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A Volvo L120 Electric wheel loader is helping PermaPine test what sustainable equipment can really deliver in one of New Zealand’s most demanding timber processing environments. Source: Timberbiz Set on a 100-acre site outside Taupō, PermaPine is New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of timber posts and poles. The site runs 24/7, peeling up to 11,000 meters of timber per day and steaming and treating up to 11,000 cubic meters per month. Moving material efficiently across such a large site is critical to keeping production running smoothly. At the same time, the business is on an ongoing journey to reduce its environmental footprint. Having already invested in renewable energy through a biomass boiler, which uses timber residues to produce the steam required to dry and fixate products, PermaPine saw the L120 Electric as the next step. The trial set out to determine whether electric equipment could meet both sustainability goals and the realities of industrial-scale operations. “New Zealand is known for its outdoor environment, and we’ve got a great country. We need to ensure we’re protecting it,” Ian Potter, Operations Manager, PermaPine, said. “As a business, we’re always striving to improve, and sustainability is something we’re really working on. It’s part of a journey, not something you do once, but something you think about on an ongoing basis.” The L120 Electric trial marked a significant milestone, becoming the first fully electric wheel loader in New Zealand fitted with log forks and operating in a true 24/7 environment. Rather than limiting the machine to light duties, PermaPine deliberately deployed the L120 Electric across multiple areas of the site to fully test its capability. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The L120 Electric got passed around – it went over to our log yard, the treatment plant and did some work in the yard as well. The general feeling from everyone was positive,” Mr Potter said. “Moving around the site is effortless, no matter the ground conditions, it’s responsive, has good lifting capabilities, great visibility from the cab and is comfortable. It’s working well in our application, and we’re enjoying using it.” With support from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), New Zealand’s government agency dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, conservation and the use of renewable energy, PermaPine installed the charging infrastructure required to support the L120 Electric. The investment also positions the site to expand its electric fleet in the future. Further support has been provided by local Volvo CE dealer, TDX Limited, through whom the L120 Electric has been leased. “As it was a new piece of equipment, the capital cost was high. Leasing supported where we wanted to be in terms of our cash flow, and it also means the risk is shared. We’re really happy with the support from TDX and their help getting the L120 Electric onto our site,” Mr Potter said. PermaPine is a long-standing Volvo CE customer, operating a fleet of 20 Volvo wheel loaders and three Volvo excavators. Volvo machines are well regarded by operators for their comfort and suspension, an important factor on a large site when long distances are travelled every day. You can view the machine at work at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BXoMuGVn7BM

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A new flagship JCB dealership opened its doors in Victoria, marking a major milestone for the company and strengthening support for customers in Australia. Source: Timberbiz The purpose-built Adaptalift JCB facility in Truganina, Victoria welcomed its first customers, industry leaders and partners, showcasing a new dedicated destination to experience the latest JCB construction equipment, connect with product specialists and access industry-leading service and support. Adaptalift has created a model dealership to showcase the growing JCB product range and the industry-leading customer support that Adaptalift JCB has to offer across Australia’s major metropolitan territories, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. JCB’s Deputy Chairman George Bamford, son of JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, hailed the opening as a crucial next step to realising JCB’s growth ambitions in the important Australian market. “I’m really excited about where we are going in Australia, both in construction and agriculture. For me, Australia is one of our most important markets. JCB is a family business, and we really want to give our customers the best and finest support, and we have that with Adaptalift, which is also a family business. This next chapter is going to be really exciting for JCB, Adaptalift JCB and our regional dealership network. I’m really pleased about where we’re going in Australia.” said George Bamford JCB’s Deputy Chairman. JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said that with the opening of Adaptalift JCB, the company was now moving at pace to grow its presence in Australia and unlock many new opportunities. “This celebration is more than just the opening of a new facility, it’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our customers,” Adaptalift Group CEO Lindsay Whiffen said. “JCB is a world class brand and we’re proud to represent it across key metro and regional markets. From day one, our focus is simple, selling a great product range, providing fast service and world-class parts availability and keeping machines working safely and reliably.” JCB also hosted its regional dealer conference in Sydney recently, bringing together regional JCB dealers from across Australia to launch its strategy that focuses on getting the brand closer to customers. In Australia, this has meant shortening the chain from factory to customer by taking direct control of importation, alongside strong investment in building and supporting the dealer network. JCB’s product range is now bigger than at any point in its 80-year history, offering huge growth opportunities in Australia. As a producer of backhoe loaders and telescopic handlers, JCB is well positioned to grow its share of these important sectors in Australia. There are also huge growth opportunities for JCB’s range of excavators which span the one tonne micro to 52-tonne tracked excavators. JCB is also a leading producer of wheeled loaders, skid steer loaders, compaction equipment and access equipment.

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Nippon Paper Resources Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Paper Industries has launched a softwood tree plantation project and a carbon credit generation project in the Green Triangle region of Western Victoria, Australia. Source: Timberbiz Since 1996, NPR has been operating a hardwood tree plantation business in Australia with the aim of securing raw materials of pulp for NPI. As its existing hardwood plantations are now reaching maturity in stages, the company has decided to switch to softwood species for reforestation. Nippon says that this policy aims not only to secure softwood raw materials for NPI but also to supply timber for residential construction, for which demand is expected to grow in Australia. Furthermore, the switch to softwood will enable the generation of new carbon credits. Starting in 2026, Nippon says it will gradually convert existing hardwood tree plantations into softwood. By 2028, as part of Phase 1 of the project, we will establish approximately 1,500 hectares of softwood plantations and generate carbon credits from these areas. Furthermore, leveraging the knowledge and expertise gained during Phase 1, the company will explore expanding to a total of 10,000 hectares as part of Phase 2 of the project. Australia’s carbon credit system, established under the Carbon Credits Act 2011 (Carbon Farming Initiative), is administered by the federal government’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and is regarded globally for its transparency and reliability. Under this system, a framework for the generation and trading of carbon credits, known as ACCUs (Australian Carbon Credit Units), within Australia has been established. NPR has already obtained approval from the CER in 2026 for the registration of its carbon credit generation project, and the generation and acquisition of carbon credits will begin in 2027 and beyond. Furthermore, as demand for paper used in packaging and packaging materials continues to grow, and global demand for softwood woodchips, the primary raw material for these paper products, is also expected to increase, the company acquired a New Zealand-based softwood woodchip production and export company in February 2026. In addition, by launching a softwood plantation business in Australia, NPR aims to secure a stable supply of resources and maximize the Nippon Paper Group’s revenue from timber-related businesses. Through this softwood plantation project in Australia, the company aims to expand the Nippon Paper Group’s forestry and timber-related businesses and contribute to solving societal challenges.

The post Nippon to move to softwood from hardwood for carbon credits in Australia appeared first on Timberbiz.