SEPTEMBER 2014 Issue 6 Vol. 23 • P: (03) 9888 4834 • E: m.dolphin@ryanmediapl.com.au • www.timberbiz.com.au
¢ Salvage of logs during the feasibility study used divers and boats. The Hydrowood project will use an excavator located on a barge to salvage the logs with no men in the water.
Timber from deep in unique operation I
NNOVATIVE FOREST management company SFM Environmental Solutions has obtained funding for a major new project to recover specialty timbers underwater in Tasmania. Hydrowood is a highly innovative project that will utilise specialised equipment to recover standing timber underwater in lakes managed by Hydro Tasmania. It will provide access to a unique subset of Tasmanian’s highly valued special timbers. “As a Tasmanian company with extensive experience in forest management, harvesting and marketing, this project will allow
globe and with Tasmania’s unique indigenous timbers this project will allow furniture makers, sawmillers and craftsmen to access exciting new markets.” Funding for the $5 million project was approved by the Abbot Coalition Government under the Tasmanian Jobs and Growth Package. The project will create up to 20 full time positions in the construction phase with an additional 40 downstream positions as timber is extracted and processed. It has been estimated there are about 300 million trees worldwide submerged in dams constructed during the 1950s through to
We are working with William Adams to purchase a CAT forestry machine and fit a telescopic arm with a modified felling head that will enable us to work in water depths of up to 40m SFM to expand its current business while creating employment not only in the western region of Tasmania, but statewide,” said SFM General Manager, Darryn Crook. “The specialist equipment required to recover the timber will also be designed and developed in Tasmania.” “Recovered or salvaged timber is a growing niche industry across the
the 1970s for the creation of hydroelectric schemes and water storage. (Crockford, 2008). The dams where often flooded with little to no salvage operations being undertaken. “The Hydro dams in central and western Tasmania fit into this global trend with large tracts of land flooded. While salvage operations where undertaken in the periods prior to
In this issue... PAGE 3: BUSINESS LEADERS in Yarra Ranges and Murrindindi have joined forces to ensure green “anti-timber industry” propaganda is kept in check, following an ‘embarrassing’ front page article in the Alexandra Standard newspaper. PAGE 3: ONE OF the real champions of timber communities and the timber industry in the West
flooding in most instances this was incomplete due to time pressures. There remain large areas of forest submerged within the Hydro dams that are owned by Hydro Tasmania,” Darryn said. While this resource has previously been forgotten advances in technology have enabled systems to be developed to allow the timber to be reclaimed that is economically, socially and environmentally acceptable. “SFM is looking to construct a salvage excavator utilising the skills at William Adams. We are working with William Adams to purchase a CAT forestry machine and fit a telescopic arm with a modified felling head that will enable us to work in water depths of up to 40m. William Adams will fit out the excavator and modify it for underwater salvage operations. This includes fitting screens for the camera and sonar images, modifications to accommodate the telescopic arm, fitting controls for operation of the barge and ensuring hydraulic systems are compatible with a vegetable based hydraulic oil. William Adams will also be used to service all the equipment once operational on the water,” he said. Shipyards in Tasmania will be utilised for the construction of the motorised barge which the excavator will operate from and also barges for holding and transporting logs from the operation site to the landing area for processing. There
has decided to call it a day. Letisha Rakich, known to most as Tish, says that “after 30 years in the timber industry, it’s finally time for me to say goodbye”. PAGE 8: WITH SAFETY vest instead of surgical gown you probably won’t mistake Forest Nursery Manager Peter Moore for a medico, but hovered over the grafting table he wields the scalpel as deftly as a neurosurgeon.
is also the need to build a tug and several tender vessels. The project has a construction phase of 12 months with operations expected to commence on Lake Pieman in July 2015. Planning work is currently being undertaken using anecdotal evidence, aerial photography and GIS systems to identify potential areas to operate and these will be followed up by sonar scanning to produce a similar output to LiDAR for more accurate planning.
When operational the project will directly employ a crew of four people located on the west coast of Tasmania, plus the planning and administration of a further three people, while the construction phase will support the employment of over 20 people at various Tasmanian companies. SFM has identified enough potential resource to keep the operation going for more than 10 years. continued on page 4.
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Green politics hit an all-time low B
USINESS LEADERS in Yarra Ranges and Murrindindi have joined forces to ensure green “anti-timber industry” propaganda is kept in check, following an ‘embarrassing’ front page article in the Alexandra Standard newspaper. The Alexandra Standard will print a ‘front-page retraction’, after local green activists supplied the newspaper with false and misleading information, including a “photo-shopped” picture purporting to be a ‘front page’ Herald Sun article. Timber Industry supporter and President of Healesville Chamber of Commerce, Graham Taylor, has slammed green propaganda for reaching an all-time low.
“The timber industry in this region responsibly manages our forests, as they have done for over a 100 years. We are blessed that we have magnificent bush as far as the eye can see, and at the same time it is creating jobs and contributing enormously to local regional economies. “We don’t need out-of-town political activists stirring up our communities and trying to frighten everyone with untruths,” he said. Alexandra Tourism and Traders President, Andrew Embling, asked for a “please explain” from the Standard newspaper. “The timber Industry is a great contributor to our local economy and a great supporter of the Alexandra Truck
Show. Unfortunately, the local newspaper seems to be losing touch with the wider community,” he said. Not only did the local media get caught out, but the release of a ‘study’ by anti-timber industry activist Professor David Lindenmayer on “Logging and Bushfires”, was subsequently described by Melbourne University School of Botany Professor Peter Attiwill AM, as incorrect. Professor Attiwll, AM, said: “These claims by Professor Lindenmayer cause unnecessary concern in fire-affected communities when our published research shows the intensity of recent bushfires in Victoria had nothing to do with timber harvesting.”
It’s finally time to say goodbye.....no really, this time it’s for real! ONE OF the real champions of timber communities and the timber industry in the West has decided to call it a day. Letisha Rakich, known to most as Tish, says that “after 30 years in the timber industry, it’s finally time for me to say goodbye. “My first taste of the timber industry was back in 1984 when I first moved to Manjimup and started working in the office at Gandy’s mill. I was the first girl to work at the mill and the boys didn’t like it one bit. Spraying me with sawdust every afternoon when I went down into the mill to gather the daily tallies! Lucky I’m a Sydney girl with tough skin! “From Gandy’s I moved to Manjimup Tyre Mart where many an afternoon was spent chatting with Jack Bain from Bunnings and Cyril Giovanetti from Giovanetti Transport, always punctures to fix or tyres to replace or just a coffee to be had and a tale to be told. “Next stop Bunnings Engineering where I was, once again, the only girl working in the Engineering store. They were great days and I made lifelong industry mates; they were the ‘heydays’ of the timber industry in WA before the ‘green movement’ got the attention of the media.
“I left Bunnings to have my first baby Jayke, (who 24 years later works for Auswest at Deanmill) and started our own timber milling business, ppadene Forest Products. A vertically integrated sawmill on a farm at the back of Deanmill producing high quality timber furniture and flooring. “It was during that time, after my third child and in between delivering firewood and tailing out on the moulder that I became involved on a voluntary basis with TCA,” Tish recalls. “I found myself at the Manjimup airport with Trish Townsend protesting the then Minister for the Environment Cheryl Edwards about the ‘RFA back flip’ the Liberal Government had announced and the impact it was to have on the local community. Banners flying and fists air pumping. I had no idea what was ahead of me. Ahh the good old days! “Little did I know what I was getting myself in for! Unbeknown to me, Trish spent the next two years grooming me to take over her position as State Coordinator for TCA. She obviously saw the passion in me that held me in good stead over the next 13 years. “From sleeping out in the bush
Timber industry a key exhibitor at Heritage Festival ON NOVEMBER 7, 8, and 9, Healesville Heritage Festival, celebrating Healesville’s 150th birthday, will feature more than 100 exhibits on a 15 acre site, reflecting the rich history of the town and the surrounding highlands region. The huge site, located at the Healesville railway station, will feature exhibits that will bring the past to life focussing on 150 years of transport, local industry and community. A State of Origin Wood Chop Championship featuring champion axemen from Victoria, NSW and Tasmania, will be a major feature, even a portable, heritage style, log cabin is being built on site and will be auctioned off on the weekend! There will be an extensive
timber industry display, chainsaw carving, films of the timber industry history, and old photograph displays showing the rich history of the area’s timber industry. There will be kids entertainment, with a ‘working with wood’ area, Champion Whipcracker, Stewart Bryant, will perform six shows across the weekend, and on the Friday night of November 7 there will be a Heritage Festival Ball at the nearby RACV Club. Families can ride on the Tourist Railway’s W Class train and heaps more! Go to www.healesville-heritagefestival.com and facebook page ‘Healesville Heritage Festival!’
with Reno from Whittakers to protect machinery from greenies, to the halls of Parliament House in Canberra, so many and varied experiences I never in a million year’s expected to be part of. From frustration to tears and from tears to laughter, some conquests some defeats but never a dull moment. “It has been an absolute honour during the past 13 years working for TCA and then TCWA to represent and empower the incredible timber communities of Western Australia. To have the trust and friendship from my grassroots members and the ongoing commitment and support from my corporate sponsors has meant the absolute world to me and it’s been those things that have kept me going and passionate, and for all of that I am forever grateful. “Although I am leaving the industry per say, I will never stop defending the great work you all do and this incredibly sustainable and necessary industry. “Melissa and Tom from Forest Industries Federation of WA (FIFWA) and me have just spent six days travelling throughout the south west reconnecting with hundreds of grassroots members who had fallen off the radar
since the TCA restructuring. All still keen to be members and be involved when necessary, this is a great sign for the future of TCWA. “I can’t thank Trish Townsend enough for believing in me and trusting me to take over her role in the first place; what huge shoes I had to fill. Her belief in me has bought the most incredible opportunities and experiences to my life, ones I could never have dreamed about. “Also, I must thank Trevor Richardson, Whittakers Director (and my old TCA Board Member) for his constant support, friendship and belief in me, for pulling me into line when I needed it and for being a shoulder to cry on when the frustrations of the role became overwhelming. “So many things from so many industry members to be grateful for. To all of you, thank you and good luck in what appears to be this never ending battle to be recognised and appreciated for the incredible industry you are. “With regards to my successor ... we are definitely on the lookout for someone based in WA for two days a week. If anyone is interested and thinks they may have the passion for the
community with some knowledge of the industry, they can email Melissa Haslam from FIFWA at m.haslam@fifwa.asn.au.” Tish’s focus will now be on her own business as a wedding florist, Kisschasey Wedding Flowers, which has been a sideline for her for about 20 years and has become extremely busy managing around 60 weddings a year ... “that, along with house renovations and furniture restoration is where my creative passion lies,” she says..
¢ Letisha Rakich
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National forestry awards in 2015 NEW ZEALAND’S Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) has taken over the Forest and Wood Industry National Training Awards, formerly run by Competenz (and FITEC prior to the merger). To ensure the production of a high quality event on par with previous years, the next edition of the awards will be deferred to 2015. FICA will be working closely with regional groups to bring the awards to fruition. Apart from encouraging entries, Competenz will no longer be involved in the organisation of these awards as it is instead focusing on supporting the local graduations for trainees.
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4 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
Timber from the deep in unique operation continued from page 1. A feasibility study, funded by Hydro Tasmania and the Department of Economic Development, conducted last year shows that the majority of wood volume produced will be either Eucalyptus species or Myrtle logs with a small but significant volume of Specialty Species Timber (SST) also produced. This is seen as a source of specialty timbers which are becoming more difficult to find in natural forests. The reclamation operations are able to be covered under certification systems. This will enable wood to be sold to customers as a certified product and chain of custody will enable a story to be passed along with each log which adds value and creates a niche marketing perspective. Sawmill studies conducted by the University of Tasmania has shown that there are no major negative impacts of the wood being submerged for nearly three decades. When operational the project will directly employ a crew of four people located on the west coast of Tasmania, plus the planning and administration of a further three people, while the construction phase will support the employment of over twenty people at various Tasmanian companies. Federal Member for Braddon Brett Whiteley said harvesting specialty timber from lakes managed by Hydro Tasmania would make use of an otherwise wasted resource to produce timber goods. Whiteley, who chairs the Coalition’s Advanced Manufacturing Policy Committee, said SFM should be congratulated
¢ Black Hearted Sassafras.
for enlisting local business William Adams to complete the advanced engineering required to make the machinery underwater ready. “This means more of the money will be spent here locally, supporting local jobs. “SFM’s decision to engage William Adams is a sign of confidence in the local advanced manufacturing sector,” Whiteley said. Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, said the project was a great example of innovation. “This project will help create jobs in the region through transporting, processing, value adding, wholesaling and retailing of the products made from Hydrowood.” “The Coalition’s $106 million Tasmanian Jobs and Growth Plan complements our Economic Growth Plan for
¢ Black Hearted Sassafras.
Tasmania which aims to stimulate Tasmania’s economy by supporting growth and employment,” said Senator Colbeck.
¢ Location of lakes in NW Tasmania covered in the feasibility study.
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SFM to manage New Forests estate in Green Triangle P L A N T A T I O N MANAGEMENT company SFM has been appointed by New Forests to manage the recentlyacquired Limestone Plantations, formerly known as the Australian Sustainable Forestry Investors Fund Estate (ASFI), in South Australia and Victoria. The 21,000 hectare Limestone Plantations estate managed by SFM includes 61 properties with eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) distributed across some of Victoria’s and South Australia’s prime forestry land in the Green Triangle border region. The estate was recently purchased by New Forests via its Australia New Zealand Forest Fund 2 (ANZFF2). New Forests also recently announced an agreement to purchase the 175,000 hectare Tasmanian plantation estate from Gunns Limited in April this year. SFM’s Managing Director Andrew Morgan welcomed the opportunity to work with New Forests. “New Forests is a progressive, environ mentally-focused company with plantation assets across the country and we look forward to working with them to develop this estate and achieve third party certification,” Andrew said. “In engaging SFM, New Forests has recognised us as a leader in plantation management, and with a focus on innovation and sustainability we will continue to be a market leading provider of third party management services.” SFM was established in 2001 and is a leading forest management company operating Australia-wide, providing
¢ SFM’s Managing Director Andrew Morgan.
independent advice and services to landowners regarding management, harvesting and marketing of forest resources. SFM provides forestry management solutions to private, corporate and government entities and is certified under the Australian Forestry Standard and Forest Stewardship Council® Schemes. • SFM is a leading provider of independent forest management and forest consulting across Australia. • SFM manages approximately 25,000 hectares of plantation property in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. • SFM is certified for forest management by the Forest Stewardship Council® • (FSC) and the Australian Forestry Standard (AFS).
¢ SFM’s Dan Ryan and Brett Stevenson inspect trees.
More than a decade of research comes to an end A
FTER 11 years of active research the Bushfire CRC concluded its research program on 30 June. “The 11 years of research could not have been achieved without the sustained effort and support of so many people. To the project leaders, researchers, PhD students, lead end users, Directors, Principal Scientific Advisors and countless others within both our research partner organisations and Australia and New Zealand’s fire, land management and emergency services, your Bushfire CRC thanks you for your valuable input,” according to an official statement. The formal administrative wind down will continue until an Annual General Meeting in September. However, for all practical purposes to its members and the public, the Bushfire CRC ceased operation on 30 June. Should you have any queries related to the research, contact the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC on (03) 9412 9600 or office@bnhcrc. com.au Over the last year, the two CRCs have worked in tandem, sharing resources where possible. The two Boards have been in close cooperation in the wind down of the Bushfire CRC, and the establishment of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. The Bushfire CRC acknowledges the support from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Board and CEO Richard Thornton during this phase. Some areas of ongoing cooperation and transition include: Research to Drive Change online forum series – The extensive forums will continue over the coming months. For the latest schedule, as well as to access all past forums and videos see www.bushfirecrc.com/ drivechange Fire Notes – Some research outputs are still being finalised, including Fire Notes, which will continue to be published for a short time. Website – The Bushfire CRC website, and the more than 1600 research outputs attached to it, will be maintained by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. The website address will remain active and the site will be closely integrated with the new CRC’s website. Social media – Activity for the Bushfire CRC (Facebook and Twitter) will be wound down with all followers urged to switch to the new CRC. There will be periodic postings of Fire Notes and information connected to the Research to Drive Change online forum series. Departures – Gary Morgan, Annette Allen and Mike Leonard are leaving the Bushfire CRC. Transferring – Lyndsey Wright, Vaia Smirneos and Nathan Maddock will take up new positions with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. Lyndsey will continue her work in contract research and student management, while Communications Officers Vaia and Nathan will join the new CRC in similar roles to what they had in the Bushfire CRC. Research Utilisation – Bushfire CRC Research Utilisation Manager Dr Noreen Krusel will continue in this role as an employee of AFAC, concentrating on developing the
final outputs of the Bushfire CRC. Noreen will be assisted by a new Communications Officer, Brenda Leahy. Back in 2003, the Bushfire CRC was the first nationally coordinated research effort for the fire industry in Australia and New Zealand. Previously, funding for research never matched the need, there was little research information transfer or update, and much of the targeted research was for local issues and did
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 5
not address high priority national research requirements. The Bushfire CRC was a major step towards a better understanding of the complex social, economic and environmental aspects of bushfires. There was a vision for the future: safer firefighters and communities, through scientific research informing sound policies and procedures. Much of this has been achieved as we move into a new era under the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC.
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6 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
VicForests celebrates 10th anniversary ISSN 1444-5824
September 2014
Planting the seeds of learning in Tasmania on National Tree Day on page 8.
V
ICFORESTS celebrated its 10 year anniversary on August 1 with a reception at Parliament House in Melbourne. VicForests’ CEO, Robert Green said the organisation had worked hard to deliver social, environmental and economic sustainability since being established in 2004. “The timber industry continues to play a vital role in communities across regional Victoria and the Victorian Auditor General noted in his report last year that ‘VicForests has demonstrated that it balances the need to operate profitably with the need to support industry and socio-economic sustainability. “VicForests is now Australia’s largest supplier of native forest
Features ATTA Annual Workshop 10-11 ForestTECH 13 FWPA 14 Haulage 16-17 Bioenergy 18 Latest Technology 20 Harvesting 22-27 Skidders 29
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¢ Peter Walsh
hardwood sawlog and in our 10 years we have generated over $1 billion in revenue – with virtually all of this revenue poured straight back into the Victorian economy, mostly in regional Victoria. “There have been a number important achievements for VicForests and the forest industry such as certification to the Australian Forestry Standard, substantially reducing the number of forestry workplace injuries and our contribution to firefighting efforts during a period of unprecedented wildfires in Victoria. “Despite all the challenges we face, we continue to have a timber industry for one very good reason - we need to source our local hardwood timber,” he said. “With a rapidly growing population, the demand for timber and wood products will only increase and VicForests can supply the demand for hardwoods sustainably and responsibly. “Sustainability is key to our operations and we have worked hard at making sure our harvest levels match what is growing in the forest over the years, taking account of our external environment. “That has meant harvesting less to allow the forests to recover from the large scale bushfires that Victoria has suffered over the past century and in particular the last decade. “VicForests is dedicated to making sure that what we do
doesn’t harm the environment. Our planning and operations teams make biodiversity protection and maintenance an absolute priority. “Being an active member of the Leadbeater’s Possum Advisory group and playing a lead role in implementation of the recommended actions is testament to this. We want a sustainable industry that works in hand with the environment while producing social and economic outcomes for us all.” He also said that safety had come a long way since 2004: “Forestry can be a dangerous occupation and improving safety has been an important focus for VicForests over the last 10 years. “Over 90% of harvesting is now done from within the protected cab of a machine, every contractor has a safety management system and our staff have not had a single lost time injury since April 2013.” Robert said that VicForests recently announced its bid for Forest Stewardship Council certification “and with the implementation of a suite of tangible action to improve outcomes for the Leadbeater’s Possum we are making the biggest changes to harvesting practices since we commenced operations in 2004. “We will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the environment and our communities. Timber is rightfully making a renaissance as the environmental product of choice and we look
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forward to continuing to deliver this from local, sustainable sources over the next ten years,” he said. Footnote: It shouldn’t be too hard to remember this special occasion as all horses celebrate their birthday on 1 August, too (that’s only in the southern hemisphere).
Timber festival shaping up to be a cut above others IT’S DIARY note time ... mark down 5 October as that’s when the Shoalhaven Timber Festival will be held. The festival started in 2011 with Jim Butler being the driving force. It was his way to say “thank you” to the older timbermen who taught him the skills of working in sawmills and in the bush. Jim was also the man behind the formation of the South Coast Sawmills and Bush Timber Workers Association which is organising this year’s event. “Now, with a good membership of old and young timber men and women the association is set to lift the bar even higher,” says Jim. With an action-packed program the 2014 event promises to be a ripper. “Our aim is to promote the past and the future of the timber industry not only from the south coast of NSW but all over Australia and other countries,” Jim says. As is usual for events such as this, sponsorship is a crucial part so, if you can help out please contact Jim (0438 181 697). If you would like to be have a stall. at the event, give him a call, too. Incidentally, this year’s event will be held at the Milton Showground ... it outgrew its previous site!
Technology trials delivering promising results PRACTICAL NEW mobile tools for harvesting contractors and more accurate harvest planning are on the horizon, following promising results from Forestry Corporation of NSW’s technology trials. Mike Sutton, Forestry Corporation’s Manager of Forest Information and Planning, said the trials included testing the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as Global Positioning System (GPS) units under forest canopy, analysing LiDAR data, and building a forestry mapping app for Apple devices. “The combination of GPS and mobile technology, spatial data and remote sensing has opened up a range of possibilities on forestry operations, where we have traditionally relied on paper maps, physical assessment and boundary marking in the field,” Mike said. “Testing of GNSS devices including iPhones and iPads under canopy has demonstrated
a level of accuracy ranging from two to 10 metres, which is a promising result. The fact that the iDevices have the same accuracy as our conventional GPS units is particularly pleasing as this fits in well with our intended use of the forestry mapping application. We are now investigating practical applications that will make field work safer by reducing the amount of on-ground work needed, by combining remote sensing and spatial data into planning processes. There is also potential to make life easier for harvesting crews by loading harvest plans on GPS-enabled mobile devices and mounting these in harvest equipment to provide operators with the extra certainty of real-time positioning data. “Even more promising are developments in technology that can be used to enhance harvest planning. For some time Forestry Corporation has been using airborne LiDAR technology,
which generates a 3D ‘cloud’ of billions of data points, to identify features of and under the forest canopy. This information can be used to map and model ground features and, by using canopy height and forest structure, identify areas with the highest volume of timber. “We are taking the use of LiDAR-derived digital terrain model (DTM) data a step further by using the US-developed software GeoNet to model the location of streams. Because the LiDAR data penetrates the forest canopy, this provides stream network mapping that is vastly superior to traditional stream identification, which uses aerial photography. While LiDAR is used over many forested areas in the south and east of Australia, this is the first time GeoNet has been used in Australia and the first time in the world it has been applied to such a large scale forestry area. “Using this technology, we are in the process of accurately
mapping streams across more than a million hectares of native forest which will dramatically improve accuracy, safety and environmental performance during forest operations. LIDAR provides height data which is accurate to 10 centimetres, so it has great potential to help pinpoint features such as old tracks, disused mine sites and forest structural features that can help identify likely habitat of threatened species. We are also investigating its potential use in fire management, through identification of areas with high fuel loads.” Forestry Corporation will be presenting its recent findings at the Forest Tech conferences in Melbourne and Rotorua in November.
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8 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
Major players to meet in Lismore at October conference
F
ORMER GOVERNORGeneral of Australia, Major General Mick Jeffery will be a keynote speaker at the Australian Forest Growers 2014 Biennial Conference, to be held at Southern Cross University Lismore from October 26-29. Other notable keynote speakers to address the conference include: Prominent and provocative farm advocate Mick Keogh, Australian Farm Institute executive director. Andrew Campbell, director of the Research School for the Environment and Livelihoods at Charles Darwin University, highly regarded for pioneering whole-of-farm planning and playing and instrumental role in the development of Landcare. Professor Jerry Vanclay, head of School of Environment, Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University. Prominent Australian forestry industry veteran Rob de Fegely, president of the Institute of Foresters Australia. Australian Forest Growers (AFG) is the national association representing private forestry and commercial tree growing
in Australia. It supports a membership of more than 500 from across the country, representing growers with small plantings through to very large estates. Some growers have more than 1,000 hectares of plantations and other native forest managers have properties of several thousand hectares under commercial management. The theme of the Lismore conference is “Trees – the future crop for changing climates”, and a major focus will be twhe expansion of the $22 billion Australian forestry and timber industry in the midst of a carbon economy. The conference will reflect the changing nature of modern forestry, looking beyond managing forests for timber products, to embracing the social and environmental values of tree growing. AFG Biennial Conference convenor Michael Wright said it was a major coup for conference organisers to have secured such distinguished, high profile keynote speakers. “Major General Jeffery was
born in a small town in Western Australia, and his father was a stockman and he has carried an interest in the land throughout his illustrious career,” Michael said. “He was appointed by Prime Minister Gillard as Australia’s first Advocate for Soils, having already established the not-forprofit research institute Future Directions International (FDI) in 2000 that examines long-term issues of national significance facing Australia. “All keynote speakers share a vision and commitment to regenerate the Australian rural landscape while delivering sustainable food, fibre and water production solutions. Forestry is a key component in the mix required to achieve sustainable primary production outcomes, improved landscape health, improved habitat provision for wildlife, rehabilitation of degraded landscapes and mitigation of climate change impacts.” More than 40 presentations, from leading forest researchers and practitioners, a day of field trips, featuring local forestry initiatives, along with icebreaker
¢ AFG conference organising committee members (front left) Professor Jerry Vanclay, Southern Cross University (front right) Associate Professor Doland Nicholls, Southern Cross University and (rear centre) Mark Wright, manager at Super Forest Plantations.
and dinner events complete a full conference program. Registrations for the conference are now open, and more information is available at the Australian Forest Growers (AFG) website www.afg.asn.au. The conference is supported by sponsors including the Federal
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Wood Products Australia, Southern Cross University, Hurford Hardwood, Lismore City Council, ForestWorks Pty Ltd, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Super Forest Plantations and BSI.
Planting the seeds of learning Peter does the hard graft MINISTER FOR Resources Paul Harriss and Jacob Gaul from Forestry Tasmania lent helping hands to the students at Lindisfarne Primary as they celebrated Schools Tree Day. Part of Planet Ark’s annual National Tree Day, Schools Tree Day provides students with the opportunity to learn about the environment by planting and caring for native trees and shrubs. It links to many areas of the school curriculum, including math, science and the arts. Furnished with a supply of seedlings from Forestry Tasmania, the Minister and students alike spent the day planting native vegetation to stabilise banks and slopes, and to beautify the school grounds. “It’s hoped that the children will be able to care for and watch the seedlings grow into maturity as they do themselves,” the Minister said. “The attractive natural environment and shade they will create will make schools like Lindisfarne Primary even more pleasant places to be.” This year marked the seventh year that Forestry Tasmania has supported Schools Tree Day. Forest Nursery Assistant Manager Carlton Cox estimates that some 65,000 seedlings have been provided to schools and community groups over that time. This year, 7,000 seedlings of 20 different species, including many less common eucalypts, were supplied. “Our range includes plants from a variety of environments, so that suitable species were available for milder coastal areas through to the colder central regions of Tasmania,” said Jacob. Source: Forestry Tasmania
¢ Pinus radiata - pine trees
WITH SAFETY vest instead of surgical gown you probably won’t mistake Forest Nursery Manager Peter Moore for a medico, but hovered over the grafting table he wields the scalpel as deftly as a neurosurgeon. He’s been wielding it with great dexterity of late in order to fulfill orders for Timberlands Pacific and the Forestry Corporation of NSW. The work aims to increase the stocks of superior selections of (Pinus radiata) pine trees. Forestry Tasmania’s Forest Nursery at Perth is already maintaining a clonal archive, which will eventually produce seed for both Timberlands and NSW. “These are some of the best trees in Australia, for growth, form and timber qualities,” says Peter with a touch of pride. The 500 odd grafts he has to do for the companies will be distributed around several orchard sites in NSW with some kept to enrich the stocks already held at Perth. They will then be managed in the orchard to provide seed for the production of seedlings, some of which will be planted at higher elevation sites. “Our disease free status
means we can send plant material interstate, so that’s a big advantage. “The grafting is a tricky, time consuming job, but it’s the best way to build up the traits you want in trees relatively quickly,” Peter said. The grafting service is just part of the diversification the Forest Nursery is going through. One of the innovations has been to lease an area of the nursery to United States-based Driscolls to propagate strawberry and raspberry plants, which are distributed to commercial growers. Source: Forestry Tasmania
¢ Peter Moore grafting pines
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10 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
ATTA ANNUAL WORKSHOP
Increasing importance of timber industry in new carbon constrained economy By David McElvenny ATTA Secretary THE WINTER sun in Tumut shone on this year’s annual Australian Timber Trainers Association (ATTA) Workshop. Tumut is one of the major forest industry hubs in NSW, so there was plenty to see and do throughout the three-day event, which ran from 28-30 July. The main venue was the Tumut RSL Club. At its peak there were over 50 attendees, coming from TAFE colleges, private training providers, industry associations and Government bodies. Adam Farquharson, head of forestry at the Forest Industry Training Centre (FITC), TAFE NSW Riverina Institute, was the local organiser, and FITC staff provided valuable back-up support. The keynote address was given by Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Agriculture. He emphasised the increasing importance of the timber industry in this new ‘carbon constrained economy’. Other speakers on Day 1 included Paul Wells (Forest Manager, NSW Department of Primary Industries) and Antoinette Hewitt (ForestWorks Contract Manager).
On Day 2, participants undertook a field trip to various sites, including the Forestry Corporation Blowering Nursery, Carabost forest, Hyne and Sons Tumbarumba sawmill and Visy Pulp and Paper mill in Tumut. Day 3 involved a range of workshops and discussions, including innovations in training, soil and water protection and implementation of assessment processes. In the afternoon there was also a demonstration of the Forest Industry Training Centre ‘connected classroom’, which showcased various on-line and remote training delivery techniques. There was an optional Day 4 training session for people who had enrolled in the competency that will soon become compulsory for qualified trainers – TAELLN411 Address adult language literacy and numeracy skills. Participants completed some of the assignments in class, and took the workplace assignments away with them at the end of the day. Our loyal sponsors Stihl and ForestWorks provided the major sponsorship contributions. We also welcomed a new sponsor this year – Waratah Forestry Equipment.
¢ ATTA workshop attendees line up in front of the unloading crane at the Visy Pulp and Paper mill in Tumut. When it is working at capacity, this crane unloads a B double log truck every 4 minutes.
All participants who attended the three-day workshop program received a certificate of attendance, which listed the topics covered and activities undertaken. The purpose of the certificate is to provide evidence of continuing
professional development and industry consultation. We have found that ASQA and the other state-based regulators view these certificates very favourably when they conduct RTO audits. Next year’s annual workshop
will be held in Creswick, Victoria. The local organiser will be Rob Rule, general manager at Timber Training Creswick. More details will be posted on the ATTA website once the workshop program begins to take shape.
¢ David McElvenny (standing) delivers a training session to participants undertaking the unit: TAELLN411 Address adult language literacy and numeracy skills. 21 participants stayed on for this Day 4 optional session. David is the ATTA secretary and CEO of Workspace Training.
¢ Tim Isaacs (left), outgoing ATTA president, introduces Paul Wells, forestry manager for the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Paul spoke about the current issues and challenges facing the NSW forest industry.
¢ Melinda Haris (left), chairperson of the Forest Industry Council, shakes hands with Kerry Penton, director of TAFE NSW Riverina Institute, after they both signed a new partnership agreement. The Forest Industry Council represents 38 businesses involved in forest growing, harvesting and processing in the southern NSW region. Training for its members is delivered by the Riverina Institute.
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 11
ATTA ANNUAL WORKSHOP
¢ Byron Roberts, teacher at Riverina Institute, appears on a screen in the ‘connected classroom’ at the Tumut campus. Byron was on-line from his own classroom in Albury, and gave a demonstration of some of the programs and delivery techniques used in live on-line learning.
¢ Rob Baker (left), Stihl Technical Manager, is introduced by Greg Howard, incoming ATTA president. Stihl has sponsored ATTA since its annual workshops began in 1992. Each year, Rob talks about the latest developments in chainsaw technology and answers questions about technical issues.
¢ Adam Farquharson (left) talks to Kevin Wood, Ben Sparks and Greg Howard at Carabost State Forest. All four are ATTA members, and Adam was this year’s workshop organiser. In January, fires in the Carabost region burnt out around 12 thousand hectares of land, a quarter of which was state or privately owned pine plantations. Forestry Corporation has since been salvaging what they could of the burnt trees and sending them to the local mills for processing.
¢ Dean Page, from the Forestry Corporation’s Blowering Nursery, holds up a radiata pine seedling. This winter, the nursery will distribute 6.5 million radiata seedlings to plantations around Bathurst, Lithgow, Oberon, Tumbarumba, Bombala, Queanbeyan, Orange and Tumut.
¢ Brendon Satchwell, from Waratah Forestry Equipment, gives a presentation on the company’s latest range of harvesting machine attachments. Brendon is the Waratah Product Support Manager for Australia, Indonesia and Africa.
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¢ Senator Richard Colbeck (seated) receives instructions on how to operate a John Deere harvesting simulator from Darren Webb, ATTA member and Riverina Institute teacher. Senator Colbeck is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Agriculture. He said in his opening address at the workshop that there will be an increasing focus in the forest industry on ‘change, innovation and technology’.
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12 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
Let's all 'Touchwood' By Kirsty Richardson
W
E CAN’T escape the use of timber. It literally surrounds our lives. But, what if there is a way to provide more timber from fewer trees? Timber scientist Christopher McEvoy [he graduated with a Bachelor in Biology and worked at CSIRO for 13 years as a wood scientist in forestry and forest products, mainly timber preservation and timber durability] started Radial Timber Sales in 2004 because he saw a need for the timber industry to head in a new direction. His vision began when he became involved with the world’s first radial saw mill. This way of processing wood guarantees a recovery yield of up to 80% and is nearly double the yield of traditional sawmills. This means that Radial Timber can actually provide the same amount of timber, but from less trees. The trees that Radial Timber uses are established and managed through their affiliate, Heartwood Plantations and are part of a renewable forest cycle. McEvoy explains that “all of his plantations are old farmland which is converted to native plantations with endemic trees from the Gippsland region”. Each tree is then grown for 20-30 years, harvested, and a new tree replanted to ensure a constant cycle of forest growth. This not only ensures the plantation does not need to
Port gets green light for rail link change ALBANY PORT Authority’s transport corridor project has been given the green light after receiving $2.5m for the stage 1 rail loop component from the Western Australian Regional Grants Scheme 2013/14. The funding will go towards the $6.5m capital cost of the rail loop and the port will put in the balance. This will be the first of a three-stage development to increase operational capacity from 3m tonnes per annum to 8mtpa. It will take about two years to finish the rail loop. The first six months [starting immediately after the funding allocation] are design, followed by three months of construction contract tendering. After that there will be around 12 to 15 months of construction. Construction will start between March and June 2015. Around 90% of the trade through the port of Albany is grain and woodchips and rail delivers around half the tonnage of both products. The project will open up a large part of the port for future mineral trades as rail is the only transport solution for the distances and tonnages involved.
expand, but also maximises carbon storage from the trees, creating a renewable forest cycle. This process might sound like common sense, however, McEvoy explains that, “historically, most of Australia’s hardwood timber has come from native forest reserves and more recently, large quantities have begun to be imported from rainforest areas in developing countries”. McEvoy believes that “old growth and rainforest timber should be preserved for future generations and the timber industry needs to look to create a sustainable future”. However, McEvoy realises that if there is to be real change, then the public must be informed about the timber industry and get behind sustainable timber choices. To do this, McEvoy recently launched his campaign, Touchwood, which aims to educate Australians in sustainable timber initiatives. Providing an opportunity for the community to make a difference, the campaign promises to plant a new native tree in their plantation for every ‘Facebook Like’ they receive. The total likes received will not only represent a tree that the public helped to plant, but McEvoy explains that “more importantly, every like represents one more person who is aware that there is a sustainable choice in timber”. “Radial Timber is just a small company in the timber industry but if Australia gets behind us we are
prepared to plant up to 2 million trees in our plantation by the end of the 2020,” says McEvoy. Do you want to get involved? Visit the Touchwood website and then like, or share, their Facebook page. The more likes they receive, the more trees they will plant. While it may be a long journey, everything worthwhile in life, takes time. Touchwood Campaign Website: www.touchwood.net.au/ Radial Timber Website: www. radialtimbers.com.au Touchwood recently donated over 500 trees from their Heartwood Plantation to schools in the Gippsland area for National Plant a Tree Day. Schools involved include South Street Primary School in Moe St Marys Catholic Primary School in Yarram as well as Yarram Secondary School. Heartwood Plantations have planted over 250,000 trees for Radial Timber since 2004. Since 1998 Heartwood Plantations have planted over 1 million trees. Approximately 1 tonne of carbon (1,000kg) is stored per mature plantation tree. By harvesting trees under 30 the plantation is able to absorb carbon at a greater rate, than old growth trees found in rainforests or forest reserves. 3 mature trees from our plantation can store approximately 3 tonne of carbon. That is the equivalent to the carbon emissions from a car in a year.
¢ Jon Lambert and Clinton Tepper.
Detailed wood production plans FORESTRY TASMANIA has just released an annual update of its Three Year Wood Production Plan to infworm stakeholders of planned operations on Permanent Timber Production Zone land over the next three years, and also to guide more detailed operational planning and scheduling. The Plan, which is available on Forestry Tasmania’s website,
identifies the forest coupes on Permanent Timber Production Zone land that it intends to harvest over the next three years and also associated road building plans. In a new initiative to make it easier for stakeholders to identify the locations of these coupes relative to their particular areas of interest, FT has also introduced an interactive map on its website. Forestry Tasmania is keen to hear
from stakeholders to: Identify whether stakeholders have any specific concern in relation to particular coupes Whether they have an interest in being informed about any future operations on those coupes Identify issues that will need to be taken into account in detailed planning and decision making related to specific coupes
Stakeholders wanting more information or wishing to register their interest in relation to any particular coupes are encouraged to contact our Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator as early as possible by calling on 03 6235 8151, emailing: stakeholder@forest r y tas.com. au or mailing: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, 79 Melville St, Hobart, Tas, 7000
Indigenous input sought in creation of first national forestry standard FOR THE first time indigenous Australians are being called on to help shape a new set of forestry standards as part of a project launched by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Australia. “By engaging indigenous stakeholders at all levels of the forestry supply chain, we aim to create the first set of Australian forestry standards that respect the rights and values of all indigenous Australians while also protecting the economic and environmental benefits of forests for current and future generations,” FSC Australia Deputy CEO Daniel Mackey said. “FSC Australia has recognised for some time that to deliver a credible forestry standard for Australia, the level of engagement with indigenous stakeholders needed targeted focus, expertise and resources.” Mackey said the FSC would work with indigenous consultation experts at the Aboriginal Carbon Fund (AbCF) and had committed $60,000 of funding to the project. “We are looking for input from all Australians throughout the standards
development process, but collaboration with the indigenous community specifically is an integral component of developing the first locally owned Forest Stewardship Standard by the end of 2015, Mackey said. “The Indigenous Stakeholder Engagement project will seek perspectives of all indigenous Australians with a connection to our forests and the products that come from them – from forestry workers and local community groups to land owners, retailers and business owners.” Under the project, the AbCF will establish an indigenous expert panel to provide ongoing advice to FSC Australia throughout the standards development process while also encouraging collaboration from the wider indigenous community through targeted communications and events. AbCF General Manager Rowan Foley, from the Wondunna clan of the Badtjala people (traditional owners of Fraser Island), said the AbCF were eager to deliver indigenous Australians the positive social benefits that FSC’s international certification scheme had achieved for communities in New Zealand and Canada.
“We strongly support indigenous people having meaningful involvement in developing a national forestry standard and look forward to helping the FSC shape principles that benefit all indigenous interests,” Foley said. “Indigenous communities want culturally and environmentally significant forest areas to be protected and preserved for future generations. They want access to forests for hunting and gathering and other activities important to the aboriginal way of life. “Indigenous Australians also have a long history of involvement in forestry operations, from harvest to manufacturing, so the continued economic viability of the forestry industry is an important factor for many aboriginal stakeholders. “By leading a targeted consultation process, the FSC has shown recognition of the unique status of Indigenous Australians as the original forest owners and an understanding that traditional approaches to consultation are not always effective or culturally appropriate.”
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 13
FORESTTECH 2014
Forest inventory and remote sensing W
ITHOUT DOUBT, remote sensing over the past five years has made the most profound impact on how foresters are planning and managing their forest estates. Last year’s ForestTECH event was a sellout. Well over 400 attended with the theme being steep slope wood harvesting and forestry safety. The last FIEA technology series profiling new developments in remote sensing and forestry analytical tools was back in 2011. ForestTECH 2011 detailed results from early trials of forestry companies that were evaluating the technical, operational and financial feasibility of using LiDAR across a range of forest management activities. Results clearly demonstrated that LiDAR was able to be integrated into a forestry company’s inventory and planning systems. Significant savings could be made over traditional systems, particularly where terrain and drainage was not well understood (for harvesting and road construction planning) and where forest inventory costs were high. The quality of the data being captured over traditional methods was also vastly superior and technical issues around processing and handling large volumes of data had successfully been overcome. A lot has happened since that technology update just three years ago. A large number of operational trials have been rolled out and LiDAR is now firmly incorporated into the forest inventory and management systems of numerous forestry
companies. LiDAR data is now being used by foresters to measure the maturity and density of a stand, and reliably count trees, making it possible to predict key stand metrics and plan supply chain logistics accurately from the office. Individual tree metrics and maps showing spatial variation in tree stocking have also recently been developed allowing forest managers to accurately predict stocking and tree dimensions.
multi-rotor platforms – for tasks like assessing tree survival, postharvest regeneration, coppice regrowth surveys and fire management. The technology and the early trial results for forestry companies using UAV’s will be a core focus for this year’s ForestTECH 2014 event. As well as remote sensing and inventory management, ForestTECH 2014 will also be evaluating some of the new innovations around selecting and
In addition to LiDAR, there have been significant advances in photogrammetric software. High-resolution DSM and DTM production is no longer the domain of LiDAR scanning. New generations of satellite imagery are being evaluated and used by forestry companies as part of their resource assessments, forest inventory and operational planning. As well as huge strides being made in using LiDAR, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s – also known as drones) along with multiple sensors (visible, multispectral and hyperspectral, thermal and LiDAR) are now being trialed by forestry companies on both sides of the Tasman to provide up-todate, cost-effective and accurate spatial data. Forestry companies have used fixed wing UAV’s and are looking closely at the
using rugged data capture tools in the field as well as national, estate and tactical planning systems being used by leading forestry companies. So, ForestTECH 2011 set the scene. It whet the appetite for technical foresters in both Australia and New Zealand. ForestTECH 2014 will provide a long overdue insight into how remote sensing and mobile communications technologies have developed, how they’re being employed operationally and what impact the technology has had on the company’s operation. ForestTECH 2014 is planned to run on 19-20 November in Rotorua, New Zealand and then again in Melbourne, Australia on 25-26 November. Early program details can be found on the event website, www.foresttech2014. com
Improving efficiencies through the supply chain FIEA’s WOOD Flow Logistics events in New Zealand and Australia have been described as overwhelmingly successful. Rationalising the number of log sorts the New Zealand forestry industry was currently dealing with was a recurring theme that came out of the Rotorua event. Productivity for wood harvesting, wood transport and wood handling and loading at our export ports could be improved significantly – by reducing the number of log sorts. As well as impacting on productivity, the large number of log sorts currently impact on downstream operations (log truck configurations, scaling and port issues), safety on the landing, the size of landings needed in the forest (average skid size currently being around 3,900m 2) and on the environment through increased processing waste. While noting that it was difficult to make true comparisons between countries, Rien Visser from the University of Canterbury, used some typical figures for fully mechanised tree length harvesting in the Southern USA and fully mechanised cut to length harvesting systems employed in Scandinavia to show that New Zealand currently lags. For typical ground based clearfell operations the logging rates for New Zealand were higher, $25/m3 c.f. Scandinavia, $22/ m3 and Southern USA, $20/m3. Productivity was also down (57 m3/day/machine for New Zealand c.f. 67 m3/day/machine for Scandinavia and 75 m3/day/ machine for Southern USA.
Rien also reported on a recent study into log sorting and the impacts on productivity. The study was the UC Masters project of Alex Tolan carried out with two Davis Logging crews in the Waikato. It studied both the productivity and value recovery as the crews swapped from cutting 5, 9, 12 to 15 log sorts. While value recovery per m3 increased as the number of log sorts increased, this increase is offset by the decrease in productivity. The optimum value per hour was cutting 9 log sorts, and that productivity dropped by 9 percent as crews moved from cutting 9 to 15 log sorts. The second and final leg of Wood Flow Logistics was in Melbourne. More than 300 leading forest managers, harvesting contractors and wood transport companies in the region participated in this latest FIEA series. With 30-40% of delivered log costs being contributed by transport, local companies have been keen on checking out just what innovations have been developed and how some of this new technology is being employed to improve efficiencies through the wood supply chain. In Melburne the opportunity to improve efficiencies was again put into sharp focus. An estimated 25-27 million tonnes of wood each year is being transported (that’s around AU$1.2 million being spent each day). An array of decision support tools being used successfully in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Brazil and Chile by larger forest products companies were discussed in depth in Melbourne.
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14 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
FWPA
Devising the best strategies for E. globulus and P. radiata plantations under climate change
By Matthew Lovering
P
REDICTED CHANGES to Australia’s climate over the next one and half to three decades will affect how growers and owners manage their Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata plantations. The risks of increased droughts, hotter bushfires, and new tree diseases and pests will affect where plantation managers can plant with the confidence of getting a healthy tree crop in two to three decades time, and how they should look after their trees. Researchers from CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, with support from FWPA, have spent three years modeling predictions of plantation productivity for 2030 and 2050 under a range of likely climate scenarios (project: PNC228-1011). They examined data from a variety of sites in five key Australian forestry regions: southern Western Australia; the Green Triangle in South Australia and Victoria; Eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales; and northern New South Wales. The research looked at whether current plantation management practices need to change in the light of climate change, and where new production methods (for example, new species planted or new products produced) may be more profitable for industry. It also examined the affect of climate change on wood properties, and developed a decision support tool to help growers make plantation management decisions taking into account future climate induced hazards. As a consequence, the Australian plantation industry now has a greatly improved ability to quantify and manage both the risk and impacts associated with climate change and variability, from the scale of a region down to a site.
Snapshot of significant changes The research team was led by Dr Libby Pinkard, Senior research scientist in CSIRO Land and Water, based in Tasmania. While predicting the future must always come with caveats, the researchers feel they have provided a snapshot of significant changes anticipated by 2030 in the five key Australian forestry regions for both E. globulus and P. radiata (only P. radiata in northern New South Wales). These regions and the scope of the modeling was determined after consulting closely with plantation growers. “The five regions we chose were fairly broad, but the modelling within each of those regions is at a reasonably fine scale (10 km grids). This means that broader trends can be examined at a regional scale, but impacts and risks can also be examined at a finer scale,” says Libby. The team was grateful to
industry to be able to use plantation management and silviculture data that had been collected by growers for the last 20 years in the case of E. globulus and slightly longer for P. radiata. Such a wealth of information enabled the computer models to be calibrated and refined so as to have the best chance of predicting how climate change may affect different sites which have different characteristics (such as soil depth, rainfall etc.). No matter what its cause, Australia’s climate is changing, with many parts of Australia experiencing an increase in mean annual maximum temperature over the last 40 years (by between 0.15˚C and 0.4˚C every 10 years) when compared to the 50 years before then. There has also been an increase in the number of days hotter than 35˚C, and a decline in mean annual rainfall (by up to 50mm every 10 years). Indeed the 2012/13 drought in south-eastern Australia was the driest since records began. These trends have occurred in the main plantationgrowing regions in southern, south western and eastern Australia.
Well tested models A number of global climate models have been well tested to forecast Australia’s future climate. Although projections vary slightly when different climate models are used, the models predict a future that has a decrease in annual rainfall across most of south eastern Australia with smaller changes in south west Western Australia, together with a general warming of the climate. The researchers used three models to look at climate risks and impacts: CABALA—CSIRO’s plantation growth and water use model for analysis of productivity and the impacts of drought on stand mortality; e-Cambium, which uses information about site, management regime and daily weather data to predict variation in wood density and stiffness; and Climex, which predicts changes in the distribution and abundance of invasive insect pests related to climate. “The important thing to remember about models is that they need interpretation. We need to make sure that what they’re telling us makes sense ‘biologically’, that is, will the trees actually thrive in a particular scenario or will something else come into play,” says Libby. “Rules of thumb are difficult to develop when looking at climate change impacts. Sitelevel assessments will be required in many cases because of the complex interactions between site conditions, climate changes and hazards such as pests.” Despite some of the alarming predictions for future climate, the research suggests productivity for plantations currently in well performing areas may be only slightly affected (positively
or negatively), with modeling showing little change by 2030 or even 2050. However, plantations growing in the drier areas of existing plantation regions are vulnerable to reduced productivity and increasing mortality, and in the worst instances look highly likely to fail. The regions with lower predicted survival rates for E. globulus include central Victoria, the south coast of Western Australia, and the Midlands of Tasmania. However, for E. globulus in colder regions where low temperatures limit growth, (parts of Tasmania and Victoria) survival is generally predicted to improve with warmer future temperatures.
Wood density The research looked at how wood properties might alter with climate change. This is an area of considerable uncertainty, but in general terms increased temperature, reduced water availability and elevated CO2 levels may increase wood density, although the effects of CO2 are small relative to effects of temperature and water availability. Outcomes for wood density are likely to vary considerably between sites, due to complex feedbacks between genetics, environment and management. Climate, and in particular temperature and rainfall, can significantly influence the abundance and distribution of insect and fungal pests, the bulk of which (in plantations) target the leaves of trees. While such an occurrence may not kill the tree it can reduce the tree’s growth and timber productivity. Indeed in eucalypts and pines, the impact of defoliation was predicted to vary from less than a 5% reduction in final volume up to around a 20% reduction but with considerable site variation. Defoliation later in a rotation, and more frequent pest attack, is likely to have the greatest impact on harvest volumes. Unfortunately one of the greatest impacts of climate change in Australia is the increase in likelihood and severity of bushfires. The largest predicted increases in fire danger are in inland areas with smaller changes for Tasmania, coastal areas of South Australia, Western Australia, and Victoria and northern New South Wales. Historically, 75% of plantation losses have occurred on Very High or Extreme fire danger days, with fires affecting plantations differently depending on whether the canopy has closed, if there is more leaf litter or if there is debris from a previous plantation rotation. Depending on the region, the climate models suggest that the number of ‘fire weather days’ (when the Forest Fire Danger Index—a measure of dryness, temperature, humidity and wind speed—is greater than 25) will increase by up to four days per
¢ Eucalyptus globulus
¢ Pinus radiata
month during the summer months and in some regions the fire season may last longer. The research team also developed a series of regional reports to assist industry understand and mitigate potential hazards that might exist in 2030. Five climate scenarios that spanned the worst, most likely and best case climate outcomes were used for the analyses, and the results refined to deliver management practices that may improve survival and growth no matter which climate pattern will ultimately occur. For E. globulus, lower stocking rates in water limited environments can substantially reduce the risk of mortality without reducing productivity at some sites. Applying fertilizer may increase productivity to current levels in some sites but
possibly may increase risk of tree mortality. For P. radiata, modeling suggests that increasing the initial stocking or reducing the number of thinning’s to two and delaying the first thinning may be effective climate adaptation strategies at some sites. Up to 2030 good silvicultural management has the potential to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change for both P. radiata and E. globulus within the core of the plantation estate. Areas that are marginal now will likely become more marginal. “A critical part in understanding climate impacts is ongoing monitoring,” says Libby. “We can revise the modelling every few years as climate models are improved, but we need to understand how our plantations are tracking compared with model predictions.”
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 15
Give me genome among the gum trees S
CIENTISTS HAVE sequenced the genetic code of the eucalypt for the first time, providing fresh insights into the Australian icon that has become the world’s favourite hardwood. Australian researchers from tThe University of Melbourne, the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries, the Australian National University, Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife and the University of the Sunshine Coast collaborated with 30 institutions in 18 countries to sequence and analyse the genome of the Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus grandis). “Efforts to sequence the genome of a eucalypt started over a decade ago,” explained USC’s Dr Dorothy Steane, who was a co-author of the paper that was published online in the international scientific journal Nature. “The idea was originally discussed at the inaugural meeting of the International Eucalypt Genome Network, held in Hobart in 2004,” Dr Steane said.
“Since then, there have been a number of international workshops, meetings and other exchanges that have brought the international eucalypt research community together to discuss, and now create, the resources to unlock the potential of eucalypts as a truly global fuel and fibre source.” Native to Australia, Eucalyptus trees have become the world’s most widely planted hardwood due to their fast growth, adaptability and complex oils. Dr Antanas Spokevicius of the University of Melbourne said eucalypts were now the hardwood plantation species of choice in many parts of the world for applications like paper-making and bio-energy. “This resource will provide a huge boost for breeding and biotechnological tree improvement programs and has put eucalypts on the same footing as many other important crop species, whose improvement programs have benefited greatly from a sequenced genome,” Dr Spokevicius said.
Dr Steane, a Collaborative Research Networks (CRN) Research Fellow at USC, said there were more than 700 species of Eucalyptus growing across a wide range of environments, from wet tropics to alpine shrublands and to the arid interior. “The genome sequence of flooded gum provides us with the means to investigate the essential differences between species and to understand how eucalypts have adapted to so many different environments,” she said. “It gives us resources to help us develop drought-resilient plantations for future generations.” Dr Carsten Kulheim of Australian National University agreed: “The genetic code will help us understand a foundation species of many Australian eco-systems and how these affect other species, from fungi and insects through to marsupials.” The researchers identified 113 genes responsible for synthesising terpenes, the familiar aromatic essential oils of eucalypts. These oils provide chemical
defence against pests as well as the familiar aromatic essential oils used in both medicinal cough drops and for industrial processes. They may be extremely important in understanding feeding preferences of animals such as the endangered koala, while genome-based research could also one day lead to eucalypt oils being used as a base for jet fuel. Dr Steane said the genome sequence consists of 640 million base pairs of DNA, containing over 36,000 genes – almost twice the number of genes in the human genome. The detailed analysis of the Eucalyptus genome revealed an ancient wholegenome duplication event estimated to have occurred about 110 million years ago, almost twice as long ago as the extinction of the dinosaurs. “Duplication of genes may be one of the reasons that eucalypts have been able to adapt to so many diverse environments across Australia,” Dr Steane said.
‘If the people who work in and depend on the forests cannot survive, then the forests themselves will perish’ THE WELLBEING of the people who own, live in and depend on forests is the single most important criteria to determine if a forest is being sustainably managed, according to William Street Jr., PEFC Chairman. “If the people who work in and depend on the forests cannot survive, then the forests themselves will perish.” In his remarks welcoming the Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities YB Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to the General Assembly, Street reminded the audience of the importance of the economic and social dimensions of sustainable forest management. “We believe that both poverty and profit seeking endangers natural and human resources. The poor need to sacrifice the forest in order to survive. Any forest management plan that ignores this reality is doomed to fail. Likewise we recognise the difference between poverty driven deforestation and profit driven deforestation. Forest land use decisions are subject to the demands of the market and of the profits derived from markets. But this cannot be the only driver or the sole determinant of how we manage our forests,” Street said.
“The way forward [...] is to find the balance point, a balance point between making a sustainable economic contribution to society and no economic contribution to society. If forests cannot make a substantial economic contribution to society they will be replaced by palm oil plantations, soy bean fields, cattle pastures, golf courses, and destination resorts.” Street highlighted that PEFC’s unique, inclusive bottomup approach is well-suited to balancing the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability: “We believe that the best way to achieve these goals is through an inclusive process that recognises that there is no single way forward for every forest type. We believe there is not even a best way applicable to all forests, but rather that the process of bottom up, stakeholder involvement that gives voice to those who rarely have an opportunity to be heard is the only way forward. Smallholders, native and indigenous populations, workers, women, minorities, as well as Fortune 500 multi-nation corporations and Government land owners must all have a seat at the table where the decisions are made as to how to manage a sp ecific forest.”
¢ William Street Jr., PEFC Chairman.
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16 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
HAULAGE
Wireless connection truck servicing saves downtime ¢ Mechanic servicing a truck
V
OLVO TRUCKS has developed a new GSMbased system that allows the workshop to check a truck’s condition remotely – a development that promises increased uptime and lower maintenance costs. The system is scheduled for release in Europe this year. The new remote services are possible thanks to the latest version of in-truck Telematics Gateway – TGW. This allows the Volvo workshop to monitor the vehicle’s wear and condition and also read trouble codes remotely, using the GSM network. “With these new communication facilities on board the trucks, the workshop receives continuous information about wear in a number of components,” said Christian Gustavsson, head of service at Volvo Trucks. The new system allows the workshop’s service technicians to check how much mileage the truck has covered and how quickly the various components are being worn out. After this, the workshop can plan the servicing according to the individual vehicle’s actual needs. “This will increase uptime and minimise the risk of unplanned stoppages by the roadside. This promotes security and reduces administration for the haulage firms, at the same time as their customers can count on high reliability,” he said. Remote communication between truck and workshop is a complement to the service schedule. If a truck is driven in a different way compared to the
original plan, the service intervals may end up being too frequent or too far apart. When the workshop receives data about the actual wear rate it can adjust service intervals to suit the truck’s actual needs. “Many of the parameters are difficult to calculate. A truck driven in tougher than average conditions wears out certain components more quickly, while a truck operating in calmer conditions may still have a lot of wear left in the same components when the scheduled replacement date arrives. This, in turn, means uncertainty for the haulage firm,” says Gustavsson. If the truck is used in a way that differs from the use that was planned for in the original service schedule the workshop receives information about this. “For example, the workshop can be alerted to brake pad wear. As a result the worn parts are replaced in time, they don’t give up when you’re out on a long-distance trip. “It’s a win-win situation. It’s far more efficient both for the haulage firm and the workshop if it’s possible to avoid unplanned workshop visits.” With TGW it will be possible to have remote updates of parameters and, in the future, it will be possible to update entire software packages in the truck. Initially the system will encompass a limited number of parameters but within a few years, according to Gustavsson, Volvo Trucks will develop a far wider range of such facilities with the aim of improving haulage firm uptime and reducing operating costs.
¢ Volvo's remote servicing system
¢ Remote servicing
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 17
HAULAGE
Safer system for slippery road conditions
¢ Stretch Brake that automatically retards the trailer and straightens up the rig on slippery downhill stretches
F
OR TRUCKS with trailers, slippery winter roads and downhill gradients represent a tough challenge for even the most skilled of drivers. There is always the risk of the rig becoming unstable and, in the worst-case scenario, starting to jack-knife. Volvo Trucks has now developed a solution that significantly improves safety. “Even if the truck driver ultimately manages to control the situation, it can be extremely unpleasant both for oncoming road users and the truck driver, if a rig suddenly veers off its intended course on a downhill gradient,” says Mats Sabelström, brake specialist for the Volvo Trucks brand. In order to minimise the risk of this type of situation and potential accidents, Volvo Trucks has developed a system known as Stretch Brake that automatically retards the trailer and straightens up the rig on slippery downhill stretches. “About 15% of the total of 30,000 serious road accidents in Europe every year involve trucks, in a slightly declining trend1. With effective brakes, stability systems and collision warning systems we are already helping drivers avoid risky situations in difficult conditions. Stretch Brake is yet another important part of our long-term drive to increase traffic safety and minimise the number of accidents involving trucks,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director for the Volvo Trucks brand. Stretch Brake is a complement to the rig’s electronic stability program (ESP) – yet another system that Volvo Trucks was the first truck maker in the world to introduce. While ESP is at its most effective
at higher speeds, Stretch Brake is only operational at speeds below 40 km/h. Both systems contribute to better stability and easier steering. “One might call Stretch Brake a kind of low-speed ESP. As the rig approaches a downhill slope, the driver manually activates the system. When the driver then releases the accelerator, the brakes on the trailer are automatically applied in a pulsated mode all the way down the hill until the gradient levels out and speed can once again be increased,” said Mats. Stretch Brake was introduced in 2012 on Volvo FH trucks pulling drawbar trailers and in 2013 on Volvo FM trucks pulling drawbar trailers. In 2014 it will also become available for Volvo FH and FM semi-trailer rigs. “Drivers who have tested Stretch Brake came away very impressed with the system. As we now also introduce the system on tractorsemitrailer rigs even more drivers will be able to negotiate difficult downhill gradients both more simply and safely,” says Carl. According to the Volvo Trucks Accident Research Team, which specialises in studying traffic safety, about 60 or so of the truck accidents that occurred in Sweden alone last year could have been avoided with Stretch Brake2. CARE 2011, CARE is the European centralized database on road accidents which result in death or injury across the EU . 2 STRADA 2012, STRADA is a national (Swedish) information system collecting data of injuries and accidents in the entire road transport system. STRADA is based on information from the police as well as the hospitals.
¢ Johan Sundberg runs Sundbergs haulage company and has been driving timber through forests for 20 years. Both he and his drivers experience jack-knifing from time to time.
31 years and still going strong PLUNKETT’S TRAILERS has been manufacturing trailers in the Mt Gambier region of South Australia for 31 years, with the ability to custom build one of the keys to its survival. South Australia’s second city, Mt Gambier, is located at the base of a long dormant volcano. The rich volcanic soils of the region have provided great support for the major employer of the region, logging and timber work. Logging, of course, needs trailers of the highest quality to stand up to the tough conditions that they operate in. Mt Gambier company Plunkett’s Trailers has been manufacturing trailers for a quarter of a century now, a great achievement in any industry, but particularly so in one as competitive as trailer manufacturing. Owner Richard Plunkett has in fact been involved in the industry for even longer. “I guess you could say I’ve been working with trailers all my life. I was a spring maker originally and then I went into general engineering, building equipment for the mills and log hauliers around the district,” Richard says. “When the company I worked for asked me to design and manufacture a trailer for a local logging firm, and at that stage logs were carted on rigid trucks, I took up the challenge and have never looked back. I went out on my own in 1983 and now we only specialise in trailer manufacturing, that’s all we do, from 1-115 tonne.”
Originally producing quality log trailers and flat tops, Plunkett’s has since extended its expertise to cover extendables (including overlength, over width and overheight extendables) as well as tippers. Although there is a clear symbiotic relationship between logging and the local manufacturing industry, Richard is quick to point out how important it is for small companies such as Plunkett’s Trailers to be flexible and learn the skill of custom building.
Flexibility is one of the keys to business success Richard and his team – including his son Scott, who has been with the company for 27 years, have built gear for people as far away as Eden in New South Wales and Townsville up the top of Queensland – even reaching far flung England. “Equipment wise, we have here pretty much what any other manufacturer would have, even though we are only a small company. We have our brake presses, guillotines, the only thing we don’t do in house is sand blasting. Everything else is done here, including servicing.” Plunkett’s expertise covers extendables, drop decks, low loaders, logging trailers, skels, stock crates as well as tippers.
BEST VALUE, BEST SERVICE “We Build Them Better”
We custom build trailers and stock crates ranging from 1 tonne to 115 tonnes. A visit or phone call to Plunkett’s Trailers could prove beneficial for those requiring a trailer whatever the size.
1
¢ Mats Sabelström, brake specialist for the Volvo Trucks brand.
PLUNKETT’S TRAILERS 9 Sturm Rd, Mt Gambier Ph: 08 8724 9877 Fax: 08 8724 9106 Email: plunkett@icisp.net.au
18 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
BIOENERGY
60% of total biomass used for energy purposes is traditional biomass
¢ Picking up, wrapping and leaving bundles of bio-wood following harvesting.
By Erin Voegele
A
NEW report published by Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) provides a global overview of advances in renewable energy development, including development related to bioenergy, ethanol and other types of biofuels. The analysis is titled the “Renewables 2014 Global Status Report.” Regarding overall renewable energy development, the report determined renewable electricity capacity reached a new record level last year, increasing by 8% and accounting for 56% of net additions to global power capacity. Renewable energy sources now meet nearly one-fifth of global energy consumption. In addition, 95 emerging economies now nurture renewable energy growth through supportive polices, up from only 15 countries in 2005. According to the report, 88 GW of power capacity from biomass was in place globally at the close of 2013, up from 83 GW the prior year. In 2004, less than 36 GW of biomass energy capacity was in existence. Biomass was used to generate an estimated 405 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy in 2103, up from 350 TWh in 2012. In 2004, only 227 TWh of energy was generated from biobased fuels. The report indicates that biomass demand continued to grow steadily in the heat, power and transportation sectors last year. “Total
primary energy consumption of biomass reached approximately 57 exajoules (EJ) in 2013, of which almost 60 percent was traditional biomass, and the remainder was modern bioenergy (solid, gaseous, and liquid fuels),” said authors in the report. Heating accounted for the majority of biomass use last year. According to the report, modern biomass heating capacity increased about 1 percent, reaching 296 GW of thermal energy. With regard to pellets, the report notes that demand for modern biomass is driving increased international trade in solid biofuels. Overall, the European Union imported about 6.4 million metric tons of pellets last year, with 75% of imports coming from North America. In 2012, only 55% of European pellet imports came from North America. According to the report, about 60% of total biomass used for energy purposes is traditional biomass, including fuel wood, crop residues and animal dung that are used developing countries for cooking, heat and some lighting. The remaining 40% is used in modern bioenergy applications. This modern biomass share includes approximately 13 EJ in thermal applications, 5 EJ converting to produce biofuels, and approximately 5 EJ to generate electricity. The U.S. added an estimated 0.8 GW of biopower capacity last year, reaching 15.8 GW by the end of the year. Solid biomass accounted for two-thirds of total biobased
fuel, with the remainder coming from landfill gas, organic municipal solid waste and other wastes. The European Union has about 34.5 GW of biopower capacity, and biopower accounted for 5% of new capacity last year. Electricity generated from biomass, however, increased by 7%, reaching 79 TWh. Global biogas power generation reached 7.5 GW of capacity in 2012, with more than 13,800 biogas power plants in operation by the end of the year. Germany currently dominates that market. According to the report, more fossil fuelfired power plants are enabling co-firing with either solid biomass or biogas. In 2013, about 230 existing commercial coal- and natural gas-fired combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plants had been converted, mostly in Europe and the U.S. With regard to thermal applications, Europe remains the world largest consumer of bioheat, with a 5.4% increase in 2012. In 2013, Germany generated nearly 116.6 TWh of heat from biomass, up from 112.6 TWh in 2012. In Sweden, bioenergy accounted for more than half of all space heating in the housing and commercial sectors last year, through both boilers and district heating systems. An addition 55 million woodburning stoves, cookers and fireplaces are also in operation. A large portion of Europe’s bioheat is produced for district heating networks, with a 12.6% increase in sales to
that sector in 2012. The use of biomass in small appliances has also increased. In 2013, Europe had approximately 8 million smallscale biomass boilers, with annual sales of approximately 300,000 units. The report also addresses biofuels, noting that 87.2 billion litres of ethanol was produced for transportation fuel last year, up from 82.6 billion litres in 2012. Only 28.5 billion litres was produced in 2004. Biodiesel production has also increased, reaching 236.3 billion litres in 2013, up from 23.6 billion litres in 2014. In 2004, only 2.4 billion litres were produced. The U.S. tops the list of countries that made investments in ethanol and biodiesel last year. Other tops countries for ethanol production include Brazil, China, Canada and France. Top countries for biodiesel include Germany, Brazil, Argentina and France. Overall, liquid biofuels met about 2.3 percent of global transport fuel demand last year. While ethanol production rebounded following two years of decline, the report states that global investment in new biofuel plant capacity continued its decline from the 2007 peak. Several new advanced biofuel facilities, however, were commissioned during the year. Erin Voegele currently serves as an Associate Editor for Biomass Magazine, and Pellet Mill Magazine.
Torrefaction: the bioenergy newcomer
¢ Traditional biomass.
TORREFACTION - THE slow roasting of biomass material to improve its energy content - has been touted as part of a solution for the large-scale implementation of bioenergy. The industry says that torrefaction technology is working and is available but uptake has not been as quick as expected. Experts, researchers and manufacturers gathered in Brussels to discuss progress and prospects for torrefaction at the recent European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) conference. Torrefaction is still very much the bioenergy new kid on the block, emerging as the ‘solid renewable fuel of the future’ in 2007 or so. It is said to be an alternative to pulverised coal combustion and is also well-placed in mid-scale heating appliances. Speaking at the AEBIOM
conference, Michael Wild, President of the International Biomass Torrefaction Council (IBTC), was keen to emphasise that torrefaction was no longer a future technology. “I’m pleased to say that in 2014, it is available now ... we can say today that torrefaction, torrefaction technology is available, and is working.” However, while Europe had a growing appetite for small-scale applications for torrefied products, progress was not as fast as the industry had been expecting. The torrefaction process involves heating biomass material such as wood, waste materials and crops at a temperature of 200300 °C without oxygen. The slow heating process roasts biomass, releasing volatile compounds and breaking down hemicelluloses. The result is a
dry, torrefied product is which is stable, brittle, easier to grind than the parent biomass material and less liable to biological degradation in storage. The process is not without its challenges. While the roasting and drying process improves energy/carbon content, the bulk density of torrefied material makes transport and storage economically challenging. One answer has been to ‘densify’ the material and make it into pellets. Densification has brought with it its own challenges, as Wild acknowledged … “Many companies underestimated the problems which come along with densification... It’s not so difficult to produce pellets ... But to make it a really efficient process with an acceptable energy consumption and acceptable wear and tear on the tools, that turned out to be more tricky.”
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 19
Role change without losing expertise A
FTER 25 years of leadership, Mike Jones has stepped down as the Managing Director of Komatsu Forest Australia, but his expertise won’t be lost to the company as he will take over a two-year role as Marketing Director. Brett Jones, the former General Manager/ Product Support, is the new Managing Director. Mike has seen a plethora of changes over the years and, he believes there are a lot more to come. It was way back in 1980 that he joined Summit Machinery and Equipment P/L. “I first sold Sumitomo LS2600 excavators to Jim Crozier Tumbarumba and Ryams P/L (Lex McLean & Dave Nuttal) Tumut in 1981/82 as a sales representative. Fitted with Valmet GP940 Processor and Waratah Shear sourced by the contractors direct,” he recalled. The next year Mike was instrumental in Summit Machinery picking up the Valmet 940GP dealership. “Rick Korn Tumbarumba purchased the first Valmet 940GP in late ‘82 from Summit followed by Kevin Boult and Colin Moreland in Mt Gambier via Brenton Yon (then the SA sub-dealer) in the mid 80s. “We Introduced the Denis Boom delimber to Australia in 1983 with Geoff Groves Tumut being the first customer followed by Nino Rosin and Jeff Carsteen.
“In 1985/86 Summit became the dealer for the full Valmet Logging AB product line. The Valmet 886 Forwarder, Valmet 901 and 902 Harvesters were released at FIME’86 held at Myrtleford. All were sold after the FIME show. Neil Walker and Ron O’Connor purchased the first Valmet 886 Forwarders, Rick Korn purchased the first 901 and Jim Crozier purchased the first Valmet 902 followed quickly by Ron O’Connor and the Perotti Bros.” It was about this time that Mike became Forestry Manager for Summit Machinery. The winds of change kept blowing and Summit via Mike (at that stage the National Sales and Marketing Manager) became the Koehring dealer for their track feller bunchers and boom delimbers in 1987. The main customers were L. V. Dohnt, Ryam P/L to name a couple. In 1989/90 the Koehring dealership was lost when Timberjack purchased Koehring. Valmet Logging AB (Sweden) employed Mike in May 1990 to set up a sales company subsidiary in Australia and in October that year Valmet Logging Pty Ltd started operation with head office in Sydney and Mike as Managing Director with a staff of seven including Brett Jones, Leif Magnusson and Brenton Yon. The following year Valmet Logging AB purchased Ranger Skidder product then in
1992 Valmet became the Timbco Dealer for Australasia and S.E.Asia. “Valmet Logging Pty Ltd, being responsible for Indonesia, was successful in winning two major supply contracts to APRIL and Asia Pulp &Paper for 12 x Valmet 892 Forwarders and 10 x Timbco T425 feller bunchers respectively in 1992/93,” Mike said of those special days. In the 90s Valmet Logging went through many corporate changes with name changes such as Sisu Logging and PartekForest. “Around 1993/94 Valmet became a leader in the Australian market and has held that title continuously to the present. The main focus was product support due to the suspect reliability of the earlier pioneering forest machines,” he said. In 2000/01 he was involved in the Partek Logging AB purchase of Timbco LLC (USA). In early 2000s won a tender for 6 x Valmet 860 Forwarders to APRIL in Indonesia. In January 2004 the PartekForest Group was purchased by Komatsu Ltd (Japan) and PartekForest P/L became Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd a fully owned subsidiary KLtd via KF AB (Sweden). “With the advent of the GFC in 2008 KF Pty Ltd handed over responsibility of S.E. Asia to Komatsu Indonesia with our two
local Australian representatives joining the K. I. operation,” Mike said. KF Pty Ltd became the Peterson dealer in 2010 and began very successfully with a number of Peterson 5000H Flail Debarker/ Chippers being delivered in the first year. “Our products changed from Valmet branding to Komatsu in 2011,” he said when outlining some of the major changes that had occurred. But, there’s one period that he really remembers with pride and that was 2013 ... “it was a record result for KF Pty Ltd over the last 24 years and very rewarding having survived the struggle through the 4-5 years of the GFC”. Now, Mike moves to another phase of his business life as Marketing Director.
Strength in knowing many facets of business
BRETT JONES, the former General Manager/Product Support, is the new Managing Director of Komatsu Forest Australia. Brett says his grounding in many facets of the business have helped form a balanced approach to the future in his new role. The young bloke who started his apprenticeship as a diesel plant mechanic in country NSW back in 1978 has certainly come a long way. When he finished his apprenticeship he worked for years with a mining company then in 1987 the ‘big smoke’ beckoned and he worked on Valmet products for Summit Machinery. “This position was originally based in Sydney for the first two years with a relocation to Albury for the remaining period of two years. During this period I attended my first technical training school in Umea, Sweden,” he recalled. “This two weeks of training was critical to my future technical development. The training at that time mainly involved understanding the hydraulics and electronics of machines like the original 901 single grip harvester, 902 twin grip harvester, and the great old 892 forwarder.”
“I transferred from Summit to Valmet when we first started company Valmet under the leadership of Mike Jones who was the founder of the company. During this period we had to work really hard to establish ourselves as a true market contender.” “In 1995 I was offered the position of Field Service Supervisor which involved me moving back to our Sydney head office. Transferring to this role was required as the company had started to expand at a rapid rate. Over this period we expanded the Service Department in most of the timber regions throughout Australia.” He was Service Manager from 1997 – 1999 . “This was a big step in my career. This phase of my life was very challenging and taught me a lot about customer service and what was required to be successful and respected in the market place. From 2000 to 2005 Brett was Product Support Manager. Adding the KF parts operations to my responsibilities was a very interesting period for me and the company. During the first three years of this period we managed to increase our overall turnover twofold through a series of marketing methods that involved regular specials, understanding the customer needs better, but most importantly reviewing our pricing on a regular basis so that we were competitive. “From 2006 to 2013 I held the role of General Manager / Product Support. Once again this was another big challenge. This position was a totally new role for me as it placed me directly in charge of the Australian and NZ operations which included the Parts, Service and the Sales departments for the first time.
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2009 – 2013 General Manager / Product Support “Due to the GFC we were forced to restructure the company so during this period sales went back to the original structure under Mike Jones and we were relieved of the overseas markets, Asia and South Africa. I must say post-GFC was
the toughest time in the history of this company,” said Brett. “After experiencing so many different responsibilities within our company, it will be very satisfying if we can push this company on into the future with great success,” says the new Managing Director.
AUCTION
7th & 8th November Bonum Saw Mills - Barham NSW PRELIMINARY NOTICE
TIMBER PROCESSING EQUIPMENT VALUE ADDING EQUIPMENT VERY LARGE QUANTITY OF KILN & AIR DRIED REDGUM SAWN TIMBER LARGE QUANTITY NATURAL EDGE R/G SLABS WELDLINE CLAMPING SYSTEM (MULTI STATION 4500mm X 16 BAYS) FULLPOWER FINGER JOINER 6000mm LINE LARGE & SMALL WOODWORKING EQUIPMENT AND TIMBER FAR TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION
A MORE COMPREHENSIVE LIST WILL BE IN THE NOVEMBER 2014 ISSUE
Call Adrian Peel 0427 776 942 or Glen Gray 0428 851 768
20 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
LATEST TECHNOLOGY Cat Product Link key to boosting loggers’ bottom line
W
ITH CAT® Product Link™, Caterpillar’s telematics system, and VisionLink®, its user interface, customers know where their equipment is, what it’s doing and how it’s performing. Armed with this information they can improve their bottom line. The system is a key element of Cat® EMSolutions, Caterpillar’s equipment management solution that helps customers ensure their machines deliver the maximum amount of work for the lowest
¢ VisionLink is available for your Android or Apple smartphone or tablet via a mobile site. Contact your dealer for details.
possible cost. EMSolutions is part of the Cat Connect portfolio of technology services. Product Link is now standard on Cat skidders, feller bunchers, harvesters and knuckleboom loaders, in addition to Cat equipment used for road building and maintenance (dozers, motor graders) and Cat machines working in millyards and sawmills (wheel loaders, skid steers, etc.). When installed at the factory, the system comes with a three-year subscription to VisionLink at no charge. Product Link isn’t just for large equipment fleet owners sitting behind a desk. Loggers with one or two crews can get an edge by using this technology. “We know our forestry customers can benefit greatly by using Product Link. This is a tool that can improve their profitability,” said Caterpillar Forest Products President Kevin Thieneman. Product Link is integrated with the Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) on Cat equipment to collect and deliver valuable information. Because logging sites tend to be in remote areas, information is transmitted via satellite for more consistent communications. Customers will have remote access to equipment information over the web at any time and any place using their computer or smart device. Benefits of using Product Link and VisionLink include:
Helping to optimise forest machines
JOHN DEERE is aiming to help loggers automate their business processes to improve their machine management. Now, ForestSight brings JD machine management technologies together in one package. The key focus is on increasing machine uptime. This integrated system brings the logging machine, the technology and dealer together to improve system and operations management. John Deere says that ForestSight has three primary benefits: Machine optimisation by letting loggers and dealers see machines that are idling excessively, inactive, running at high loads for long periods of time, or moving when it shouldn’t be. Maximising uptime by integrating machine data, prognostics and remote diagnostic tools, combined with dealer support. Jobsite optimisation, which allows loggers and dealers to see when and where machines are working, how many cycles
they are completing and how much time operators spend outside of their cabs. The information is real-time to ensure that immediate action can be taken to ensure machine productivity and uptime. The technology that is brought together is as follows: JDLink: This gives remote access to the fleets location, fleet utilisation and diagnostic data. Machine Health Prognostics: Data is analysed from JDLink, fluid analysis and machine inspections. The dealer and customer are then emailed with recommendations in order to reduce downtime. Remote Diagnostics and Programming: This enables dealers to read and reset diagnostic trouble codes, record machine performance data, and update software; all without a technician even visiting the jobsite. When service visits are required, the technicians can even arrive with the correct parts to make the repair.
¢ Fuel consumption, idle time, machine location and alerts are all at a glance with Product Link’s user interface, VisionLink.
Track fuel use and idle time For many loggers, measuring fuel consumption and idle time per machine is the most valuable aspect of the equipment management technology. In addition to burning fuel, idle time eats up warranty coverage and accelerates preventative maintenance schedules. A sawmill, for example, realized significant fuel savings as a result of tracking idle time. The company discovered its wheel loaders were idling up to 45% during a shift. By instructing operators to shut down the machines when they weren’t working, the utilization rates shot up to 70+%. Using VisionLink, another Cat customer found a dozer operator had idled 22 out of 40 hours one week! Without the data, this situation could have continued to eat into his profits without him finding the source.
Catch problems before failure The technology gathers electronic data from the equipment and can communicate fault codes within minutes directly to the owner or fleet manager via text message or email on a smartphone, iPad or computer. For example, a Cat customer’s machine generated a fault code for an overheating transmission. The operator had deliberately overridden the fault code and continued to operate the machine; however, the customer was alerted in time, so the problem was corrected and
the transmission did not suffer a catastrophic failure.
Locate equipment Customers know where every machine is. No more wasted trips to refuel machines that aren’t where they thought they were. No more phone calls to five different people trying to track down a machine that’s due for service.
Improve operator performance The operator is a significant factor in fuel burn, so Product Link is a tool to help customers understand when their operators need training. One customer downloads machine efficiency data to an Excel spreadsheet and shares it with his operators. He says they know the company is using it to teach best practices, not as Big Brother watching them.
Access fluid analyses results and online parts ordering Loggers can also access the Cat S•O•SSM fluid analysis service and the Cat PartStore™ through VisionLink. For example, customers can set up alerts if a fluid sample indicates they need to take action and, with one click, automatically order all the parts needed for a particular maintenance interval. Cat service literature system is also integrated so if they have a fault code, they can just click and it takes them to it.
Improve your bottom line Because the technology tracks and reports fuel burn and maintenance intervals, it can help business owners figure out how much it costs to keep a machine — and the operation — productive. A customer reports using fuel consumption data to help him decide where to set up his ramps (decks). If the fuel consumption on his skidder increases and no other factors have changed, he knows he is pulling the wood too far and needs to relocate the ramp. Equipment data also helps him estimate costs more accurately when he’s preparing bids. Armed with this information, business owners can also make better decisions about equipment management — whether to rebuild a machine, purchase a new one or rent. The data can help determine the proper model to buy or rent based on utilization records.
Easy to use Even loggers who don’t consider themselves computer savvy, will find it easy to use VisionLink. “You want to know what’s happening on your jobsite? Punch it up and find out. It’s that easy. You get a replacement warning on a filter? Click over to the Cat parts store and have filters delivered to you the next day. We’re working to better serve our customers in the coming years and Product Link is the key,” Thieneman said. “Not long ago people had basic mobile phones and didn’t think they needed anything else. Now everyone’s got a smartphone and can’t live without it. Telematics like Product Link will be mainstream in the near future,” Thieneman concluded. For more information, talk to your local Cat dealer.
Log on Today! Visit www.timberbiz.com.au/dtn to sign up today.
INNOVATIVE
FOUR
ROLLER
DRIVE SYSTEM IMPROVED LOG CENTRALISATION AND TRACTION LEADS TO INCREASED SPEED AND ADDED TORQUE. THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PROCESSOR ON THE MARKET.
DASA5 COMPUTER SYSTEM • Full optimisation • GPS enabled • Electronic callipers • Daily production reports
Contact Weytze van Heerden p. +64 ( 0 ) 21 191 8096 e. weytze@southstarequipment.com Jeremy Disher p. +64 ( 0 ) 21 265 8879 e. jeremy@southstarequipment.com
southstarequipment.com
22 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
HARVESTing Logset launches new eight-wheeled harvesters
By the end of this year, Logset will have two eight-wheeled harvester models on the market. The new GTE series is an eightwheeled version of the GT harvester. The GTE series (6HP GTE and 8H GTE) was developed to provide greater stability on steep terrain and increased floatation on soft soils. The end result is a large increase in the tractive force of the harvesters. The GTE series also feature an improved cabin. It has tinted Lexan windows and an improved up and down view for the operator. The work lights have better protection, and the transportation
height is now lower. The cab has a more rounded profile, and has lower noise levels than before. The harvesters have the same engine compartments as the sixwheeled machines, but the rear chassis has been lengthened from the centre joint to the rear bogie, in order to fit the extra two wheels. The harvesters also have larger fuel (600 l / 159 gal) and hydraulic tanks. Both tanks can be tilted to the side when service access to the hydraulic pumps is needed. Selected specifications for the two harvesters are included in the table below. Source: www. logset.com
New manufacturing facility T
IGERCAT HAS officially broken ground for a new $12 million, 127,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Paris, Ontario, Canada, located approximately 100km south-west of Toronto. Several hundred employees, community officials, Tigercat partners and supporters attended the official ground breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction and celebrate the company’s continued growth. Tigercat also announced the purchase of an existing 66,000 square-foot plant in Kitchener, Ontario. “This is a significant milestone for our company,” said President, Tony Iarocci, who was Tigercat’s first employee when the company started in 1992. Tigercat is one of the few remaining heavy equipment manufacturers in a region that once was at the heart of the industry. Tigercat currently has seven southern Ontario locations, a large parts distribution and training centre in Georgia, a sales and distribution facility in Sweden and a dealer network that spans the globe, covering the forestry regions of North America, South America, Australasia, southern Africa, Europe and Russia. The new building will be located on the same property as the current Paris, Ontario facility, on a previously vacant lot at the north-west corner. The new plant will initially focus on swing machines and cut-to-length attachments including the 200 series material handlers and the 800 series track feller bunchers, harvesters and shovel loggers.
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Iarocci explains that the new plants do not tell the whole story of the scope or capacity of the ever-growing Tigercat. “These two projects will increase the company’s manufacturing footprint by 20%. The space is urgently needed for existing demand and future growth. We already have over 1,200 employees and 200 or 300 more subcontractors.” Vicano, the construction company hired for the project, will be including numerous crane lanes and f lexible assembly lines along with a large office space for an engineering group allowing the building to be f lexible for future projects.
SP releases new 461 LF thinning head The new head (which replaces the popular SP 451LF) is designed to optimally work in tree sizes of 10 to 25cm DBH, and has a maximum recommended DBH of 35cm. SP has announced many improvements to the 461 LF logging head, including: An updated hydraulic valve bank with a new layout, resulting in better reliability and energy efficiency, as well as increased speed to certain functions. A more efficient 20cc saw motor. A new length measuring unit that has a more robust design and better hydraulic functioning. Expander pins and improved pin assembly on exposed positions. A new reinforced saw box for better handling of butt flare, and an increased height of the saw box by 20mm to minimise snow packing. A reinforced frame for durability. The frame is also designed with higher precision for good fit. Hose routing is improved, and can use metric or ORFS fittings. It is possible to adapt the harvester head to be used with all
control and measuring systems on the market. Additional improved options for the new head include more robust and faster multi-tree equipment, a new pump and better placement of the tanks for colour marking, Sawbox ICE for easier felling in snowy areas, and a Contorta knife for improved delimbing quality of contorta pine. Key specifications for the 461 LF are included in the table: • Minimum hydraulic pump capacity - 185 l/min (49 gal/ min) • Maximum feed roller opening 420 mm (16.5 in) • Feeding force - 18 kN (4047 lbf) • Maximum feed speed - 5 m/sec (20 ft/sec) • Felling maximum diameter 530 mm (21 in) • Movable delimbing knives Four including top knife • Fixed knives - One • Weight (exc. rotator) - 640 kg (1,411 lb)
// N O T H I N G R U N S L I K E A D E E R E
John Deere forestry equipment. Advanced technology. Proven reliability. And a team that knows productivity is a commitment, not a bullet point. Sold and supported by Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia.
24 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
HARVESTing
Intelligent control systems get even better W
ARATAH OFFERS a range of intelligent control systems for its harvesters, processors and debarkers. Each of these systems can be configured to the application or the harvester options selected by the customer. The TR100 Automation system is an embedded easy-to-learn and intuitive icon based system for those applications where simplicity is your priority. All the adjustment is performed on the user friendly touch screen interface. The TR100 machine menu settings are presented in an icon picture display for quick and simple identification by the operator or the service technician. This reduces not only the training time for new operators it also reduces the time taken to diagnose faults or incorrect adjustments on the screen throughout its whole lifecycle. Although the TR100 is considered as the Waratah entry level system it packs a solid punch over many other harvester controllers with up to three operator profiles, up to 80 preset log qualities available, nudge features, filter indicators, max and min diameter and max and min lengths. The TR100 can also save vital information to a USB memory stick with a number of valuable outputs including machine production data to MS Excel, diagnostic reports and also machine settings. The TimberRite Automation system is a windows based system with two differing software programs available - the TimberRite 30L and TimberRite 30H. The TimberRite 30L enables any one of the six operator profiles to allocate information to an unlimited amount of worksites. The system also provides the user to allocate up to 240 push button preselect logs across the eight species cut plans. As well as this capability the latest TimberRite 30L now comes with a touch screen to allow even easier access for
adjustments requiring less dependence on the keyboard and mouse. The TimberRite 30L can also be upgraded to the TimberRite 30H with a software reprogram at a later stage if the machine demand or the harvester applications change. The TimberRite 30H is the top of the line f lagship Automation system from Waratah, this system has the capability to provide a vast array machine and operational demands in many different Harvester and processor applications in the world. The TimberRite 30H is well known in the Australian Forest Industry for its LogmakingOptimiser capability, its StanForD reporting and its Machine utilisation information through Work and Repair Statistics. The TimberRite 30H also very easily provides a capable platform for a number of plug in technologies, such as GPS capability, Modem and mobile data, printers and Stump spray systems. Forever expanding and improving the whole range of Waratah Automation is always upgrading software to meet new Australian customer demands or improving the interface through customer feedback. Getting information from any Harvester Automation system can be a complex and can often require a number of transfer steps if the machine is not in phone data coverage. Our aim was to build an interface system that allowed the operator to easily extract the information from the Waratah TimberRite Computer system and get this to whoever required it, whether they are a service technician, machine owner or production outputs to the wood supply chain. The Waratah TimberMate phone app works directly with the in cabin system in doing just that and can email a file type or a set amount of file to the recipient onsite or when it returns to phone data coverage.
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 25
HARVESTing
Favourite machines keep business moving F
OR THE umpteen years that Mark Cross (Crossy) has been working in forestry it has nearly all been in the one place, Kinleith Forest in New Zealand’s North island, which shows a few things ... great forest management; sustainability personified; and a real love of the bush and the industry. And for a bloke who knows all about the manual side of operations he’s become a bit of a fan of Caterpillar since opting for the mechanised approach. “We moved into clearfell after cyclone Bola (one of the costliest cyclones in NZ history). That’s when I bought my first Cat machine,” he recalls. “It was a D5H and it was the first one to come into New Zealand.” Crossy’s operations grew bigger over the years and at one stage he had five crews on the go including a hauler crew. He has downsized in later years but still has a crew of nine working ... “plus me when I’m there,” he quips. “I had to drive the grapple skidder a couple of weeks back and I don’t think you should be over 60 driving grapple skidders,” he says with a laugh. And he’ll be putting another crew on in about 18 months. Crossy kicked off in the Kinleith Forest back in 1984 (that was after he had done time native scrub cutting -- “I started that when I was about 22.”) and, apart from his current cut quota, it’s all been in steep terrain. For years now he has utilised Cat machines ... “I bought 26 in a row,” he says, and he’s still got six now. “I’m looking at a Cat self-leveller at the moment. We’ve got a 325D FM that’s done about 11000 hours with a SATCO fall and trim head (SAT325) and we need to upgrade that, probably within the next six months. “I’ll stick to the SATCO heads,
too. We’ve got a SAT225T on our Cat 336DL at the moment.” The SAT225T is a single grip, two roller harvesting and processing head that stands up to the tough demands of clear falling and processing of radiata pine forests of the southern hemisphere. It is ideal for processing short and long logs out of the stack as well as cut to length.
So what’s his view on both Caterpillar (and NZ agent Gough) and SATCO -- “They’re good. Excellent value. Coming from manual to mechanised took a bit of getting our heads around it but now we wouldn’t do it any other way. They’ve (Caterpillar and Gough) been good to me over the years otherwise I wouldn’t have stuck with them. I usually just ring
Gough up and say get me a loader or get me that and they do it.” The SATCO heads are built in Tokoroa which is only about 15 minutes from where his crew is working. “You can’t beat the service. SATCO is a good product. They’re good pricewise. Basically, they’re on your doorstep and they offer a top service.” Armed with his favourite
machines, Crossy and his crew are enjoying their current work “on the flat” and they’ve got about another five months of it to come. “This (flat) is the first time in my career. This is the first winter I’ve had working on flat terrain,” he says. But, even though it will be back to the hills later on, Crossy is taking it in his stride.
26 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
HARVESTing
Versatility proven beyond doubt ¢ Komatsu XT450L-Waratah 623.
K
OMATSU’S XT Series track harvesters have certainly proved their versatility ... they can carry all types of harvesting attachments for various timber types and applications. Whether it’s for pine thinning, debarking or clear fall, the Komatsu XT has the job covered. Komatsu Forest Marketing Director Mike Jones said another important XT feature which benefits the contractor was the hydrostatic closed loop drive system which provides high speed tracking and multi-function capacity which is not provided by opposition machines. “In addition, there’s high commonality between the four models and the long history and high population in Australia,” he says. “In recent times the XT product had suffered reduced component life with the undercarriage and implement pump which resulted in major upgrades in all the undercarriages including a redesign with an additional bottom track roller. At the same time Rexroth upgraded the implement pump and they have provided a 4,000 hours warranty to confirm their confidence with this upgrade,” Mike said. Speaking specifically about the XT430’s, Mike said they were renowned for consistent performance day in and day out and were equally at home equipped with a saw head or as a processor. “Quality Komatsu components are designed to improve mobility, reliability and comfortable
operation,” he added. And just to make things even easier the new remote mounted engine oil filter, grouped grease fitting, a swing out hydraulic oil refill pump and easy to reach service areas help to assure preventative maintenance gets done with minimum effort “The FOPS, ROPS and OPS cab helps keep the operator comfortable and productive working long shifts. A large cab is designed for all-day comfort. Tinted windows help keep the operator comfortable and provide a clear view of the work area. Controls and seat are positioned to minimize operator fatigue. Optional Xenon lighting package illuminates the night for confident operation,” said Mike. In recent times, Komatsu Forest has supplied the XT harvesters to operators in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland (to name but a few) and each have given their new machines the thumbs up. Following are their opinions:-
Government of the day and the work dried up. “We had to look elsewhere for work,” says Mike Strange, “that’s how we got into blue gum.” [They’re now harvesting blue gum plantations in Western Victoria.] The change didn’t just involve timber species it also involved a quantum shift in terrain. “It’s a whole new ballgame for us. We really seem to enjoy it, though,” says Mike. “We bought our first tracked processor machine with a Komatsu 378 harvesting head and 12 months after that we
Strange’s Forest Harvesting Strange’s Forest Harvesting has seen some changes throughout the years. The name was for years synonymous with red gum harvesting for firewood along the Murray River flood plains. That was done with chainsaws. Then came the change to mechanical logging and the firewood work became a fraction easier but soon after that came a change of heart from the
¢ Komatsu XT430-Logmax.
got a job of 60,000 tonnes per annum (Midway Plantations) so we decided to buy some new equipment that would allow us to fill the contract easily. “We wanted to have the ability to push that amount out comfortably, so we opted for new gear,” he says. Now, his operation runs two machines ... the new XT430 and a Valmet 425. The 430 is kitted out with a 378 debarking head. “The main reason we’ve stuck with Komatsu is back-up and support. We’ve got a good working relationship with Komatsu Forest
and they’ve been excellent over the years in getting us started in mechanical logging and in their knowledge of the industry. Nigel Howard (sales) has been excellent in being able to track down and source equipment for us. He’s been fantastic.” And, what of the new machine? ... “We’re new to working on the slopes but this machine’s great,” says Mick. “There are no issues. The slew power is great ... it’s just like you’re working on the flat even though you’re working at 30 degrees. “It’s got plenty of power. That’s one of the main reasons we stuck with a purpose-built machine – power! You’re able to multifunction. We try and get the best operators we possibly can – I’ve always said the machine’s only as good as the operator and we find that the ability to multifunction results in more tonnes per hour. To be able to track and harvest at the same time; to make movements like that it all turns into more tonnes at the end of the day. That’s why we went for the purpose-built; we stuck with the Komatsu brand purpose-built machine just to have more power at the end of the day,” he says. Strange’s Forest Harvesting is currently based at Kerang in northern Victoria ... “miles away from where we’re working. We’re moving down to Colac but it’s a slow process”. Timber has been a way of life for Mick even before he left school. His dad, Ken, was a timber cutter, then when Mick left school he started in the business. “My father got me involved in firewood cutting using the chainsaws. It all stemmed from him. He got me involved in it; straight out of school and 15 years later I’m still in it,” he says. Mick’s final word on Komatsu ... “given the back-up support we received we wanted to stick with it. We wanted to stick with the same line of equipment. Commonality. It makes things a lot easier.”
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 27
HARVESTing Yeld’s Harvesting Ian “Spike” Yeld has been “in the bush for 50 years, 38 of them as a logging contractor” and he is well placed to offer an opinion on machinery and suppliers, in this instance Komatsu Forest and the Komatsu XT430. “The back-up from Komatsu Forest is good; very, very good,” he says, and he offers praise on their new XT430. “We’ve got the extended boom which makes it a lot easier in first thinning. That’s what we started in but now we’re in second thinning. It’s a good machine and the Logmax 7000XT head is pretty quick. “Yes, it’s good,” he says of the package, and his harvester operator James Hodak agrees. “He started on forwarders and he’s now operating the new XT430. He’s a good operator,” says Ian of the young bloke. Yeld’s Harvesting employs 10 people directly with about another dozen sub-truckies. The harvest and haul operation runs two 450s (plus the new 430), an 890 Forwarder and a couple of Rottne Forwarders. “We’ve also got a Komatsu excavator we do some loading with and a 908 and a 909 truck ... B-doubles,” says Ian. Work at the moment is in the ACT area (cutting for Visy) in fairly flat country. “A few years back we had a couple of Komatsus when we were cutting hardwood. Those machines were pretty good, too,” he recalls. But for now, though, the Braidwood-based business has definitely given the tick of approval for the new Komatsu XT430.
Pine Harvesters Grant Phillips, principal of Pine Harvesters, is yet another who opted for forestry work when leaving school. “It was my first job out of school, working for my dad (Warren). They trapped me. I’m trapped for life,” he jokes, but on the serious side, Grant knows full well what is expected of a machine and whether it can deliver day in and day out. They’ve recently taken delivery of a Komatsu XT450L kitted out with a Waratah 623 head and according to Grant and his operator (Peter Foley) it does the job with ease. They’re working in unthinned clearfall in the Oberon area covering terrain anything from zero to 22 degrees and the harvester handles it well. Pine Harvesters started in Tumut back in 1981 under the guidance of Warren and partner Ian Gordon. “From 1994 it was just Warren and then I took over in 2003,” says Grant. But the Pine Harvesters connection with Komatsu goes way back to about 1994-5. “We bought our first Timco around
¢ Two Komatsu XT450L-398
then, as a feller buncher, and we’ve had an ongoing and strong relationship since then. They give you good service, good back-up, good sales guys to deal with,” says Grant. “We’ve got a 450 Timbco that has just reached five years old and this new machine is a vast improvement on that. The old 450 proved that the system works with a 623 on it but this one seems to handle it better than the older one. It’s good in the hills, the lift is better and it seems to slew better. “As I said, Peter is happy with it and we’re happy with the production we’re getting out of the machine. “Even with large tree sizes it handles the job without any problems... with ease!”
¢ Komatsu XT450L-623
Timber Marshalling Services Brendon O’Connor formerly of Tasmania. ( son of Ron O’Connor, Aprin Logging P/L.), has a huge contract in north Queensland harvesting 200,000m3 (clearfall) of Caribea Pine in the Byfield Forest owned by HQP. Included in the TMS line up of machines to fulfill those requirements are two Komatsu XT450L/398 harvesters and two Komatsu 890 Forwarders. According to a Komatsu spokesperson TMS is milling the above volumes in its newlyestablished mill at Yeppoon, Queensland. ¢ Komatsu XT430-7000XT.
¢ Komatsu XT450L-398
28 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
Concentration on crucial elements of sustainability
T
ROPICAL FOREST Foundation (TFF) has been working with the Indonesian forest industry for more than 14 years training concession staff the techniques of Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) and convincing the management of the benefits of conforming to the principles of sustainable forest management. A complimentary dimension of this work has been the close collaboration with woodworking industries by facilitating the establishment of chain-ofcustody systems and preparing the industries for legality audits. Rational for funding support changes periodically, however, TFFs efforts have remained constant, focused on the crucial elements of sustainable forest management and the trade in legally sourced forest products.
During the past year, the Australian Government has funded the Responsible Asia Forest and Trade (RAFT) project, a regional program involving six partner organizations under the leadership of The Nature Conservancy. This project strongly mirrored TFF’s own priority areas which, under this program supported TFFs RIL training program across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The RAFT program also supported TFF’s work with Indonesian woodworking industries preparing them for legality audits as part of the Ministry of Forests legality assurance system. In Papua New Guinea, TFF was able to introduce RIL training as a possible program which could be offered through the Timber and Forestry Training College. TFF also supported the private timber
¢ Group1: RIL trainees in a concession.
industries in PNG by providing direct technical support and guidance enabling Cloudy Bay Sustainable Forestry to achieve FSC certification in June, 2013, and also providing direct inputs to PNG Balsa’s efforts to achieve certification.
In Indonesia, TFF works closely with the USAID supported Indonesian Forest and Climate Support (IFACS) project which supports the adoption of best practices for major land use sectors across eight strategic landscapes. TFF provides RIL training to
11 natural forest concessions in these landscapes. This training effort, combined with IFACS team efforts, seeks to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide by promoting the adoption of best continued on page 29
¢ Waste: Measuring and evaluation of avoidable logging waste. ¢ Buttress undercut: Faller preparing the undercut on a big Meranti.
¢ RIL audit: Auditing logging performance against the RIL standard.
¢ Lathe Input: Typical lathe input in an Indonesian plywood factory.
¢ Skidding: Tree label being affixed to the end of the log to start the tracking system.
¢ Log marking: Etching in the log number is often the simplest and most effective way of tracking log movements.
¢ Planning: Classroom training in contour and tree position mapping.
¢ Log landing in an RIL demonstration trial.
¢ River movement: Log raft coming down from the upper Mahakam River in E. Kalimantan.
¢ Tracking systems: Variety of tracking systems on display on the end of a Meranti log.
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 29
SKIDDERS
Extra traction and capacity make all the difference
E
xtra traction and capacity make all the difference The 635D is Tigercat’s highest capacity skidder. With sixwheel drive and a massive grapple, the 635D is best suited to extremely soft or steep terrain, long distance skidding, oversized logs and high production continuous duty cycle applications. Well, that’s what the promotional material says and we know a bloke who operates one in Tasmania, so, we asked for his unbiased opinion on the skidder. Andrew Lette, principal of Andrew Lette Pty Ltd (which many people know as AKL) who has crews operating in Tasmania and also in the Green Triangle, has been rapt with not just the 635D but with all his Tigercat “investments”. As Andrew explained, the 635D was put to work in Tassie purely because of its extra traction and its extra capacity to “replace one and a half other skidders”. They had
been running one of their older skidders full time and the other part time to keep up, however, the new Tigercat 635D skidder has proven capable of pulling more trees over a longer distance and better on the steeper terrain with more traction and weight distribution. “With the small wheels on the back of it we are able to put tracks on the back -- the same tracks as what forwarders run -- that’s if we get into trouble ... you know, like in very ordinary going.” The new skidder had slash grabs fitted to the blade and with the plated tongs (slash spoons) fitted as a standard from the Tigercat factory, it has enabled the machine to handle even the heaviest build up of waste at the landing. “This made a one hell of a difference. It’s great. It gives you a bit more capacity in being able to get rid of your rubbish,” says Andrew.
What about the machine from an operator perspective … “It’s got the best cab on the market, bar none. Then there’s the turnaround seat - like a forwarder – it’s got two joysticks. It saves a lot of work for the operator; nowhere near as fatigued at the end of the day; reduces strain, allows quicker travel speeds and higher productivity. “The machine is well laid out. It’s extremely strong; well built,” he says. “This machine (in Tassie) drags 14 to 16 tonnes and that’s in pretty ordinary terrain, and we’re still cutting about 2000 tonnes a week.” Andrew started in forestry back in Tasmania when he left school 30 years ago working for other contractors and about 16 years ago decided to go it alone. Now he employs 20 blokes and runs in excess of 20 machines (which a large percentage are now Tigercat),
in his harvest and haul business. He is now based in Portland after moving to the mainland two and half years ago with operations in the Green Triangle and Tasmania concentrated on plantation eucalyptus. For the past seven years Tigercat has been his machine of choice. “I think we started with a Tigercat 830 levelling feller buncher. That was a bloody brilliant machine,” he says. “I just think they (Tigercats) are made better. They’re stronger and they’re better laid out. “Everything I’ve bought in the past five years has been Tigercat badged. If I go for anything new I’ll go for Tigercat,” he says with surety. “Onetrak (Tigercat’s national dealer) has been good to deal with. In Mt Gambier. Mick Widdison (Heavy Mechanical Services) does a lot of work for Tigercat.
Concentration on crucial elements of sustainability continued from page 28. management practices such as preserving high conservation values, adopting reduced impact logging, and engaging government, civil society and private sector stakeholders in a consultative process of land use planning. One of TFFs most successful activities has been the very focused work in support of independent forest certification as defined by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Funding support for this market orientated initiative has come from a Dutch NGO called ‘The Borneo Initiative’. The success of this program lies with its simplicity. A forest concession interested in pursuing forest certification can access funding of of $2-3 per hectare which is applied to offsetting the external costs of certification. Collaborating companies are required to nominate a ‘certification coach’. This is where TFF comes in. TFF assistance takes the form of specific training inputs, technical guidance, close collaboration with the Certifying Body, preparation of certification action plans, and generally demystifying the entire certification
process by guiding the forest management unit in dealing with the numerous corrective actions that invariably have to be addressed before certification can be achieved. During the past three years, 10 forest concessions in Indonesia have achieved FSC certification under the TBI scheme, seven of them assisted directly by TFF. This achievement brings the total forest area in Indonesia certified under the FSC to approximately 1.7 million hectares. Not only does this success chart the way forward in terms of demonstrating and proving the sustainability of tropical forest management, it also provides a wide variety of products and purchasing options for international buyers whose policies place a priority of sourcing sustainably managed and legally verified products. Gone are the days when buyers could avoid the issue of stocking their supply chains with certified products due to lack of supply. There are no more excuses! TFF is widely recognized for its extensive experience, demonstration models and training courses, which it has developed over
many years. TFF’s RIL training program combines classroom learning with practical field activities at an operational scale. Trainees learn technical procedures for conducting surveys, planning where to put roads, planning the logging, and improving the monitoring and post-harvesting follow-up. They also learn to manage community relationships, identify and protect high conservation values, and minimize human–wildlife conflict. TFF also carries out detailed demonstration trials to quantify some of the differences between the RIL system and “business-asusual” approach. These practical trials give participants an immediate sense of the direct financial benefit implicit in the adoption of an RIL management strategy. Direct logging cost savings of 10 to 25% per cubic metre have been repeatedly demonstrated in trials conducted jointly with the concession staff. In addition, fixed costs such as road construction and maintenance can be reduced per cubic metre as more attention to logging planning and better operational control improve utilization recovery significantly.
He’s terrific. We’ve had really good dealings with Tigercat’s Steve Green (product support representative for Australasia) and also Glen Marley (factory sales representative for Australasia and South East Asia). “I couldn’t speak more highly of Tigercat products or the support I get. I’m a mile better off,” says Andrew who has clocked up three decades in the industry. As a final note when asked where the AKL came from Andrew replied ... “that’s easier to put on the truck door, mate.”
New axle and grapple options for certain skidders JOHN DEERE’S 648H and 748H skidders can now be fitted with larger grapples and heavy duty axles. The 648H can be purchased with a 1.4m2 (14.9 ft2) grapple with a 3.2m (127 in) wide opening, allowing more trees to be collected. Existing skidders can also be retrofitted with the new grapple. If the new grapple is used, customers must also upgrade to the more robust Super-Wide Extreme Duty Axle (SWEDA). However, customers can upgrade to the SWEDA without fitting the new grapple. The 748H can be fitted with an optional 1.7m2 (18 ft2) grapple with a 3.4m (134 in) wide opening. Customers who choose this option must upgrade to the SWEDA II axle. As with the 648H, the axle upgrade can take place even if the larger grapple is not selected. The new axles are expected to increase service life under demanding conditions. The SWEDA axles feature a larger bearing for improved durability.
30 – September 2014, Australian Forests & Timber News
NOW in PRINT & ONLINE
Different sizes of mills with optional feeding table and drum cleaner. Tractor, Diesel Power Pack or Electric Power Pack driven models.
For Sale Super Docker 6500 long
in good working order
$7600.00 +GST Forest Equipment Specialist
Martin Azzoardi 02 4575 2006
Hyundai R210LC-9 $POA
Tigercat 1075 Forwarder $192,000 inc. GST
Maxitherm 1980ID/4200 Autoclave high pressure autoclave 2.0m dia X 18.3m long
Colac vic. Serial nuber 580. Vic. Diy 463801 Tigercat 1075 Forwarder
Valmet 445FXL-HD Feller Buncher
$170,500 inc. GST
$165,000 inc. GST
Timberjack Grapple Skidder
Tanguay TG975 Feller Buncher
$93,500 inc. GST
$165,000 inc. GST
Phone number: 03 5232 2003
Yes – It’s true, Whittakers Timber Products is closing down! Our Sawmill at the Greenbushes site in Western Australia has already closed and the dry mills and kilns will close towards the end of this year. All plant & equipment is being offered at super low prices on an as is where is basis! The Company Directors say, “SELL IT ALL”
In Stock Now.
CAT 322CL Harvester
Tigercat 610C Skidder
$75,900 inc. GST
$POA
BUNCHING GRAPPLES If you are looking for a heavy-duty grapple that will sort, bunch and load all day, everyday, then you need a Rotobec. Efficient and versatile, these quality grapples have just arrived and are now available from Onetrak.
1300 727 520
www.onetrak.com.au
Complete near new 2006 MEM sawmill 2 x other comprehensive hardwood mills 3 x moulding lines 15 x conventional kilns Kiln sawdust/thermal oil heating system 2 x optimising docker lines 2 x chipper lines Loaders & forklifts Edgers Cherry picker, scissor lifts Tool grinding shop Log debarkers Compressors Gang saws Maintenance work shop equipment & spares Weigh bridge Large clam shell storage bin Dust extraction systems Comprehensive sawshop Office equipment & furniture Huge inventory of materials handling gear Everything must go! We are even selling the buildings! View our website www.whittakersequipmentsale.com.au or telephone Geoff on (08) 9302 2022 – mobile 0409 302 200 or Chris on (08) 9459 6877 – mobile 0409 083 977
Log on Today!
Classifieds
New model Easy50 available now!
Visit www.timberbiz.com.au/dtn to sign up today.
Australian Forests & Timber
Phone Ron Grey 0414 657 393 email rongrey@bigpond.com
. go d. to de y ar ad gu Re sh Bu
Sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee. For rates and deadlines call Michael (03) 9888 4834 or email: m.dolphin@ryanmediapl.com.au
FIREWOOD MILLS
For Information, please, call 0419-536 804 or email your postal address to info@firewoodmills.com.au
Australian Forests & Timber News, September 2014 – 31
For Sale
All machines currently working and available for inspection at harvesting site in Southern NSW. Prices negotiable. 0418 633 715
- For Sale -
Peterson 3 flail chipper G model Key knife system Machine still currently running at the port of Brisbane chipping annualised 70,000 tonnes per year.
Price $100,000 plus GST ono
$169,000 + gst Tigercat L830 feller buncher with Rosin FH885 directional felling head. In good working order, 17,500hr.
For enquiries and more detail about the machine please contact Asher’s logging on: 07 5499 2224
Australian Forests & Timber
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Classifieds
Log on Today!
$67,000 + gst
AVAILABLE NOW Processing Machinery
Complete in good condition with cutters and blower. $28,000+GST
$76,000 + gst
Biesse twin head
Point to point automatic machine centre.
$28,000+GST
30kw, ideal for high production of sawn battens from 150x38 feedstock, (or similar operation), Hydraulic feed. $18,000+GST
Profiled moulding sander High capacity, multi head, give away.
TimberJack 460D 2002 mod dual arch grapple and winch. In excellent working condition and good tyres, 13,800hr.
$10,000+GST
Anthon 1.8mwide belt sander Very heavy duty, high production machine.
$15,000+GST
KLEIN&SOEHNE multisaw 30kw, (takes up to 8 blades).
$18,000+GST
Rhinbold offcut chipper Very good condition.
$50,000 + gst Cat 325L excavator heavy duty log grab and 404 cut-off saw. Good working order, 15,100hr.
$81,000 + gst
$16,000+GST
4 Tonne Side Loader fork truck Perkins Diesel.
Austral Timber Group Contact Ken Baker 0438 643 992 ken.baker@ubteam.com
$12,000+GST
Cat 527 track skidder with winch, an excellent snigging machine. In very good condition, 10,400hr.
NOW in PRINT & ONLINE
Wolfenden Twin Circular Resaw
Sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee. For rates and deadlines call Michael (03) 9888 4834 or email: m.dolphin@ryanmediapl.com.au
Wadkin XE220 moulder
Hitachi ZX230 excavator with VHLC log grab and 3/4in x-cut saw. In good working order, 16,000hr.
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