.” It is too early to plan for retirement but Richard agrees there’ll be a time when he will slow down, for now, he is content on providing bulk or bespoke supplies of his slabs. The designer in him sees every gnarl, twist, knot, hole, crack, burr, or figured grain – as a piece of living art – a creative force of nature in a carefully preserved raw state.

• The mobile sawmill at work. Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

AUSTRALIAN Forests Contactors Association AGM held in Traralgon last month saw the former board re-elected, together with chairman Adan Taylor. In preventing the AFCA Annual Report, Mr Taylor thanked the board and staff for their contributions and highlighted that board members served in an honorary capacity. During the AGM and later at the Annual Dinner attended by 70 members, sponsors, supporters, local councillors and state politicians, Mr Taylor complimented the founding AFCA sponsors including Komatsu, John Deer/RDO Equipment and Waratah, along with the silver and bronze sponsors.

2015 A ROADSHOW of safety forums in regional Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia have highlighted the importance of work health and safety practices in our industry. The four forums looked at the implications of poor WHS practices and discussed current initiatives under way in Australia and New Zealand to support safe practice standards in our industry. The forums attracted large numbers (almost 500 people in total!), with approximately 165 attending the forum in Mount Gambier, 80 in Portland, 140 in Albany and 100 in Manjimup.

2010 A NEW emergency air system could well be the saviour for those fighting bushfires. The Pro-Cab emergency air system, available from leading fire protection specialist Wormald, provides personal respiratory and flame protection for multiple users in hazardous conditions, such as a vehicle burn-over. Collaboration between the South Australian Country Fire Service, Scott Health & Safety and Wormald, the crew protection system was designed for rural and regional fire brigades. While firefighting vehicles provide occupants with a high level of protection from fire, materials used inside the cabin can potentially release toxic fumes under extreme heat conditions. The Pro-Cab system incorporates innovative technology which provides firefighters inside a fire vehicle with breathable air during a burn-over. www.timberbiz.com.au

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

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FOR SALE Kobelco SK300-3 excavator fitted with ROPS & Don Howe log grab. New injector pump. Good working order. $48,000 + GST Komatsu PC270-8 excavator with log grab and cut off saw. 2010 model. $75,000 + GST

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Caterpillar 320 Waratah converted 20” processor. 404 chain. New running gear. Reconditioned motor. $30,000 + GST Caterpillar 120G grader with 12ft blade, scarifiers and tyres approx. 85% remaining Excellent condition. $50,000 + GST Tradeweld 2004 model airbag folding skel with cab guard & carry bars. $20,000 + GST

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Australian Forests & Timber News November 2020

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