Australian timber industry news

Sumitomo Forestry has unveiled the latest exhibition renderings of the Sumitomo Forestry Village Exhibition, 100 Forests, in conjunction with the six-month countdown to the International Horticultural Expo 2027 (GREENxEXPO 2027), scheduled to run from 19 March to 26 September 2027 in Yokohama, Japan. Source: Timberbiz Based on the company’s business activities centered on forests and trees for over 330 years since its founding, the Sumitomo Forestry Village Exhibition, 100 Forests, seeks to provide visitors an opportunity to understand the diverse ways forests, trees and humans are interconnected. Under the concept, “100 EYES, 100 FORESTS” (embodying the idea that a forest changes depending on the viewer, offering countless possibilities), the Sumitomo Forestry Village Exhibition, 100 Forests, provides an immersive experience exploring forests and trees from multiple perspectives. The Sumitomo Forestry Village Exhibition, 100 Forests, guides visitors through an exhibition space that includes a tunnel, theatre, museum and second-floor deck to experience the diverse values and possibilities of forests and trees. Visitors to the exhibition will first enter a tunnel that leads to a forest. The journey begins with a seemingly contradictory question: How can we protect forests while growing and logging trees? In the theatre and the museum, visitors will discover how forests are a treasure trove of life for a diverse range of living creatures. They will then learn how trees are planted, cultivated, and take the form of wood that supports everyday life. Beyond that are examples of the possibilities wood holds in the future in such areas as energy and biotechnology. At the end of the tour on the second-floor deck, instead of looking up at trees, visitors will get a bird’s eye view for an entirely different perspective of forests and trees that may bring new discoveries. GREENxEXPO 2027 will be the first international exposition that Sumitomo is participating in independently and it will showcase its initiatives and future challenges centred on the Wood Cycle. At the same time, it will provide a diverse range of perspectives on forests in the hopes that visitors will encounter the countless possibilities that forests and trees have to offer and discover a forest of their own.

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UK timber and panel product imports remained below last year’s levels during the first half of 2026, with weaker softwood and plywood volumes weighing on the market, according to the latest statistics from Timber Development UK (TDUK). Source: Timberbiz The combined volume of the UK’s main timber and panel product imports was 3.9% lower in H1 2026 than during the same period in 2025. Solid wood imports fell by 4.7%, while panel product imports were 2.5% lower. After a poor start to the year, import volumes improved during March and April, with April volumes sitting 4% higher than a year earlier. This improvement was short-lived, however, with volumes falling 8% year-on-year in May and 3% in June. Softwood, which accounts for more than 60% of all timber and panel imports, was a major contributor to the overall decline. Import volumes fell 4.9% to 2.898 million m³ during the first six months of the year. The latest TDUK statistics note this weaker performance of softwood imports amid the backdrop of falling UK housing starts. Following historically low levels in 2024 and 2025, the Construction Products Association is forecasting a further 9% reduction in housing starts during 2026. Meanwhile, hardwood imports were 1.5% lower than H1 2025, reflecting weaker volumes of temperate and mixed hardwoods. Tropical hardwood moved in the opposite direction, increasing by 3.5%. The largest falls were seen in plywood. Total plywood import volumes were 13.6% lower, with hardwood plywood down 7.4% and softwood plywood falling 28.8%. Lower hardwood plywood volumes were mainly due to reduced supply from China, while the fall in softwood plywood was driven largely by Brazil. Brazilian volumes fell by around 60,000m³, or 39%, during H1 2026. The picture across other panel product imports was more positive. Particleboard imports increased by 4.6%, with growth from Germany and Belgium and a strong increase in volumes from Luxembourg. Imports from China also increased during the period. OSB imports rose by 2.3%, while MDF recorded the largest percentage increase among the main timber and panel product categories, with volumes up 13.1%. Chinese MDF volumes doubled compared with H1 2025. Engineered wood product imports were 13% lower overall. CLT imports fell 60.7% and glulam volumes were down 17%, while LVL imports increased by 8.5%. I-beam imports remained virtually unchanged from the same period last year. Prices also changed during H1. While softwood prices increased overall following rises during Q1, they fell back during Q2 while still remaining above year-earlier levels. Plywood prices generally fell, including an 8% reduction in the average price of hardwood plywood from China and an annual average reduction of around 12% for softwood plywood from Brazil. The downward movement in hardwood plywood prices stopped abruptly in May and June, when average prices moved higher as substantially lower volumes of cheaper Chinese material were imported. Nick Boulton, Head of Technical and Trade Policy at Timber Development UK, said: “The first half of 2026 presents a mixed picture for UK timber imports, but the headline position is that overall volumes remain weak and below the levels seen in previous years. “Softwood imports were down by almost 5%, while plywood volumes fell more sharply, particularly softwood plywood. At the same time there were areas of growth, with higher volumes of particleboard, OSB and MDF, and LVL imports also moving ahead of last year. “We have also seen some changes in pricing during the first half of the year. Softwood prices fell back during Q2 following increases earlier in the year, while the reduction in lower-priced Chinese hardwood plywood imports in May and June resulted in average prices moving higher.” One brighter spot in TDUK’s latest figures is the performance of UK timber and panel exports. Although export volumes remain small compared with imports, they have been on a growth path over recent years. Softwood exports increased by 24% in the six months to June compared with H1 2025, continuing the growth seen over the past few years. Ireland remains by far the largest destination for UK-produced softwood, accounting for around 93% of exports. MDF exports increased by 46% compared with H1 2025, reversing the downward trend recorded over the previous four years. Particleboard exports were 1.4% higher. OSB exports were slightly below H1 2025 overall following a poor first quarter, but Q2 volumes were 21% higher than during the same quarter last year. Boulton added: “Exports remain tiny in comparison with the volumes of timber and panels imported into the UK, but they are a valuable proportion of the output from UK-based producers and have shown good volume growth over recent years. The 24% increase in softwood exports during the first half of 2026 continues that growth path, while the 46% rise in MDF exports is another positive feature within the latest figures.” TDUK members can sign in and read the full report on the TDUK website. Timber Development UK is the largest, most comprehensive timber supply chain body in the UK, and remains the single source for knowledge on all things timber, from sawmill to specifier and everything in between.

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As Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to address the European Parliament and advance a strengthened Canada–European Union security and trade partnership, Forest Products Association of Canada is urging Canada and the EU to use this moment to address existing trade barriers, including the European Deforestation-free Product Regulation scheduled to take effect later this year. Source: Timberbiz The association says that no one disputes the intent of EUDR, and Canada and the EU share a commitment to sustainable trade, climate action, and responsible natural resource development. But it believes the current EUDR approach fails to recognize the robust frameworks governing forestry in Canada, including third-party forest certification, Indigenous leadership in Canadian forestry, and the importance of active forest management to address catastrophic wildfire risks. The association says that in its current form, the regulation risks imposing tens of millions of dollars of unnecessary costs on Canadian producers, small woodlot owners, and integrated forest product supply chains without delivering any real benefit. It says requirements related to plot-level traceability, large data uploads, and treatment of forest residuals are creating practical challenges for low-risk exporters like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and creates more operational uncertainty for forestry businesses, employees, and contractors. Similar concerns exist for Canada’s soy and cattle industries. “The Canada–EU relationship has long been built on trust, shared values, and a commitment to rules-based trade, and we have an opportunity before us to make this connection even stronger,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC. “As Canada and Europe deepen cooperation on trade, security, energy, housing, and climate action, it is essential that the EUDR be implemented in a way that recognizes Canada’s long-standing commitment to sustainable forest management, its world-leading position in third-party forest certification, and our growing wildfire risks,” he said. “Canada’s forest sector supports the EU’s commitment to combatting global deforestation and sustainability and is seeking an evidence-based approach to achieve this goal.” FPAC wants EU decision-makers to adopt targeted simplification measures for low-risk trading partners, including recognition of negligible-risk countries, streamlined geolocation and traceability requirements, and practical treatment of forest residuals and by-products that are already part of circular, sustainable forest product value chains. “Getting this right, matters,” Mr Nighbor said. “A workable EUDR can promote sustainable forest management, enable reliable trade, support climate action, and accelerate the affordable housing agenda. “And it can be effective in addressing global deforestation. We look forward to seeing a more durable path forward for Canadian exporters, European customers, and the thousands of families connected to Canadian forestry,” he said.

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New Forests founder Dr David Brand will headline an investor symposium hosted by The Precinct in Melbourne in October as investors explore an initial $200 million-plus opportunity to establish large-scale engineered wood product manufacturing in Victoria’s Green Triangle. Source: Timberbiz Dr Brand will deliver a keynote address on 14 October 2026, drawing on more than four decades of experience across forestry investment, forest management and natural capital. Russ Hughes, chair of The Precinct and former CEO of Australian Bluegum Plantations, will host the invite-only event as investors assess the commercial pathway, market opportunity and investment case for the world scale Precinct development, proposed for Portland in south-west Victoria. The proposed initial stage, earmarked close to port and transport infrastructure, represents more than $200 million in investment and would establish a large-scale Glue-Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing facility, supported by a state-of-the-art sawmill and major log merchandising facility. It will use locally grown plantation hardwood, creating an estimated 74 permanent jobs and anchoring future stages of engineered wood product manufacturing, including Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) and prefabricated building component manufacturing. The market opportunity is significant, with Australia importing close to $1 billion of engineered wood products and wood panels each year, including significant volumes of LVL, GLT and plywood used extensively in housing construction. The invite-only event marks a return to the investment origins of Dr Brand’s work in Australia. He founded New Forests in 2005 with a single forestry asset in the Green Triangle with the goal of bringing institutional capital into the plantation sector. The business has since grown into a global operation with $10.6 billion in assets under management with a portfolio covering plantations, timber processing, agriculture, conservation, carbon and natural capital. From the outset, Dr Brand recognised that the value of a forest extended well beyond the sale of wood fibre. His work helped advance a more sophisticated view of forestry as an asset class, capable of delivering additional value through carbon, biodiversity, conservation and broader landscape outcomes. Just as carbon created a new way to value plantations, Dr Brand will explore the next evolution of the sector, transforming established plantation resources, traditionally exported as raw fibre, to be the feedstock for higher-value, domestically produced engineered wood products and prefabricated construction systems – markets experiencing strong domestic demand and constrained supply. The symposium follows the completion of the Hardwood Timber Manufacturing Hub feasibility study, which confirmed the technical and commercial pathway for the initial stage of The Precinct development. The Precinct Chair Russ Hughes said the symposium came at pivotal moment for investors and the region’s forestry sector. “Victoria has an established plantation resource, but too much of its potential value leaves the region before it is converted into higher-value products,” Mr Hughes said. “The opportunity is to connect the resource we already grow with engineered wood manufacturing and prefabrication capability, so more of the economic value, skilled employment and industrial capability is retained in Australia, helping to meet our growing housing needs. “Dr Brand has been at the forefront of forestry investment for decades. His experience, including the early New Forests investment in the Green Triangle, gives him a particularly relevant perspective on the opportunity now emerging for this globally recognised region.” Under the theme “From Plantation to Product to Prefabrication”, the invitation-only symposium will bring together institutional investors, industry leaders, government representatives and project partners to consider the investment case, market opportunity and pathway to delivery. The Precinct is supported by major industry contributions and the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) and the Victorian State Government. The symposium will be held at the Sofitel on Collins Street from 10am to 3.30pm on Wednesday 14 October.  

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Forest and Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) is calling for the Government to publish the trigger for renewed fuel relief. The Federal Government extended fuel relief in June because Australians remained under cost-of-living pressure, uncertainty persisted in the Middle East and truckies needed help to “keep Australia moving”. Source: Timberbiz Sydney wholesale diesel was then 182.3 cents per litre. Today it is 251.5 cents per litre – almost 70 cents, or 38 per cent, higher – while Middle East instability has escalated again and regional businesses remain heavily exposed to diesel costs. Yet the Government says it has “no plans” for another excise cut. FWCA Chair Steve Dobbyns said the Government needed to explain why the reasons it gave for relief in June apparently no longer apply. “In June the Government said Australians were still under pressure, international uncertainty remained and truckies needed help to keep Australia moving. “All three conditions still exist – but diesel is now almost 70 cents a litre more expensive at the wholesale level.” “So, what has changed?” On 21 June, the Commonwealth extended fuel relief for July, cutting both fuel excise and the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge by 16 cents per litre. The Government explicitly said the extension recognised that although fuel prices had fallen substantially, people remained under cost-of-living pressure. It also said the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge reduction was needed to help truckies “keep Australia moving”. Eight days later, it again justified the extension on the basis that Australians remained under pressure and there was continuing uncertainty in the Middle East and global economy. Mr Dobbyns said that created a clear accountability test. “The Government does not need a new justification. It simply needs to explain why the justification it gave Australians in June no longer applies. “If there is an objective trigger for renewed relief – whether it is a wholesale price, regional pump price, national stock level or defined impact on freight – publish it. “If there isn’t one, explain why a major fuel-policy intervention can be switched on and off without a transparent benchmark.” FWCA said waiting until diesel again reached the absolute peak of the earlier crisis was not a credible policy test. “The Government continued relief when diesel had already fallen well below today’s price,” Mr Dobbyns said. “If assistance was warranted at $1.82 wholesale diesel, Australians deserve an explanation for why it apparently does not even warrant reconsideration at $2.51.” The renewed price surge is already hitting essential regional industries. ABC Rural reported last week that grain growers were entering one of the most fuel-intensive periods of their year just as diesel prices were rising again. One trucking operator said ten trucks consumed at least 10,000 litres a day, while his monthly fuel bill had approached $400,000 during the earlier price spike. Farmers said diesel remained their only practical option for completing harvest. Mr Dobbyns said the same economics applied across regional Australia. “Whether it is a header harvesting grain, a forestry machine producing timber or a truck carrying either product to market, diesel is not an optional expense. “When diesel rises sharply, the cost does not stop at the bowser — it moves through freight, food, timber, construction materials and ultimately the wider economy.” FWCA said the affordability issue was compounded by questions over Australia’s fuel infrastructure. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has acknowledged that Australian storage has at times been full, leaving tankers waiting offshore for storage capacity to become available. FWCA said the Government should disclose whether Commonwealth-supported cargoes delayed by Australian storage or unloading constraints had incurred significant demurrage or other costs, and who ultimately bore them. Mr Dobbyns said the central issue was consistency and transparency. “The Government acted when fuel costs threatened households, truckies and regional industries, and it continued that assistance when diesel prices were much lower than they are today. “The question is simple: why isn’t it as important now? “Fuel security should be measured by our ability to get fuel where it is needed, when it is needed and at the lowest practicable supply-chain cost — not simply by counting tankers on the horizon.”

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Kaingaroa Tipu, Ngāti Whakaue and the Tūhourangi Tribal Authority are inviting people to roll up their sleeves and join a native planting day alongside Waipa Stream in Whakarewarewa Forest in New Zealand’s north island on Tuesday 29 September. Source: Timberbiz The planting day will support the restoration of a special part of the forest following harvesting activity earlier this year. By working together, participants will help strengthen the health of the Waipa Stream and Puarenga catchment and contribute to a greener future for the wider community. Dan Phillips, Land Resources Manager, says the planting day reflects Kaingaroa Tipu’s commitment to caring for the land beyond the production forest. “Harvesting is only one part of the forest lifecycle. Opportunities like this allow us to work alongside mana whenua and the community to restore and enhance areas of environmental significance, ensuring they continue to thrive for generations to come,” he said. Every tree planted will make a lasting contribution to the restoration of this important catchment and the future health of Whakarewarewa Forest. Whether you’re an experienced planter or giving it a go for the first time, everyone is welcome. Join us for the morning, the afternoon, or stay for the whole day and enjoy a community BBQ lunch with fellow volunteers. The morning planting session: 9.00am to 12.00pm followed by a community BBQ lunch from 12.00pm to 1.00pm. The afternoon planting session is from 1.00pm to 3.00pm. The location is at the designated pull-over bay on Eight Mile Gate Road. Please wear sturdy footwear and bring a water bottle, weather-appropriate clothing, sun protection and a spade if you have one. Register now: To help us plan catering, equipment and planting numbers, please register in the link Wednesday 23 September. You must register to take part.  

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A forestry professional from the United Kingdom is gaining first-hand experience in sustainable forest management in NSW, as part of an international exchange program. Source: Timberbiz Karen Batten, a Forest Manager with F&W Forestry UK, is halfway through a three-month placement with Forestry Corporation of NSW under the 2026 Young Professional Foresters’ Exchange Program. Since arriving in Australia, Ms Batten has spent time with Forestry Corporation’s Hardwoods Division on the North Coast and is now working in the Softwoods Division in the Snowy Valleys, experiencing the diverse forestry systems used across NSW. The placement will enable Ms Batten to gain experience in silviculture, plantation management and harvesting operations. During her time in Australia, Ms Batten is writing a blog published by the Institute of Chartered Foresters in the UK, detailing her experiences working in Australian forestry operations. “Everyone at Forestry Corporation has been so generous with their time and knowledge and I hope to convey even a snippet of the interesting work that they undertake,” Ms Batten said. Ms Batten said she was impressed by the productivity of NSW’s hardwood plantations, the scale of the state’s softwood estate and the innovation that is applied to forest management in Australia. “If I had to pick the biggest takeaway from my first month with Forestry Corporation, it would be how data collection is utilised across the organisation,” she said. “Being exposed to this and other data collection techniques has broadened my understanding of the possibilities to move beyond observations and adopt similar approaches to support management decisions. “I want to sincerely thank my colleagues and hosts at both the Coffs Harbour and Tumut offices who have shown me around and shared their knowledge so readily.” The Young Professional Foresters’ Exchange Program provides emerging forestry professionals with opportunities to build international networks, share expertise and gain practical experience in different forest management systems around the world and is delivered through a partnership between Forestry Australia, the Institute of Chartered Foresters in the UK, the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.

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Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has appointed Dr Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra brings more than two decades of senior executive, board, and operational leadership experience across the forestry, research, and government sectors. Source: Timberbiz She joins FWPA from the University of Tasmania, where she currently serves as Dean of Natural Sciences, overseeing a large team, managing complex operations, and directing substantial research and development portfolios. The FWPA Board welcomed the appointment, highlighting Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra’s proven leadership, deep sector relationships, and strong track record of translating research into practical, commercial outcomes for industry. Having worked at the intersection of research, industry, and government for 26 years, Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra uniquely positioned to drive FWPA’s strategic vision and deliver measurable value to members and the broader forest and wood products sector.” Throughout her career, Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra has played a pivotal role in national sector initiatives. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI), having previously led the successful $101.5 million federal funding negotiation to establish the national research institute. Her previous positions include Chair of the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network (TFFPN) where she oversaw significant membership growth and governed the Tasmanian Regional Forestry Hub—as well as Director of the ARC Training Centre for Forest Value. “It is a privilege to be appointed to lead Forest and Wood Products Australia at such a pivotal time for our industry. The forestry and wood products sector faces a changing economic, environmental, and global landscape, but it is also primed with incredible opportunity,” Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra said: “FWPA plays a critical role in supporting innovation, capability, and profitable market growth for its members. I look forward to working closely with our members, industry partners, and government stakeholders to execute FWPA’s strategic priorities, build industry capability, and ensure our sector can thrive.” Dr O’Reilly-Wapstra will commence work as CEO on 1 December and relocate to Melbourne to lead the FWPA team in delivering its national Research, Development & Extension (RD&E) programs, promotional activities, and standards development.

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Former Responsible Wood CEO Simon Dorries has been appointed the Australian Timber Importers Federation’s new general manager, commencing next month. Source: Timberbiz Mr Dorries resigned from Responsible Wood at the start of September after more than 11 years. He has had more than 35 years of experience in the forest products industry, along with extensive expertise in certification, standards, and compliance through his work with Responsible Wood and the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA). The ATIF Board believes his deep industry knowledge and practical understanding of certification frameworks will enable him to effectively support ATIF members and stakeholders as they navigate the increasingly complex and evolving compliance landscape for imported timber and engineered wood products. The board says it is confident that Mr Dorries’ experience, leadership, and industry relationships will provide significant value to the Federation and its membership. Mr Dorries replaces Natalie Reynolds who resigned in early July.

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Recent commentary has highlighted just how easy it is for misconceptions about the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to spread. In some cases, a lack of understanding can result in significant financial opportunities being missed. At the opposite end of the spectrum, forest owners who do not fully understand the long-term implications of registering their forest in the ETS can find themselves with legal obligations they neither expected nor budgeted for. While the ETS has been with us for nearly 18 years, it has undergone several significant updates. It is therefore understandable that many people struggle to keep up with these changes and the impact they have on forest owners across New Zealand. In particular, there seems to be some confusion around how carbon credits are claimed in the ETS and the long-term obligations that forest owners face as participants in the scheme. These obligations depend largely on which of the three ETS carbon accounting categories a forest is registered under: Stock Change, Averaging or Permanent Forest. Until the end of 2022, all ETS forests used Stock Change, or the “saw-tooth” model for carbon accounting. In 2023, two additional categories—Averaging and Permanent Forest—were introduced to better reflect the different objectives of rotational forests destined for harvest and continuous-cover permanent forests. For forests registered under the Stock Change category, carbon credits can be claimed annually but carbon losses due to harvesting must also be accounted for, which can result in a significant quantity of carbon credits needing to be surrendered back to the Crown. If the forests are not harvested, the forest owner will continue to accrue carbon credits across the lifespan of the forest. Averaging accounting is well suited to forest owners who are planting a forest with the intention of harvesting. Carbon credits are claimed until the long-term average age for the species, typically 16–26 years for exotic forests. Beyond this point no further carbon credits are claimed. For forests harvested after reaching their long-term average age, a full surrender of carbon credits is only required if the land is not replanted within four years, or converted to a non-forestry land use. The Permanent Forest category is aptly named; forest owners entering their forests into this category should be prepared to keep the trees in the ground in perpetuity. The minimum sign-up period into this category is 50 years and during this time the forest owner is unable to voluntarily withdraw from the scheme or clear-fell their forest. Carbon credits continue to accrue across the lifespan of the forest. Selective tree harvesting can be undertaken, as long as 30% canopy cover is maintained across the entire forest area. Whilst the benefits and outcomes under Averaging Accounting are easily understood, the waters can be murkier for forests registered under Stock Change or the Permanent Forest category. This often leads to questions such as: My forest is registered under Stock Change, how many carbon credits can I sell liability-free, and still harvest my forest? The answer to this is that it very much depends; planting year, species, length of time registered in the ETS, harvest age, year of replant and replanted species are all inputs into this equation that can significantly impact the end result. This carbon accounting method is the most complex and advice from a forestry professional is highly recommended. My forest is registered in the Permanent Forest category, what will happen once the 50-year sign-up period is over? Some forest owners have entered this category thinking that they will claim carbon credits for 50 years, exit the ETS and harvest their forests. While exiting the scheme after 50 years is technically possible, doing so would generally require the surrender of a substantial quantity of carbon credits. Whether that is financially viable will depend largely on the carbon price at that time. The ETS is a complex beast, and it is essential to understand the weave of the specific forest characteristics, registration category, historic and future carbon credit claims and on-going compliance requirements. I cannot stress enough the importance of seeking professional advice before registering your forest in the ETS, purchasing a forest that has been registered in the ETS or selling carbon credits. Kirsten Stuart is a Company Forester & Consultant with Laurie Forestry

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The Global Softwood Roundwood Supply Outlook points to annual supply growth of about 0.5% through 2035, below expected demand growth. Sources: Global Wood Trade Network, and Panels Furniture Asia The Global Softwood Roundwood Supply Outlook forecasts annual softwood supply growth of about 0.5% through 2035, below expected demand growth, as regional constraints limit the potential for increased production. The findings, from Håkan Ekström of Global Wood Trends and Glen O’Kelly of O’Kelly Acumen, are contained in a four-part market report covering North America; Europe and Russia; Latin America, Asia and Oceania; and the global market. The reports examine potential sources of future softwood supply and the factors that could limit growth. Softwood roundwood supply has remained broadly flat since 2000, despite continued growth in overall roundwood production. Meanwhile, demand for construction timber, packaging and biomass is expected to increase, putting further pressure on the availability and real prices of softwood logs. The global outlook varies significantly between regions. Softwood roundwood supply in 2025 was close to its 25-year average, following a sharp fall from its all-time high in 2021. Since 2000, North American supply has declined by almost 20%, while Europe and Russia, and the rest of the world, have each increased by about 18%. The regions that have driven supply growth, however, face different prospects over the next decade. A look at the five regions The US South has the greatest potential to increase softwood roundwood supply. Timber resources remain abundant and harvesting is below biological growth, but labour shortages, infrastructure constraints and the investment required to expand production are expected to limit the pace of growth. In Canada, several years of declining harvests, particularly in British Columbia, are expected to give way to stabilisation and modest recovery. Supply is unlikely to return to previous levels, however. Europe faces tighter constraints. Many forests are already being harvested close to sustainable biological limits, while sustainability policies, forest protection measures and climate-related damage are restricting further growth. The base scenario points to little overall change in European supply, with declines in Central Europe and the Baltics offset by growth elsewhere, particularly in the Nordic region. Russia has substantial underused softwood resources, but much of this potential is unlikely to translate into additional supply. Political risks, market-access restrictions, infrastructure limitations and investment requirements are expected to keep significant volumes untapped. In Latin America and Asia-Pacific, plantation forestry remains competitive, but the area devoted to softwood plantations has changed little over the past decade. Investment has increasingly shifted towards hardwood plantations, while investment in softwood plantations has remained broadly unchanged. Productivity gains are expected to support modest growth in softwood supply, rather than a major expansion. In Japan and New Zealand, lower availability is largely linked to uneven age-class structures in plantations. Demand will remain an important driver of the market. US housing, European construction and China’s property market are expected to support sawlog demand, while greater substitution of hardwood species and recycled fibre in pulp and wood-based panels could change demand for different softwood log grades. China could become an example of how tighter supply affects trade flows. As log availability in Asia-Pacific becomes more constrained and Chinese sawmilling costs increase, the country is likely to import more lumber instead of logs. Climate change and geopolitical developments add further uncertainty. Insects, storms, drought and wildfire could affect forest growth and salvage harvesting, while changes in international relations could redirect trade flows. Carbon policies are expected to have a more limited impact on commercial softwood supply. The outlook suggests that global softwood supply can continue to grow, but only modestly. The issue is not simply how much timber exists in the world’s forests, but how much can be harvested, processed and delivered competitively to the markets that need it. As regional resources become more constrained, accessible and competitively priced softwood logs are likely to become harder to source through 2035.

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Metsä Group’s planned wood-based carbon dioxide capture plant in Rauma has been awarded EUR 21 million in aid through the reverse auction organised by Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. In addition to supporting climate change mitigation, carbon dioxide capture would create new business opportunities. Source: Timberbiz “Receiving this aid is one of the key prerequisites for making the investment. We are talking about building an entirely new industrial value chain, in a market that is only beginning to take shape. The positive decision means that we can continue planning the plant. We are very pleased with the Ministry’s decision,” said Maria Mroué, VP, Communications and Brand, Metsä Group. In the Ministry’s reverse auction, aid was granted to projects requiring the lowest amount of support per unit of carbon dioxide capture capacity to be built. In Metsä Group’s project, carbon dioxide would be captured from the flue gases of the recovery boiler at the Rauma pulp mill. The final investment decision can be considered at the beginning of 2027 at the earliest. In addition to the aid, the investment decision is subject to obtaining an environmental permit, completing the engineering of the capture plant, and securing sufficient market demand. The aid will only be paid if the investment is carried out. Capturing biogenic carbon dioxide, such as carbon dioxide originating from wood, supports climate change mitigation by replacing fossil carbon. The project would also create new business opportunities by turning an existing side stream into a new commercial product. The planned carbon capture capacity in Rauma would be 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Metsä Group’s customers would use the captured carbon dioxide in the production of e-fuels. Using 100,000 tonnes of wood-based carbon dioxide annually in a fuel value chain would avoid fossil carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 30,000 passenger cars.

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British Columbia’s (Canada) Forests Ministry has chosen a stretch of land near Campbell River to be the first candidate for a proposed new model of how forests and timber are managed in the province.  Source: Nanaimo News Under what the province has dubbed the “working forest landscape model,” the area north of and adjacent to Campbell River would be divided into three zones that dictate how and where trees can be logged. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says the goal is to end “cut-block-by-cut-block permitting” and move to “operational plan forestry,” while environmental groups have pushed back, saying the plan would create guaranteed logging zones and obstruct the public’s ability to protect and conserve forests. Randene Neill, B.C.’s minister of water, land and resource stewardship, told a news conference Tuesday that the working forest landscape model, which includes partnerships with First Nations, is a good test of what needs to be done to transform forestry in a sustainable way. Parmar says the exercise of deciding how the zones will be divided has to be community-based and involve First Nations, local government, industry and environmental groups. A statement from the Forests Ministry says officials will undertake technical, socio-economic and environmental analysis to better understand how a three-zone approach could be applied to the landscape. Dallas Smith, president of the Nanwakolas Council that is partnering with the province on the Campbell River plan, says there has been talk of the need for change in B.C.’s forests for decades. “We’re happy to be participating in this actual paradigm shift, where we’re talking about how a working forest works hand-in-hand with the conservation values that are important to us as British Columbians, the biodiversity values,” says the First Nation leader.

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A group of firefighters from New Zealand and Australia is heading home after nearly a month helping fight wildfires near Mount Hood. Source: Katu Oregon forestry officials said the team has worked alongside crews on the fire lines of the Grasshopper, Austin, and Narrows fires. After 30 days battling the Oregon fires, the firefighters from Australia and New Zealand started their journey home on Saturday. “They brought their skill, professionalism and a good sense of humour to every shift. It has been a privilege to work alongside them, and we are incredibly thankful for their support,” state and federal forestry officials said. “Safe travels, and until next time, thank you!” As of Sunday, the more than 94,000-acre Grasshopper Fire burning to the east of Mount Hood is considered 96% contained. The Austin Fire is nearly 13,000 acres along the Clackamas River in the Mount Hood National Forest. It is now 54% contained and has just under 1,000 crew members working to contain the blaze. The nearby Narrows Fire is a relatively small 300 acres burning in the scar of the 2020 Riverside Fire in Clackamas County.

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Artificial intelligence-equipped cameras operating from fire towers across the Snowy Valleys are helping forestry crews with early detection and bushfire monitoring, bolstering firefighting capabilities ahead of the summer fire season.  Source: Tumut and Adelong Times Pano AI, an early bushfire detection company which operates the cameras, says its Australian network will grow from 50 to more than 80 stations by summer. In late 2025, Pano AI signed an agreement with Forestry Corporation to deploy fire detection cameras across 22 strategic locations in New South Wales, including in the Snowy Valleys region. Forestry Corporation NSW land management and innovation manager Jamie Carter said early detection and quick response are critical to firefighting in forested areas, and the AI cameras had already shown their value. “The name of the game, particularly in pine forests, is to detect, respond, and be actively suppressing within 30 minutes if you can,” he said. “The cameras, by aiding us with the detection process and monitoring fire escalation, allow us to streamline that process so we can get there quicker and be more effective on the ground.” Mr Carter said firefighting within pine forests is critical to the softwoods industry and to the communities which surround them. “In 2019-20 … we lost approximately $400 million worth of timber, just in this area, and that had flow-on impacts to sawmills and processors and employment in the other end of this industry,” he said. “It has a huge impact, and we really need to protect every bit of pine we have in the region.” Pano AI’s Andrew Prolov said the AI detection cameras work by taking a full 360-degree scan of the landscape every minute and checking for signs that could indicate a fire. “As soon as the AI detects what it believes to be fire, we have a human in the loop that will perform the validation,” he said. “When they believe it to be a fire, they release the alert that will go simultaneously to Forestry Corp as well as to the fire agencies and land management agencies in the region.” Pano AI co-founder and chief commercial officer Arvind Satyam said people remain part of the process even with the AI towers, confirming that flagged incidents are fires or smoke and not mistaken plumes of dust kicked up by tractors. While based in forestry areas, the cameras cover areas beyond the bounds of state forests, and Mr Carter emphasised that they enhance Forestry’s ability to detect, report and respond to fires both on and off forestry estate. Mr Prolov said Pano stations throughout the region cover all the strategic forestry estates but remain an important community asset. “Fire doesn’t respect boundaries,” he said. “What’s really important here is how well the community works together irrespective of where the fire may start, whether it’s inside the plantation or outside, everyone works together to catch that fire while it’s still small. “Of all the natural disasters we can face, fire is one that we can actually stop if we spot it early enough and collectively work to put it out.” The cameras not only enhance early detection but allow ongoing monitoring of fires as they evolve and better strategic deployment of firefighting resources. “We need to remember that when you go to fight a fire, someone is putting themselves in harm’s way,” Mr Prolov said. “By providing this technology to the community, what we want to do is identify those fires while they’re small so that the challenges those people on the front-line face are reduced.” Softwoods Working Group (SWG) advocated for NSW government funding for Pano AI cameras as part of the $13 million Plantations Fire Protection Fund, which led to cameras being installed outside Tumut in late 2025. SWG chair Dean Anderson said the technology enables quicker detection of fires, making a big difference to the effectiveness of the response. “The idea that we can actually get to a fire promptly means it’s a lot safer, and we can keep the scale down and the damage less,” he said. “The other thing is multiple people being able to see those images quickly. “We had a recent scenario where there was a fire going to the east of Tumut, but people in Homebush, the RFS centre in Sydney, were able to look at it and make a quick decision and be comfortable about sending that big aircraft down to water bomb the area. “Being able to share that information among a lot of people is critical.”

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Advisors to US$200 Million Domain Timber Advisors (DTA) announced the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, manager of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZ Super Fund), has made an additional US$50 million commitment to its value-added US timberland separately managed account with DTA. The additional commitment brings total committed capital under the mandate to US$200 million. Source: Timberbiz The organizations established the mandate in 2023 through NZ Super Fund’s initial US$150 million commitment. DTA has since fully deployed that capital across a diversified portfolio of US timberland investments. The additional capital will give DTA greater flexibility to pursue acquisitions that complement the existing holdings and capitalize on value-creation opportunities across existing and future investments. “DTA has been a valued partner in developing this portfolio,” said Pete White, Portfolio Manager, Real Assets at NZ Super Fund. “The additional commitment will support the continued execution of the mandate, including both selective additions to the portfolio and value-creation opportunities across the holdings, and reflects our shared long-term approach to investing in timberland.” DTA’s value-added strategy focuses on sourcing non-industrial, fragmented or undermanaged timberland where active management can create economic and environmental value. The approach combines disciplined forestry, certification and stewardship, property improvements, aggregation, and selective land-use opportunities to improve individual assets and assemble institutional-quality portfolios. “The existing portfolio is well-positioned, reflecting the excellent work Scott Reaves, Managing Director of Domain Timber Advisors, and the broader DTA team have done to assemble high-quality timberland and identify a range of property-level opportunities across the holdings,” said John Capriotti, Managing Director and Co-Head of Domain Timber Advisors. “This additional capital gives us greater flexibility to pursue acquisitions that complement the portfolio and to capitalize on value-creation opportunities across both existing and future investments. That includes disciplined forestry and property improvements, aggregation opportunities and selective land-use initiatives that can enhance long-term value. We look forward to continuing to build on the strong foundation already in place.” The New Zealand Superannuation Fund is a sovereign wealth fund established by the New Zealand Government to partially pre-fund the future cost of universal superannuation and reduce the burden on future taxpayers. A long-term, growth-oriented global investor, the Fund is managed by the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, an autonomous Crown entity.

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Sales of new homes declined for a fourth consecutive month to their lowest level in more than a year, ensuring that a housing market slowdown is now set to occur in 2027. The HIA New Home Sales report is a monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states and is a leading indicator of future detached home construction. “The new home market cannot absorb further interest rate increases on top of the tax increases announced in this year’s Federal Budget,” HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon said. “Sales of new homes fell nationally by 10.0% in the month of August to be 19.3% lower in the three months to August than the previous quarter and 7.7% lower than at the same time last year.” Mr Reardon said that there was a tangible and significant deterioration in market conditions and confirmed that the recovery in new home building that was underway at the start of the year, had been interrupted. “The deterioration is also broad based. All five states included in the survey recorded a decline in sales over the three months to August,” he said. The tax increases announced in the Federal Budget had weakened market confidence at the same time that three interest rate increases had reduced household borrowing capacity and increased mortgage repayments. Mr Reardon said that falling established home prices and rising construction costs were outcomes from the rise in taxes and interest rates and were making new home projects increasingly difficult to finance. “It is not possible to isolate precisely how much of the deterioration in new home sales is attributable to higher interest rates, increased taxation or broader economic uncertainty,” he said. “What is clear is their combined effect. “Investors and households are retreating from the new home market and the pipeline of homes progressing towards construction is contracting. “Builders are also reporting weaker traffic through display sites, fewer enquiries and declining preliminary commitments, while cancellation rates are rising.” Mr Reardon said that there was a substantial volume of work in the pipeline when these pressures emerged, which meant the deterioration in sales would not be immediately evident in housing commencements and was unlikely to adversely impact commencements of new homes in 2026. “But today’s new home sales are tomorrow’s housing commencements,” he said. “The decline in sales through the middle of 2026 will mean fewer homes commencing construction in 2027. “This slowdown will occur without a corresponding reduction in Australia’s underlying need for housing. Population growth, low unemployment and the existing shortage of homes will continue to generate demand for additional housing supply. “Further interest rate increases would add another constraint to a new home market that is already challenged and the full impact of the rising taxes and rates is still to unfold. “This is not the time for another rate rise,” Mr Reardon said. In the three months to August 2026, sales declined compared with the previous quarter in all the mainland states, led by Victoria (-27.0%) and followed by Queensland (-20.2%), New South Wales (-17.5%), South Australia (-10.8%) and Western Australia (-8.2%).  

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The Precinct’s project team in the Green Triangle will be providing an online Precinct Industry Briefing Webinar on 15 October 2026. Source: Timberbiz The webinar will take attendees through the latest planning, the likely product mix, and provide insight into the manufacturing systems and technology required to establish advanced engineered wood product manufacturing, at world scale, in the heart of the plantation resource. There will be up-to-date market intelligence and information on how global scale plantations and world leading technology are coming together to shape The Precinct’s delivery of sustainable timber-based building products for Australia. The webinar will be hosted by Russ Hughes, Chair of The Precinct and former CEO of Australian Bluegum Plantations Pty Ltd. Head of The Precinct, Tim Woods, will unpack the linkages between plantations, engineered wood products, the future of prefabrication and the pathway to commercialisation. Rounding off the session Raute Corporation’s international engineered wood products specialist Roumiana Vassileva will outline the technology and automation required to scale LVL and other engineered wood products. If you’re part of the forestry, manufacturing, construction, housing or government sectors, this briefing will help you understand how The Precinct could reshape Australia’s timber-based housing value chain, from plantation to product to prefabrication. The webinar will run from 3pm to 4pm. Register at https://events.humanitix.com/the-precinct-industry-briefing-webinar

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The full Senate Hansard from the 10 September debate on the Improved Native Forest Management carbon method has reinforced Forest & Wood Communities Australia’s concerns that political support for the scheme is being confused with evidence that its carbon accounting is sound. Source: Timberbiz Forest & Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) Chair Steve Dobbyns said the debate revealed several new issues warranting scrutiny as the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee considers FWCA’s request for a statutory review of the Method under section 255AA of the Carbon Credits Act. “The Senate has voted and the Method remains in force. We are not seeking to re-run that debate,” Mr Dobbyns said. “What the Hansard now allows us to examine is the reasoning senators were given for supporting the Method, and some of that reasoning raises more questions than it answers.” During the debate Senator David Pocock told the Senate that credits were only paid where logging “stops altogether”. Mr Dobbyns said that description was incomplete. “Logging must cease within a designated carbon protection area, but that does not mean harvesting necessarily ceases across the entire INFM project area,” he said. “The Method expressly contemplates carbon protection areas forming only part of the wider forestry project area. “That distinction matters because the Method’s baseline, harvesting assumptions, leakage calculations and ultimately the number of ACCUs generated are based on a much more complicated project architecture than the simple proposition presented in the Senate. “If parliamentarians are being asked to judge the integrity of a carbon method, they need to understand how the Method actually works.” If 30% strengthens integrity, why wait until 2030? The debate also confirmed that the Government has asked ERAC to consider increasing the minimum carbon protection area requirement from 20% to 30%. However, the proposed higher threshold would apply only to projects registered from 1 July 2030. “That creates a new and very obvious integrity question,” Mr Dobbyns said. “If 30% provides greater confidence in the integrity of these projects, why is 20% considered sufficient for projects registered between now and July 2030? “Carbon integrity should not depend on what date a project happens to be registered. “If a stronger safeguard is justified, the Government should explain why it should not apply before the first generation of projects is locked in.” Mr Dobbyns said much of the Senate debate relied on endorsements from environmental organisations and selected academics as evidence that the Method was sound. “That is not the same thing as demonstrating compliance with the statutory Offsets Integrity Standards,” he said. “An organisation can strongly support ending native forest harvesting and still not have tested whether the resulting carbon credits accurately represent additional, measurable and conservatively calculated abatement. “The questions FWCA has raised are about carbon accounting, not whether particular groups support or oppose native forestry.” FWCA said the Hansard contained no substantive answer to the key technical matters already placed before ERAC, including the Method’s 40% ceiling on indirect leakage, the treatment of a pre-existing government commitment such as the Great Koala National Park, and whether the modelling and counterfactual are sufficiently conservative to avoid over-crediting. “These issues were already set out in our statutory review request and do not need to be relitigated through press releases,” Mr Dobbyns said. “But what is significant is that, despite being central to the integrity of the credits, they were effectively unanswered during the Senate debate.” Additionality concerns cross the political divide Mr Dobbyns said it was also notable that concerns about additionality were not confined to forestry representatives or senators opposing the Method. Greens Senator Nick McKim questioned the broader logic of paying for forest protection that governments have historically been able to deliver through ordinary policy and reservation decisions. “That comes at the issue from a very different political perspective to FWCA, but it points to the same underlying carbon-accounting question,” Mr Dobbyns said. “Would the claimed abatement actually have occurred without the carbon project? “That is particularly important where a government publicly committed to establishing a reserve before the carbon methodology under which it proposes to claim credits even existed.” FWCA has already asked ERAC to review whether the INFM Method continues to satisfy the Offsets Integrity Standards and to consider interim measures while that review is undertaken. “The Senate vote should not be treated as a technical validation of the Method,” Mr Dobbyns said. “It was a political decision about whether to disallow a legislative instrument. “The appropriate next step is now much more straightforward: answer the technical questions. “What is the evidentiary basis for the 40% leakage ceiling? How has additionality been demonstrated? How conservative are the baseline and modelling assumptions? And why is an integrity safeguard considered necessary from 2030 but apparently unnecessary beforehand? “If the Method is robust, transparent examination of those questions should confirm it. “If it isn’t, the problems should be corrected before they become embedded in projects and millions of dollars’ worth of ACCUs.”

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The Australian Government is investing $5 million from 2026–27 through the Forestry Growth Fund to support implementation of two illegal logging law reforms: the new notification requirement and the use of timber testing technologies to verify species and origin claims. Source: Timberbiz These reforms are provided for in the legislation but are not yet in effect. The funding will help the department establish a digital notification system for importers and processors to provide required due diligence information before importing regulated timber products or processing raw logs. Earlier access to this information will support more timely risk assessment and targeted compliance activities. The funding will also support the integration of timber testing technologies within the department’s compliance operations. These technologies will help the department to verify claims about the species and origin of regulated timber products where appropriate, supporting a consistent, evidence-based approach to implementing Australia’s illegal logging laws. This work will be delivered progressively over several years. The government will keep stakeholders informed as the digital system and timber testing capability are developed, including through future updates and consultation on implementation and transition arrangements.  

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