Forest Products Industry

A wasted opportunity is passing New Zealand by to make the most of damaging forest slash by failing to treat it as an energy solution, instead regarding it as a headache, says Bioenergy Association executive officer Brian Cox. Source: Timberbiz “While slash lays rotting in forests it costs communities in terms of flood damage, but as fuel it could slice household electricity bills,” he said. “It’s known that energy from forest residue sells at about NZ$16 a gigajoule (GJ), under half the cost of heat from electricity at NZ$36/GJ.” A gigajoule as a measure of heat energy and 1GJ is capable of heating 25-50 homes for a year. One house in NZ uses about 36 GJ a year. “Slash can keep boilers running and lights on without having to inflate power prices, reserving electricity for critical uses,” said Mr Cox. Pricing slash as an energy resource will help create incentives to clear debris before it wreaks havoc on communities. There are also projects underway including Scion’s Biowave marine biofuel project, to turn forest waste into fuels. “With some planning and pricing, biomass could supply 27% of the nation’s energy by 2050,” Mr Cox said. Removing more slash for income generation through power generation also provides upside for foresters’ operations. “It means planters have better access to sites, with a more easily improved stocked area and better forest regeneration is possible. “Minimising slash piles reduces fire risk and spontaneous combustion hazards on skid sites.” He says this winter has proven to be one of serious discontent within New Zealand’s energy industry as the nation digests news that its gas supplies are running perilously low. “We have the shortage resulting in Methanex and Ballance Agri having to reduce their business activity. That has a sharp impact upon the people they employ and the region they operate in. “Meantime, electricity prices continue to rise.” Bringing the two issues together provides a solution beneficial for all of New Zealand, both households and businesses. “Using forest biomass to produce energy can free up electricity and natural gas for other higher value uses. “Gas supply can also be boosted by using food waste to produce biogas, diversifying our sources and supply, as we have already seen being done by Ecogas in Reporoa.” Mr Cox said without a biogas strategy New Zealand risks seeing the worst of both worlds. “That is, even more business closures due to energy costs, and flooding damage continuing from forestry.”

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Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is expected to hit a record combined value of $101.6 billion in 2025-2026, according to the latest ABARES forecasts. Source: Timberbiz ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the new record value was mostly down to livestock. “We’ve seen high prices lately for both livestock and animal products, like beef, lamb and milk,” Dr Greenville said. “This has boosted the value of livestock production to $41.6 billion, helping to drive overall agriculture sector production value to a forecasted $94.7 billion, which would also be a record.” Dr Greenville said crop production value is forecast to fall slightly in this financial year. “Wheat production and value are set to fall as both global prices and Australian yields decline slightly from last financial year, although wheat production is still ticking along above the 10-year average,” he said. “Barley and pulse production are also on the rise, which with stable canola production, is forecast to see the 3rd largest winter crop on record.” Much of this increase is due to rainfall over July in many parts of South Australia and Victoria. Western Australia has also had above average rainfall, and overall is in a good position heading into spring. Southern New South Wales remains an area of concern, however, due to a slow start to the winter cropping season and relatively low soil moisture levels. Exports are also looking strong for the year ahead. “Agriculture exports are set to fall slightly but are still well above average – at $74.6 billion, these are the third-highest value on record,” Dr Greenville said. “Beef and sheep meat exports are due to fall, but horticulture exports are forecast to increase, and wheat exports will also rise as a result of high carry over from 24-25. “The global trading environment remains uncertain, but there is still strong international demand for Australian food and fibre from markets like China, Japan and the US.” The ABARES September Agricultural Outlook can be found here: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/agricultural-outlook/september-2025

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Ads from mining giant Alcoa praising its forest rehabilitation that were published in WA’s daily newspaper have been deemed “inaccurate and likely to mislead or deceive target customers” by the advertising watchdog Ad Standards. Sources: WAToday, Timberbiz The advertising watchdog found that the claims were not truthful and factual and likely to be misleading or deceptive to the targeted audience. It also found Alcoa did not have reasonable grounds to make the claims, and the claims were not clear, specific and failed to include important limitations. It also said that the environmental claims were overstated. Alcoa responded by stating that there were no plans to use the advertisement in the future. Ad Standards rejected a claim made by Alcoa that the printout did not meet the definition of advertising and was only a statement of public policy. “The Panel considered that such statements if published in a media release or on the advertiser’s website may constitute a statement of public policy, but when part of a paid media campaign this material does meet the definition of advertising under the Code,” the report said. The bauxite miner has cleared 280 square kilometres of the northern jarrah forest as part of its operations, which have been running in Western Australia for more than 60 years. The US-owned company launched a public relations blitz in 2023, following a series of investigative articles by this masthead (WA Today) detailing how it had not completed rehabilitation on a single hectare of the cleared land. Instead, it had been planting seeds and seedlings, and advertising areas as rehabilitated. The miner’s Here with the Facts campaign included an advertisement in The West Australian on May 24, 2025, which claimed it had rehabilitated 75% of the jarrah forest destroyed by its mining operations and that rehabilitation of jarrah forest was possible. “Is Jarrah Forest rehabilitation possible? We’re here with the facts … We’re proud to confirm, the answer is yes – It’s not only possible, it’s happening,” the ad read. “Studies have confirmed that the Jarrah Forest can, and does, recover after mining. “Since 1963, only 2% of WA’s Northern Jarrah Forrest has been cleared for mining, of which, 75 per cent has already been rehabilitated.”

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With Australia tipped to increase spending on defence, manufacturers are tooling up to supply projects nationally. Australian door manufacturer Specialty Doors is developing high performance acoustic and security door products to meet the growing demand. Source: Timberbiz Director of Specialty Doors, Marcus Bastiaan believes defence projects represent an opportunity for local manufacturers to develop category leading products. “Defence requires highly specified product, with a strong focus on performance. Manufacturers must test and prove their products, which leads to innovation with new materials and production processes,” he said. Specialty Doors is currently involved in supplying defence projects in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Each project requires a range of products to fulfil acoustic, security and fire rating standards, which according to Mr Bastiaan will provide ongoing benefit to manufacturing businesses and the construction industry. “Learning more about the practical strength and limitations of materials creates new knowledge, which in turn improves the product offering for the domestic construction industry,” Mr Bastiaan said. He highlights the link between an increase in global insecurity and a growing demand for greater security features in residential projects. “We have made more internal steel plate doors in the last twelve months, than we have made in the past 4 years. Demand is coming from defence and the residential sector.” Specialty Doors security grade doors are manufactured in accordance with SCEC requirements and can be designed to withstand bullets and blasts. While the doors internal construction is a mix of steel and dampening materials, the exterior is often timber or veneer. Marcus Bastiaan says this unassuming exterior lends itself to domestic settings. “Our customers want to know they are safe behind their front door, but they don’t necessarily want to tell the whole street about it,” Mr Bastiaan said. Secure entry systems are built to Australian standards governed by the Security Construction and Equipment Committee, which is a standing inter-departmental committee within the Australian Government. The standard provides a framework for materials and performance criteria required for products to qualify for tenders. Mr Bastiaan sees Australia’s high standard of building products as a competitive advantage for manufactures looking to export. “Australian products are recognise as class leaders, the more domestic manufactures innovate to meet standards the greater our chances of finding markets in the United States and Europe,” he said.

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The peak body for Queensland’s forest and timber industry is bringing together landholders, timber producers, builders and innovators this week for the Doing Timber Business in Queensland: From Paddock to Pre-Fab conference. Source: Timberbiz Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said the two-day forum, supported by Gold Sponsor Australian Retirement Trust, will explore how timber, carbon and cattle can work better together to boost resilience, productivity and profitability on Queensland farms, while delivering wood supply for future housing needs. “This is about connecting the full timber value chain – from the paddock through to prefabricated innovation,” Mr Stephens said. Attendees on Tuesday heard from industry leaders and experts including Chris Parker, Cattle Australia, presenting on deforestation rules from a beef industry perspective, Greg Leach, AgForce Queensland, discussing natural capital reporting tools for grazing and forestry and Dr Tyron Venn, University of Queensland examining the financial performance of farm forestry in detail. Mr Stephens spoke on the new Queensland Future Timber Plan, and the policy and farm extension opportunities to expand the native forest and plantation-based sectors to meet growing demand for timber construction materials. The day concluded with the Carving Out Connections: Steaks and Stumps industry dinner, sponsored by Rivers Insurance, which featured a presentation from Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett. Today’s sessions, themed Building Our Future in Timber, shifts the focus to construction and timber’s role in solving Australia’s housing and building challenges. Held at Aurecon’s 25 King St office – Australia’s tallest timber office building – the program includes sessions on mid-rise timber codes, mass timber social housing and modern construction methods. “Timber is not just a renewable resource – it’s a smart solution for housing supply, sustainability and regional jobs,” Mr Stephens said. “Presentations and site tours of hybrid prefabrication systems at SigmaBuild and a complex truss and frame system under construction at the Wat Thai Buddharam Temple will showcase how Queensland grown timber and prefabricated systems can deliver better outcomes for builders, occupants and the environment.” “These opportunities will be fully explored as part of our proactive agenda with government and industry partners,” Mr Stephens said  

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