Australian Forests & Timber December 2022

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2019–20 bushfire review shows need for management overhaul

ACOMPREHENSIVE report into the 201920 Victorian bushfires highlights the need for a major overhaul of current forest management strategies according to the peak Australian association for forest scientists, professionals and growers.

Jointly commissioned by the Victorian and Australian governments as parties to the Regional Forest Agreements (RFA), and conducted by an independent expert panel, the Major Event Review of the 201920 bushfires examined the impacts of the devastating bushfires on a wide range of forest uses and a range of forest values.

The review undertook extensive consultation with stakeholders, communities and Traditional Owners, and presented the two governments with 37 recommendations.

Forestry Australia Vice President Jim Wilson said the report highlighted the need for a major overhaul of current forest management strategies so appropriate resources could be allocated to provide for the full range of forest uses and values in a balanced and holistic way.

“This report confirms that to avoid future repeats of 2019-20 and protect human life and biodiversity, forest and fire management must be viewed and managed at a landscape scale, with active management over long timeframes, using expert knowledge of forests and their processes,” Mr Wilson said.

“In order to achieve this, and overcome Australia’s wicked bushfire problem, we need all forest stakeholders to work together to manage our forests in a planned, strategic and considered manner, which unfortunately is not happening across the board right now.

“Through these strategies, we can conserve forests for a broader range of values, and proactively manage current pressures and increasing threats to

our environment from climate change and the interrelated impacts of bushfires and invasive species.”

Forestry Australia member Dr Tony Bartlett ASFM (Australian Fire Service Medal), who was part of the review’s panel, said the report showed that old growth and fire sensitive forests would be lost if the if the extent and frequency of severe bushfires were not reduced.

“The review found that of the 1.5 million hectares burnt in the 2019-20 bushfires, 1.39 million hectares of this was forested land, about half of which was burnt at high severity,” Dr Bartlett said.

“62,000 hectares, or 15 per cent of Victoria’s old growth forest is thought to have been lost in the fires, of which 40,800 hectares was within Dedicated Reserves and Special Protection Zones.

“This shows that the state’s current forest and fire management strategies are ineffective in limiting bushfire impacts on many important RFA values, including old growth, threatened species and fire sensitive communities

“Victoria’s public land management planning is not well integrated, with most management plans 2530 years old and poorly connected with recent bushfire management strategies, especially for protection of environmental values.

Dr Bartlett said the review identified a number of improvements which could be made to land and fire management practices in Victoria, including expanding active and adaptive management, increasing collaboration with Traditional Owners and expanding the range of forest industries.

“Our forests hold a diverse range of environmental, social, cultural and eco-

nomic values and we need to manage and care for all these values in order to protect forests against future catastrophic fire events and maximise the total societal benefit they can provide,” Dr Bartlett said.

“Key to this is expanding an active and adaptive management approach to reduce bushfire risk and support the recovery of forests and communities

dependent on them after bushfire, including the scaling up the implementation of ecological burning in public forests.

“Importantly, we must ensure that Traditional Owners are empowered to have an active role in the management of forests on public land on Country.

“This includes adequate resourcing of all Traditional Owner groups and greater participation of Traditional Owners before, during and after bushfires as part of a holistic, yearround management of Country.

“We also need to support the expansion of a range of forest industries to drive jobs and economic benefits to rural and regional communities, which serves the added benefit of having knowledgeable and trained crews on the ground when fires do occur.”

the bushfire problem. See page 6

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National program to detect exotic forest pests

ANEW Biosecurity Collaboration Agreement will establish a National Forest Pest Surveillance Program to improve the early detection of exotic forest pests and the likelihood of their eradication.

This agreement will enable industry and government to carry out risk-based forest pest surveillance activities to early detect and manage new pest incursions in Australia through a well-coordinated national surveillance program.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said this agreement was timely, given the increasing levels of trade, movement of people and commodities, and climate change contributing to an upward trend in the number of exotic forest pest incursions.

“A nationally coordinated surveillance program—supported by an effective diagnostic network—is needed to effectively mitigate the risk of exotic forest pests establishing in Australia,” Senator Watt said.

“Our forests represent the seventh largest forest estate in the world comprising native, commercial, and urban forests.

“New pests in our forests would have significant impacts on the Australian economy, trade and market access, environment, and way of life.

“Ensuring that forest stakeholders and government agencies work together in partnership is critical to achieving these aims,” he said.

“The landmark agreement is the first of its kind, committing to a consistent and harmonised approach with targeted expert surveillance, training and support of various stakeholders, and planning and reporting.

“This is a great example of how strong partnerships across governments and industry can improve our national biosecurity system.

“It is also very timely as we know climate change can stress trees, making them more susceptible to pests, and a warming climate is changing the movement and range of pests to threaten new areas of forest.”

Plant Health Australia CEO, Sarah Corcoran said the early detection of exotic plant pest and diseases minimised the potential significant economic and social risks and improved the chances of eradication before these impacts occur.

“The National Forest Pest Surveillance Program demonstrates how connected strategies, collaboration and co-ordinated plant pest and surveillance activities strengthen the plant biosecurity system not only for the benefit of plant industries but for economy, environment, and community,” Ms Corcoran said.

Signatories to the agreement include the Commonwealth government, the Australian Forest Products Association, Plant Health Australia, all State and Territory governments, Forest Wood Products Australia, Invasive Species Council, and NRM Regions Australia.

“This new national surveillance partnership aims to improve biosecurity measures including, better collaboration between government and industry, so if pests arrive in Australia they can be dealt with quickly and more effectively. Time is a critical commodity when dealing with biosecurity matters and this agreement prioritises that necessity,” AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said.

“Furthermore, biosecurity risks are on the rise with movements across Australia’s borders expected to increase over coming decades, increasing the risk of an accidental pest introduction, while climate change can also make trees more susceptible to pests and diseases. Continually improving biosecurity and surveillance measures are essential to protects Australia’s forests, urban amenity trees and our forest industries.

“I commend all of the stakeholders and the Federal Government for bringing this new agreement partnership forward, so Australia’s trees and forests can be

as best protected as possible from biosecurity risks,” Mr Hampton said.

More information on the Program can be found at https://www. planthealthaustralia.com. au/national-programs/ national-forest-pest-surveillance-program/

PM simply can’t make States listen

IT was indeed pleasing for the timber industry nationally to have the Prime Minister Mr Albanese deliver a strong endorsement of Australia’s sustainably managed native and plantation timber industries.

It is a message he has delivered before, and as then, is very welcoming.

It is of course in strong contrast to the actions of the Labor premiers of Western Australia and Vic-

toria who are proceeding to shut down the native timber industries in their states.

But this has led some to some ask the question; why doesn’t the Prime Minister’s support over-rule what the premiers want to do?

The bottom line is that a) premiers do not need to listen to the prime minister

and b) the prime minister can’t make the states listen.

Sadly, it’s as simple as that. The Federal Government simply has no power to override the decisions of state Governments except in cases involving the Federal Constitution.

And whether we like it or not, the shutting down of the native timber industry is not a constitutional matter.

I would like to thank the many contributors and industry organisations who

are integral to this publication, plus the advertisers who have supported us to bring it to our readers. Our sales, editorial production and support team remain passionate about the industry and we look forward to serving our customers and readers in 2023.

Best wishes to all for a Merry and Safe Christmas followed by a Prosperous New Year.

Bruce Mitchell Editor

● Ross Hampton

● Sarah Corcoran

● Senator Murray Watt

Solutions for vanishing forests; Maybe MIS are the answer

THERE is a level of urgency to stop the Australian plantation area decline.

Indeed, we need to increase our productive forest area. ABARES has forecast that by 2050, Australian domestic softwood log demand will outstrip supply by 1.75 million cubic metres. To address this deficit, ABARES suggests we need to establish more than 200,000 ha of new softwood plantations.

Recently the United Nations released its “World population prospects 2022”. A key statistic is that global population is now about 8.0 billion. That is more than three times the population in 1950. The UN expects we will have 8.5 billion people living on the planet by 2030. As our global population increases, there are increasing demands for wood products. Do you think the sustainable global timber availability has increased at the same level of population increases? The answer is obviously a resounding no.

In fact, in its recent “State of the Forests Report”, the FAO estimates that 420 million ha was deforested in only the last 30 years. As Australia is a net importer of timber, the future looks bleak.

In Australia, our population is currently 25.4 million, an increase of almost 9% since 2016. What has happened to our commercial forests in Australia? In August 2022, AFPA released a paper stating that Australia’s plantation estate had reduced by 10% over the past six years. Surely that can’t

OUR VIEW

be right? But it is! In its latest plantation area inventory report, ABARES stated that we are currently growing about 1.74 million ha of plantations. This is about 0.25 million ha less than in 2012/13. Some of the losses occurred in the horrendous bushfires in 2019/20, and many of those are being re-established, particularly in the eastern states. But some plantations are being reverted back to agricultural production. In South Australia, some plantations are not permitted to be replanted after harvest because of questionable science about the use of water by trees in areas over shallow aquifers. To make matters worse, our native forests are rapidly being closed down for timber production.

Land has become unbelievably expensive in areas where foresters know good plantation growth rates can be achieved. This is mainly because of a booming agricultural sector. The outcome is that rural land prices have jumped by at least 30% and, in some areas, by much more. Such land prices mean that with current log prices, Net Present Values are sometimes negative. This creates a greater challenge for forestry companies to procure new land for plantations.

What can be done to in-

crease our plantation area? The often-denigrated Managed Investment Scheme companies were very successful in developing new plantations in Australia in the 1990s and early 2000s. An example of the success is the 100% increase in the plantation area of the Green Triangle during this time. Such schemes required government support and Federal Government in 2005/06 started to resent the level of investment in these projects and challenged their tax deductibility, particularly tax-related incentives. At the request of the Federal Government, the ATO challenged the tax deductibility of these investments. It took some two years for the case to get to the High Court where the decision was unanimously found in favour of Timbercorp. These Managed Investment Schemes flourished under a Federal Labor Government and were terminated under a Federal Coalition Government. Is it hard to see such support from the current Federal Government? If we are serious about increasing the softwood estate by at least 200,000 ha, with the associated benefits of carbon capture, then Federal Government incentives are needed.

In spite of the plethora of discussion over the last few years about increasing our plantation estate, the area continues to contract.

One area that in the past has produced only modest plantation gains, is farm forestry. As Australia strives to reduce our carbon emissions by 43% in

the next eight years, it is clear that carbon sequestration by plantations has a part to play. Farmers are beginning to recognise that forestry integrated onto their properties can be a way in which they can become carbon neutral. The Australian newspaper highlighted this in its 27 October article “Swapping farmland for forests is a win for all”. We understand the Red Meat sector in Australia aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. These are encouraging signals for new plantation development on farms. There is more than 380 million ha of productive agricultural land in Australia. An additional 0.2 million ha of plantation has only a negligible, if any, impact on agricultural production.

There has been too much talk and too little action for too long.

David Quill is a Director of Eumeralla Pty Ltd, a forestry consulting company based in the Green Triangle Region of South East South Australia, specialising in plantation forestry management.

David Geddes is a professional forester. In 1994 he formed the forestry consulting company, Geddes Management Pty Ltd, which specialises in plantation management, industry analyses, fire risk assessments and plantation valuations.

Lew Parsons is a Director of Wokurna Forestry, a forestry consulting company based in Mt Gambier which specialises in harvesting management, forest utilisation and marketing.

Our view PM backs managed native timber

PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese has provided a strong endorsement of Australia’s sustainably managed native and plantation timber industries and their vital role in achieving Australia’s net zero emissions goal and global partnership to end deforestation.

Speaking at the Australian Forest Products Association Members Dinner in Canberra Mr Albanese congratulated AFPA and the National Farmers Federation for leading a joint agriculture and forestry delegation to the climate talks just concluded in Egypt and was adamant that Australia’s signing of the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP) at COP27, initiated by the UK, is completely consistent with supporting climate smart forestry such as is practiced in Australia:

Mr Albanese also backed the vital role of Australia’s timber plantation sector in meeting Australia’s net zero emission goals, and committed to working with the sector to maximise its opportunities in the carbon market by removing regulatory barriers in the Emissions Reduction Fund.

Chair of AFPA, Diana Gibbs, said, “Our sustainable forest industries were privileged at our Members Dinner to have Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt, both speak so forcefully and passionately about the vital role forest industries in this country must play in delivering climate goals, timber for our homes, regional jobs and sovereign capability.

“I was very pleased to have the opportunity to thank them both for the more than $300 million in election commitments which have been delivered in the budget. These commitments will help us drive innovation to deliver more timber from the sustainably used forests we already have as well as start the urgent business of adding more production trees to the estate,” she said.

David Quill, Lew Parsons and David Geddes

Mount Gambier SA

Meeting of minds at joint conference

The brightest forestry minds from Australia and New Zealand will come together next year to share knowledge on how to best manage both countries’ forests and the wide range of values they offer society.

Forestry Australia and the New Zealand Institute of Forestry have launched the joint ANZIF 2023 Conference, which will be held in Coolangatta from 15-19 October 2023.

Close to 400 forest scientists, professionals and growers are expected to participate in a range of sessions under the theme; Embracing our natural capital: The science, technology, and art of managing forests for all values.

Conference Convenor and Forestry Australia Vice President, Jim Wilson said ANZIF provided a vital platform for collaboration and learning to continue the momentum established by previous sector conferences.

“The key objective of conferences such as ANZIF is to ensure that the many social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits forests provide are able to be enjoyed by societies for generations to come,” Mr Wilson said.

“ANZIF 2023 will build on the enormous success of Forestry Australia’s 2022 Symposium held in Albury, the 2021 National Conference in Tasmania, and the last joint conference held in Christchurch in 2019 to make sure foresters can continue to work together towards a positive future for the sector.”

New Zealand Institute of Forestry President James Treadwell said the sharing of knowledge across the Tasman would help both nations prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead for sustainable forestry.

“Australia and New Zealand are two nations rich with forestry history and knowledge,” Mr Treadwell said.

The ANZIF 2023 Conference is taking place Sunday 15 – Thursday 19 October, 2023 at the Twin Towns Conference Centre, Coolangatta, Queensland.

Directors maintaining the momentum

RESPONSIBLE Wood’s Matt de Jongh has been elected to the Forestry Australia board and Indufor’s Blair Freeman has been returned to the board at the recent National Symposium in Albury.

Forestry Australia CEO Jacquie Martin said their appointments would help the organisation maintain momentum in advocating for members and the role of sustainable forestry in Australia.

“I’m delighted to give a big welcome to new director Matt de Jongh and a big welcome back to returning Director Blair Freeman,” Ms Martin said.

Matt de Jongh is the Sustainability Manager for Responsible Wood and holds a Bachelor of Science (Forestry), ANU and a Graduate Certificate in Business Management, UNE. Matt is a forester with over 20 years’ experience in both operational and policy roles. As an operational forester for

about 11 years, Matt managed both native and plantation forests, with Forestry Corporation of NSW, in various locations throughout regional NSW, also spending time on a secondment to the NSW Natural Resources Commission to assist with the management of the state wide NSW Forest Monitoring and Improvement Program. In forestry policy Matt has worked for both the Australian Government and the Australian Forest Products Association. Matt has developed strong stakeholder engagement skills,

not only as a forester, but also in the six years spent as Local Area Manager for the NSW Local Land Services, working closely with a variety of stakeholders including Landcare groups, landholders and the agricultural industry. Matt is passionate about promoting and communicating sustainable forest management and advocating for the environmental, social and economic benefits associated with forestry.

A forester with over 20 years’ experience in both

operational and policy roles, new Director Matt de Jongh is the Sustainability Manager for Responsible Wood and holds a Bachelor of Science (Forestry), ANU and a Graduate Certificate in Business Management, UNE.

Reappointed director Blair Freeman, is a professional forester with over 25 years’ experience in providing advisory services on forest policy development, strategic planning and natural resource management across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

New work to help tackle bushfire problem

ALANDMARK new body of work has been released to assist governments and private organisations to tackle Australia’s growing bushfire problem and save lives, land and property.

Turning the Goals of the National Bushfire Management Policy Statement into Objectives and Key Performance Indicators aims to guide improvements in bushfire management and provide consistent reporting nationally on achievements.

The work has been prepared by the Forest Fire Management Committee of Forestry Australia and the Forest Fire Management Group (FFMG). FFMG reports to the Forestry and Forest Products Committee which advises Ministers responsible for forest matters.

The framework complements The National Bushfire Management Policy Statement agreed to by the Premiers and Chief Minis-

ters of all States and Territories, and the Prime Minister, in 2014 with the inclusion of measurable objectives.

Launching the report at Forestry Australia’s National Symposium, Forestry Australia President Bob Gordon said it was vital that all states and territories worked together to tackle the nation’s growing fire challenges in a co-ordinated and accountable manner.

Fire ecologist Dr Kevin Tolhurst AM, from the University of Melbourne, who led the development of the new framework within Forestry Australia’s Forest Fire Management Committee, said the introduction of measurable outcomes would provide a means to systematically analyse Australia’s fire management progress towards meeting the documented national goals.

“In response to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and various other inquiries, fire man-

agers from government agencies in all states and territories prepared a National Bushfire Management Policy Statement for Forests and Rangelands,” Dr Tolhurst said.

“This policy statement was signed off by all COAG (Council of Australian Governments) members by early 2012 and published in 2014. As yet, there has been little action on implementing this policy.

“Having measurable outcomes is key for forest land managers because without measurable outcomes, it will be impossible to systematically improve fire management performance and knowledge as required by the process of adaptive management.

“Without measurable outcomes, it will also be difficult to attract the level of funding, resources and public support required to work towards the nationally agreed shared vision for forest fire management.”

● Matt de Jongh

● Blair Freeman

● Jacquie Martin

● Fire ecologist Dr Kevin Tolhurst who led the development of the new framework speaking at this year’s Forestry Australia National Symposium.

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AusTimber’s Ian Reid joins AFCA board

THE Australian Forest Contractors Association’s board has been re-elected with the addition of Ian Reid from Austimber in Morwell filling a newly created vacancy.

The board now is Adan Taylor (chairman), Ricky Leeson (deputy chairman), Christian Stafford, Dale Cameron, Lauren Carter, Tony Green, Wayne ShawJohnston and Michelle Corby.

Seven new Hall of Fame inductees were announced at the annual Hall of Fame dinner held at the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre in Traralgon.

They are:

• Chris Stafford

• David Blackwood

• Ian Reid

• James Asher (Accepted by Trent Vaughn)

• Matt Van Dam

• Robert Kerrison

• Tony Stonjek.

The retiring State Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood was also recognised at the dinner for his services to the native timber industry.

AFCA general manager

Carlie Porteous said 2022 had provided some unique challenges and a glimpse of future opportunity for the Forest Contracting sector.

Covid had continued well into 2022 with many AFCA members challenged with increasing absenteeism and supply chain disruptions.

Mr Porteous said low unemployment figures had led to an employee market, and there had also been rising interest rates and CPI.

There were three key areas that the membership wanted focus:

1. Attraction and retention of skilled labour

2. Contract sustainability

3. Policy certainty

Ms Porteous said there was a number of initiatives that would be provided to members through 2023.

These included the sustainable contracts working group had continued to meet and the level of detail and discussion was evident, and improved member services – as a national membership group, the AFCA would be focusing on tangible benefits to members through increased buying power.

It was also planned to hold structured meetings across all major membership regions to ensure the organisation was representing member needs, and to establish an AFCAlead WHS committee.

Ms Porteous said the AFCA was concerned about some of the ill-informed ESG commitments that were being made by the large financial institutions and felt the organisation had an opportunity to educate financial providers on the sustainable nature of the industry and the current risk mitigation processes in place.

● New Hall of Fame member Tony Stonjek.

● New AFCA Hall of Fame member David Blackwood with AFCA general manager Carlie Porteous and the former State Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood who was recognised for his services to the native timber industry.

● New Hall of Fame Member Matt Van Dam.

● New Hall of Fame member and AFCA board member Ian Reid.

● Carlie Porteous with new Hall of Fame member Robert Kerrison.

● Carlie Porteous with new Hall of Fame member Chris Stafford.

BRIEFS

GT awards

The departing The Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards are on again for next year with the popular awards night scheduled for late October 2023 at The Barn outside Mount Gambier.

The awards and calls for nominations are expected to be launched at Portland in the New Year.

The decision follows the awards’ annual general meeting which saw a major change in membership of the organizing committee with three new members joining and four departing.

The new members are Jack Whitehead (Glenara Transport), Mark Eaton (Timberlink Australia) and Tim Williamson (Timberlands Pacific). The departing members are Marcel Griffiths, Paul Hartung, Sharon Fryer and Tammy Whitehead.

Wood Encouragement Officer

Tasmania has appointed its first Wood Encouragement Officer.

Gary Fleming has been jointly appointed by the Tasmanian Timber Promotion Board (TTPB) and the University of Tasmania.

Mr Fleming will collaborate with industry stakeholders including project design teams, government agencies, and suppliers to identify and facilitate project opportunities that increase the use of timber and wood products.

This appointment is supported by $150,000 from the Tasmanian Government and delivers on a 2021 election commitment.

Timber inquiry

Matters relating to the timber industry in the Limestone Coast will continue to be probed by a sub-committee of State Parliament.

A committee sat during the last parliamentary term from 2018-2022 and it has attracted cross-party support to continue.

Liberal Upper House Opposition Leader Nicola Centofanti moved to re-establish the committee and it has been backed by Labor Forest Industries Minister Clare Scriven.

Ms Centofanti said the committee had not produced a final report ahead of the March election.

UAVs helping forestry see wood and the trees

Mark Wells

GLOBAL Positioning Systems (GPS) were once new technology for the forestry sector.

Nowadays, GPS is to the compass what the chainsaw is to the two-man crosscut logging saw. Everyone is walking around with a GPS in their pocket today. So, if GPS is 20th Century technology, drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) must be the technology of the 21st Century.

Australian timber harvesting company, MechLog, has been using UAVs since 2018, which Managing Director, Anthony Brown, says are an extremely useful item to have in the toolbox.

“We used to say where would we be without GPS? Now, it’s where would we be without GPS and UAVs?” Anthony said.

“UAVs have come into their own in the forestry sector. They are used extensively for plantation management planning and for tasks such as aerial mapping. They are also an effective technology for monitoring controlled burns and bushfires, including speed, direction, and damage to plantations and natural bushland. We will never completely stop bushfires but the speed and agility of UAVs to scan forests for potential fires makes managing outbreaks so much easier.

“MechLog uses UAVs during harvesting for precision forestry and quality man-

agement of the plantations we are processing. The application for UAVs is quite extensive. They are up for the initial terrain assessment, harvest inspection, and planning. They are up again during harvest operations for inspections – monitoring log stacks, the environment, operations, and road conditions. We also use them for post-harvest inspections and for quality control purposes, for postharvest surveying, and restoration planning.

“From a training perspective, we use the UAV to safely monitor and coach team members. It’s perfect for coaching trainees. We can show them a birds-eye view from the UAV and help them to improve their skills and demonstrate operating techniques of one operator to the rest of the team. From a supervisors point of view, we can check on the technique of an operator and their productivity by getting up close and personal without physically having to be up close and personal.

“And it might seem a bit Hollywood to say this but being able to film the operations and take photos for clients is a great way to

keep them informed. We can capture the footage, email a link to our clients, so they can see the progress of the contract in, almost, real time.

“From a media perspective, the forestry industry is relatively invisible. We operate in remote locations, which are often difficult to access. Safety is always a concern when novices are on site with little knowledge of the challenges and safety constraints. So, by using UAVs, we can feature our harvesting operations like never before. People love to see UAV footage when we post it to MechLog’s social media platforms. I guess a forestry operation is something few people get to see, so it interests them.

“In terms of biodiversity, forestry contractors always attempt to harvest timber with as little impact as possible on wildlife. UAVs are used to monitor wildlife numbers and behaviours so contractors can schedule harvesting and operate around them. For certain tasks, UAVs are proving to be more efficient and cheaper than using helicopters – the old way of monitoring wildlife.

“And to make the point, I heard about one incident where they put up a helicopter to check on an eagle’s nest over a plantation somewhere. They needed to check where it was and if it had any chicks. The poor eagle attacked the chopper and flew into the rear rotor, killing it, and grounding the chopper. In that instance, a UAV would have been perfect for the job. Although, I reckon the UAV would have come off second best if the eagle had a go at it,” Anthony said.

Like anything else, operating a UAV takes training, skill, and time. Prospective operators require a certification and a licence. CASA have strict regulations about operating UAVs. It takes a week to complete the course and the cost is around $3,500. The next step is selecting the right UAV. Many operators make

the mistake of purchasing the wrong UAV. It pays to talk to someone with experience who can offer advice regarding a UAV that is fit for purpose.

Anthony’s advice is: “UAVs are an investment for the forestry sector as they assist the industry with multitude of tasks. If your needs are the same as MechLog’s, expect to pay between $1,500 and $3,000 for a UAV. But don’t under any circumstances, put it up until you have had a bit of training. Apart from the fact you could lose or damage an expensive bit of kit, there are hefty fines for non-compliance.

“UAVs make the preparation of a forest management plan quite easy. To develop an effective plan, assessors must combine information and data about the land area, boundaries, tree conditions, existing biodiversity, water placement, and the overall geography of the terrain. UAVs decrease the amount of time required to complete what would be an onerous task undertaken on the ground, while providing more effective information. UAVs provide high-resolution imagery, presenting planners with a better visual of the entire landscape.

“UAVs solve many of the challenges faced by the industry. They assist with forestry management, help with monitoring wildlife and bushfires, and could save lives. UAVs are an integral part of the forestry industry’s future,” Anthony said.

Forico wins international finance award

FORICO has won major accolades in the ‘Finance for the Future Awards’ – a partnership between Deloitte, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales (ICAEW).

Forico was presented on the award for ‘Embedding an Integrated Approach’, at the awards finals in London. The category recognises organisations which have integrated sustainability into their financial decision making.

Underscoring the importance of finance in combating climate change, and the scale of the challenge faced in responding, the judges presented additional Climate Leadership Awards to nine nominees, including Forico.

The Finance for the Future Awards recognise businesses, organisations and people that have demonstrated leadership which encourages sustainable practices. Established in 2012, the awards’ goal is to inspire, inform and influence people in the finance sector to embed sustainability in decision-making and business practice.

Entrants in the category had to demonstrate: - that sustainability is at the core of the business’ activities; - that the business delivers tangible environmental and/or social benefits in addition to deliver value for money within prudently managed budgets, spending less, spending well and spending wisely; - that the involvement of

the finance team is critical in delivering on the above goals.

“The past year has seen a devastating string of extreme weather events, showing clearly that we are already living in a climate crisis,” Veronica Poole, Vice Chair of Deloitte UK said of the awards.

“So, if we are to turn back the tide of climate devastation and unlock a resilient, sustainable, clean energy economy to preserve our planet, we need to act now. Today we celebrate organisations that are showing climate leadership, innovation, commitment and progress. They provide an inspiration and a learning opportunity for us all.”

Forico has been widely recognised as having set a benchmark for business

and industry in environmental stewardship and corporate sustainability reporting, releasing its world-leading Natural Capital Reports in 2020 and 2021, a first in Australia.

“This was such an exceptional cohort of fellow finalists and winners, and we are very excited at be -

ing recognised in this international forum for our profession,” Forico’s Chief Financial Officer Rayne van den Berg said.

“This is testimony to the passion we all share at Forico to be part of the solution towards a truly sustainable and nature positive future.”

INTO THE NEW ARENA OF PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY

Swedish Forestry Expo 2023 is the professional forestry’s new arena. A world-unique meeting place, by the industry for the industry, with full focus on machines and successful networking. Here at Solvalla in Stockholm, you’ll meet the world’s leading players and their most important innovations.

• Forico’s Chief Financial Officer Rayne van den Berg with Environmental Accountant Cathie Bates.

Picture: Ernst Kemmerer.

Festival still showing Heyfield’s true colors

THE Heyfield Timber Festival is on again next year following this year’s success after a 27year hiatus.

The Heyfield Timber Festival began several decades ago as a way of recognising the enduring relationship the district has with its forests, and Heyfield’s reliance on the timber industry for its prosperity.

But the impending closure of the native timber industry meant she felt that she needed to do something to give a little bit of hope.

“I wanted to give a little bit of something for people to come out and have a chat with the oldies.

“We try to have something for the kids all the way up to 80-90 year olds,” Felicia said.

But the current uncertainty in the native timber continues in the background.

Leeson’s Logging and Cartage is happy to be a sponsor of this great local event. We need to support this great Sustainable industry that we work in and that all Australians use on a daily basis.

But various circumstances meant that the festival ran out of steam until Felicia Stevenson and her small committee stepped in.

“We’re supposed to have it last year,” Felicia said.

“But because of COVID, we couldn’t have it until February this year.”

Next year’s festival will be on February 18.

Felicia said that bringing back the festival after so long had been a bit of a gamble.

“It was only because my husband and boys work in the timber industry,” she said.

“And I thought, why not just bring back the timber festival. It was only a small committee, and we made that happen.”

In the 1980s the festival showcased the process of logging, transport and production or utilisation of the timber, and featured a parade with log trucks, wood chopping competitions, displays of machinery, entertainment and carnival rides.

Much of that remains. This year’s event will include the spectacular wood chop event on Saturday, dog jumping, children’s entertainment, country market stalls, food trucks and live bands playing until late.

“Are we going to have loaded log trucks? What about logs for the wood chop.”

So far those problems look like they have been sorted. And next year?

“I think we need to do it again,” Felicia said.

“It brings people in our community together again, and we’re hoping to do it every year.

“But if there’s no timber industry, and there’s no logs trucks, well…”

Felicia said it was important that people did not lose sight of the history of the timber industry in Hayfield.

“It can happen very quickly and I don’t want that to happen.”

For more information or tickets, phone Felicia Stevenson on 0487 359 559.

Sydved selects CFHarvest to handle operations

One of the largest forest companies in Sweden, Sydved, has selected Trimble’s CFHarvest to manage and increase the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of its forestry harvesting operations. Sydved is the first Swedish forest company to implement CFHarvest.

CFHarvest is a forest harvesting management and tracking system that provides real-time visibility of harvested volumes and location of wood. The system enables forest companies such as Sydved to reduce roadside and terminal inventory levels and improve the productivity of their harvesting operations. By minimizing equipment moves and improving locational awareness between the harvester and forwarder, CFHarvest can support the reduction of emissions from forestry operations.

CFHarvest is a web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution to also manage silvicultural operations and forestry services. In addition, CFHarvest can be used formixed fleet operations and provide traceability to the source.

“CFHarvest supports our desired way of working and creates opportunities for major efficiencies in our production process. The system will also serve as a key component in our harvesting operations that can enable us to focus on our quality and sustainability objectives. The service helps to steer resource-efficient use of round wood and minimize emissions of nonproductive engine hours as well as protect soil floor and natural habitats,” said Örjan Vorrei, IT manager for Sydved.

KevinToohill, general manager of Trimble Forestry, said Sydved would have the benefit of seeing operational data in real time. Managers could plan, schedule and execute harvesting decisions based on real-time field data. The solution also optimizes cutting instructions to improve value recovery, whether logs or pulpwood.

NZ set to lead world in bio-energy

Abundance

THERE is enough energy left over in forestry residues and other woody waste, such as from orchards, surplus pulp logs, and sawmill chip, to entirely replace the heat and energy demands of all New Zealand’s dairy factories, six times over.

New Zealand, with its abundance of hill country, is suitable for growing forests and its expertise in fast-growing plantation forestry could become a world leading example of sustainable bioenergy. A pair of Scion studies titled Strategic Review of Short Rotation Bioenergy Forests (December 2021) and Residual biomass fuel projections for New Zealand (January 2022) tackled the big questions of where our woody bioenergy reserves currently are, how we can grow the supply using short rotation forestry and where that energy is best used.

Having enough feedstock to fuel a bioenergy industry is essentially the green light at the start of a national bioenergy roadmap.

of hill country

suitable for growing forests and expertise in fast-growing plantation forestry give New Zealand the edge

Under the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, the Government has set a 2050 target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (other than biogenic methane). Planting trees is a proven and immediately available way of removing carbon from the atmosphere. If anaged on a sustained yield basis (i.e harvested timber volumes are replaced by new growth) and using best practice forestry, these trees are both a carbon store and a source of endlessly renewable low carbon bioenergy. Scion bioenergy researcher Peter Hall says replacing fossil fuels with bioenergy alternatives from trees and other biological sources will not only help New Zealand meet our greenhouse gas emission targets and meet international obligations, it will also rejuvenate regional economies and make us less

dependent on imported fossil fuels.

Large industries look for sustainable alternatives

While pastoral agriculture and transport are largely visible greenhouse gas emitters, few people give much thought to the energy that is used to power our

largest industries. Much of that energy is process heat. That is, any heat generated in the manufacturing of a product. It accounts for 35 percent of our total energy consumption.

This energy is mainly used to power dairy factories, meat processing plants, sawmills, pulp and paper mills and other food processing plants. Process heat makes up around nine percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions. It may not seem like much, but those emissions tend to be clumped around a few large manufacturers rather than distributed over millions of vehicles or livestock. Some of those larger industries are making the switch away from coal and toward more sustainable alternatives.

In September 2020, Fonterra announced that its Te Awamutu dairy processing factory switched from using coal to fuelling the boiler with wood pellets. This is the largest coal to biofuels conversion project to date in New Zealand. The

● Fonterra employees Jonathon Milne and Kevin Liao during the wood pellet trial at the Te Awamutu milk processing plant. Photo: Fonterra

● Following successful trials, Fonterra will replace coal used at its Te Awamutu milk processing plant with domestically produced wood pellets from Nature’s Flame.

Photo: Fonterra

move away from coal at Te Awamutu is part of Fonterra’s plans to have net zero emissions at its manufacturing sites by 2050. It has reduced the cooperative’s national coal consumption by almost 10 percent, saving more than 84,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year – the same as taking 32,000 cars off the road.

Sixty percent of New Zealand’s process heat demand is met by burning natural gas or coal. Coal is especially problematic. Burnt in boilers, coal is responsible for 26 percent of New Zealand’s process heat greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to coal holding the highest carbon content of any fossil fuel and being more emissions intensive per unit of industrial output than any other source.

Using coal in process heat in New Zealand will come to an end. In April 2021, the government announced that new low-to-medium temperature coal burners are banned in New Zealand from December 31, 2021. This is in line with the Climate Change Commission’s advice on decarbonising New Zealand’s economy.

The ban on new coal boilers did not cover new large sized ones. That was because industries with hightemperature requirements generally use energy in a way that is highly integrated into their plants, meaning there are fewer low carbon opportunities. High temperature boilers used by industries such milk drying plants in dairy factories will remain in place until a 2037 deadline, provided they meet emissions standards. Nevertheless, their lifetime is limited, and alternative fuel sources need to be found as businesses move away from coal and gas and new processing plants are built. Where do those bioenergy sources currently exist and how can we grow the supply?

Residual biomass resources

In January, Hall released a Scion report estimating the potential for woody biomass to fuel New Zealand industry using process heat.

Hall calculated that the biomass from all woody sources in New Zealand is significant and amounts to 181 petajoules (PJ) produced each year. This is more than enough to replace all fossil

fuels used in process heat in New Zealand – which is about 109 PJ worth. Hall’s bioenergy estimate includes excess pulp and K grade logs as well as sawmill chip, for which there is already a market, so excluding these sources from the analysis reduces the biomass energy supply to 62 PJ or around 55 percent of the energy needed to displace coal and gas from process heat.

For a range of financial, quality, and environmental reasons, not all woody biomass is recoverable. For example, slash left at a remote and extremely steep skid site may be impractical to extract, or is required to maintain soil heath, biodiversity and productivity. Given reasonable rates of recovery, Hall estimates that 21 to 25 PJ of energy can be supplied each year from forest residues – or around a quarter of the energy currently supplied by coal and gas. Creating bioenergy from other sources such as wood discarded at landfills, bark removed from logs at ports, crop and straw residues, shelterbelt trimmings and orchard waste would add another 8-10 PJ of energy into the national supply. While these sources do not meet all the energy demand currently supplied by fossil sources, these biomass resources lock away carbon over their lifetime, are domestically grown and renewable. With increasing energy and carbon prices, the resources excluded

from this analysis, K grade logs and excess pulp logs, may become economically viable for bioenergy use.

If we efficiently use available residual forestry waste to generate process heat, we will still need to grow new forests to keep up with increased demand for process heat in the future and to supply liquid biofuels for transport. The bioenergy forest of the future will need to be harvested at around 14 to 16 years, much sooner than the traditional 26 to 28-year time horizon. These are called short rotation forests.

Short rotation forests

Meeting our emissions reduction targets is a race against time – and time is currently winning. More electric cars on the road, reducing livestock numbers and changes in our consumption behaviour will all help. So too will planting more trees and diverting away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. New quick-growing forests on a large scale are a way to generate biomass for biofuels quickly to meet interim emissions targets by 2035. Scion scientist Dr Alan Jones realistically points out that this outcome depends on dedicated bioenergy forests grown on a 16-year rotation at high stocking density, given available land. Any new plantations must

grow successfully and deliver biomass of sufficient quantity and quality to meet expected energy demands. They will need to be grown on hill country where they can be deployed economically without displacing current food production.

Planting an additional 240,000 hectares of dedicated bioenergy forest would be the equivalent of one percent of New Zealand’s land area, or three percent of the land currently under sheep and beef. This area would meet the Climate Change Commission’s net zero target by 2050.

A forest of this size would yield a biomass equivalent to 35 PJ annually, or just over a third of that used by fossil sources in process heat. It would potentially displace three million tonnes of CO2 per year from fossil fuels, the same as taking a third of New Zealand’s 4.4 million cars off the road.

The preferred forestry species for short rotation crops are already wellknown to New Zealand forestry. Radiata pine, as well as Eucalyptus fastigata and Eucalyptus regnans have rapid initial growth traits favourable for short rotation bioenergy forestry. Of the three, radiata pine is the best understood silviculturally and has the greatest potential environmental adaptability. The other species may have greater suitability within narrower environmental ranges and may be more suitable for select locations. Priority areas for afforestation were identified as: Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Central North Island, Northland, Canterbury, Otago-Southland and the Southern North Island.

The

devil is in the details.

“No-one has planted short rotation forests at any great scale on New Zealand’s hill country so we will need to make sure that we use the most appropriate tree species with the highest possible yields under the most sustainable intensively grown forestry regime.

“But this will also come with potential risks around disease susceptibility, erosion risk or growth limitations on certain soil types or microclimates. To understand this, we need to get bioenergy forest trials underway yesterday,” says Jones.

FPA appoints new chief

ANNE Chuter has been appointed as the incoming Chief Forest Practices Officer for the Forest Practices Authority in Tasmania.

Ms Chuter is a forest practices officer with extensive practical experience in environment management within a wood production landscape, technical biodiversity knowledge, and a sound understanding of forest operations.

She has been working with the FPA for more than 15 years and brings a wealth of experience within the Authority.

She replaces Dr Peter Volker who has spent 40 years in various roles within the State’s forestry sector.

During his time in the sector, Dr Volker has been a strong advocate for sustainable native forest management to supply timber products, support rural communities and provide a healthy ecosystem.

“In 1975 I commenced working as a teenager in forest industry in Scottsdale with school holiday jobs at French’s sawmill. After being invited to do some work experience with the Forestry Commission at Scottsdale, I decided that I would do a forestry degree,” Dr Volker told the Tasmanian Forests & Forest Products Network in a recent interview.

He progressed to the University of Tasmania to complete the first year of an agricultural science degree before successfully applying for a scholarship to Australian National University.

After graduating in 1981 Peter was employed as a graduate forester for the Forestry Commission, based at Retreat under the guidance of Peter Watson.

It was this work that inspired Dr Volker to complete a thesis exploring the genetics of hybridising eucalyptus globulus and nitens.

“At the time we didn’t know too much about the genetics of hybridising these species and were keen to look at how we could establish a more frost resistant species that would grow well in certain areas of Tasmania.”

● Scion scientist Alan Jones with four-year-old eucalyptus growing on a highly productive site near Paengaroa in the Bay of Plenty.

Myrtle rust – is it friend or foe

THE scientific discovery of a midge that feeds on myrtle rust spores has Scion scientists researching whether it is a friend or foe in the fight against myrtle rust.

Midge larvae feeding on myrtle rust spores were first observed during disease assessments near Rotorua in 2018 by Scion researcher Roanne Sutherland. The tiny larvae proved to belong to an undescribed species of a rust- and mildew-feeding genus of fly and has only been formally described in partnership with Australian insect taxonomist Dr Peter Kolesik, in 2022.

Scion entomologist Dr Toni Withers says the midge is new to science and is a very exciting and important discovery for the team undertaking myrtle rust research.

“In New Zealand, midges are largely understudied, therefore a lack of knowledge exists about these tiny native flies. It is important to explore the relationship between the larvae and the plant host.

Myrtle rust is having detrimental impacts on ecosystems and econo-

mies worldwide, including here in New Zealand on our Myrtaceae species.”

Myrtle rust has been present in Australia since 2010 and its known host range now includes around 400 species.

The next stage of the research turns to determining how many rust species this larva eats and whether the midge could become a natural enemy of myrtle rust, or a vector spreading the spores.

Myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is a serious threat to New Zealand Myrtaceae including ramarama, rōhutu, maire tawake and pōhutukawa. The fungal disease was first reported in May 2017 and is now widespread, established and causing significant damage.

Both chemical and biological control options are relevant to help

● Roanne Sutherland inspecting midges growing on ramarama.

manage myrtle rust now that it is considered an established pathogen in New Zealand. Scion’s work in this area has included testing chemicals in containment facilities, as well as investigating biological control options.

Key Points

● Myrtle rust (exotic strains)

● Exotic to Australia

● Features: A fungal infection that causes brown to grey lesions often

● surrounded by yellow spores

● Where it’s from: Central America and Caribbean, United States,

● South America, Asia, South Africa, Oceania

● How it spreads: Importation of infected plant material; local spread

● By spores on wind, and vehicles, clothing and machinery

● At risk: Over 100 known host plant species, mainly from the

● Myrtaceae family; eucalypt plantations, native forests and

● Urban plantings

Trees on farm funding boost for Southeast

THE South Australian Government is investing $210,000 in the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub as part of its Trees on Farm election commitment.

The Trees on Farms GTFIH funding is aimed at helping to drive industry and/or landholder led forestry projects on farms, particularly in supporting on-ground works including silviculture and property planning advice.

The initiative will build an easy-touse toolkit of expert advice to support and guide landholders in their commercial plantation investment aimed at demystifying the process.

It will arm landholders with all the information and tools needed to invest in forestry on their properties, including information on short rotation silviculture models, the Emissions Reduction Fund, taxation considerations, and overcoming barriers to harvesting and processing small woodlots, along with a spatial analysis of suitable lands for plantation forestry.

Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven said the initiative would quantify and promote the environmental and economic benefits of onfarm plantations and guide appropriate partnerships between timber processors and landholders.

“We all know that there is a worldwide demand and increasing demand for fibre, as well as domestic

demand, we need structural timber as well as the other products that come from trees and we don’t have enough trees in the ground,” she said.

“This is really about having an easy to use toolkit of expert advice, so that they can look at what the opportunities are to incorporate trees onto their farms, both for the environmental benefits and also for the economic benefits.”

Deputy chair of the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub Laurie Hein welcomed the initiative.

“It’s so important that we are we educate farm foresters on growing timber,” he said,

“If you ask a farmer, what their wool returns, or what is their cattle return, what is their lamb return, pigs, crops ,etc, they know.

“But if you said ‘how much are you going to earn from planting trees?’, they’d have no idea, and so it becomes really, really important that we put measures in place that allows them to, in a transparent way, understand the returns from planting trees on their land.

“It certainly a really important that we get the right trees in the right place at the right scale, so it’s important that everybody understands where we should be planting those trees – obviously close to market would be a right choice, with reliable rainfall, there are a number of factors.”

Where opinion counts a sawmill thrives

Keith Smiley

GROWING up in a house where opinions are encouraged could be a recipe for anarchy but not so in the McFadzen household in Nebo, central Queensland - where, after 45 years in business, this mill continues to make its mark, as Ken McFadzen discourses on the positives and negatives of a life well lived.

The McFadzen family proliferate the area, taking pride of place for over 150 years since their founding fathers declared the land perfect for farming, mining and sawmilling, with Nebo’s closest city Mackay, a mere 90 kilometres away.

With wife Judy, four children, and many grandchildren, Ken McFadzen’s main objective in life is to see his offspring succeed; and growing a mill in the ‘good and bad times’.

“We both come from big families, just as in the old days, you’ve got to make plenty of them. I started as a motor mechanic and then worked in the nearby coal mines. But you can’t see more than a half an inch under the ground, so I’d have a go at saw milling.

“There were many good men in the mines who came from Europe, and others from the timber industry. It was a good life. People have been forced out of the timber industry by government policy. Because there’s too much money to earn in coal mining it’s hard to get labour. Sawmilling is still about work – lifting, pulling and shovelling.

Ken laments the plight of the sawmiller who is today considered ‘irrelevant, just a pest, a blight on society, public enemy number one, yet still wanting their wooden tables’.

“All over Australia they’re shutting the mills down.

Under the old quota system, we were entitled to a certain amount of timber per year, but they changed all that, and a replacement scheme will also close by 2024. They guaranteed you the timber if you set up a mill, and we paid $80,000 for a sawmill licence 25 years ago, and they shut the whole thing down, with no compensation.

Ken has tried to retire several times, but ended up back at the mill. His daughters worked in the mill without pay while growing up, so he has turned the mill over to them, and built a house on the 100-acre property. One daughter works the sawmill’s treatment plant, and the other, uses a docking saw. Ken injects: “Some would call it child abuse, putting your children into a sawmill.”

The mill has given Ken McFadzen a living, he saysraising a family and a good lifestyle - compared to those who will not standing up for anything. ‘No one wants to get their hands dirty’ and there are ‘restrictions on everything now, while Australia has been pillaging the forests of Asia and locking up our forests’.

“There’s still plenty of timber. Forestry’ encouraged all these Lucas-mill fellas, who use it for two or three days, and find it too bloody hard; so they stick it in the shed or sell it. They are just a pest, they can’t cut the green logs and it’s just nonsense.” The McFadzen Sawmill is wellequipped, even sporting an automatic bench created by Ken’s adept hands.

“I’m seventy with not much time left but I’ll keep going with the customers I’ve worked with. I broke my leg, had a stroke a couple of years ago, and have a sore finger now. I lost all my strength. I realise you need to keep mobile. I am inspired by my daughters but we all have opinions on everything. You must have an opinion. My girls are very opinionated – but somebody’s got to stand up. Our manufacturing base disappeared, there’s no leadership, and no work ethic. Our kids have always been doing something, while many a youth seem not to care.

“I’m a professional griper but unfortunately I see Australia passing. I’ll keep dribbling along but my work is my hobby: if you love what you do you’ll never do a day’s work in your life.”

The McFadzens are selfsufficient, have a few cows, and a family living close by. Ken is a rare breed, refreshingly old school, where a handshake is your bond. He says he started out with nothing, and he still has most of it left, a conundrum he is comfortable with.

● McFadzen Sawmill. Ken McFadzen.

Komatsu Forest takes the hassle out of grinding

THE 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 endof-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,” according to Martin.

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 Impact 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. continued Brenton.

“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”, continued Martin.

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

Tigercat expands mulcher range

TIGERCAT’S mulcher range now consists of two wheeled versions, the M726G and the 760B and two tracked versions, the 470 and 480B.

Tigercat mulchers are versatile machines with wide use areas in applications such as pipeline cleaning, clearing shrubbery and regrowth, right of way clearing for powerlines, land subdivision, golf course maintenance, site prep, and controlled fire hazard reduction such as fire way clearing and fire breaks.

The 480B and 760B and now available in Australia.

The 480B mulcher is the larger of the two tracked mulchers. It is a 411 kW (550 hp) class carrier best suited to tough terrain, soft soil conditions and demanding

duty cycles. It is an ideal carrier for large scale clearing and right-of-way projects.

The wheeled version 760B mulcher is the largest wheeled mulcher. It is a 420kW (569hp) class carrier that can achieve quick working speeds and a wide swath for high production. It is an ideal carrier for silviculture site preparation. The machine can quickly and efficiently clear residual forest debris and grind stumps to ground level to facilitate replanting.

Across the range the cabins incorporate well-appointed operator stations featuring a large LCD touchscreen and ergonomic, armrest mounted joystick and drive. The mulchers have built-in compressors

for cleaning the machines, standalone attachment pumps for the heads, and a large cooling package for extreme conditions.

The mulchers are equipped with highlift boom geometry and equipped with Tigercat’s own 4061-30 mulching heads. The 4061 mulching head is belt driven, comes with twin drive motor, variable displacement, replaceable teeth and replaceable wear liners throughout. The 4061-30 mulching provides the performance, uptime and confidence required for large scale, time sensitive right-of-way and site preparation applications as well as silviculture site preparation work and stump grinding. The 4061-30 mulching head is 3.0m (10 ft) wide.

Clear distinctions with new gen CAT 982

WITH an increase in customers and volumes, C3 Limited immediately approached Terra CAT and ordered several loaders for New Zealand.

C3 Limited timber operation sees export volumes exceed 9.54 million Jas per annum. Log marshalling and stevedoring operations require fast and efficient movement of timber without compromising health and safety standards.

And it was evident from the first use that there were clear distinctions between the existing fleet’s perfor-

mance and the new generation CAT 982.

Cab ergonomics and the machine toggle steering contributed to more freedom in the operating cab with all the controls at the operator’s fingertips. The CAT 982 contributes to health and safety by providing an improved overall vision for operators who often work in challenging weather conditions.

Timesaving and productivity increase because of the added lifting capability of the machine allowing the lift of loads one off despite the increased log weight on incoming road rucks.

Operators are provided with additional increased awareness of their surroundings with the new configuration of the log head with improved uploading capabilities, extra cameras for better blind spot coverage and LIDAR sensors.

C3 has enthusiastically welcomed and incorporated the new generation CAT 982 into the daily running of the ports reaping the benefit of the all-around good performance.

The Cat 980 and 982 wheel loaders replace the previous Caterpillar M

Series wheel loaders. The 313-horsepower Cat 980 wheel loader has an operating weight of 66,877 pounds, and the 322-horsepower Cat 982 wheel loader has an operating weight of 78,264 pounds.

Both the Caterpillar 980 and Cat 982 have Cat Payload with Assist that provides an accurate weighing of bucket payloads, so operators can load to target. It includes low-liftweigh and manual tip-off functions. Optional Cat Advanced Payload expands functionality with Lists-Management, Mul-

titask- and Manual-Add Modes, and Tip-off assist. Compatible with thirdparty scale house software, it can wirelessly integrate the machine in the scale-house process with Dispatch-for-Loading.

Autodig with Auto Set Tires promotes proper loading technique to significantly reduce tire slip and loading time. It can automate the complete bucket loading cycle to deliver consistently high bucket fill factors for up to 10 percent more productivity, according to Caterpillar.

Like your favorite work gloves, only original Waratah parts provide the perfect fit and are built to handle the unforgiving forestry environment. Backed by an industry-leading warranty and available when and where you need them, genuine Waratah parts help you quickly get back to productivity. Genuinely built better. Genuinely Built To Work™.

Harvester heads LOOKING

BACK

2019

The Victorian Native Forestry Industry is backing a proposed Legislative Council inquiry into the Andrews Government decision to shut down the native timber industry by 2030.

The announcement was made at a rally by around 300 native forestry workers and supporters outside Parliament House where Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien reaffirmed that if elected at the next State election he will reverse the closure decision.

Mr O’Brien told the rally the inquiry into the closing down of the forestry industry in Victoria would begin in early 2020.

2016

Drones have taken to the sky across Victoria to test their capability for tasks like koala tracking, monitoring of planned burns and assisting with the broader identification of hazardous trees that pose a safety risk.

The Andrews Labor Government has recently concluded a successful 12 week trial of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS, commonly referred to as drones) for use in land and environmental management.

The trial gave the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) the opportunity to test the capabilities of the aircraft in a variety of scenarios.

It was part of a broader 12-month project looking at a range of different types of drones and sensors.

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Forestry Tasmania has recognised the continued improvement in the onthe-job safety records of its harvesting contractors.

Forestry Tasmania’s chief operating officer Mike Farrow presented awards to contractors with the best performance based on safety inspections undertaken by the Tasmanian Skills Institute.

He said the awards made a positive example of the contractors’ operations, one based in the Northern Bass District and two from Murchison in the North West.

Ponsse HH360 rotator for harvester heads

PONSSE has launched the new HH360 harvester head rotator.

The new rotator is an innovative solution in which the harvester head can rotate 360° degrees freely without limitations.

With the HH360 the hoses stay in a fixed position from crane tip to rotator, all the time. Now launched rotator enables the harvester head rotating freely without worry about unexpected downtime caused from twisted hoses.

“We’ve developed an innovative solution by listening to our customers’ needs. The rotating harvester head speeds up processing wood, makes working easier for the operator and reduces hose failures,” says Janne Loponen, Product Manager for harvester heads.

“Compared to competing products, the rotator is strong, powerful and above all, energy efficient, and Ponsse has exclusive rights to the product in forest machine use.”

The powerful and exceptionally energy efficient HH360 rotator is available for H6, H7, H8, H7 HD, H8 HD, H7 HD Euca, and H8 HD Euca harvester heads when installed as a loose head installation.

All Ponsse harvester heads are designed to with-

stand the toughest conditions.

They are characterised by a simple and solid structure which is why they can be used in various harvesting applications.

Comprehensive design applies to both mechanical components and the electronic control system, controls, and software.

The manufacturing process is highly automated, guaranteeing a high level of quality and measuring accuracy.

New head delivers positive control

TIGERCAT has introduced the 570 harvesting head with a fixed wrist for applications where positive control for felling and processing is required.

The 570 fixed head design combines two proven technologies – the Tigercat 570 harvesting head and the Tigercat 340-degree wrist.

The Tigercat 570 harvesting head is a durable, high performance, two-wheel drive, three-knife arm harvesting head. The 340-degree wrist is field-proven in felling head applications where maximum dexterity and

positive control are needed.

A wrist-float feature is standard for the 570, allowing the head to align more easily to the tree for felling and feeding. Fixed and float functions are fully adjustable to suit operator preferences.

The Tigercat 570 fixed head is standard with a heavy-duty chassis and guarding designed for the 340-degree wrist.

It features 1000 cc feed motors, wide-track feed

wheels, Tigercat hydraulic tension 0.75 in (19 mm) pitch main saw, hydraulic tension top saw [0.404 in (10 mm) or 0.75 in (19 mm) chain], fixed or floating front knife, and the full range of Tigercat D5 control system levels.

The Tigercat 570 fixed head has proven effective in select cut harvesting applications, particularly for high-value hardwood, where positive control is needed to position the felled tree to reduce damage to standing trees. It is best matched to Tigercat 822 series carriers.

HIAB, part of Cargotec, has launched HiVision 2.0 for forestry cranes and improvements to HiVision for Multilift demountables, which are used to operate equipment from inside the truck cabin.

Hiab’s HiVision for forestry cranes uses external cameras to show the cranes surrounding, which the operator can see using virtual

reality (VR) goggles inside the truck cabin.

This improves productivity, reduces the weight of the equipment and provides a more comfortable and safer working environment for the operator. HiVision 2.0 has an improved camera system combined with a powerful computer and goggles.

This supports a higher frame rate as well as a bet-

ter resolution and brightness to create a more natural viewing experience. It is also possible to retrofit existing Loglift or Jonsered forestry cranes with the first version of HiVision.

“The new HiVision 2.0 reduces the issues of dizziness or blurred vision, commonly associated with the use of VR technology. The solution continues to offer

improved precision, safety and comfortable work environment of our forestry cranes and has proven very popular with the customers who bought the first version of HiVision,” says Davide Pernice, Director, Global Product Management, Forestry, Hiab.

HiVision for Multilift offers multiple views from three cameras, container

landing spot information and dynamic reversing steering lines for safer, easier and more convenient operation of the hooklift, using a touch-screen display inside the truck cabin.

In the new version, Hiab has improved the camera image quality to offer customers safer operation and better efficiency in difficult light conditions such as direct sunlight, pitch dark as well as rain and snow.

Obstacle detection software is an additional safety feature that minimises the risk of injury to people or damage to equipment. HiVision for Multilift is available for Hiab’s most advanced hooklift range Multilift Ultima.

“We’re proud to use the latest in camera technology to offer our customers industry-leading productivity and safety features. The best view for the driver to monitor the safe yet effective operation is HiVision for hooklift combined with Multilift’s automatic loading sequence,” says Tuomo Salo, Director, Global Product Management, Waste & Recycling, Hiab.