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Deadwood keeps insects alive

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:14
Ecologically sufficient sources of deadwood have been among the most distinct features in commercially managed forests that has been lacking. Only a limited amount of deadwood develops within one rotation period, and historically speaking we have been too eager to “clean” that up during harvesting. Source: Timberbiz This has been the way of the trade despite the fact that thousands of species in Finland rely on or benefit of it. Those species include not only a whopping diversity of fungi and beetles but a myriad of other insects, mosses, lichens and birds. According to a recent inventory study by Natural Resources Institute Finland, there is a significantly greater amount of deadwood in areas that were regenerated after 2011 than in areas regenerated at the beginning of the millennium. The year 2011 stands as a significant milestone for UPM-owned forests as the FSC certification criteria were adopted. The study shows that the average amount of deadwood in the areas regenerated in 2012–2018 was 13m3/ha, compared with the amount of only 3.1m3/ha for the areas regenerated in 2000–2006. Although the result is based on a sample, the amount of deadwood in the company’s forests appears to be increasing. The result not only reflects a widespread attitudinal change towards deadwood, but UPM has sought to promote deadwood for its recognised biodiversity value. The result is very promising from the perspective of UPM’s Forest Action and NPI (Net Positive Impact) targets: increasing the average amount of deadwood in company’s forests to 10m3/ha appears achievable. UPM has committed to improve biodiversity in its forests. The certification criteria essentially aim for the same objective via promoting ecological management measures. However, in a case of a deadwood-dependent species, it may be unclear whether the absence or scarcity of a species is solely due to the lack of deadwood. The species may have further habitat requirements eg for certain microclimatic conditions, which cannot be satisfied by increasing the amount of deadwood. To verify the benefits of UPMs actions on biodiversity, it is of utmost importance to monitor if deadwood in regeneration areas actually gets accepted by deadwood-dependent species. Researchers from the Natural Resources Institute Finland inventoried the species living on deadwood in the UPM-owned regeneration areas. The study focused mostly on polypore species but some saproxylic beetle species were also found. An average number of polypore species in the more recently regenerated areas was more than three times the number of species in the areas regenerated at the beginning of the millennium. Most of the observations were made on deadwood that was over 15cm thick. Among the species detected there were 18 red-listed species, five of which are classified as threatened. In summary, species richness has increased with the increase in the amount of deadwood. Based on the results, we cannot know what proportion of deadwood-dependent species accepts the deadwood in the regeneration area, but we do know that many species accept it. Arguably, there is still room for better optimisation in management measures, and not enough attention is paid to the fact that all deadwood is not of equal value for biodiversity. Thick deadwood seems to attract more biodiversity than thin deadwood, and deadwood formed from a variety of trees is followed by a wider diversity of species. In addition to the sufficiency, the continuity of the resource is equally important and should be ensured. Regardless, the results of this study excite us to continue our work towards ecologically sustainable future.

LIGNA to change dates for the future

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:14
LIGNA will abandon its usual event period and from 2027 onwards will to be held in odd numbered years but away from the public holiday in Hanover, Germany. Source: Timberbiz LIGNA 2027 will be held in Hanover from Monday, 10 May to Friday 14 May, and LIGNA 2029 from Monday 14 May 14 to Friday 18 May. The date of LIGNA 2025 over Ascension Day from Monday 26 May 26 to Friday 30 May remains unchanged. “The decisive factor for LIGNA’s rescheduling from 2027 is the change in visitor behaviour on Ascension Day and the following Friday as a bridge day,” Stephanie Wagner, Head of LIGNA, Deutsche Messe AG said, “A look at LIGNA’s history shows that the trade fair was originally deliberately scheduled for Ascension Day week. The visitor focus on the public holiday was particularly on the skilled trades sector. “The leisure behaviour of visitors has changed significantly in recent years. Thursday as a national public holiday and the following Friday as a bridge day are very popular as an extended vacation weekend, particularly by German visitors from the skilled trades sector, but also from the industry,” she said. “Our visitor analyses clearly confirm this. As the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry, we want to present our exhibiting companies with a high quality and quantity of national and international visitors on all five days of the fair – from all visitor target groups. From our perspective, this will only be possible if LIGNA leaves the Ascension week in future.”

Intensive work to make high quality birch seeds

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:13
After several years of intensive work to produce high-quality birch seeds, Södra has now harvested a large amount of birch seeds in its greenhouse orchard in Falkenberg. The seeds will be used to breed improved birch seedlings with favourable traits, which will promote the growth and diversity of family forestry. Source: Timberbiz Access to selectively bred birch seeds for cultivating seedlings with favourable traits, such as high growth, straight stems and tightly knotted wood, has long been limited. At the same time, demand among forest owners for birch seedlings has been considerably higher than Södra’s ability to produce and deliver. For this reason, Södra built a greenhouse in the Falkenberg nursery a few years ago that was specially designed for birch seed cultivation. An intensive process to produce high-quality birch seeds for tomorrow’s forests began and this work has now paid off in the form of a bountiful harvest of birch seeds. “We saw a declining supply of birch seeds while more and more forest owners were starting to show an interest in birch. We therefore decided to test whether we could produce seeds on our own. After a few years of intensive work and great commitment from employees, it is gratifying that our investment has proved successful so fast,” said Magnus Petersson, Head of Forestry at Södra. The harvested birch seeds will be sown in the nursery in spring 2024 and by spring 2025, birch seedlings with desirable traits will be available for sale. “Birch seedlings are a fast-growing and fun product to work with, and we are expecting to have many birch seedlings ready for sale by as early as spring 2025. We now have a model and a methodology for how we want to work with birch seed cultivation, and we think it may be possible to scale-up the production moving forward,” said Johan Henriksson, Nursery Manager at Falkenberg. The interest that family forest owners are showing in different types of tree species is growing, as well as the desire and demand for greater forest biodiversity. Södra is therefore promoting diversity in forestry in various ways, such as by increasing its own knowledge, and that of forest owners, of a wider range of forest trees. The birch seed orchard in Falkenberg is owned jointly with Sveaskog. Södra runs and manages the seed orchard, while Sveaskog pays half the cost and receives half of the seed harvest. The birch clones used for the seed orchard come from the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden’s long-term birch breeding process, which can now be scaled-up for higher seed and seedling production.  

Potential for development of new gen Tas timber flooring

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:13
Kuluni Millaniyage has always admired nature in a physical and literary sense. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, her parents instilled their love of wildlife and the environment in Kuluni. It was this connection which drew her to a career in research in the forest products sector. Source: Timberbiz A PhD candidate currently studying at the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW) based in Launceston, Ms Millaniyage had previously studied a bachelor’s degree in forestry and environmental science and had worked in wood science and timber processing. “Like my motherland Sri Lanka, Tasmania is an island with a luscious environment. I admire the calm serenity, and close-knit community, which provides an extraordinary quality of life for those of us lucky enough to live here,” Ms Millaniyage said. Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kuluni was employed for two years on a maiden project which processed pre-finished engineered timber flooring, from log to final product. “The timber utilised was Sri Lankan Teak and I was in charge of conducting necessary testing, research, and development – as well as quality assurance of the production line,” Ms Millaniyage said. “This experience inspired me to conduct my higher studies on timber product development, which brought me to this beautiful island of Tasmania.” Ms Millaniyage’s research examines the potential of developing a new generation of Tasmanian engineered timber flooring products for in-state manufacturing and is part of a project headed up by Australian Forests and Wood Innovations (AFWI) – formerly the National Institute for Forest Product Innovation (NIFPI). The project focuses on developing a new generation of Tasmanian appearance hardwood products. Working alongside a research team at CSAW under the supervision of Dr Louise Wallis, Dr Nathan Kotlarewski, Dr Assaad Taoum and Prof Greg Nolan, Ms Millaniyage studies wood science and material properties aligning with the interests and requirements supporting Tasmanian timber industry. “My research is focused in developing a novel engineered timber flooring product using Tasmanian plantation Eucalyptus nitens: a value-added application to the plantation forests. My research outcomes developed a number of prototypes using plantation timber in engineered flooring products with the potential for a future commercial reality,” she said. Ms Millaniyage said that with access to native high-density timbers becoming challenging in Australia and globally, the timber processing industry now requires alternative timber resources to facilitate the increasing market demand and sustainable operations. “Identifying value added applications for short rotation plantation species can generate more return to plantation owners and provide alternatives to the upcoming native log supply,” she said. “As part of my doctoral degree, I was able to develop several engineered flooring prototypes which were subjected to testing in laboratories and in-service conditions. I have published three international journal articles based on the findings of my research.” Further to this achievement, Ms Millaniyage was a recipient of the UTAS Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Award in 2022, for the contribution of research to incorporate Tasmanian solid timber flooring above heated floor slabs in the newly built River’s Edge building at Inveresk, as part of the Transformation and CSAW Project Team.  

Recloaking NZ presented at COP28

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:12
Recloaking Papatūānuku was officially presented by Pure Advantage and WWF-New Zealand to a global audience at COP28 in Dubai as a New Zealand initiative developed to help counter the climate and biodiversity crisis. Source: Timberbiz The initiative was commended by the international audience in attendance. Pure Advantage Executive Chair Simon Millar believes the event represented a positive shift for New Zealand’s global reputation, after the country was given a Fossil of the Day Award earlier at COP28. The presentation was supported by leaders from both sides of the political spectrum, with a speech from the new Minister for Climate Change Simon Watts and his predecessor, James Shaw on the panel. In his speech, Minister Watts said New Zealand is facing major environmental challenges, not only from climate change, but also from a loss of biodiversity. “We need to acknowledge there is a sense of urgency that is required in regards to dealing with this challenge. “We need to make sure that the seeds we plant today, are able to flourish and allow us to get to where we need to get to in the future. We’re definitely discussing and have committed with officials to look and start discussions with my colleague Ministers in regards to this initiative over the next couple of months. “I welcome new ideas such as this that will help us get through our climate and biodiversity crisis. I thank Pure Advantage for your work and your leadership in putting forward Recloaking Papatūānuku for our consideration.” In the panel, Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw recognised a large-scale Indigenous forest initiative like Recloaking Papatūānuku is a long-term investment that would make a difference to the third, fourth and fifth Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and beyond. “When those trees grow to maturity, that could be the difference between having to buy offshore credits or not. “If you’re buying those today, if you can get the dead instrument that says you’re buying those today at NZ$36 per tonne, knowing that the probable cost of carbon in the year 2035 or 2040 is NZ$300 a tonne, then you’re making a 90% margin.” Mr Shaw also recognised that similar projects could be initiated by other OECD countries. “I think there are lessons to be learned here for the rest of the world.” The presentation also featured Simon Millar, Dr. Kayla Kingdon-Bebb the Chief Executive of WWF New Zealand, Alice Ruhweza the Senior Director of Policy, Influence and Engagement at WWF International, Keith Tuffley Global Co-Head of Sustainability and Corporate Transitions at Citigroup, and Marama Royal the Chair of Ngāti Whatua Orakei Trust, Co-Chair of Pou Take Āhuarangi Iwi Leaders Group and Climate Change Lead for the National Iwi Chairs Forum.

NSW crackdown on dodgy builders

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:12
The NSW Government has announced a major increase in the powers and resources of the NSW Building Commission to deliver quality homes for people in NSW, cracking down on poor practices in the building sector and boosting enforcement powers. Source: Timberbiz While the NSW Government is committed to tackling the NSW housing supply crisis after over a decade of inaction, the government will not allow quantity of homes to come at the expense of quality. Laws set to pass parliament this week will mean that for the first time since the Building Commissioner was appointed, he will have the power to enter any apartment or free-standing home in NSW. The Commissioner will also have the power to uncover defects before completion of buildings and compel builders to get them fixed. Building Commission NSW will also receive a $24 million boost, allowing it to scale up to ensure quality buildings are being delivered in NSW. Supercharging the regulator’s powers will ensure that as the state meets the urgent need for more homes, buyers can be confident about the quality of the home they’re buying. The new laws also make critical changes to improve compliance and enforcement systems across the industry, including: New measures to prevent and penalise intentional phoenixing activities in the construction industry by cancelling or refusing licenses Introducing new responsibilities across the building products supply chain of, ensuring that all products used in buildings are safe, compliant, and suitable for their intended use. The changes come as the NSW Government continues its crackdown on dishonest or fraudulent elements in the building sector, with the licenses of four building certifiers cancelled this year: On 4 July 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Glenn Levick engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct and contravened a law with respect to fraud or dishonesty. On 30 August 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Orlando Da Silva engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards. On 14 September 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Paul Gearin engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the certification legislation and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards. On 6 October 2023, Fair Trading found that Mr Joseph Hallal engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct, contravened the certification legislation and engaged in conduct that fell short of expected standards. The additional powers and resources are further supported by the NSW Government’s commitment this week to develop a pattern book of endorsed housing designs for low-rise and mid-rise (up to six storeys) buildings that will also enhance continuity of quality standards across new developments. “We’re delivering more homes across the state, but we won’t let quantity get in the way of quality,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said. “Home buyers in NSW can be confident that we’ve got a tough cop on the beat in the building industry, ensuring that they can have confidence in the quality of the home they’re buying. “We’re making the right investments and delivering the right powers to rebuild trust and integrity in this sector to help tackle the housing crisis in our state.” Minister for Building and Minister for Fair Trading and Better Regulation Anoulack Chanthivong said the new powers for the Building Commissioner were a critical step forward. “There is no room in this state for rip-off merchants taking home buyers for a ride,” he said. “We’ve already started the work required to weed-out untrustworthy players in the market, with these new powers we’ll be doing even more. “Grifters in this sector will have nowhere to hide in NSW.”

New industry survey highlights increase in female executives

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:11
Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has released its Gender and Diversity Survey results for FY2023. For the fourth year running, companies in the forest grower and timber processing sector completed a voluntary Gender and Diversity Survey, which is part of an ongoing industry-wide commitment to increasing the participation of women across the workforce. Source: Timberbiz “The ongoing FWPA member commitment to the diversity and inclusion survey plays a key role in providing key information for the industry, reflecting their positive efforts in the diversity and inclusion policy area,” Erick Hansnata, Statistics and Economics Manager at FWPA said. The 2023 survey was completed by 23 companies. The key finding shows a positive trend in the increasing number of female employees in the industry. The survey also highlights an increase in female executive roles in both forest grower and timber processing sectors. Over the past two years, the proportion of female executives has increased from 20% (27 roles) in 2021 to 29% (42 roles) in 2023. “As a female executive in this historically male dominated industry, it is great to see gender diversity improving, clearly recognising and realising the benefits of diverse thinking at a strategic level” said Katie Fowden, General Manager at Hyne Timber and Board Member at FWPA. “The gender diversity at industry events has completely transformed in recent years and it is vital that the leaders in our industry, whether male or female, continue to support such opportunities. Appreciating that gender is only one aspect of diversity, as an industry, we need to be cognisant of the broader opportunities diversity can deliver.”

State government to fund skills gap shortages in Mount Gambier

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:10
A South Australian state government-funded initiative will support the Limestone Coast timber and forestry sectors to address current skill gap shortages and develop the ‘workforce of the future’. Source: Australian & Regional News The Mount Gambier Skills Centre will have a specific focus on timber and forestry, with an accompanying field-based role working directly with industry. Funded by a $565,000 grant from Skills SA, the centre was an initiative by the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH), Group Training Employment (GTE) and Logging Investigation & Training Association (LITA) and backed by twelve industry representatives. Group Training Employment General Manager Greg Megaw said Mount Gambier’s Andrew Norman had been newly appointed to the Field Officer role in October and was already out meeting with local businesses. “Andrew is out there in the field developing those all-important relationships with industry, to talk about skill gaps and understand the current and future employment needs of the sector, whether it’s milling, silviculture, or harvesting and haulage businesses,” he said. As a GTE Field Officer, Andrew will provide a one-stop-shop for the forestry sector to recruit, promote and employ trainees, including facilitation, monitoring of training and pastoral care. “Through Andrew’s role, we’ll also see greater promotion and education of forest industry vocations at schools and job networks across the Limestone Coast.” Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub Workforce Development Manager, Josh Praolini said the centre will equip the next generation of forestry workers with the knowledge and capabilities to succeed in industry. “The changing nature of work in the forest and timber industry means that we need to ensure there are opportunities to support the development of the new skills required,” he said. “Locally, the centre will be able to deliver the Timber and Wood Products Operations Certificate II and III, which will provide a conduit for future employees to enter the industry with a qualification and also provide an opportunity to develop the skills of current employees. “GTFIH are excited to support the development of the skill centre, having industry-driven support, and to be able to collaborate with both GTE and LITA to ensure a wrap-around support is provided to new apprentices and trainees.”

Interactive ArcGIS Story Map for Green Triangle

Australian timber industry news - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 00:10
OneFortyOne has published an interactive ArcGIS Story Map that highlights the native conservation values the business protects within its Green Triangle plantation forests. Source: Timberbiz OneFortyOne uses Geospatial Imagery Systems (GIS) to ensure that extensive, accurate, and reliable data is collected over time. Story Maps are a great way to showcase data and how it is used to make informed decisions in the forest. The Biodiversity within OneFortyOne’s Green Triangle Plantations ArcGIS Story Map takes viewers on an interactive journey through some of the native conservation areas across OneFortyOne’s South Australian and Victorian plantations. “The data that is gathered by our business is incredibly valuable and can, when displayed using GIS mapping, provide a picture of activities over both space and time,” Ashwood Caesar, OneFortyOne Senior Geospatial Technologist says. “We wanted to develop an interactive tool that showcases the native wildlife and plants living in our forests.” The story is linked to a GIS map of the native conservation areas that fall within OneFortyOne estate across the Green Triangle Region. Each native conservation area is colour-coded in relation to its conservation rating. “Using data, photography and audio we have been able to create a tour of some conservation areas within our forests,” John Cannon, OneFortyOne Senior GIS Analyst said. “The audio and images help create an auditory and visual experience of what walking through OneFortyOne conservation areas can be like.” “GIS is a tool that we use every day. If you’ve ever used Google Maps, then you’ve used GIS.” For further information and to view the Story Map visit Sustainability Matters https://onefortyone.com/sustainability/sustainability-matters

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by Dr. Radut