Association News

15/12/2008: Gottstein five-day wood science course
The 2009 Gottstein Wood Science Course is to be held in Melbourne from 16 - 20 February.

15/12/2008: Communications officer for peak national organisation
NATALIE LOUDON is the new communications officer for A3P, the peak national body for Australia’s plantation products and paper industry.

Australian Forestry News

05/01/2009: 2009 Gottstein Fellowships and Skill Advancement Award
Peter Gunnersen, Chairman of the J. W. Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund, has announced the award of five Gottstein Fellowships and one Skill Advancement Award for 2009, and World Forest Institute Fellowships for 2009 and 2010.

05/01/2009: Red gum decision fells local communities
The Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) has expressed its disappointment at the State Government’s decision to effectively end timber harvesting in the River Redgum region along the Murray River.

05/01/2009: Massive biofuel investment for the Mount
Western Australian-based Plantation Energy is gearing up to build a $25m wood pellet mill on the outskirts of Mount Gambier which would employ more than 60 people directly and indirectly. The company will build the mill and another at Heywood of the same size, initially to service market demand in Europe for biofuel.

05/01/2009: Forest biosecurity experts gather in New Zealand
Forest biosecurity experts from around the world will be converging in Rotorua, New Zealand from 16 to 20 March to attend a conference focused on protecting forests from invasive insects, diseases and weeds. As the first international conference on this topic ever to be held, it is being hosted by Crown Research Institute Scion, which is New Zealand’s leading provider of forest biosecurity research.

05/01/2009: Massive biofuel investment for the Mount
Western Australian-based Plantation Energy is gearing up to build a $25m wood pellet mill on the outskirts of Mount Gambier which would employ more than 60 people directly and indirectly.

05/01/2009: Independent research confirms the benefits of forestry
An independent study has highlighted the primary social, environmental and economic impacts of the forestry industry in Western Australia. Conducted by Dr Jackie Schirmer, Project Leader from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University, the report looked at the forestry industry in Western Australia and its social and economic impacts.

17/12/2008: Time to get back to the grassroots
Tish Campbell, Western Australia’s Timber Communities Australia manager for the past seven years has decided to call it quits. Basically on the eve of stepping away from a job she sees as essential, Tish sounded a warning on where the organisation was heading.

17/12/2008: Snap and Zap and put your people on show
When you have a party, a meeting, special occasion or just a social gathering there’s always someone with a camera, so, snap off the best shots you can and send them to us (editorial@forestsandtimber.com.au).

17/12/2008: Mill upgrade is a key strategic development
Construction of the Maryvale Mill pulp upgrade is now complete and is a key strategic development that will provide benefits to all stakeholders, according to the Managing Director of PaperlinX, Tom Park.

17/12/2008: Woodchips lead the way in export growth
The value of Australia’s forest product exports rose significantly in 2007-08, growing by 5% over the year to reach $2.5 billion, driven by woodchip export growth and to a lesser extent growth in recovered paper exports.

17/12/2008: New tool monitors chemical risk factors
A Tasmanian adaptation of the CSIRO’s Pesticide Impact Rating Index (PIRI), which analyses the mobility and toxicity of chemicals according to site, operational and climatic conditions, is one of the latest aids for forestry workers.

17/12/2008: New exhibitors and new fire and security area for Safety In Action
The 10,000 or more visitors expected to return to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre for Safety In Action and Melbourne Materials Handling next March will see plenty of fresh OHS exhibitors and an entirely new fire and security feature area. The new feature area will host suppliers of fire preparedness training, investigation training, fire monitoring systems, closed circuit television (CCTV), intercoms, access control and security systems.

17/12/2008: Reference manual caters for all
The Australian Forests & Timber Industry Directory was published in response to a growing need throughout the industry for a quick-look, connection-catering, informative reference manual.

17/12/2008: EITE – Right direction, long way to go
A3P, the peak body for the plantation products and paper industry, has acknowledged the Australian Government’s foresight in addressing the key issue for a non-global emission trading scheme through its recognition of emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industries in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) White Paper.

17/12/2008: Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year
This edition of Daily Timber News brings to a close the 2008 segment of our electronic coverage of all things forests and timber. It has been a year of turmoil and tears and in some cases triumphs.

15/12/2008: Agreement to improve environment and access in southern forests
ENVIRONMENTAL protection and recreational access in the southern forests will be improved following a community agreement signed between Forestry Tasmania, 4WD Tasmania and the Huon 4WD Club. Forestry Tasmania managing director Bob Gordon said the new community agreement was the first of its kind in southern Tasmania.

15/12/2008: Long live the deck
A study by the State Government has found the use of verandahs, decks and patios is making a major contribution to limiting green house gas emissions by reducing the use of air conditioners.

10/12/2008: It’s what’s under the veneer that counts
Tasmanian rotary veneer company Ta Ann was crowned as the Australian Emerging Exporter of the Year at the national export awards in Melbourne at the weekend.

10/12/2008: ‘Bring us in line with the rest of the country’
A challenge has been laid down to the Victorian Government … “bring us in line with the rest of the country by addressing the fundamental flaw in its Forestry Rights legislation”. That challenge came from Pat Groenhout, general manager of PF Olsen Australia, at the Victorian Association of Forest Industries annual dinner. And he threw down the gauntlet to the industry to “work as one” to ensure necessary changes were made.

10/12/2008: Valuable assistance from above
A Lyndoch helicopter pilot will play an important part in this summer’s fight against bushfires. Bridgette Kies, one of the ‘chopper chicks’ from Barossa Helicopters, will be based at the Parafield Airfield as an air-attack response pilot during the fire danger season.

10/12/2008: Guide to help reduce work-related driving deaths and injuries
WorkSafe Victoria and the Transport Accident Commission have launched a guide to help reduce deaths and injuries resulting from work-related driving.

10/12/2008: Fire training helps set the safety scene
Seventy people took part in an interagency fire training day at the Delegate Country Club to help prepare the Monaro region for fire.

08/12/2008: Service with a smile
LONG-SERVING employees who have reached 40 year, 35 year and 25 year milestones with Forestry Tasmania have been recognised at events held at Smithton, Scottsdale, Hobart, and Geeveston.

08/12/2008: Hands-on learning programs on offer in Queensland
If ever you have wanted to know something about growing trees, then a series of Master Tree Grower South East Queensland programs is the obvious choice.

08/12/2008: Product development and research pays off
FORESTRY TASMANIA managing director Bob Gordon says the opening of the Ta Ann rotary peel veneer mill at the Smithton Wood Centre would benefit Tasmania by creating jobs and establishing new export markets. The new manufacturing enterprise follows almost 10 years of product development and market research by Forestry Tasmania.

08/12/2008: Posthumous presentation of inaugural award
Stephen Jamieson, timberman and 25-year veteran firefighter who lost his life in January, has been posthumously awarded the inaugural Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) Lifetime Service Award.

01/12/2008: Forestry is at the crossroads
Forestry: a climate of change is the theme for the Institute of Foresters of Australia Conference at The Events Centre, Caloundra, Queensland, from 6-10 September, 2009.

01/12/2008: Campers asked to observe Solid Fuel Fire Ban
Numerous small fires have occurred of late in the Murray/Murrumbidgee region, and Forests NSW is concerned that some campers may not be paying attention to the Solid Fuel Fire Ban, that is now in place.

26/11/2008: Sister park agreement to benefit State
TASMANIA is set to benefit from the first formal sister forestry park relationship between Australia and China, following the signing of an historic agreement between Forestry Tasmania’s Tahune AirWalk and the Qiandao Lake Park at Hangzhou owned by China International Forest Travel.

26/11/2008: Laser points the way to new forest management
LASER APPLICATIONS for forest management was the focus of the SilviLaser 2008 Conference at Edinburgh’s Heriot -Watt University.

26/11/2008: Forests actually enhance waterways
THE LATEST scientific report on the health of south-east Queensland’s waterways and catchments provides much support for plantation forest management in the region, according to Forestry Plantations Queensland’s Beerburrum Forest manager Stan Ward.

26/11/2008: Adaptive management is only sensible option available
The Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA) has sought Government action over the current critical situation of the streams and forests in WA, and says that adaptive management is really the only sensible option available. The institute spelled out its concerns in a letter to the WA Premier, C.J.Barnett.

26/11/2008: Foresters’ scholarship a first class option
Local university student Lauren Pittard-Robb has been awarded the Institute of Foresters of Australia 2008 scholarship. She is studying forestry through Southern Cross University in Mount Gambier.

26/11/2008: Time for the Government to invest in forestry
IT’S TIME for the Australian Government to invest in forest industry infrastructure The National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) is calling on the Federal Government to urgently provide forest industry-related infrastructure to secure the economic and social future of rural and regional Australia before the economy is engulfed by the looming international recession.

26/11/2008: Market falls but hopefully short-lived, says economist
A recession in Australia has become more likely but it should be over relatively quickly according to leading economists. Respected BT Chief Economist Chris Caton indicated that the chances of a recession had clearly increased as the global financial crisis deepened. But he predicted the economy would start to recover next year led by the share market which he said had been sold out excessively and said “was way too cheap”.

26/11/2008: Joint effort gives forest growers greater scope
TreeSmart has teamed with Australian Forest Growers to introduce a new AFG-TreeSmart program.

24/11/2008: Forests for the future is fact
SUSTAINABLY MANAGED forestry businesses around the world will reap financial benefits as environmental awareness and concern about climate change expand. Speaking at the launch of Forestry Tasmania's new Sustainability Charter, Forestry Tasmania Managing director Bob Gordon said there was growing recognition that renewable products such as timber would play an important role in the fight against climate change.

24/11/2008: Environmental water used to save ‘icon’ sites
Environmental water used to save ‘icon’ sites NORTHERN VICTORIA’S Barmah Forest has received 250 million litres of environmental water to help protect critical drought refuges.

24/11/2008: Culture of change in the seedling market
A WORLD-class commercial plant tissue culture laboratory capable of mass producing trees for the forestry industry in Walkamin is poised to secure a huge chuck of the forestry seedling market.

24/11/2008: Forests for the future is fact
Sustainably managed forestry businesses around the world will reap financial benefits as environmental awareness and concern about climate change expand. Speaking at the launch of Forestry Tasmania's new Sustainability Charter, FT's managing director Bob Gordon said there was growing recognition that renewable products such as timber would play an important role in the fight against climate change.

24/11/2008: Expansion plans for Tasmanian sawmill
DESPITE THE financial crisis and falling building activity, a Forest Enterprises Australia is on track to expand its new Bell Bay sawmill in Tasmania.

19/11/2008: Sub-tropical trials could pave way for the future
A QUEENSLAND trial of two Corymbia hybrids could hold the key to major changes in sub-tropical plantation silviculture. The results could also help ease the transition from native forest logging on State-owned lands within 25 years (the Government and the forest industry reached agreement on this cut-off date in 1999) and development of a replacement sawlog resource based on plantations.

19/11/2008: Kiln drying operations in the spotlight
EVERY TWO to three years, the DryTech technology series provides local wood producers with an independent and practical update on new tools, kiln designs and schedules to improve their drying operations. The latest program, DryTech 2008 runs in Melbourne on 26-27 November and again for New Zealand companies, in Rotorua on 1-2 December 2008. New and emerging technologies will be profiled by leading technologists and wood products companies drawn from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada and South Africa.

19/11/2008: Australia joins consortium to lead innovative structural timber use
AUSTRALIA IS contributingto an international research consortium that aims to revolutionise the construction of low-rise, multi-storey building developments for commercial, educational, recreational and residential purposes. Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) is one of the partners in the Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC) research consortium.

12/11/2008: The ‘Queenslander’ is cool
More ‘timber & tin’ and a return to the ‘Queenslander’ tradition of house design would help combat global warming according to outspoken Gold Coast architect Michael Leo.

10/11/2008: Case settlement win for strict compliance of plywood standards
Litigation in the Federal Court about potentially unsafe building products has ended in a major win for strict testing and compliance regimes following an out-of-court settlement between the parties.

27/10/2008: Wood Naturally Better...naturally!
Australia's wood and wood products industry has launched a multi-million dollar program to highlight the important role wood products play in tackling climate change, and to dispel misconceptions about the material.

27/10/2008: Bushfire potential ‘above normal’ for coming summer
A lack of rainfall has left southern Australia prone to an above normal fire potential this summer.

27/10/2008: Queenslanders win National Tree Farmer of the Year award
Kingaroy farmers John and Jane McLaughlin have won the prestigious AFG Prime Super National Tree Farmer of the Year award for 2008.

27/10/2008: Meeting the challenges of the future
The final day of the four-day Australian Forest Growers’ national conference Forestry for a Better Future: climate, commerce and communities in Albury continued to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the forestry industry.

22/10/2008: Forest growing helps address climate change
The Australian Forests Growers’ National Conference, currently being held in Albury, has delivered what it promised under this year’s theme “Forestry for a better future: Climate, commerce and communities.”

07/10/2008: Forestry is no longer a 20th Century economy
Forestry is no longer a 20th Century economy but a part of the new economy in a world coping with carbon pollution.

07/10/2008: Komatsu Forest area manager rides for good cause
Nigel Howard is again competing with his fellow pink suited bike riders in the 210km ride in the aid of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

01/10/2008: Wood prices tipped to hit new heights as overseas demand soars
Wood fibre prices worldwide have been rising steadily for the past six years, reaching record levels in the second quarter 2008.

Australian Forestry News, Overseas Forestry News

07/10/2008: Komatsu Forest area manager rides for good cause
Nigel Howard is again competing with his fellow pink suited bike riders in the 210km ride in the aid of Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Events

15/12/2008: Kenworth and Westport to bring LNG trucks to Australia
Westport Innovations and PACCAR Australia, the manufacturers of Kenworth trucks, have announced that the companies will develop and commercialise liquefied natural gas (LNG) Kenworth trucks for the Australian market.

01/12/2008: Workers crucial in helping to stabilise banks
BORAL TIMBER employees are firm in the belief that your word is your bond, even if it means a lot of extra work. They recently planted 1,000 trees and shrubs in the Wisemans Ferry area of NSW to honour a promise to Conservation Volunteers Australia during a promotion.

24/11/2008: Bioenergy Australia conference and technical tour
AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER bioenergy conference, Bioenergy Australia 2008, will be held at the Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne, on 8-9 December, with a technical tour on 10 December.

03/11/2008: Australia’s premier bioenergy conference to be held next month
Australia’s premier bioenergy conference, Bioenergy Australia 2008, will be held at the Sebel Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria on 8-9 December, with a technical tour on 10 December.

27/10/2008: BioFibres for industry – from field to factory
Biofibres for industry was officially launched by the Minister Gavin Jennings (Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Innovation) at the Biofibres for Industry workshop on Wednesday 29 October.

22/10/2008: Business comes to grips with climate change at The Safety Show
Financial and practical help for tackling the business impact of climate change will be a feature of seminars at The Safety Show Sydney over the first two of the three-day event next week.

18/08/2008: Bioenergy conference scheduled for December
Bioenergy Australia will be holding its annual conference in Melbourne on 8-9 December, with a technical tour to bioenergy-related destinations on the following day.

23/07/2008: Asia Pacific Forest Industries Climate Change Conference
The Asia Pacific Forest Industries Climate Change Conference, co-sponsored by our industry’s national organisations – is the only climate change event that focuses on our industry and how it will be affected by an emissions trading scheme.

Health & Safety

15/12/2008: Chainsaws: Having A Sharp Chain Is Vital
With time, depending on the project, your chainsaw may become dull, and the chain will not produce the same precise cut. You will notice that it’s time to reach for your chainsaw sharpener when the cut from the saw is not straight anymore or the edges are uneven. Dull chains also produce fine sawdust when cutting, while a sharp saw produces thicker chips of wood.

01/12/2008: Safety still a key factor despite the economy
SAFETY REMAINS a priority for business even in the face of global economic turmoil. This was borne out by the fact that there were more than 10,000 visits to the Safety Show Sydney this year.

Overseas Forestry News

05/01/2009: When slash becomes something special
Participants can discover more about how Swedish solutions and systems work – on the spot. The conference is part of the program for the Elmia Wood 2009 forestry show in Jönköping. Together with the show, the conference offers a unique insight into the entire chain from forest to energy user. The special Slash Conference is now being arranged for 2 June in Jönköping.

05/01/2009: Family Fun at Forest Products EXPO
Mixing some business with a family vacation is the perfect combination for those attending EXPO 2009 – the 30th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition – to be held June 11-13 in the New Orleans Convention Centre.

17/12/2008: China releases 2009 timber production plan
China’s annual timber production plan for 2009 has been released by the State Forestry Administration

17/12/2008: Cherry, maple popular on furniture
American cherry was the most popular choice for wood furniture at this fall's High Point Market, according to a survey by the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. Knowing what happens in the finished goods marketplace helps lumber producers in purchasing tracts of timber for future production, said Tom Inman, president of AHMI, in a press release.

17/12/2008: Cursory coverage for forestry during crucial talks
Here is Fitzpatrick Woods Consulting’s assessment of the hot topics tracked over the course of the United Nations climate change negotiations:-

17/12/2008: Efficient technology on show at WoodMac in China
WoodMac China 2009, the largest and longest running woodworking technology trade event in China, has recorded a 28% growth in area according to the organizers. Scheduled for 17-20 February 2009, WoodMac China and associated events FurniTek China (for hardware) and WoodBuild China (for lumber and wood accessories) will be the largest show in the event’s 10-year history.

17/12/2008: When slash becomes something special
There’s a special pre-show conference at Elmia Wood 2009 and basically it’s for international bioenergy pioneers.

15/12/2008: Region's farm forestry on show
Registrations are rolling in for the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association national conference to be held in Gisborne in April next year, writes Debbie Gregory in the Gisborne Herald.

15/12/2008: Online way to report unsafe driving of forestry and logging trucks
A new online tool will improve road safety by making it easier to identify and report unsafe driving of forestry vehicles and logging trucks.

15/12/2008: UK invests £12 million in biomass heating
The UK Government has announced £12 million in funding for industry, businesses and community groups investing in biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat and power systems.

15/12/2008: UK invests £12 million in biomass heating
The UK Government has announced £12 million in funding for industry, businesses and community groups investing in biomass-fuelled heating and combined heat and power systems.

10/12/2008: This feller’s in real trouble
KOLKATA: Five months after being charged with felling trees in connivance with hoarding agencies, forest guard Gouranga Chakraborty is about to be penalised.

10/12/2008: Ghana's 'miracle': Logging underwater forests for exotic timber
Ghana, which is running short of forests to chop down, is about to turn to the dead trees underneath its Lake Volta as a new source of exotic timber, one of its top export earners.

10/12/2008: More job losses expected in battered manufacturing sector
Canada’s battered manufacturing sector shed 38,000 jobs last month and has lost nearly 400,000 factory jobs since an employment peak in 2002 - a trend expected to intensify over the next year as the North American economic slump deepens and demand for everything from auto parts to newsprint dries up.

10/12/2008: Selecting survival species
Scientists at a Mount Allison University lab are predicting which tree species will be threatened by climate change in the next century.

10/12/2008: Contracts cancelled over substandard timber
Building materials supplier Placemakers has cut off some of its contractors after finding substandard timber had been used for building homes.

08/12/2008: Sawdust-powered smoke dryer is very user-friendly
The Wood Industries Training Centre (WITC) of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) in Kumasi has developed a smoke dryer facility that uses sawdust instead of electricity to dry wood products.

08/12/2008: Saw doctoring project to help raise quality
Guyana has collaborated with the Canadian Cooperation Fund (CCF) in the implementation of a project aimed to address the level of efficiency and quality of forest products in Guyana.

08/12/2008: Sawlog prices increase in China in 3Q 2008 as log supply tightens
The domestic sawlog market in China has tightened as a result of reduced log imports from Russia in 2008. The increased competition for logs has pushed log prices upward to record highs in the 3Q 08, according to Wood Resources International.

08/12/2008: Timber expo timing couldn’t be better
Timber Expo Southeast, the South’s original live logging equipment demo, is returning to South Georgia (Baxley) in 2009!

08/12/2008: Legality certification a first for PNG business
James Lau, managing director of Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group, said that Saban Enterprises Limited, an RH subsidiary company, was the first forestry company in Papua New Guinea to receive certification that the legality of the timber it uses has been independently verified.

08/12/2008: Solidwood exports face worsening prospects
Gazeta Marcantil/Celulose Online has reported that the solidwood industry in Brazil is being crippled by the impact of the United States housing crisis since early this year.

26/11/2008: Bankruptcy could bring a new beginning
PORTLAND, Maine: A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the idle Old Town pulp and paper mill to a New York investment group for nearly $19 million. Patriarch Partners plans to reopen the Red Shield Environmental mill Patriarch provided no timetable but said it hopes to get the mill up and running as soon as possible.

24/11/2008: Forestry investment bucking the trend
Many leading personal finance blogs in Europe and the US have been buzzing with discussion centred on the question of what are the best alternative investments in the current climate. Why are timber and forestry investments cropping up so often?

24/11/2008: Forestry investment bucks the trend
MANY LEADING personal finance blogs in Europe and the US have been buzzing with discussion centred around the question of what are the best alternative investments in the current climate. Why are timber and forestry investments cropping up so often?

24/11/2008: Forest sector CEOs warn against selective bailouts
CHIEF EXECUTIVE officers from 15 of the nation's leading forest companies have warned Ottawa against bailing out the auto and aerospace sectors.The CEOs, who have been struggling to survive a severe downturn in their own industry for the past two years, said in Vancouver that they don't want to see public money going to bailouts for any failing industries, according to Gordon Hamilton writing in the Vancouver Sun.

03/09/2008: Land reforms will be the ultimate test
Foresters are used to facing challenges, from pests and diseases attacking their trees to climate change and rising fuel prices, cheaper imports and falling commodity prices, steep slopes and environmental lobby groups trying to shut them down, yet they always find a way to adapt, persevere and overcome.