Australian Forest & Timber August 2022

AUGUST 2022

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

FORESTRY

PIONEER HONOURED

Grants program for farm forestry

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News

Memorial for a legend of the forest A MEMORIAL to the late timber industry pioneer Paul Rosin has been unveiled outside his Rosin Developments’ base in Tumut.

The memorial – a Serial No: 014 harvester head mounted on a steel pipe which covered in a bark wrap with a living pine tree planted on top was unveiled just a few days after the first anniversary of Paul’s passing.

Paul passed away on May 24 last year, aged 56.

The memorial was the idea of Komatsu Forest manag-

ing director Brett Jones who had a strong working relationship with Paul.

Mr Jones suggested the idea of the memorial with Paul’s widow Tracy and family.

Paul was a very successful logging contractor in the Tumut region but was also well known as an innovator of harvesting attachments starting back in early 90’s when he re-engineered the head on his first Valmet 901 harvester to handle the Radiata’s heavy limbs.

This led to his development of the Rosin RD970 &

RD980 heavy duty harvesting heads and later with his involvement with the SouthStar harvesting heads.

More recently Paul continued with developing three models of a unique control fall saw bar heads which were acquired by Quadco

Inc in late 2020 and now are known as QB 2500/3500/4400 under the Quadco brand.

Over the years Paul had a close relationship with Komatsu Forest (Valmet Logging) which led to Brett Jones MD of KF suggesting to his widow Tracy and family an idea for a memorial.

Initially the idea was to refurbish an old 901 being his first harvester, but a more practical solution was to find one of his original RD980’s.

Eventually Serial No: 014 was found lying in the back yard of Dick and Jeannette Newell (where) who were kind enough to donate it to the cause.

The head was refurbished to a presentable level in the KF Wodonga workshop where it was mounted to a 6m x 450mm piece of steel pipe which was then covered in a bark warp.

The generic pine tree planted at the top should grow to about 2.5m, and to ensure the growth a water supply has been feed up the inside of the steel pipe.

The unveiling coincided with a rematch of a football game between Paul’s Canberra Raiders and Brett’s Parramatta Eels which Paul and Brett had watched together a year earlier with a group of friends at Squids “Wonky Tonk Bar & Grill”.

More than 80 people attended the memorial unveiling including not only family, friends, and employees, but also several logging contractors from interstate including Dick and Jeannette Newell, Malcom Warnock, Garry Birch, Rick Cuneen, as well as several KF staff.

• Friends and family at the memorial unveiling and the plaque attached to the memorial.

Grants program for farm forestry opening soon

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ICFORESTS is establishing a program to encourage the expansion of farm forestry to help meet critical future timber and fibre requirements.

Commencing soon in Gippsland, the objective of the 2022-23 grants program is to create farm forestry demonstration sites across the region. These will model the establishment and maintenance of suitable timber tree species and planting regimes that best integrate with the conditions and the

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Nationals Member for •Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath. unique elements of the participating landholder’s property.

VicForests is also actively seeking to reinvigorate older

demonstration sites from previous programs, recognising and valuing the experience and legacy of existing and previous farm forestry practitioners and networks across the region.

In conjunction with the demonstration site grants process, VicForests will seek the involvement of farm forestry specialists and contractors, timber processors and makers, researchers and educators. This pool of specialists will be integral to the establishment and on-

going effectiveness of this program and farm forestry in general.

The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, said a grants scheme that targets the expansion of private farm forestry had merit.

“However, the long lead time and comparatively small combined area means it will not replace the wood volumes lost by the Andrews Government’s atrocious decision to shut down the native timber industry,” she said.

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

“The Nationals continue to demand the abandonment of this flawed policy and pledge to continue a sustainably managed native timber industry if elected on November 26.”

More information about the grants can be found here, including program guidelines and application forms.

Grant applications have opened on 11 July 2022 and close on 12 August 2022.

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My view

AUGUST 2022 Issue 5 – Volume 32 Established 1991 News 3-12 Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards 6-7 Bushfire management 10-12 Silviculture 14-15 Haulage 16-18 Grinders 22 Mill profile 24-25 Front Cover: The memorial to the late timber industry pioneer Paul Rosin outside his Rosin Developments’ base in Tumut.

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Victoria’s timber industry being ‘ringbarked’

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OLLECTIVELY, the timber industry is one of our largest employers in the Latrobe Valley and another four years of an Andrews Labor Government will see native timber destroyed without replacement.

Make no mistake, the jobs generated from Victoria’s $7.32 billion timber industry are being ringbarked under Labor.

Labor’s plan to close the native timber industry by 2030 will be a disaster for the Latrobe Valley – a community I and my family call home.

As The Nationals candidate for the seat Morwell in the November state election, I am fighting to save timber jobs. A vote for me is a vital step to save this environmentally sustainable and renewable industry.

I’ve been a plumber for 35 years and I’ve run my own business for the past 20 years. As a small business owner, I know what it’s like to have to balance the books, find staff, train apprentices and pay wages.

Labor does not stand up for workers, its decision to shut Victoria’s native timber industry is a direct attack on local workers, particularly those working in trades.

Ignoring the science of sustainable forestry, Labor has abandoned the shop floor and blue-collar work-

MY VIEW Martin Cameron The Nationals Candidate for Morwell

ers, pandering to woke inner city green voters.

It’s time now to unite and save important regional industries and local jobs from Daniel Andrews’ swinging axe.

If you, your family and/ or friends are employed in any aspect of the timber industry - this election is your chance to stop Labor’s flawed plan to the close Victoria’s native timber industry.

Officially the industry is slated to be wound back from 2024, but it is already being closed by stealth, hamstrung by red tape, green ideology and vexatious court injunctions.

Enabled by loopholes in the Timber Code of Practice activists are ramping up their green lawfare, re-

sulting in significant mental distress, workers being stood down, contractors going to the wall and mills depleted of supply.

The Andrews Labor Government’s campaign against timber jobs is based on misinformation and shows no respect for our timber workers and regional communities.

Contrary to green propaganda, timber harvesting does not cause bushfires – it assists in mitigation. Native timber harvesters provide vital expertise and machinery as first responders fighting on the fire front.

Timber tracks become CFA access tracks during a fire response. Harvesters create fire breaks, clear roads and remove dangerous trees – they protect life, property and the environment.

The fact remains, Victoria’s native timber industry is highly regulated and world’s best practice, operating under strict environmental standards.

The reality is 4 in 10,000 trees are harvested on a 50 - 60-year rotation and replanted, no old growth forests are logged, coupes are surveyed, habitat trees protected, and safety regulations adhered to.

The industry understands that the Andrews Government’s ‘Victorian Forestry Plan’ will not work. Replace-

ment plantations are unlikely to be fully implemented and the plan will lead to lower economic output and job losses in our towns.

Closing the native timber industry without hardwood plantation replacement threatens wood flow for structural building materials and high-end joinery.

Local pallet production used in the food distribution supply chain will cease. The downstream ramifications of the native timber closure will further compromise industries already suffering from material shortfalls and rising costs.

Only The Nationals and Liberals in Government will save timber jobs by reversing Labor’s disastrous shutdown of our industry.

Personally, I do not want to visit to the local hardware store and my only option is timber from third world countries with poor environmental standards – its false environmentalism.

I value local jobs and I want my Latrobe Valley to thrive well into the future – if Labor gets its way, our community will suffer further and that’s something I ask you to help me fight.

The Nationals stand sideby-side with our timber workers in Latrobe Valley and right across regional Victoria. We will keep fighting for a secure your jobs and livelihoods.

A clash of cultures in current fire management

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XTREME fire weather days have increased in Australia by 56 per cent over the last four decades, according to new research from an international team of scientists, including CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

The results show that the length of the fire season across Australia has increased by 27 additional days over the last 41 years (1979-2019).

While the Australian fire season has increased by 20 per cent over the last 40 years, globally, the average increase was found to be 27 per cent. The frequency of days with extreme fire weather globally averaged a 54 per cent increase over

the same 40-year period, compared to Australia’s increase of 56 per cent.

CSIRO researcher Dr Pep Canadel notes that “our study demonstrates the importance of understanding how trends in fire weather can help first responders, policy makers, and the community better prepare for, and respond to bushfires.

It also highlights the importance of curbing global carbon emissions’’.

“Australia has always experienced extreme bushfires, but the Black Summer of 2019/2020 highlighted an increasing trend in fire ac-

tivity,” Dr Canadell said.

“These new findings show that the whole of Australia has seen an increase in extreme fire weather events and extreme fire days over the last four decades.”

The findings bring into sharp focus comments made by Climate Councillor and former Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW Greg Mullins address at a recent three-day conference in Melbourne on ‘Fire and Climate’.

He says much more money needs to be spent on preparations to mitigate against fires in the first place.

He said the fire agencies community needed to “band together to make a bigger pie” instead of “fight-

ing for the crumbs on the table”.

Mr Mullins said that unfortunately, current fire management continued to have a clash of cultures between foresters, fire fighters, land managers and scientists.

“These should be complementary, not competing.

There should be no endless, pointless arguments about who is responsible,” he said.

“In particular, we need clarity on future strategies on prescribed burning as it will become even more vital.”

Maybe, just maybe, someone in authority might be listening this time, but don’t bet on it.

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

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News Hackathon a search for more foresters

In pine forest – Year 11 Conservation and Ecosystem Management students Clem Giblett, Travis Freeguard, Bronz Tarpay, •Yasmine Pages, Chanel Lowe, and Will Smith with Kelsey Johnson (PF Olsen), Albert Adams (Forestry Trainer and Assessor, WA College of Agriculture, Denmark), Anthony Wise (PF Olsen) and Matt de Jongh (Responsible Wood).

WA project giving students new understanding of forests

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HE Western Australia College of Agriculture at Denmark, a coastal town 423 km’s southeast of Perth, has supported a Responsible Wood Community Grant application

by Green Skills to upgrade a wetland education and farm forestry site on the college farm.

The college is a 560 hectare working farm and educational facility for Year 10, 11 and 12 students.

Over the past 26 years the college ( https://www.denmarkag.wa.edu.au/) has worked in partnership with the local land care group, Green Skills to manage and develop the site for wetland education and farm forestry.

“The wetland provides a real-life experience for our students studying a Cert II Conservation and Ecosystem Management and those undertaking a Cert II Forest Operations, college principal Rebecca Kirkwood said.

“The upgrade will provide great learning opportunities for our staff and students,” Mrs Kirkwood said.

“Green Skills is allocating staff, including myself, to directly assist with coordinating and facilitating the different components of the upgrade, which includes liwww.timberbiz.com.au

aising with college staff as well as contractors.”

Responsible Wood-certified PF Olsen (Aus) Pty Ltd has encouraged college students to participate in course work that has included planting trees in Responsible Wood certified plantations over the past few years.

“Students involved in the forestry program are provided with hands on plantation management work experience,” PF Olsen’s Western Australian Regional Manager, Stewart Tutton said.

The Grants have been awarded to five community groups.

In December 2021, Responsible Wood announced the successful recipients from the 2021-22 Community Grants Program for collaborative communitybased projects, activities or events that connect communities to Responsible Wood certified forests.

Project manager Megan Graham reflected on the quality of applications.

“In total we received 18 applications with every state represented – a 50% increase both in total and value of applicants from last year,” Megan said.

“We are really pleased by

the number, quality, and creativity of applications from across Australia.”

Applications were assessed by an expert panel including Dr Hans Drielsma, Chair, Responsible Wood, David Rowlinson, Make It Wood campaign manager at Planet Ark and Lou Coutts, external relations manager at HVP Plantations.

Green Skills Inc an innovative non-profit organisation formed in 1989, develops and manages environmental and community projects across Perth and regional Western Australia and is a driver of change towards a more sustainable community ( https://greenskills. org.au/ ).

“Our mission is to promote and demonstrate sustainability in action through employment opportunities and on-ground training and research,” Green Skills senior projects manager Basil Schur said.

The centre consists of a public recreation site with picnic tables, toilet, wetland boardwalk, information panel, dieback hygiene station, rainwater tank and walk trail to a bird hide.

Meanwhile, an active program of silviculture and weed control has been under way since first term with

WA College of Agriculture students led by Vocational Trainer, Albert Adams. This is ongoing with support and input from local company Ecologic Tree Service.

A well-attended community engagement event was held at the Wetland Centre as part of the project in March this year and a short film is being produced on the upgrade project by local film maker Michael Hemmings.

Preliminary planning for signage improvements has commenced, and in June Responsible Wood Sustainability Manager Matt de Jongh met attendees from the college.

“The project has allowed an upgrade to the wetland centre and farm forestry site, as well as increasing the awareness and understanding of farm forestry within the local community,” Mr de Jongh said.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to meet with the recipients and see firsthand how the program is progressing,” he said.

“The students were very enthusiastic about the results and have a new appreciation of the value of trees on farms.”

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

STRATEGIES to recruit more female foresters, new solutions for fire management and raising revenue to plant more trees are among the innovative solutions Mount Gambier High School students have presented in the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub’s inaugural Hackathon event.

More than 120 year seven students joined with Hub member companies this week for an exploratory three-day education session designed to expose the students to the various career pathways the sector offers from truck driving to conservation management.

Held in conjunction with Nature Glenelg Trust and UniSA, GTFIH executive general manager Liz McKinnon said the experience included a full-day industry excursion at a OneFortyOne plantation estate in Mount Burr followed by various conservation activities at Mount Burr Swamp. This was followed by a two-day Hackathon hosted by social enterprise group the Young Change Agents to resolve some of the sector’s most challenging issues at the UniSA campus.

“The Hub recognises the need to generate greater engagement with the broader community and this starts with the next generation,” she said.

“Whilst most of these students live surrounded by plantation estate, for many they have never had the opportunity to go behind the scenes to meet the people managing our forests, seeing first-hand the new technologies and innovations that are used to grow and harvest our trees, including the extensive efforts made to enhance and protect our environment.”

The industry excursion was directly hosted by GTFIH member companies including Tabeel Trading, OneFortyOne, SFM, ABP, Timberland, PF Olsen in addition to conservation partners Nature Glenelg Trust.

The Rotary Club of Mount Gambier West also generously hosted a barbeque lunch for the students at the Mount Burr Swamp.

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Awards

• Kate, Peter and Jan Lamb with the Timber Legend Award which was awarded to Pat ‘Rusty’ Lamb who passed away earlier this year.

Awards night exceeds all expectations

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REEN Triangle Timber Industry Awards organisers have been blown away by the response to the gala event held at The Barn in Mount Gambier in early June after being held over from October last year because of Covid issues.

Nine awards were presented as opposed to the 15 presented in 2019. The awards categories were reviewed following feedback from previous attendees, judging panel and award winners in 2019 “It exceeded our expectations,” event chairman Adrian Flowers said. “We were happy to admit we

The Forestry Corporation of New South Wales convicted of offences in relation to harvesting operations in Dampier State Forest in 2019 Forestry Corporation NSW has been convicted in the Land and Environment Court for an offence under the Forestry Act 2012 (NSW) for breaching three conditions of its integrated forestry operations approval.

Forestry Corporation NSW breached its approval by failing to carry out its licensed activities in Compartment 3133 of Dampier State Forest, near Bodalla. During the harvesting operations, on 2 May 2019, the Forestry Corporation failed to mark an environmentally sensitive area in the field. As a result, trees were felled within and around the exclusion zone for the subterranean bat roost for the Eastern Horseshoe Bat. The harvesting operations did not cause actual harm to the subterranean bat roost, but likely caused minor harm to any Eastern Horseshoe Bats roosting at the time. There was also a risk of actual harm in the circumstances of this incident.

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1. Jessica Douglas accepting the Sawmilling and Processing Excellence Award on behalf of Clayton Thompson.

2. Adam Merrett receives the Operations Harvesting and Infield Chipping Excellence Award on behalf of Matt Tilby alongside Tammy Auld.

3. Infield chip and harvesting equipment expert Leigh Hein receives the Operations Silviculture and Timber Support Services Award from Mark Eaton.

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The prosecution was brought by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (the EPA). The Forestry Corporation cooperated with the EPA during the investigation and pleaded guilty to the offences.

The Forestry Corporation has been fined a total of $185,000 and ordered to pay an additional amount of $45,000 to the Australasian Bat Society Inc to undertake research into the impacts of a 2019/2020 wildfire on a key roost of the Eastern Horseshoe Bat on the South Coast. The Forestry Corporation has also agreed to pay the EPA’s legal costs as agreed or assessed. This notice was placed by order of the Land and Environment Court of NSW and was paid for by the Forestry Corporation.

were pretty nervous about it after a couple of years of not having it and then putting it together, and there was some reservations about a few things,” he said.

“Probably the last six to eight weeks before the actual event it was 100 per cent. It was on. Everything had fallen into place. But prior to that we’d been jumping around like jelly beans.”

Mr Flowers said the AGM would probably see some reshaping of the committee but that so far everyone involved wants to do it again next year.

4. Moreland Holdings’ Graham Earl receives his Logistics Excellence Port Operations, Marshalling and Timber Haulage Award from Kirk George.

5. Maddi Bowden from Teagle Contracting with the Trainee Award.

6. Belinda Williamson from OneFortyOne with her Environment & Sustainability Award.

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Awards

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSHIP TEAM GOLD AWARD SPONSORS

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To see all the award winners & for more information on the gala dinner Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

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News

Hub warns native timber ban will increase supply gap G Philip Hopkins

IPPSLAND has more than one million hectares of land suitable for forest plantations, with Wellington and East Gippsland shires having the most and best land, according to a new consultant’s report.

The report, prepared by PF Olsen for the Gippsland Forestry Hub, also notes that including money from growing trees’ ability to sequester carbon dioxide, greatly improves the revenue from plantations.

The plantation suitable land figures for the various local government areas are: Wellington 384,752ha, East Gippsland 337,818ha, South Gippsland 202,565ha, Baw Baw Shire 119,333ha, Latrobe City 93,621ha and Bass Coast 57,996ha.

Most of these areas’ suitability are classed as ‘high’ to ‘very high’, with the exception of Wellington, where about half the land is classed as ‘moderate’.

“Although land costs are high, there is great potential to work with current landowners (including institutional agribusiness investors to integrate plantations on their land,” the report says.

“The region is not homogenous. The forestry industry must engage with local groups to develop solutions that work with local communities and match local landscapes.”

The report warns that the Andrews Government’s policy to end native logging – despite growing demand for the timber - is expected to continue to the reduction in local processing capacity.

“Loss of scale threatens the ability of manufacturers to compete in an open economy,” it says. “Plantation supply is insufficient to meet current demand. The supply gap will be around 1.2 million cubic metres by 20320 and 2.1Mm3 by 2050.”

The report is the latest stage in the Gippsland Forestry Hub’s 30-year strategy to create a sustainable forestry industry. The hub, founded in 2020, is funded by the Federal Government

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Gippsland Forestry Hub •chairman Simon Gatt and includes representatives from local processors through to education providers.

Hub chairman, Simon Gatt, said the hub’s committee met monthly to discuss its various projects under way. These include understanding the barriers and opportunities for industry innovation in Gippsland; training, education and skills development; assessing community support for forestry; developing a carbon guide for farmers; and farm forestry case studies.

Gippsland’s current forest area is 1.43 million hectares of native forest, of which 2560ha were harvested in 2000 (0.002% of the total); and 90,000ha of plantations – 80% softwood and 20% hardwood (mostly shortterm blue gum crops).

However, 8000ha of commercial plantations were lost in Gippsland between 2009 and 2019. Most were former Managed Investment Scheme blue gum plantations but also farmerowned radiata pine plantations.

The report emphasises the role that carbon sequestration can lay in bringing forward the money that can be earned from plantations, particularly in Gippsland’s rich soils, high rainfall and welcoming climate.

Plantations now cost a lot to establish, with this phase followed by long periods of management focussing on tending and protection.

Next is thinning (for longrotation softwoods) and the final harvest. Thinning brings in some income, but the main return comes at final harvest – about 30 years.

With carbon, the report, using an estimated price of $20 per CO2 tonne, shows

the accumulated cashflow from the accumulating carbon and the growing values of the forest.

Integrating forestry on farms shows the wellknown benefits: a more diverse income, maximising the benefits of shelter for animals and crops, and creating social licence for plantations by avoiding ‘boundary to boundary’ land use change where companies buy up whole farms.

“Thus, Gippsland has the potential to become a significant source of carbon credits if the carbon price is sufficiently high and where rules allow,” PF Olsen says.

It notes that the Clean Energy Regulator has various approved methodologies landholders can use to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) from their trees.

The report emphasises the key role that trusted advisers and the GF Hub can play in providing good information to landholders

on forestry. The Hub should push regional institutions to embed forestry in their strategic plans and work with leading groups such as the Latrobe Valley Authority, Food & Fibre Gippsland and catchment management Authorities to promote trees for harvest.

The report lists various weaknesses, opportunities and threats to a successful forestry industry. These include: • Few plantations have been established on farms in the past. Despite positive cashflows, farmers prefer not to have pine trees in their paddocks.

• There is no shared vison for forestry or collaborative work. Private Forestry Gippsland (2000-2010) failed due to lack of regional support.

• Farmers are put off by complex regulations to plant and manage plantations, with little information available.

• Price signals for planta-

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

tion grown trees should be clearer as the state exits native forest logging.

• A skilled workforce and innovative businesses can be used to improve tree management on farms.

• Water authorities are keen to better use their land to manage commercial plantations.

• The effects of climate change, with fires an everpresent threat to forests and plantations, while severe storms have blown plantations over. Such storms are predicted to increase.

• Knowledge is being lost by industry because there is not a central repository. Private Forestry Gippsland and the Victorian Association of Forest Industries files are not available.

The report, ‘Investing in Gippsland’s Sustainable Forestry Future’, was written

by AFOlsen in partnership with Industry Edge and Spatial Vision. It is available at the hub website: www.gippslandforestryhub.com.au

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News

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News

BRIEFS

Future Foresters

FORESTRY Australia has appointed two new cochairs to lead its Future Foresters Initiative Committee.

Alannah Rowe and David Faluyi will head up the committee made up of young forestry professionals and forest science students which aims to support career growth and foster the next generation of forestry leaders.

Ms Rowe and Mr Faluyi replace outgoing co-chairs Pat McCarthy and Tegan Brown.

Paull retires Damian Paull has retired as CEO of the Forest Stewardship Council Australia and New Zealand after three years in the role.

Patricia Fitzsimons will be taking the reigns as the newly appointed Acting CEO of FSC ANZ. Wind turbines INSTALLING wind turbines in just five sites in State-owned pine plantations could generate up to 2.5 gigawatts of energy a year, a registration of interest process has revealed, prompting Forestry Corporation to formally call for Expressions of Interest to develop renewable energy generation and storage in plantations near Oberon, Sunny Corner, Bondo, Orange and Laurel Hill.

Forestry Corporation Strategy and Risk Manager Gavin Jeffries said close to 50 providers responded to a Registration of Interest process, identifying enormous potential to boost renewable energy production in NSW and power over 1.5 million homes annually.

Carbon trading AMENDMENTS to Western Australia’s Forest Products Act 2000 that will allow the Forest Products Commission to trade in carbon assets has passed through State Parliament.

Until now, the FPC’s functions were restricted to dealing with forest products, which are defined to mean trees, parts of trees and similar products. The statutory expansion of the FPC’s functions under the new legislation, will now grant the FPC the right to own, trade and otherwise deal with carbon assets.

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Bushfire policy must be driven by science, not politics Philip Hopkins

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USHFIRE policy needs to be driven by rigorous science underpinning politics if the landmark federal-state national bushfire management strategy is to be successful, according to one of the nation’s leading bushfire experts.

Dr Kevin Tolhurst, AM, Associated Professor of Fire Ecology and Management at Melbourne University, said fire management was dominated by alternate paths based on politics and science.

“Political has dominated the fire world for several decades and is based on perceptions and beliefs,” he said. Being popular and understood was important, as was being accepted by the public through royal commissions, public inquiries, government reviews and the media. “But the political approach has major problems with long-term vision and solutions to long term issues,” he said.

Dr Tolhurst was presenting a paper ‘Turning the National Bushfire Management Policy Statement into Reality’ at a recent three-day conference in Melbourne on ‘Fire and Climate’.

The conference was presented by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) in partnership with Natural Hazards Research Australia, which is building

on the work of its predecessor Cooperative Research Centres, the Bushfire CRC and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. Dr Tolhurst said the statement for national bushfire management had been agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2014. It was comprehensive and included a vision, principles, four strategic objectives and 14 national goals – “a national consistent vision of what fire management should look like”.

Dr Tolhurst said unlike politics, the approach of science was based on evidence, known assumptions, with the process repeatable and objective.

“You can have both, but policy needs to be science driven” and spelt out to politicians, the public and media.

“The science process shows what we know of the world. It is not based on thoughts and opinions, which does dominate some science,” he said. Some peer-reviewed papers in scientific literature did not “cut the mustard” and were “very poor from a scientific point of view”.

Dr Tolhurst said sciencebased management was needed to change beliefs – “to make sure we have a social licence so that we are trusted, and can justify to

ourselves what we are doing, garner necessary support in terms of dollars and people to implement the management strategy”.

“We also need to progressively increase the skills and the knowledge of outcomes we are trying to achieve. We need clear direction.” This included key performance indicators (KPIs) measured on an annual basis and “that you can report on publicly”.

Dr Tolhurst said analysing the forest through more local natural fire catchment units was one way to achieve this. Such fire landscape units were not administrative areas on a map, but smaller, natural units for planning, managing and reporting on the policy.

These fire catchments may have some naturally lower fire frequency due to a gully, ridgetop, or rocky outcrop. “Fire tends to stay within those catchments, although not always,” he said, citing specific areas in the Highlands, Glenmaggie and Avon in Central and West Gippsland within Victoria. Analysing these units would be a way to gauge the progress of the bushfire strategy Dr Tolhurst said impediments to a successful bushfire management policy included a social and political focus on response and recovery, not prevention, preparedness and fire re-

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

• Dr Kevin Tolhurst. gime management. “It’s like trying to improve public health by buying more ambulances,” he said.

Individuals, communities and agencies all had a specific role to play in fire management.

“However, the role of professional groups, such as IAWF and Forestry Australia, is to set the professional standards and communicate them to governments and the public,” he said.

Dr Tolhurst said our scientific knowledge always exceeded the level of practice. “It is not more research that is needed, but greater efforts to use the knowledge we have,” he said. Research did not provide all knowledge but could deliver valuable insights and guides to future directions.

“Adaptive management, properly used, uses a scientific approach (evidencebased) to management in a way that we ‘learn by doing’ to continually improve management outcome.”

Dr Tolhurst said the implementation of policy needed to be done incrementally but comprehensively. “It needs to be based on good science and be defendable.

Achieving the vision requires the national government, states and territories to work together. That’s a big task, but if to make any improvement, we need to work in one direction.”

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A CUT ABOVE THE REST CONTACT + 64 21 842413 OR GO TO QUADCO.COM

News Forestry’s future role affirmed

T

HE role of forest products as industries of the future has been affirmed with the recent announcement of funding from the Australian Research Council for new research hubs and training centres.

Acting CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association Victor Violante said this funding highlights the essential role being played by forest industries in delivering clean and smart solutions for big challenges including addressing climate change and developing next generation products and processes for the building and construction industries.

“Timber is the ultimate renewable and low-emission building material for the 21st century, so it’s terrific the Federal Government through the ARC is backing innovation particularly for next generation engineered wood products and architectural design with advanced manufacturing,” Mr Violante said.

“As Australia looks for ways to reach net zero by 2050, timber in the built environment must be part of that plan. Wood products store carbon over their lifetime meaning that our houses and other buildings can be a massive positive carbon sink.

“It’s also why it is crucial that Australia secures future fibre supplies to meet its needs in coming decades, and that we prioritise the Billion Trees Plan.”

Funding for the research hubs and training centres – including an Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment Hub – is provided through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program. In 2022 critical industry priorities included advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and recycling and clean energy.

The ARC funding complements other recent commitments to innovation for the sector including the establishment of a $100 million National Institute for Forest Products Innovation and the $300 million Timber Building Program through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

12

Fire and rain – we need to get our act together Philip Hopkins

W

ITH climate change set to drive bigger and hotter bushfires, much more money needs to be spent on preparations to mitigate against fires in the first place, according to Climate Councillor, Greg Mullins.

Mr Mullins, the former Commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW, said the fire agencies com-munity needed to “band together to make a bigger pie” instead of “fighting for the crumbs on the table”.

“It’s time for the fire management sector to band together and argue the case for a mas-sive increase in the budget across fire research. Up to 97 per cent of spending is on re-sponse and rebuilding during and after events, and only three per cent on preparation and mitigation. That mismatch needs to be turned around but not at the expense of insufficient current operational budgets,” he said.

Mr Mullins was making the keynote address at a recent three-day conference in Melbourne on ‘Fire and Climate’. It was presented by the International Association of Wildland Fire in partnership with Natural Hazards Research Australia, which is building on the work of its predecessor Co-

operative Research Centres, the Bushfire CRC and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. Mr Mullins said unfortunately, current fire management continued to have a clash of cul-tures between foresters, fire fighters, land managers and scientists.

“These should be com-plementary, not competing.

There should be no endless, pointless arguments about who is responsible,” he said.

“In particular, we need clarity on future strategies on prescribed burning as it will become even more vital.”

The likelihood of hotter and drier summers through climate change was reducing the oppor-tunities to burn safely. “It’s either too wet or too hot and windy.

Fires under extremely catastrophic conditions burn over most recent hazard reduced areas,” he said.

“Progressively fire-prone weather is likely to make prescribed burning less effective into the future.

What do we do? This is one of the only major tools.

Some research is contradictory - thinning, the effects of logging, fire spread, self-thinning of old growth, reduction around human assets (communities) as the most effective approach in the future. We need to get together for the best guid-

• Climate Councillor Greg Mullins.

ance for people out there trying to deal with this.”

Mr Mullins was scathing on the performance of the Morrison Government regarding cli-mate change and climate policies. The new Government, backed by the teals and Greens, offered the chance of a reset in policy.

“Fire management leaders can now speak out on the dangers of climate change and fire. They could be powerful and encourage the Government to do more,” he said.

Massive action could lead to a massive increase in funding, the development of new tech-nologies in detection, rapid response and investment in remote area fire detection capabili-ties.

“Every fire starts small.

There should be a focus on finding them and jumping on them be-fore they get too big. Part of that focus must be in reaching broad agreement on prescribed burning and how to optimise and protect properties,” he said.

“That also includes work with cultural burning experts to remove the many institutional bar-riers to heal and protect Country.

There is strong resistance from some government agen-cies and a plethora of risk-averse rules.”

Mr Mullins said the bottom line was that things on a human scale had changed for the worse forever and would only continue to worsen. “Hotter, drier, wilder weather will con-tinue to drive bigger, hotter fires, with a focus on preparation. Some communities will need to be moved out of harm’s way,” he said. Bigger budgets and more in the fire space should be allied with community-led response programs.

Science needed to be trusted more by fire emergency agencies, whose

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

warnings had been ignored in the past. “Some people don’t like hearing bad news.

The chronic lack of funding is only patching up the system as conditions continue to worsen,” he said.

Mr Mullins said the Australian Climate Service, a formal recommendation of the Common-wealth Royal Commission RC, could be a strongly entity to conduct detailed, down-scale climate weather modelling.

State and territory agencies responsible for emergency man-agement could use this more confidently prepare for future.

“Frankly, I’m not sure what ACS has delivered so far,” he said. It appeared caught in a tug of war between the Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO and Geo Science Australia. “Perhaps it should be placed in more neutral spot, such as the new Climate Change Authority when it is formed. It would have a clear mandate to deliver outputs to states and territories for fires driven by extreme weather never before experienced by human beings,” he said.

Mr Mullins, who began fighting fires with his father in 1971, said fighting fires in NSW in the past was based on observations and generally panned out in a predictable way. “I still re-member after the 1994 fires, my Dad said, ‘Things have changed, but I’m not sure why but I can’t predict the bad years anymore – the weather is all over the place’. He said that as did other old-timers.”

Mr Mullins said he had decided to speak out against political inertia and denialism regard-ing catastrophic bushfires and climate change fire. “This came at a personal cost and emergency people like me were more than willing to pay given the stakes were so high,” he said. www.timberbiz.com.au

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And so is the operator comfort.

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

JohnDeere.com.au/Outrun 13

Silviculture

Support to integrate more trees on farms

A

NEW forestry project has been launched to support the integration of more trees on farms in Victoria – helping the state achieve its net zero carbon goals by 2050.

Overseen by Forestry Australia, the Trials Review, Information and Genetics (TRIG) project aims to improve information pathways to assist the expansion of farm forestry in Victoria.

TRIG Project Steering Committee Chair, Dr Kevin Harding said the project aims to build on Victoria’s history of farm forestry to help the state reach carbon targets and expand the productive farm-tree estate.

“Victoria has a proud legacy of extensive farm forestry trials and research established during the 1980s through to the early 2000s,” Dr Harding said.

“The TRIG project intends to build on this history to empower and enable the next generation of farm foresters to harness the remarkable carbon sequester-

14

ing power of trees to reach net zero goals. It will also diversify products and income streams from farms making them more resilient enterprises.

“Well-managed farm forestry sequesters enough carbon to partly or even completely offset farm greenhouse gas emissions.

This is by far the cheapest option for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, plus creates rural and regional jobs and provides diversified farm income.

“Funding from The TRIG Project will support a review that will revisit previous trials to identify priority sites to target for enhancement and data collection.

The project will also identify plantings that have performed well to inform how

landholders can get better growing trees for their land.

“The project will assess high quality plantings and make recommendations about establishing Seed Production Areas to supply improved seed for farmers.

These datasets and reports, along with advice will be made publicly available in mid-2023.”

Forestry consultants PF Olsen Australia will manage the project.

PF Olsen Australia’s Research and Consulting Manager, Dr Phil Lacy, said there was a lot to be learnt from Victoria’s historical species trials.

“These historical species trials offer a wealth of information that can be used to make decisions about future plantings of the most promising species. We aim to identify ‘the best of the best,” Dr Lacy said.

“There is also the potential to identify trial sites that could, with some stand improvement work, become seed orchards and demonstration plantings that help

• Dr Phil Lacy.

• Dr Kevin Harding.

farmers get better production on their land.

“We will engage with farm forestry groups, forestry consultants, CSIRO, and the Victorian Government to learn more about these historical trials and develop a plan for more detailed reassessment of those that are most promising.”

The TRIG project was designed in consultation with Farm Forest Growers Victo-

ria with $503,750 of funding provided by the Australian Government and delivered via the Victorian Government’s Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions. The project will tie closely in with and support Victorian Government programs currently under development including the Victorian Carbon Farming Program and VicForest’s Farm Forestry Program.

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

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Silviculture

Prickly problem for Murray Region forests T HE Softwoods Working Group and The Murray Region Forestry Hub is seeking substantial funding to support research into finding an effective biological control for blackberries not just in the hub’s area, but across eastern Australia where they are a massive problem.

Executive Officer Phil Clements of SWG and MRFH said a government coordinated, whole-of-landscape approach, across all land tenures, was urgently needed to deal with the serious blackberry problem.

“We want to reduce the impact not only on the pines, but also on our farming neighbours, and we will work with them to get real action on this as soon as possible,” he said.

The MRFH is one of 11 Commonwealth funded regional forestry hubs set up across Australia to explore the impediments and op-

portunities to developing the timber industry.

Mr Clements said the MRFH had prepared a strategy to assist with industry recovery and development during the next 30 years, which includes a range of initiatives to ensure that the highest possible productivity could be achieved.

“One area of concern is that competition caused by infestations of blackberries - a weed of national significance - would reduce the efficacy of these initiatives,” he said.

“This is a severe problem for timber-producing forests and plantations, National Parks, farms, roadside reserves and along creeks and gullies.

“We are aware that there is some good research work being undertaken into biological control, but these efforts are not being resourced anywhere near sufficiently or progressing

anywhere near as quickly as the problem warrants.

The long term, permanent solution is now beyond the reach of chemical control alone.”

Chair of MRFH and SWG Peter Crowe said blackberries were a huge impediment to maximising production in pine plantations and he estimated production losses could be in the order of 5 to 10 per cent.

“As well as impacting the productivity of the pine plantations, blackberries contribute to the fuel load in pine plantations and native forests, restrict access for harvesting and fighting fires, and make road and trail maintenance a much greater task,” Mr Crowe said.

“In the South West Slopes region of NSW, 50,000 hectares of pine plantation was lost due to the fires in late 2019 and early 2020. The blackberries provided a

Chair of MRFH and SWG Peter Crowe inspects wild •blackberries in the forest. larger fuel load in the pine plantations and native forests, which made the fires more severe, particularly due to the elevation of the blackberries - they carried the fire into the trees.

“With the World Bank estimating that global timber demand will quadruple by 2050, Australia needs to take every step to secure and maximise its timber resources to ensure the supply of renewable, carbonstoring, forest products.

Imports are no longer guar-

anteed and the potential adverse, long-term impact on Australia is extremely serious.

“The impact of blackberries on timber production is only part of the story.

When added to the presumably similar impacts and costs across other land tenures, the numbers are compounded. Add in the environmental costs and we have a disaster in the making. We need to accelerate the efforts to tackle blackberries now.”

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

15

Haulage

Logging goes electric Goal is for value chain to be fossil-free

S

CA, together with Scania, has developed the world’s first electric timber truck with a capacity to carry 80 tonnes. SCA’s goal is for the entire value chain to be fossil-free.

“We have come a long way in the industrial processes that are already today 96 percent fossil-free. We are very happy to be able to break new ground together with Scania to make the heaviest transports fossilfree,” says Hans Djurberg, head of sustainability at SCA. The world’s first electric timber truck with a capacity of 80 tonnes has now been delivered to SCA. The vehicle solution that Scania has developed in close collaboration with SCA and the research institute Skogforsk, is part of the transition to sustainable transport.

SCA was founded in 1929 in Sweden and has since then evolved from a pure forest company to a company that also offers personal care and tissue products.

“The 80-ton battery-powered timber truck shows that even really heavy transports can be electrified.

The partnership with SCA, where you are out early and show what is possible, is a clear signal that it is possible to electrify even heavy transports. A change of pace is needed in order for Sweden to become fossil-free in

16

time and achieve the goal in the Paris Agreement,” says Fredrik Allard, head of E-mobility at Scania.

“An electric timber truck is a symbol of something quite cool. Shipping of just timber has been talked about as something that might never be possible to electrify. The development in recent years and what we now present together with SCA shows how fast the development takes place both in terms of vehicles and batteries.

Test runs during summer The intention is for the vehicle to transport timber on the stretch between SCA’s timber terminal in Gimonäs and the paper mill in Obbola outside Umeå.

The new electric timber truck is another innovative step on the journey towards a fossil-free society and can be driven with a total weight of 64 tonnes on public roads and 80 tonnes on private roads.

Obbola’s paper mill currently has a basically completely fossil-free production process and the intention with the new vehicle is to reduce the fossil elements in the transport chain of raw materials to the mill.

The electric timber truck will be tested during the European summer and continuously studied by the research institute Skogforsk

• The electric truck being loaded and, inset, being recharged. to collect relevant data that can form the basis for comparisons with conventional diesel-powered timber transports. Thereafter, the plan is for it to be included in SCA’s ordinary operations.

High climate ambitions “This is a first concrete step towards electric power in the most difficult part of the land-based transport chain, which is extremely important. This is a global challenge that many have

struggled with and now we are showing together with an innovative partner, Scania, that Swedish industry can drive sustainability development,” says Hans Djurberg.

“Sustainability and reduced carbon dioxide emissions are important for the whole society, which means that the business is also dependent on us driving development. Our forests and forest products have long created enormous climate

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

benefits and our industries are very climate efficient, so it is also obvious with high climate ambitions for transport as well.”

The studies carried out during the European summer will, among other things, compare energy consumption, productivity and costs in relation to existing vehicles and map out what would be required for a broad implementation of electric timber trucks throughout the country.

www.timberbiz.com.au

Haulage

New K22 delivered through customer, driver input K ENWORTH has unveiled its next level cabover, the K220, which continues the company’s drive to optimise the capability of both owners and drivers to prosper in what is the world’s toughest but most productive transport industry.

“It is a development path that has been forged by an amazing collaboration between Australian transport operators and a dedicated and determined local development team that has spanned more than five decades,” Director Sales and Marketing, Brad May, said.

“Nowhere in the world does such a close relationship exist between those who use the product and those who design it”.

Beginning in late 2018, the project was driven by high levels of customer and driver input.

“We consider this to be a pivotal part of our development program. Only then can we ensure that we’re giving operators exactly what they need,” Product Planning Director Ross Cureton said.

The Kenworth K220 is reassuringly familiar. It has new LED headlamps with integrated indicators and daytime running lights (DRL) that can be paired with bright look bezels to give the K220 exceptional on road presence.

The most significant exterior change is the new wind cheating roof profile.

Shaped with the aid of computational fluid dynamics, the new roof profile improves aerodynamic effi-

ciency by four per cent.

The new roof profile increases headroom and provides greater overhead storage space, which is now triple the size. The new climate-controlled HVAC system provides significantly improved performance, to vastly enhance interior comfort in any weather.

The K220 picks up where the K200 left off and remains the most versatile truck on Australian roads. Starting nominally at 97t GCM and available up to 250t GCM and beyond, through application approval, the major configurations available are as follows: The interior features a new 15-inch high-definition instrument panel. Intuitive and easy to read, this new digital instrumentation helps reduce distraction by allowing the driver to control how much infor-

mation is shown when operating the truck. This can be customised from driver to driver and trip to trip.

The instrument panel will display critical content to alert the driver of all necessary information, constantly monitoring critical vehicle parameters, and displaying them to the driver as required. This includes early intervention warnings for the driver, allowing them to respond quickly.

At the start of the working day the K220 will perform a comprehensive Systems Check. Likewise, at the end of the day on shutting down, it will display a detailed trip and vehicle summary. This includes statistics such as average fuel economy, idle time, cruise control usage as well as any potential mechanical issues.

Designed for the Cummins X15 Euro 6 and Euro 5 engines, the K220 can be coupled with a manual or the all-new 18-speed Endurant XD Pro automated transmission. The Endurant XD Pro delivers the right mix of hardware and intelligence to give drivers more confidence in the most challenging applications.

The Endurant XD Pro utilises Eaton’s Extreme Duty clutches, which feature robust components designed for increased durability, improved noise and vibration, in addition to higher thermal capacity for enhanced low-speed manoeuvrability. All whilst being lighter, smoother, and engineered to reduce fuel and maintenance costs.

Evolved, refined, technologically advanced, the new K220 takes the driver experience to the Next Level.

KENWORTH.COM.AU/K220

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

17

Haulage

BRIEFS Russian sell off

PONSSE has sold all shares in its subsidiary that provided Ponsse services in Russia and Belarus. Ponsse’s operations in Russia will transfer to OOO Bison once the conditions of the transaction have been met. Ponsse announced its intention to divest its operations in Russia on 15 June 2022.

Grapple expansion TIGERCAT continues to expand its line of grapple attachments for Tigercat shovel loggers. The new Tigercat BG13 is a large capacity bunching grapple suited to high production shovel logging operations.

The Tigercat BG13 bunching grapple is best matched to LSX870D and LS855E carriers.

Quayside buys into Olsen PF Olsen and Quayside Holdings have announced Quayside has acquired 44% of PF Olsen, with the deal closing on 10 June 2022.

Direct Capital is selling its shareholding after 11 years as a shareholder. Quayside, as the investment arm of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, focuses on commercial returns for their shareholder and the wider community; supporting impactful investments while investing responsibly for strong financial returns for generations to come.

Through their investment in PF Olsen, Quayside will appoint two Board Directors with complimentary skill sets to the PF Olsen Board.

Mulcher app AE customers who purchase a forestry mulcher for skid steers with Sonic System now have one more tool to optimize its performance and capacity: the official FAE app for iOS devices. It helps users check that calibration at the time of deployment is optimal for getting the most out of the Sonic System. The app’s integrated diagnostics system and real-time monitoring of the main parameters assist in resolving any problems. For now, the FAE app is available only for skid steer mulcher Sonic heads but will soon be available for excavator Sonic heads as well as for Android devices.

18

Dongwha chasing reliability, service it can depend on B OMBALA, in southeastern New South Wales, is home to Dongwha Australia, a timber saw milling and manufacturing plant specialising in softwood products, including decking, structural timber, treated sleepers and fencing and landscaping products.

The town’s remoteness– it’s around 485 km from Sydney – poses several operational challenges, explains Neville McInnes, Dongwha Holding’s Resource Manager.

“Despite being only an hour from the coast and an hour from the ski fields, Bombala is fairly isolated, which means it can be difficult to attract people to come and work in a small country town,” he said.

It also means that when there is a problem with the equipment or machinery on site it can be difficult to get someone out to repair it in a timely manner, resulting in extended periods of downtime.

Dongwha Australia recently took delivery of a new Volvo L180H wheel loader and one of the major factors in their decision to purchase a Volvo was CJD Equipment’s service, McInnes told Australian Forests & Timber News.

“Previously, with the other machines, if something went wrong and we had to get a technician out they’d have to come from Sydney and we’d be waiting seven hours,” he said.

“CJD have reliable field service technicians based in Canberra, so someone can be on site within two and a half hours.

“The key factor with our wheel loaders is uptime and, as I said, if something went wrong with our previous machines, they’d be offline for two days. It’s not just the machine we’re after, it’s also the backup service and spare parts availability.”

Ross Forsyth, CJD Regional Sales Manager, explains that it’s important for CJD

Equipment to be close to its customers, both in the sense of really understanding their challenges in order to help them overcome them, but also in terms of proximity.

“Every operation is slightly different, so when we partner with operators, we want to understand their specific needs and requirements so we can provide equipment solutions accordingly,” he said.

“Volvo wheel loaders are widely respected – their performance is unbeatable. But, as the situation with Dongwha Australia illustrates, the equipment is only one piece of the puzzle. “Our customers operate in some extremely harsh environments and trying conditions and they need to know they can depend on us if something goes wrong – that, after all, is when they need us most.

“That’s why CJD Equipment operates nationwide with strategically placed branches, dealers and service centres,” Forsyth said.

Dongwha Australia is finding that, CJD Equipment is not only more responsive, but the Volvo L180H wheel loader is also more reliable, further reducing downtime.

McInnes believes that one of the key factors that underpins this reliability is that the L180H has been built specifically for log yard conditions. One of the key features is the logging counterweight, which provides unrivalled stability and keeps the machine well balanced, even when lifting extremely heavy loads.

Dongwha Australia most commonly utilise the wheel loader in log grappling applications and the Volvo L180H’s superior high lifting force and tilt out force

make it the perfect machine for their operations, McInnes explains.

It features Volvo’s unique Torque Parallel (TP) linkage, which provides high breakout torque and ultimate parallel movement throughout the entire lifting range. The linkage offers stability during loading and carrying, and, for long lasting performance, the loader also has double sealed pins and bushes to improve longevity and reduce down time.

The Volvo L180H wheel loader has also been upgraded with a new transmission, which works in harmony with the engine transmission and hydraulics. The new converter delivers increased torque output, resulting in better performance at low speeds.

For faster acceleration and smooth operation, the steps between gears have been reduced. Compared with the G-series, these upgrades boost productivity by up to 10 percent.

As he’s spending more time in the Volvo L180H wheel loader, McInnes explains that he increasingly appreciates the Volvo wheel loader’s ‘unbeatable’ operator comfort.

The machine is customisable – with the choice of single or multi levers – to ensure the precise control of hydraulic functions.

Moreover, operators can select from three hydraulic modes based on their preferred responsiveness.

The L180H wheel loader

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

features Volvo’s patented Reverse by Braking (RBB), which reduces the engine rpm and automatically applies the service break, thereby slowing the machine when the operator wants to change direction.

In addition to improving operator comfort, the RBB reduces stress on the drivetrain and extends the life of the machine’s components.

One thing that Volvo seems to understand is that operator comfort directly affects productivity, McInnes notes.

A case in point is the Volvo Co-Pilot, a state-ofthe-art touchscreen tablet that powers all Volvo Assist platforms using on-board machine data and high precision sensors. It is simple and intuitive and allows the operator to set up projects in just a few touches by selecting the required job parameters.

The operator can then monitor progress of the job as it gets underway and stay safe, with on-screen alerts that indicate when pre-set parameters are met. The Android-powered tablet display is 3G-compatible when equipped with a SIM card, allowing for the system to receive software updates automatically and wirelessly.

The relationship between Dongwha Australia and CJD Equipment is ‘very strong’, McInnes says.

“As a business, you need reliable partners, and you couldn’t have a better one in CJD.” www.timberbiz.com.au

News

maximum

uptime

control

with

ease Visit cjd.com.au for more information or call 1300 139 804 www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

19

Grapples

Making full use of a Motorised Grapple Carriage

M

OTORISED Grapple Carriages seem to have been around for ages and have revolutionised the way many steep forests are harvested around the world and yet, there is still some reluctance to use them in certain settings or at all.

So DC Equipment, which pioneered the wide use of motorised grapple carriages more than a decade ago, has produced an online guide to help foresters unlock their potential.

“The industry leaders who have recognised the potential of grapple carriages are seeing beneficial results in their operations, in addition to addressing the obvious safety concerns regarding the vulnerability of people working in dangerous situation,” says Dale Ewers, owner of DC Equipment, which developed the highly successful Falcon Claw motorised grapple carriage.

“These include the solving of recruitment shortages for high-risk environments while increasing workflow and productivity on skid sites. We can’t pin the benefits to one or two points,

20

new online guide to Motorised Grapple Carriages highlights has • Abeen launched to demystify their use. more rather that crews are seeing an improvement across the wider harvesting process.

“To make the best use of a motorised grapple carriage requires forward planning and that’s what we’ve aimed to cover in our new online guide.

“Logging isn’t easy and there will always be challenges making a motorised grapple carriage work in certain settings, but there’s always a solution.

“It’s known in the industry that contractors have their own approach to how they’ll successfully harvest their blocks. They’ll know what has been working for them and the challenges they have – we’re just being open and advising that in similar settings, we’ve had excellent results by utilising motorised grapple carriage combined with forward planning and accommodating the change in harvest methodology.

“How we used to log 30 years ago and how we’re logging now has completely changed. How we log in the next 30 years will also be completely different, so be-

ing open to other harvesting strategies and improving current methods is a large component of increasing productivity.”

Mr Ewers accepts that motorised grapples carriages are suited to shorter pulls and where there is good deflection, but he adds: “You’re not going to find the ideal setting every time, so you have to think more creatively.

“For instance, with concave/convex slopes you’re going to have a mixture of good and poor deflection, so when planning your setting it makes sense to identify a tree that can be used as a tail spar or maybe one that can be used as an intermediate spar to raise the height of the rope and keep the grapple carriage and wood off the ground. Or use a block to pull from a different direction to improve deflection.”

Mr Ewers says the main reason he developed the Falcon range of motorised grapple carriages was for the safety of his employees – removing people from the dangerous task of hooking strops to trees on steep

slopes is seen one of the most successful ways of preventing harm in the forest.

But once they were introduced to his crews, they soon found there were numerous other advantages.

For example, as yarder operators become experienced in using a motorised grapple carriage, cycle times will drop and logging operations become more productive.

There’s also a misconception that motorised grapple carriages can only successfully be used with tower haulers and are not suited to swing yarders or yarder/ loaders, being too heavy and bulky, resulting in mechanical grapples being retained as the first option.

However, new generation lightweight motorised grapple carriages that have been designed specifically for these types of yarders, are proving their worth in a variety of terrain, not just on steep slopes. These include environmentally sensitive areas in what would normally be a ground-based operation but where extracting trees or logs with

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

skidders and forwarders will have a detrimental effect on the land or it’s just too difficult. Putting the tail hold on higher ground or using a tail spar to provide deflection keeps surface disturbance to a minimum.

And with the latest high quality, durable cameras fitted to motorised grapple carriages providing the operator with an excellent view of felled trees on the ground, another bonus is that there’s no need for a spotter on the hill, as required with mechanical grapples.

“Put simply, if you are smart about the way you can make a motorised grapple carriage work in your crew, you’re going to be better off in a number of ways – operationally, financially, health & safety-wise and environmentally,” adds Mr Ewers.

For more information, check out the new Ultimate Guide to Motorised Grapple Carriages online at www. falconforestryequipment. com/media/the-ultimateguide-to-motorised-grapple-carriages-for-mechanised-forestry-harvesting. www.timberbiz.com.au

Tree farming

Tassie program promoting trees on farms

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FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND program incentivising farmers to grow trees on farms has been launched in Tasmania.

The ActivAcre Program sees farmers lease part of their less productive land in return for a reliable, annual income. In addition to increasing the productivity of existing farm activities, the program aims to enhance environmental outcomes such as climate change mitigation and improving biodiversity, soil conservation and water quality.

The program is being managed by Tasmanian-owned plantation and natural assets management company SFM, which currently employs 25 staff and manages over 50,000 hectares of plantation resources across southern Australia.

As part of the initiative, ActivAcre and SFM will plant new trees on underutilised farming land, to create a regular income for farmers enabling them to share in the benefits of both timber and carbon markets.

Managing Director of

need to consider ways to maximise the productivity of all land without negative environmental or social im ActivAcre hopes to see pacts,” he said.

15,000 hectares of trees “This requires a level of planted on Northern flexibility that enables landTasmanian farms over a owners to have trees in their five-year period. landscape that won’t impact other farming pursuits, in Hardwood and fact, it’ll enhance them."' softwood tree species Underpinning ActivAcre is will be grown and will Sydney-headquartered New be site-dependent.

Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based Landowners can real assets and natural choose two 20-year capital strategies who derotations or one 30-year veloped the program over rotation. • A minimum a period of two years, using of a 15-hectare area is its experience in managing required to participate forestry within agricultural in the program. landscapes for sustainable production.

New Forests’ Chief ExSFM, Andrew Morgan said ecutive Officer David Brand ActivAcre had been co-cre- said one of the core objecated with a group of farm- tives of ActivAcre was to ers to enable trees to be partner with farmers and integrated within the agri- landowners so they can culture landscape in a man- contribute to, and share in the rewards of, a decarbonner that works for them.

“In developing the pro- ising economy.

“New Forests vision is gram with farmers we identified there was between 10- to see investment in land 20 per cent of unproductive use and forestry as key to farmland in Tasmania. We the transition to a sustain-

Key Points

•

• •

Control freak?

able future, and we see programs like ActivAcre being an integral component of this,” he said.

Cressy farmer Rob Tole has planted more than 50ha of trees on his 560ha Greenvale property and has seen considerable benefits to his land and livestock.

Roughly 12,000 lambs graze on the fourth-generation farmer’s land every year, on top of a diverse mix of crops like peas, beans and chicory seed.

“Our trees provide protection for our livestock which is particularly important during lambing and extreme weather events,” Mr Tole said.

Mr Tole welcomed a program like ActivAcre for farmers looking to diversify their income and have experts take care of the tree planting and monitoring process.

“It turns unproductive ground, which was previously covered in weeds like gorse, into income-producing ground,” he said.

Professor Rod Keenan, Chair of Forest and Ecosys-

tem Science at The University of Melbourne, said a program like ActivAcre that unites industry and farming communities is needed.

Professor Keenan has worked as a research scientist and science advisor in a number of Australian states and with the Australian Government as an advisor on forests and climate change, and has undertaken research across Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea and South East Asia.

He recently led the Next Generation Plantation Investment Research Project, which explored options for increasing trees in rural landscapes.

“By working in active partnership with farmers, the project manager can build the long-term relationships needed to make this investment model successful,” Professor Keenan said.

“Co-design can ensure the tNorthern Tasmanian farmers are encouraged to express their interest in the program by visiting www. activacre.com.au

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

21

Grinders

Komatsu takes hassle out of Grinding T HE Jefferies Group have maintained a long-term relationship with Peterson starting with their first Peterson 2400 Grinder in the late 90’s and even longer with Komatsu Forest via Brenton Yon. Brenton’s relationship started with the then Managing Director Len Jefferies in the late 80’s and the last decade with Len’s sons Martin and Lachlan.

Jeffries Group manufactures composts and soil improvers from green organics received from most of metropolitan Adelaide’s council kerbside collections, as well as supermarkets, hotels and restaurants.

Large quantities of tree trimmings, street sweepings and end-of-life wooden pallets make up much of the clean green and timber inputs.

“From our point of view, the Petersons are good reliable machines,” Martin says.

“And we’re quite happy with the service and back-up we get from Komatsu Forest.

“We go around the world to as many trade shows as we can to see machinery working and to get an idea

of what advancements are coming up. But we also try and use companies we like dealing with and who provide good back-up service and good equipment.”

The first Peterson delivered by KF was a BTRA85 Blower Trailer, used for landscaping jobs such as council playground top-ups and spreading mulch on roadsides has been part of the Jeffries Group stable of Peterson machines since 2012. This was followed by a Peterson 2710C grinder purchased in 2013 which replaced their Peterson 2400 which was sold to Snell Contracting in Darwin.

A Peterson 5710C Grinder was purchased in 2014 which operates four days a week and handles the initial grinding for larger material, while the 2710C regrinds oversize pieces and is operational up to three days a week.

“Having them for eight and nine years and running them quite hard – they’re value for money,” Martin says. “You get longevity with them.”

Komatsu Forest’s Brenton Yon says the 2710 is designed for mobility with

good high production while the 5710 is designed for operations requiring high production and demanding end-product specifications.

The Australian 5710 version is powered by a Tier II Caterpillar C32 839kW (1125hp) engine and provides the highest power to weight ratio of any Peterson grinder.

The Peterson’s have upturn three-stage grinding process provides good material fracturing and a more consistent product, particularly to produce lighter mulches.

All Peterson grinders have their unique patented Im-

pact Release System air bags which provide uniform grinding and protection from contaminated feedstock. There’s a second line of defence of urethane cushions and shear pins which help protect the mill from catastrophic damage in the event of a severe impact from contaminants in the feedstock.

“For a high-speed grinder, there’s a lot of momentum,” Martin says. “It’s designed to smash up trees into small bits. But when it hits another bit of steel or other big contaminant, spinning

at that speed, it can be damaging. The airbag takes that cushioning then the breakaway system shuts the plant down to lessen the damage.

You still might break a hammer or loosen a few bolts, but that can be easily fixed.”

“For us, Komatsu Forest has gone out of its way to try and get a part, whether it’s in Australia or the US. “That’s key for a business.

You’re making a profit when these machines are running”, Martin said.

“If Jeffries Group finds something good, it sticks with it.”

New detection system to minimise grinder damage

M

ORBARK has introduced a new Vtection Vibration Detection System for its grinders.

The Vtection system monitors rotor vibration in their 6400X, 3400X, and 3000X series of horizontal grinders to reduce damage from contact with un-grindable objects or other causes of damaging vibration like an out-of-balance rotor, broken insert, or defective bearing. When coupled with Morbark’s Break-Away Torque Limiter, dual hammermill protection - both mechanical and electrical is achieved.

22

To use the Vtection system, the operator sets an acceptable operating vibration level through the electronic controller. Since different feedstocks produce different vibration levels, the operator can quickly fine-tune the trip point to match the grinding application. Adjusting the trip point based on the feedstock can help avoid unnecessary stopping of the infeed from normal operating vibration.

Once the Vtection system is triggered, Morbark’s Integrated Control System (MICS) initiates several actions to remove the tramp material out of the rotor area. The sequence of these actions includes: reversing and stopping the infeed, bringing the engine speed to idle, disengaging the clutch, and a warning message is displayed on the MICS screen. At this time, the operator can inspect the grinder and remove the object that caused the trip before resuming operation.

With feedstocks everchanging, the Vtection equipment modes allow

the operator to have settings tailored to that day’s grinding application. The Vtection system will stay tied to those modes allowing the user to have various vibration profiles. The system cannot guarantee a machine is without a defect.

Operators should always use caution after the system trips, and service work begins, as other components may have experienced damage.

Ship-out kits are available for in-field installations on existing 3000X, 3400X, and 6400X horizontal grinders.

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

An example of grinder •damage caused by contact

with un-grindable objects or other causes of damaging vibration.

www.timberbiz.com.au

Harvester heads

Increased productivity, simple servicing

W

ARATAH Forestry Equipment debuted the HTH618C Series-III – a new generation of its HTH618C harvester head built for increased productivity, reliability, uptime and more.

With a variety of new features paired with a compact and durable design, this agile thinning head is wellsuited for mixed diameters.

“The HTH618C SeriesIII is highlighted by a new valve that delivers more responsiveness and operating efficiency. This SeriesIII model delivers what our customers expect and need from Waratah,” said Brent Fisher, product marketing manager for Waratah.

“Additionally, with new twin diameter measuring and improved hose routing, servicing and guarding,

we’re looking forward to delivering another head that is truly Built To Work.”

Increased productivity The HTH618C Series-III features twin lower delimb arms and a high-performance valve to ensure superior delimbing with agile and responsive log control – tackling a wide range of harvesting jobs. The maximum delimb opening of 660 mm (26 in.) can handle larger stems. Improved cutting performance and tilt control also contribute to increased productivity.

Low-powered base carriers will have improved processing output and productivity with improved feeding performance and feed motor options.

SIMPLE SERVICING

With a new valve that simplifies serviceability, the HTH618C Series-III features improved hose routing, enhanced valve cover assembly and easier access to make quick work of servicing. Likewise, hose protection helps keep the head running and increases durability.

ability to help lower daily operating costs.

The Waratah HTH618C Series-III is currently available to customers in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, Brazil and LatBenefitting from diin America. rect customer input, the For more information HTH618C Series-III has imabout Waratah, please visit proved access and serviceWaratah.com.

Easier access to the rear of the valve near the head module as well as inlet hoses also helps increase uptime while a larger oiler filler improves ease of filling bar and chain oil.

REDUCE DOWNTIME. INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.

Our service and support team are on hand to keep your operation running at peak efficiency.

MORBARK 3400XT HORIZONTAL

GRINDER Fitted with a pin and plate hammermill, 34’’ top feed roll, chain type feeder, Caterpillar C18 (765HP) engine and Caterpillar 320L tracks.

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Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

23

News

Log salvage in the Whitsundays to serve new market

Amanda Buttram

I

N the mainland hub of the world-famous Great Barrier Reef tourist destinations including the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach, is Whitsunday Timber in Cannon Valley, Queensland, Australia.

Founded by Craig and Janelle Yeomans, the sawmill company seeks to help neighboring residents and businesses make use of the area’s valuable natural resources. With a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill, Whitsunday Timber mills salvaged logs into stunning wood slabs and dimensional timber that will serve new purposes in the community for generations.

Helping a friend cut down some trees initially led Craig’s wife, Janelle, to speculate that there must be an abundance of trees that needed to be removed. She recognized the potential value of processing this material, which led to the idea behind Whitsunday Timber.

The business was started strictly as a side project, as Craig works another professional job during the week.

“I figured that if I could process three trees a week on my day off, we would make some money and I would enjoy getting outside,” said Craig.

According to Craig, starting the business was the easy part. He made partnerships with local tree services that supply free logs in exchange for removal from the site, which substantially reduces disposal costs for these businesses so everyone benefits. The purchase of a Mack rigid truck complete with a crane and the addition of a mounted rotating hydraulic grab and logging bolsters gave Craig the tools he needed to start picking up logs efficiently and bringing them to his facility for sawmilling. Currently, Whitsunday Timber operates out of a rented yard behind a local garden nursery, with 1,000 square meters of unpaved area and no sheds or cover on site.

While the Yeomans planned for Whitsunday

24

Timber to be a small side business, work has quickly increased as their customer base has rapidly grown from word-of-mouth referrals along with a small social media presence. “I am processing several logs per week at present. Most of this is customer logs, which has been a profitable source of cash flow while I build my own inventory of timber,” said Craig. With about 70 tons of timber in the yard after a short time in the sawmill business, this side project has the potential to be a much bigger operation.

The work starts whenever a local tree service rings Craig to ask if he’d like the tree they’ve just cut. In most cases, the log must be removed from the prop-

oped, Whitsunday Timber has carved out a desirable position in the community.

Private customers and business clients are turning to Craig to process timber for personal and commercial use. “I have been surprised by the number of people who have a log lying around and are looking for someone to mill it,” said Craig.

These one-off logs have become the business’s bread and butter. These private clients choose to salvage logs from their own property on the same day, which warm and inclusive. There’s gum, Moreton Bay ash, and erty for environmental reameans Craig is out picking a family feel in the Wood- ironbark varieties. Mango sons, as well as to use the up logs on his lunch break Mizer community,” shared trees are also milled quite timber to create items that frequently, as the trees or after work at his day job. Craig. will be left to future generaWhile his sawmilling grow large and become Upon returning to the yard, tions. logs are stacked, sealed, and equipment is portable, he problematic in residential Craig shares that half of rarely takes his sawmill to yards. Silky oak, Mackay numbered. the company’s clients are Whitsunday Timber the customer as a log collec- cedar, white cedar, and pink other businesses that use operates a Wood-Mizer tion fee is less of an invest- cedar are also common timber in their lines of LT50WIDE hydraulic port- ment for the customer than woods milled by Whitsunwork. “A local resort had to able sawmill, chosen for a sawmill setup fee. When day Timber, with kauri pine remove several trees for inits processing speed and he’s ready to process, logs and hoop pine occasionally surance reasons, and I am computerized setworks to are moved to the sawmill becoming available. “We milling all of the trees and facilitate fast and efficient using a wheeled loader. will mill anything that has returning them as bearers milling. “I have found the Details of each log are care- a good grain and an appeal and decking timber to reAccuset setworks invalu- fully recorded on a job card for any purpose, from buildplace the aging boardwalks able. No other portable so that information is read- ing to bespoke furniture,” around the property,” said mill in Australia gives me ily available when making said Craig. “[Mango trees] Craig. In addition, some loconvenient and simple cal- marketing decisions and produce stunning furniturecal builders hired Craig to profitability. grade timber.” culation assistance. Once I monitoring mill logs to a certain size "All of our timber is susget going, I don’t have to be It’s not unusual for Craig to before they are sent off to constantly working things stop by the yard around 5:30 tainably sourced from prianother processor to be out. For a guy like me who a.m. and mill a log or two vate customers who want planed, creating vertical tends to rush things or have prior to his workday and his us to mill their logs or from joints and other types of inmultiple things on the go, days off from his full-time local tree services who have ternal cladding timber. it reduces the risk of mis- job are spent processing as cut down a tree for one of Providing a needed commuch timber on the saw- their clients,” said Craig. takes,” said Craig. munity service has certainBefore turning to a Wood- mill as possible. Once the Preorders make up the bulk ly paid off for Whitsunday Mizer portable sawmill, timber is milled, material of of their sales, as milled Timber, as evidenced by the Craig started with a chain- all sizes is labeled, stacked, stock is currently improvcompany’s rapid growth. saw mill. He found it led to and strapped so the drying ing.

“It’s all happening faster As the business has develtoo much hard work, which process can begin. Currentthan expected,” said Craig.

A

wasn’t feasible in the hot and humid climate. “My experience with Wood-Mizer has been positive. The after sales service has been great and the equipment is fantastic. I have found the Australian distributor to be

ly, Whitsunday Timber sells timber green, but there are plans to install a kiln in the future to provide more value for the customer.

Eucalyptus is the company’s main milling timber, which also includes blue

ll of our timber is sustainably sourced from private customers who want us to mill their logs

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

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News LOOKING BACK 2019

Ratcliff beside • Dhisuncan briquette maker.

Skilled and crafted in briquette manufacture Keith Smiley

W

HAT began as a love affair with furniture, morphed into a multi-level sawmilling and waste harvesting business, making Duncan Ratcliff’s cast-off timber and waste, his pride and joy.

The forty-nine-year-old Healesville owner of Amberwood brings to life, the new log, the old and discarded, the fire-laden, as he turns waste into usefulness.

He began making furniture, and arts and crafts from recycled timber in 1995, showing his adeptness with the saw, and a lifelong passion with wood. Duncan then built a bandsaw, to cut urban recovery timber sourced from Melbourne’s suburbs. “We took whatever we could, some gum, and European oaks which had blown down or cut down to make way for housing extensions. We then bought a WoodMizer, did some custom sawing as well as our own sawing,” said Duncan.

Amberwood built a couple of crane trucks so they could send sawn timber to furniture makers. On the return journey, they’d pick up waste logs. Realising the need to dry their timber

www.timberbiz.com.au

onsite, they built a dehumidifying kiln.

“The amount of log grew, so we bought an extra truck. Then we had Black Saturday, and a crew doing plantation pine salvage.

We couldn’t saw everything we were harvesting. With mechanised harvesting you need to do hundreds of tonnes a day to make it work. The specialty stuff was still going through our own sawmill but the volume pine was going to export, or into other mills. We became the WoodMizer agent and the Knocker agent, bringing in forestry equipment from Finland.”

They were over committed and farmed out the WoodMizer equipment to a client, but when the GFC arrived, they had to fold up the entire harvesting business and liquidate it. In these ‘interesting times’ they found it cheaper to park all the equipment in the forest and go home, rather than cut down the trees. Duncan used his truck as a subcontractor to cart logs for other mills in the interim five years. “We supported small mills, servicing, repairing, and general maintenance with the WoodMizer agent.

But a growing problem, is what do you do with your sawdust: the more you produce that isn’t square, the less margin you have. We began looking at pelletising and recycling options for wood fibre, and we ended up taking over two agencies, POR Micucci System of Italy and C. F. Nielsen of Denmark.

These systems can turn a variety of wood-based waste, into additional profits through briquetting solutions. The mechanical briquetting machines are in demand as green recycling ramps up to another level, providing another revenue stream for Duncan as he sells and services these systems.

“You can briquette anything organic from plastic to wood. No more splitting and no spiders. Since Covid has eased, you can go out and see people, as business slowly comes back to life. The timber industry is taking a deep breath, to see what to do with their waste. With fuel and waste increases, it’s a good time to turn your excess sawdust into a product that’s saleable. If you’re a fibre sawmill and you can make a fuel bri-

quette, or a manufacturer of fibre board, we can help dispose the waste.”

“We will stick to our knitting; the market is only going to increase. You still have to pay for green. We’ve got a solution for everybody but not all can afford it.

We’ll add more machines, as the end users want more of the briquettes, as they realise a recovery. You’re not burning wood to dry other bits of wood in your combustion stoves, that’s one of our plusses. “ Duncan lives and breathes timber waste while the timber industry asks for more, as costs skyrocket. He believes he should support timber producers, using his collective experience of over 15 years. While his workshop remains chockfull of furniture making equipment, Duncan’s positive self looks to the future in briquetting. “There are way too many holes to fill in, and if you took it to heart, you’d fold up. He is justified in being resilient, given the ups and downs of the industry. “Working for yourself, you’re responsible for everything.”

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

THE timber industry bears the brunt of the pain in a massive expansion of parks and reserves in Victoria’s Central West under a Victorian Government report.

The final report of the Victorian Environment Assessment Council, released late on Friday, said the biggest impact on the regional economy was to the reduction in timber milling and commercial firewood production.

“There will be minimal regional impacts related to potentially displaced recreational uses,” the report said. The report emphasised the importance of nature conservation, recreation and tourism in the Central West investigation area of 403,815 hectares, of which 161, 215 ha, or 40 per cent, is public land.

2016 HVP PLANTATIONS (HVP) has adopted FOLS as its required standard for the recording of training and skills verification for high risk forestry activities.

FOLS is a national industry-led program, managed

by ForestWorks, and supports the professionalism and safety of industry through an online system of recording and verifying the currency of operator skills.

2011 A NEW 1800 LOGHAUL number designed to drive improvements in log truck driver safety and behavior has been launched in NSW. The 1800 LOGHAUL number - 1800 5644285 – was developed jointly by Forests NSW and the Forest Industry Council.

Each log truck operated by contractors to Forests NSW will have a sign bearing the 1800 telephone number as well as an individual truck identification number.

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Classifieds

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For rates and deadlines call Gavin de Almeida on (08) 8369 9517 or email: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au

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John Deere 1910E Forwarder $109,000 +GST

Tigercat 845C Feller Buncher $175,000 + GST

John Deere 848H Skidder $125,000 + GST

Valmet 425EXL Feller Buncher $45,000 + GST

Tigercat H860C Harvester with Waratah HTH622B or HTH624C $150,000-$170,000+ GST

Tigercat E625C Skidder $145,000 + GST

Waratah HTH624C $50,000 + GST

Tigercat 1075C Forwarder $312,500 + GST

CAT 320D with FL85 Waratah $95,000 +GST

Tigercat 1075C Forwarder $287,500 +GST

Valmet 890.3 Forwarder $137,500 +GST

Tigercat 570 & 575 Harvesting Heads Available for immediate delivery!

Rotobec Forwarder Grapples From $5,700 + GST

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26

FOR SALE • FOR SALE • FOR SALE

This is a unique opportunity to purchase a fully functioning timber mill, 450km west of Brisbane and easily accessible by road and rail. Situated on a 3.63ha^ site, this mill is complete with top-of-the-line machinery (see full list online*) including dressing yard, water tanks and water trucks.

The mill processes timbers for manufacture of furniture products, flooring, cabinetry, wood-based panels, craft and toys. The supply chain is streamlined, timber is packed and transported to the Port of Brisbane.

• • • • • • • •

Massive Land area 3.63ha Shipping containers for storage (x 10) Contact Exclusive Agent FAL Property Group 40,000L water tank with pumps John Andrew: 0488 018 998 Hino diesel water trucks (x 2) john@falproperty.com.au Weighbridge 60 tonne capacity Bench saws, various log saws *see full list of plant & machinery online Tool & saw sharpeners Welders, air compressors, parts washer falproperty.com.au

^approximate square metres

Australian Forests & Timber News August 2022

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