Australian timber industry news

For decades, Bigfoot believers have chased shaky photos and grainy footage that never closed the case. Now Hard Mountain Dew is joining the hunt and has launched its first-ever Bigfoot Bounty – a Can$1 million challenge to prove the legendary creature exists. Source: Timberbiz Cryptid hunters, sceptics, and armchair experts 21 and older now through November 30c an submit verified evidence for a shot at the prize. Evidence will be judged against rigorous standards co-developed by Bigfoot expert, Bryce Johnson. Known for starring in and producing a hit docuseries that follows a team of Sasquatch specialists venturing into the wilderness to prove Bigfoot is real; he brings a trusted voice and genuine enthusiasm to the hunt. Timed to peak Bigfoot sighting season in the autumn Hard Mountain Dew is turning seasonal fascination into a money-backed hunt for the truth. As temperatures cool, more adventurists head outdoors, while increased wildlife activity and soft, moisture-rich ground create ideal conditions for spotting and preserving tracks of Bigfoot. To be considered for the Can$1 million prize, participants 21 or older must submit a compelling entry that includes at least four of the following seven forms of evidence: Bigfoot Paw Print: A footprint measuring 37-38.5 inches long, found pressed 6inches into solid gravel. Bigfoot Handprint: A clearly documented 13-inch handprint displaying distinct shape, proportions, and unusual characteristics suitable for further examination. Thermal Imaging Capture: Night vision footage showing a 7-9-foot-tall heat signature moving at 20-25 mph through dense forest. Hair Follicle Sample: A tuft of dark brown, black, or reddish-brown hair found snagged on a branch 5-10 feet off the ground, containing “unknown DNA markers.” Audio Recording: High-frequency vocalizations, knocks, calls or other unexplained sounds consistent with reported Bigfoot activity. Environmental Remnants: Debris and/or environmental remnants with no visible machinery or storm damage nearby. Bigfoot Cameo: photo that appears to catch Bigfoot photobombing you. The $1 million prize requires actual, verified proof that Bigfoot exists.

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Indufor’s extensive experience in forest due diligence and valuation highlights the importance of reducing uncertainty around forest area, age class, species, yield and spatial distribution when assessing plantation investments. Source: Timberbiz ForestInsights brings together Indufor’s expertise in remote sensing, forest modelling and valuation to provide a detailed picture of planted forest resources. Satellite imagery, spatial analysis and modelling are used to develop GIS data layers describing plantation boundaries, species composition and stand age. These data can then be combined with information on forest yields, costs and pricing to assess future harvest volumes, wood availability, transport requirements and investment opportunities for individual assets, regions or national plantation re-sources. The resource can also be updated over time. As forests are harvested and replant-ed, or affected by events such as fire, storms or other disturbances, new satellite imagery can be used to update the underlying forest information and maintain a current picture of the resource. For investors and forest owners, ForestInsights provides a rapid way to understand an asset, region or wood basket. The information can be used to assess: the location and extent of planted forests; age-class and species composition; the distribution and size of forest holdings; areas approaching harvest; proximity to processing facilities, infrastructure and markets; and likely transport distances and wood supply scenarios.   By applying Indufor’s experience in forest modelling and valuation, the team can use these data to develop regional or asset-specific wood availability forecasts and support due diligence, acquisition strategy, market analysis and longer-term forest planning.

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Forests cover about 4.14 billion hectares, or nearly 32% of the world’s land area, providing habitat for much of the world’s biodiversity, helping regulate global carbon and water cycles, and supporting food security, local livelihoods, renewable biomaterials, and energy. Source: Timberbiz As the climate and biodiversity crises continue to intensify, there has never been a more important time to raise awareness and encourage positive action for forests. By supporting responsible forestry, we can all play a role in protecting forests, wildlife and the communities and livelihoods that depend on them. Highlighting the importance of caring for the world’s forests, the FSC Forest Week campaign returns from 21-27 September, bringing together brands, manufacturers, forest managers, consumers, NGOs, industry groups and more to raise awareness of responsible forest management and its vital role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Since its launch, FSC Forest Week has grown into a powerful global movement. From community engagement activities and workplace initiatives to forest walks and FSC-certified product launches, participants continue to find new and engaging ways to connect people with forests and amplify the campaign’s impact every year. Under this year’s theme ‘Do one thing for Forests’, everyone is encouraged to take one positive action for forests and inspire others to do the same. By getting involved, businesses and individuals help raise awareness of responsible forest management and encourage their community to consider the one thing they can do to support the world’s forests while strengthening the impact of FSC’s work together. Positive action for forests can start with the materials and products we choose every day. Many products we regularly rely upon, from paper and packaging to furniture and building materials, come from forests, and responsible sourcing is a crucial consideration across supply chains and purchasing decisions. Research indicates that consumers are increasingly looking to make a positive impact through their everyday choices, with three out of four preferring products that do not harm plants and animals, and two out of four wanting to protect forests by buying independently certified products. By choosing responsibly sourced forest-based products, businesses and consumers alike can help support forests, protect wildlife and contribute to thriving communities.

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More than 50 forestry industry participants gathered in Nelson, New Zealand recently for the latest Productivity Workshop delivered through the collaboration between FICA and the University of Canterbury. Source: Timberbiz With an even mix of approximately 50% contractors and 50% forest managers, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity to explore how the forestry sector can improve productivity, profitability and long-term sustainability. The strong turnout reflected the importance of productivity as a key issue for the industry. Discussions throughout the day focused on the growing pressure created by rising operating costs, increasing compliance requirements and the need to achieve stronger returns from the significant investment contractors have made in modern harvesting equipment and systems. One of the most encouraging aspects of the workshop was the level of participation from contractors outside the Nelson region. Representatives travelled from across the country, including Speirs Logging (Gisborne), Fast Harvesting (Central North Island), Jensen Logging (Central North Island), Loggabull (Central North Island) and Brand Log-ging (Canterbury). Their attendance highlighted the value the industry places on sharing ideas, benchmarking performance and learning from each other’s experiences. The workshop also showcased the diversity of talent within the contracting sector. Alongside many of the industry’s most experienced business owners and operational leaders were younger forestry professionals such as Ivan Quin and Sam Holmes, both under 35 years of age and currently foremen for separate Loggabull harvesting crews. Their involvement demonstrated the strength of emerging leadership within the industry and the importance of investing in the next generation of forestry decision-makers. A key theme throughout the day was that productivity improvements must extend beyond the harvesting crew itself. Presentations and discussions highlighted the role that harvest planning, infrastructure design, logistics, production monitoring, technology and communication play in improving overall supply chain performance. The message was clear: productivity gains are best achieved when contractors, forest managers and forest owners work together to remove inefficiencies and focus on outcomes. The workshop was also endorsed by respected industry leader Mike Fraser, who rein-forced the value of bringing contractors and forest managers together to openly discuss productivity challenges and opportunities. His support reflected the positive industry sentiment towards the workshop and the importance of creating forums where practical solutions can be shared, relationships strengthened, and future improvements identified for the benefit of the wider forestry sector. A standout presentation was delivered by Jules Larsen from Waratah, who challenged participants to think about the future of production monitoring and the increasing role of machine-generated data in operational decision-making. As harvesting technology continues to evolve, access to accurate production information is expected to become an increasingly important tool for improving performance and identifying opportunities across forestry operations. Jules also generously sponsored the post-workshop refreshments, providing attendees with an excellent opportunity to continue discussions and build industry connections. The success of the workshop reflects the strength of the ongoing partnership between FICA and the University of Canterbury. Special thanks go to Rien Visser and Patrick Humphrey for their continued leadership and commitment to delivering practical, industry-focused events that help lift capability and encourage innovation throughout the sector. FICA would also like to acknowledge the support of the Forest Growers Levy Trust (FGLT), whose contribution helped make the workshop possible. The momentum generated by the Nelson event is already carrying forward. The next Productivity Workshop is scheduled for 16 October in Balclutha and with more than 20 registrations already received, interest is proving strong. Anyone interested in improving operational performance, learning from industry leaders and contributing to productive industry discussions is encouraged to register early. The high level of engagement, strong attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback demonstrate that New Zealand’s forestry sector remains committed to working together to improve productivity and build a more resilient future for contractors, forest managers and forest owners alike.

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Affected by fires, Australian architect Adriano Pupilli used FSC plywood to create a flatpack kit home for recovery and resilience. After Australia’s hottest December on record, the South Coast of New South Wales was on fire. The 2019-2020 fires were some of the worst in Australia’s recorded history, burning around 15.5 million hectares of land, and causing the loss of 26 lives and more than 2,400 homes. Source: Timberbiz Architect Adriano Pupilli found his family on the frontlines in the town of Manyana on Yuin Country, 200 kilometres south of Sydney. “Our property came very close to perishing in the flames,” Mr Pupilli said. “The fire was at our back fence. It actually leaped over the property, catching fire to trees on the other side of the road.” The Pupilli family home was spared, but a small timber cabin in the front yard was badly damaged. When it came to rebuilding, bushfire resilience was front of mind. Casa Manyana is Pupilli’s architectural response: a fire-safe, DIY cabin constructed around a frame of FSC-certified plantation pine plywood. The design aims for quick disaster recovery and future fire resilience, while maintaining harmony with the landscape. Placed in the front yard of the family home, the compact structure contains a sleeping loft, kitchenette, and bathroom for guests, as well as a living space for everyday use. Large glass panels invite plenty of natural light, while louvred windows let in a cooling sea breeze. To prepare for future fires, non-combustible corrugated metal and fibre cement form a protective casing around the plywood frame, built to withstand fire-generated winds, while the open windows are covered by screens to protect from flying embers. The design is simple enough to be built without specialist expertise or tools, and small enough to avoid lengthy authority approvals, making it ideal for emergency rebuilding. For Pupilli, participation by households in the rebuilding process not only brings down costs but can foster a sense of community and healing after a disaster, getting people back on their land fast. “We got the structural frame up in one day, and it was the most satisfying and fun process,” he said. “I hope to encourage other architects and designers to look at solutions that explore the human side of prefabricated housing – how designs and systems provide for sustainable and efficient prefabrication while delivering dignified and elegant solutions that bring costs of assembly down and a sense of satisfaction and healing in a post-disaster setting.” Casa Manyana is the latest evolution of the IMBY™ Kit, a flatpack modular system for building small, sustainable spaces ‘in my backyard’ that Mr Pupilli and his Sydney-based firm have been developing for over a decade. FSC plywood pieces are key to the design. The arched frame pieces are nested together on single sheets of plywood to avoid wasted materials and cut by computer-aided machines to ensure precision for assembly. Structural bays are sized to suit standard plywood lining sheets, further maximizing use of the materials. The pieces are strong, lightweight, and easy to lock and layer together without the need for nails or glue. They can be assembled using only a mobile scaffold, avoiding the cost of crane hire. Once assembled, the plywood becomes a key feature of the design, with warm wood hues and exposed beams becoming part of the signature aesthetic. “It’s a common misconception that prefabricated buildings need to be cookie-cutter,” Mr Pupilli said. “They can be dignified and creative solutions that bring joy to occupants while complementing the landscape.” Aside from the use of renewable FSC timber, other sustainability benefits include a small environmental footprint, smart use of natural light and ventilation, and modularity that can extend the lifecycle of the structure and its materials – the cabin can be easily extended or dismantled, flatpacked, and transported to a new location. Casa Manyana updates the IMBY Kit design for a future where hot, dry summers and fire risks are becoming more prevalent, due to the effects of climate change. “My clients are seeking out sustainable solutions in response to the visible signs of climate change we see around us,” Mr Pupilli said. “We need to start thinking about how we design for climate change, how we can increase the options available to people, and how we can enable their participation in the solutions.” For more information visit: https://adrianopupilli.com.au/project/casa-manyana/  

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The timber industry has a strong story to tell and for generations, timber has helped deliver Australian homes, schools and commercial buildings. It continues to play an important role in meeting some of the industry’s biggest challenges, from delivering more housing to reducing embodied carbon and improving construction efficiency. Source: Timberbiz Yet the conversation around building materials is often influenced by advertising campaigns and misconceptions. That’s why WoodSolutions, in collaboration with FTMA Australia, has Launched Let’s Put Timber Back In The Conversation. The campaign is designed to help industry share clear, evidence-based information about timber’s role in the built environment and ensure the benefits of timber remain visible in conversations. The campaign helps turn trusted information into practical content that can be used across the industry, giving businesses, manufacturers, suppliers and industry stakeholders the confidence to communicate timber’s benefits consistently and accurately. Over 14 weeks, the campaign will highlight a series of key topics that showcase the value of timber. Each week focuses on a different benefit of timber framing, drawing on trusted research, technical knowledge and educational resources developed through WoodSolutions. Topics include: Renewable forestry Carbon storage Construction efficiency Thermal performance Structural capability Sustainability outcomes.   The campaign provides industry with resources to share through their own channels. The goal is simple: create greater awareness of timber through consistent, evidence-based messaging. As Australia’s leading resource for timber design and construction information, Wood-Solutions exists to help the built environment access practical, reliable information about timber. This campaign builds on that role by bringing together research-backed content in a format that is easy to share, understand and apply. By working together, the industry can help ensure timber remains part of the conversation about Australia’s housing future, sustainability goals and built environment. Every conversation matters. Download the resources at https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/publications/timber-framing-resource-library Whether you’re a manufacturer, supplier, builder, designer or industry advocate, you can help amplify timber’s story by sharing campaign content and encouraging informed discussions about timber’s benefits.

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Millions of pine seedlings have been replanted in NSW state forest pine plantations this year, continuing the cycle of growing renewable timber resources to build future homes, schools, businesses and infrastructure. Source: Timberbiz This year around seven million radiata pine seedlings have been planted across recently harvested NSW State Forest pine plantations. The ongoing replanting program underscores the long-term nature of forestry, where every harvested plantation is replanted to ensure a continuous supply of renewable timber for future generations. NSW’s State forest softwood plantations collectively produce enough timber each year to build around 40,000 homes, making them a critical part of Australia’s housing and construction supply chain. Forestry Corporation Regional Manager Tumut Roger Davies said the annual seedling dispatch highlights the planning and care that underpins sustainable forestry. “Most people see the end product in a timber house frame, a pallet, paper or cardboard product or piece of furniture, but that story begins years earlier with a pine grown from seed in a nursery,” Mr Davies said. “The 230,000 hectares of pine plantations in NSW are carefully managed as they grow to maturity and harvesting just a small portion each year produces enough timber to con-struct about a quarter of the homes built in Australia each year. “Every seedling planted represents an investment in the future. These trees will grow for decades before supplying the renewable timber products Australians rely on every day. “Our plantation forests operate on a continuous cycle of growing, harvesting and re-planting. As one crop is harvested, the next generation is already being established. “Radiata pine takes about 15 years of growth to be ready for fibre extraction and around 28 years for structural timber and in between there are many years of silviculture to produce the best pine sawlogs for processing. The seedlings are grown from carefully selected radiata pine seed and nurtured through their early development before undergoing rigorous quality checks ahead of dispatch. Different seedlots are matched to specific growing regions to maximise survival, growth and timber quality. Once dispatched, the seedlings are mostly hand-planted by crews across the State’s pine plantation estate, where they will grow for around three decades before being harvested and processed into structural timber, engineered wood products, paper and packaging. These forests are an essential source of renewable building materials and play an important role in carbon storage, with growing plantations continually absorbing carbon from the atmosphere as they develop.

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US Customs and Border Protection agents spent four days investigating Auckland timber processor Hermpac after a complaint from the US Lumber Coalition. The finding was uncomfortable. Source: B2BNews A wholesaler on America’s east coast had been routing Canadian-origin wood through New Zealand for processing before shipping it into the US, a manoeuvre that carried timber roughly 27,000km across the Pacific and back. The purpose, according to the investigation, was to dodge the punishing duties the US imposes on Canadian softwood lumber. This is the first confirmed case of a New Zealand processor being directly investigated by US Customs in connection with the Trump-era tariff regime. It is a meaningful escalation from the macro-level tariff debate that has run since April 2025. The fight is no longer just about headline rates. It is now about who inspects your paperwork, and whether the value you add in New Zealand counts for anything. The US-Canada softwood lumber dispute is decades old. Washington argues Canadian provinces subsidise their forestry sector and has repeatedly slapped countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Canadian wood. Those duties create a financial incentive to route Canadian timber through a third country, process it, and re-export it as something else. The practice is called transshipment, and the US Lumber Coalition monitors for it aggressively. Running parallel is the Trump tariff regime on New Zealand itself, which began with a 10% base tariff from April 2025 and rose to 15% from 7 August 2025. Timber was initially exempt from the base rate but sat under a separate Section 232 investigation that produced a 10% tariff on foreign softwood lumber in September 2025. Hermpac ended up caught where those two fights overlap. The legal mechanism at the heart of the case is the US ‘substantial transformation’ test. In April 2025, commercial lawyer Richard Hoare of Sharp Tudhope explained that origin turns on whether a good undergoes a fundamental change in name, character, or use in the country claiming origin, and that the change must add meaningful economic value. Kiln-drying Canadian cedar in Auckland sits squarely in the grey zone. It adds value and changes the product’s condition, but US Customs concluded it did not fundamentally change the wood’s character or use. Origin stayed Canadian, and the duties applied. Hoare’s warning at the time now reads as prophecy. “Merely assembling components in New Zealand may not be enough,” he wrote, adding that exporters should be ready to justify origin claims based on pro-cessing steps and value added. New Zealand exports NZ$380 million in timber products to the US annually, its third-largest timber market, and the 10% tariff already adds roughly NZ$40 million in yearly costs. The sector has almost no room to absorb more. In August 2025, the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association released survey findings showing anything over a 5% tariff would cause 50% of exporters to rethink the value of selling to the US. It is worth noting what New Zealand actually sells there. In October 2025, WPMA chief executive Mark Ross stressed the timber is not the structural framing lumber Canada was hit for, but high-grade clear wood for mouldings that only a handful of countries can produce because New Zealand prunes its trees. That premium segment had grown 30% over the five years to 2025. A compliance scare is the last thing it needs on top of mill closures already stressing the industry. New Zealand sells around $9 billion of goods into the US every year, and the export data already shows tariff pain, with sales to the US falling 4.3% in May and 8.9% in June 2025. New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay has argued the uncertainty and changing nature of the tariffs is harder to manage than the rate itself. The Hermpac case adds a third dimension he has not addressed publicly – enforcement risk. Any New Zealand manufacturer sourcing inputs from a high-tariff country like Canada or China, then finishing goods for the US market, faces the same question. If US Customs decides the local processing does not amount to substantial transformation, the product keeps its origin-country classification, and someone pays those duties. The complaint mechanism is open to any US industry group that suspects origin laundering. The practical takeaway is unglamorous but urgent. Review and document your origin classifications now, before a competitor files a complaint, not after Customs agents turn up. Hermpac learned that the hard way, over four days.  

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Australia’s forests are ecologically and economically significant landscapes. They support biodiversity, store carbon, provide timber, and sustain a wide range of environmental and social values. Source: Timberbiz Developing a consistent understanding of these forests is therefore becoming increasingly important for their effective monitoring, reporting and management. Australia already has a wealth of forest data, but these observations are often collected by different agencies using different methods, technologies and standards. The challenge is not simply a lack of data, but the difficulty of bringing these datasets together consistently across regions and through time. SkyForest, an Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) initiative, delivered via AFWI Centre for Climate-Smart Forestry (CCSF), is responding to this challenge by contributing to the framework of a nationally consistent forest inventory framework for Australia. In partnership with the NSW Natural Resources Commission (NRC), Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW), and CSIRO, the project is prototyping a transparent, auditable and open operational data platform, called Monitoring and Observation System for Australian Forest Inventory and Change (MOSAIC), that brings together existing forest observations across spatial and temporal scales. It is at this intersection between detailed field observations, remote sensing and forest change that Aakash Chhabra, based at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE), Western Sydney University, brings his research experience and capability in developing operational monitoring systems to SkyForest. He works with Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn, who leads SkyForest at Western Sydney University. Aakash’s research work has centred on using multi-sensor remote sensing to under-stand forests before, during and after disturbance, particularly wildfire impacts and recovery. During his PhD with Professor Marta Yebra, he combined SAR and optical satellite time series to map the severity of the 2019/2020 “Black Summer” wildfires and monitor recovery across the south-eastern coastline. He later extended this work at NASA Ames Research Centre by developing the Opti-SAR framework, that integrates optical, and multi-frequency radar observations to investigate fire severity of the 2025 Southern California wildfires. Within SkyForest, Aakash is applying this multi-sensor perspective to strengthen an approach that moves beyond traditional indicators such as greenness alone and places greater emphasis on forest structure. His vision is to strengthen the integration of complementary observations, including field inventory measurements, airborne and ground-based LiDAR, and optical and radar satellite data, to build a more complete picture of Australian forests. Connecting these datasets across scales can help reveal not only their current condition, but how they have changed through time, how they respond to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and how those changes unfold afterwards. Through this work, Aakash contributes to SkyForest’s broader ambition of moving forest monitoring beyond a static description of Australia’s forests towards a system capable of capturing structure, condition and change through time. In doing so, the project also contributes to a wider national discussion around what a modern Australian forest monitoring system should look like, and operationally useful and capable of revealing not only where change is occurring, but how and why it is happening.

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Queensland’s future homes, manufacturing capability and regional economies will depend on decisions made today about the state’s future forest resource. A technical report commissioned by the South & Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub has identified significant opportunities to strengthen future timber supply, support regional investment and improve long-term resource security across Queensland. Source: Timberbiz The study explores plantation expansion, afforestation opportunities, native forest regrowth management, carbon sequestration and forest resource planning. The technical report was commissioned to help address one of the most significant challenges facing the forest and timber sector: ensuring Queensland can meet future demand for timber products while supporting regional jobs, manufacturing growth and environmental outcomes. The work aligns closely with Queensland Future Timber in Focus: Prosper 2050 Delivering Now 2026–2030, the Queensland Government’s first five-year implementation plan under the Queensland Future Timber Plan 2050, which aims to secure and grow sustainable timber resources to support housing, infrastructure, economic development and environmental outcomes. The study findings highlight several significant opportunities and challenges for the sector: Spatial modelling identified significant areas of land suitable for future plantation development and assessed opportunities involving timber production, carbon storage and grazing across the South and Central Queensland region. A study undertaken through the native regrowth carbon sequestration project identified approximately 1.5 million hectares of commercially important regrowth or potential regrowth forest and highlighted opportunities to better recognise the carbon value of managed forests. A technical report examining manufacturing competitiveness identified con-strained timber supply and increasing demand as key challenges for future industry growth Analysis of forest management models found multiple-use forests consistently generated greater long-term benefits than protection-only models, with an assessment estimating approximately $5.4 billion in benefits over a 100-year evaluation period.   Kerry Fullarton, Manager of the South & Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub, said the study provides practical evidence to support future planning and investment decisions. “Queensland has significant opportunities to strengthen its future forest resource, but realising those opportunities requires informed decision-making and a long-term view of resource security, ” said Ms Fullarton. “This study provides industry, government and investors with practical evidence about where future timber supply opportunities exist and the planning, investment and policy settings that can help support them,” she said. The Queensland Future Timber Plan identifies supply, supply chains and markets, regulatory settings, workforce development, and research and innovation as critical priorities for the sector. The Hub’s study contributes evidence across many of these priority areas, including plantation expansion, afforestation opportunities, carbon outcomes, resource security and future investment confidence. Ms Fullarton said the findings demonstrate the important role evidence-based planning will play in achieving Queensland’s long-term timber supply goals. “The Queensland Future Timber Plan recognises the importance of securing future timber resources to support housing, manufacturing, regional jobs and economic growth. “The study commissioned through the Hub helps identify practical opportunities to expand future timber supply while supporting environmental outcomes and regional development. “Most importantly, it provides a strong evidence base to help inform future industry, investment and policy discussions.” A video on the South & Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub report is here.  

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Sprouted from seeds that journeyed around the Moon aboard Apollo 14 in February 1971, “Moon Trees” planted across the United States endure as living reminders of Apollo-era’s part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative. Source: Timberbiz Apollo 14 launched in the late afternoon of 13 January 1971 on what was to be the third trip to the lunar surface. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart Roosa, a former US Forest Service (USFS) smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module. Packed in small containers in Roosa’s personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the Forest Service. Known as the Apollo “Moon Trees”, the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States (often as part of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976) and the world. They stand as a tribute to astronaut Roosa and the Apollo program. The project began after Roosa was chosen for the Apollo 14 mission. Ed Cliff, Chief of the Forest Service, knew of Stuart Roosa from his days as a smokejumper and contacted him about bringing seeds into space. Stan Krugman of the Forest Service was put in charge of the project and selected the seeds for the experiment. Seeds were chosen from five different types of trees: loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir. The seeds were classified and sorted and sealed in small plastic bags that were stored in a metal canister. Control seeds were kept on Earth for later comparison. Roosa carried possibly 2,000 or more seeds in the canister in his personal kit, a small canvas pouch that stayed with him as he orbited the Moon in the command module “Kitty Hawk” in February, 1971. Unfortunately, the seed bags burst open during the decontamination procedures after their return to Earth, and the seeds were scattered about the chamber and exposed to vacuum, and it was thought they might not be viable. Stan Krugman collected the seeds and an attempt at germinating some of the seeds was made in Houston. Somewhat surprisingly, it proved successful and the seeds started growing, but they did not survive long because the facilities there were inadequate. A year later the remaining seeds were sent to the southern Forest Service station in Gulfport, Mississippi (sycamore, loblolly pine, and sweetgum) and to the western station in Placerville, California (redwood and Douglas fir) to attempt germination. Many of the seeds, and later cuttings, were successful and grew into viable seedlings. Some of these were planted with their Earth-bound counterparts as controls, (as might be expected, after over forty years there is no discernible difference) but most were given away in 1975 and 1976 to many state forestry organizations to be planted as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. These trees were southern and western species, so not all states received trees. A loblolly pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the Emperor of Japan, among others. Trees have also been planted in Washington Square in Philadelphia, at Valley Forge, in the International Forest of Friendship, and at various universities and NASA centres, reportedly in 40 different states.

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Understanding where agricultural commodities come from, and how they move through supply chains, is increasingly important for companies, public institutions and other actors involved in trade and due diligence. Source: Timberbiz WHIMO — short for “What Is My Origin” — is an open-source app designed to help supply-chain actors record commodity transactions and exchange basic traceability information as goods move from origin to destination. The tool focuses on a simple idea: when a commodity changes hands, relevant information should be able to move with it. In WHIMO, users record transactions such as purchases, collections, sales or deliveries. These records include basic details such as the commodity, volume, date and, where available, farm geolocation data. WHIMO is designed for supply-chain actors such as cooperatives, local aggregators, transporters, processors, traders and exporters. Farmers are not required to use the app directly, although they may provide geolocation information, for example through a QR code. The tool is available in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and can be downloaded on Android and iOS devices. WHIMO is particularly relevant in supply chains where information is fragmented, incomplete or held by different actors. The tool allows users to start recording transactions even when not all information is available. It also makes traceability gaps visible, helping users understand where in-formation is complete, partial or missing. WHIMO does not assess deforestation risk, evaluate legality or guarantee compliance with regulations. Its role is more specific: to support the collection, transfer and review of traceability data in a practical and consistent way. This information may then support broader due diligence processes, depending on users’ needs and responsibilities. WHIMO includes mobile and web components. Transactions are recorded through the mobile app, while the web platform allows users to review da-ta, explore basic analytics and download records for further use. The tool is open source, which means that institutions or organisations can also adapt the source code to develop their own version, depending on their context and data governance needs. More information here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVpQCSRwP-8

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Stora Enso has completed negotiations on the permanent closure of its Veitsiluoto sawmill in Kemi, Finland. Sawmill production in Northern Finland will be centralised from Veitsiluoto to the company’s other sawmills.  As a result of the decision, approximately 60 people will be made redundant. Source: Timberbiz In August 2026, Stora Enso announced that it was planning to permanently discontinue production at its Veitsiluoto sawmill and centralise production in Northern Finland to Stora Enso’s other sawmills. The reason for the change is the need to improve the efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness of sawmill operations in Northern Finland. The profitability of the sawmill business is expected to continue challenging due to, among others, the high cost of logs. Production at Veitsiluoto sawmill has been cur-tailed temporarily since early August, and production will now be discontinued permanently. “The decision to close Veitsiluoto sawmill was difficult. I want to emphasize that the Veitsiluoto team has done excellent work, especially in safety. We will work closely with Stora Enso’s other sites, the employment area of Sea Lapland, and other stakeholders to support our employees in re-employment. “We offer, among other things, relocation services and re-employment coaching. In addition, we offer support measures for those who wish to transfer to another work location,” said Matti Lielahti, Head of Stora Enso Business Unit Oulu. In recent years, Stora Enso has expanded its operations in Northern Finland. The company will continue to deliver high-quality redwood products from its other sawmills for demanding applications. The closure will have only a minor impact on the Business Unit’s wood supply and consumption in Northern Finland. There is demand for high-quality logs at the Oulu, Oulainen, and Kalajoki sawmills as well as for chips and pulpwood at the Oulu board mill. After the change, Stora Enso will employ approximately 840 people at Business Unit Oulu’s board mill, sawmills in Oulu, Oulainen, and Kalajoki, and port operations.

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Farmer lobby group TasFarmers says government documents revealing the agricultural assessment for the purchase of Rushy Lagoon understated the regional impact of the acquisition. Source: The Weekly Times Rushy Lagoon, Tasmania’s largest farm, was earlier this year sold to the Tasmania Natural Asset Trust – backed by investment from UK forestry and farmland investor Gresham House and others – for $142m, with plans to plant 12 million radiata pine seedlings across 9000ha of the farm. Government documents relating to the agricultural assessment conducted in regards to the sale were released this week and refer to ABS data from 2020-21 that shows across 21,723ha, Rushy Lagoon supported 3300 beef cattle and 1800 dairy cattle, representing 4.65% of beef cattle and 4.52% of dairy cattle in the Scottsdale-Bridport SA2 region. But TasFarmers chief executive Nathan Calman said that at its peak in 2018 the property was estimated to be running 7000 sheep, 8000 beef cattle and 4000 dairy cattle, and that “under the right ownership and management, this is an extremely productive agricultural property”. “Its size and scale mean its contribution extends well beyond the farm gate, supporting the viability of agricultural businesses and services across the region,” he said. In its declaration for the plantation forestry project on the location, Delta Forestry, on behalf of Gresham House and the Tasmanian Natural Asset Trust, assessed that removal of the property’s dairy herd and beef herd would reduce Tasmania’s farmgate value by approximately $7m for dairy and $6m for beef. The documents reveal First Assistant Secretary, Sustainability, Climate and Strategy Division at DAFF Nick Blong “does not intend to make an adverse finding”. “This is because, in my opinion, the following information before me does not suggest that if the project went ahead there would be an undesirable impact on agricultural production in the region where the project would be located,” his correspondence shows. Mr Calman said the process used to assess the project “does not adequately reflect the real outcomes for North East Tasmania”. “The current guidelines provide that where a property is not operating at its potential, ABARES regional data can be used to assess whether conversion to carbon farming will affect the agricultural production of a region,” he said. “Based on 2018 levels of production, it would be fair to estimate that the conversion will result in a reduction of over 10% of dairy and beef outputs, which is significant and should be grounds for the decision being reversed by the Minister or their delegate.” Mr Calman said other concerns over the purchase include whether supply chains exist to support the planting, harvesting and sawmilling of timber, as well as change in the proposed future use of the property. “Given the scale of Rushy Lagoon and the public funding involved, there needs to be much greater certainty and transparency about the long-term plan for the property,” he said.

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The future of Australia’s housing will rely on advanced manufacturing, driving prefabrication solutions, anchored in timber-based building systems, especially engineered wood products produced from the nation’s plantation resources. Source: Timberbiz That future will be the centrepiece of The Precinct Investor Symposium in Melbourne on 14 October 2026, where three internationally recognised leaders in plantation market analysis, engineered wood manufacturing and architectural design will outline how Australia can build a domestic value chain linking plantations, products and prefabrication. IndustryEdge Managing Director Tim Woods, Raute engineered wood products specialist Roumiana Vassileva, and Melbourne School of Design Director Professor Dan Hill will deliver a keynote program examining the changing face of Australia’s plantation industry and the opportunity to connect this established resource with the way homes will be designed and built in the future. Tim Woods is one of Australia’s leading strategists in the fibre value-chain. For more than half a decade his focus has been on transforming the plantation fibre supply chain in the Green Triangle to produce high value engineered wood products. This work already includes the development of bluegum glulam (GLT) and the rapidly developing opportunity to manufacture Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). Heading an industry collaboration, Woods now leads The Precinct development, which will manufacture LVL, GLT, a range of other timber-based building products and prefabricated building components, at world scale in Portland, in south west Victoria. He will outline The Precinct concept, manufacturing platforms and opportunities. “Australia imports enormous amounts of engineered wood products and other building materials. We have to turn that around, reduce our wood fibre exports and rapidly increase our sovereign manufacturing to increase national resilience in housing,” Mr Woods said. “This transformation is urgent, to support Australia’s evolving transition towards more industrialised and prefabricated solutions that can increase housing supply and quality.” Roumiana Vassileva is a global market intelligence executive with 25-plus years of experience in engineered wood products, spanning production, operations, sales and marketing. For 15 years, she has led market intelligence and business development at Raute, a global technology leader in peeling-based technology solutions. Her perspective connects LVL’s material efficiency, advanced technology and mar-ket evolution with automation, prefabrication and modular construction, revealing the strategic leap from producing engineered wood to building scalable, globally competitive construction systems. She brings a global lens to the opportunities, challenges and competitive dynamics shaping Australia’s engineered wood future. Professor Dan Hill brings an international perspective on design, cities, technology and the built environment. His keynote will explore how prefabrication, new materials and industrialised construction could help Australia rethink not only how homes are built, but how we design the places in which peo-ple live. Alongside other expert speakers and panellists, Woods, Vassileva and Hill will draw the connections from plantation fibre resources, to world-scale advanced manufacturing of engineered wood products, to the prefabricated transformation of Australia’s dwellings and built environment. “The opportunity is much bigger than forestry or manufacturing in isolation,” Mr Woods said. “Australia has the ingredients it requires to increase sovereign housing supply capability. The Precinct is about bringing those pieces together and creating a new and more resilient domestic value chain from plantations to products to prefabrication.” The Precinct Investor Symposium will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. To learn more visit www.theprecinctportland.com.au

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Three of this year’s finalists – the New Sydney Fish Market, the Adelaide Aquatic Centre and The Forest at the University of Tasmania, have been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival, which opens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 18 November. Source: Timberbiz They are among 20 Australian projects on a festival shortlist of 416, drawn from more than 630 entries, and in each of them timber is doing structural work. The Fish Market, a finalist in the Commercial Building category, sits on Blackwattle Bay beneath what its entry describes as Australia’s largest engineered timber roof, a canopy of 594 glulam beams spanning 20,000 square metres and storing more than 1,000 tonnes of biogenic carbon. The Adelaide Aquatic Centre, a finalist in the new Sports and Recreation category, carries 324 cubic metres of glulam and 108 cubic metres of cross-laminated timber, with beams up to 37 metres long, supplied full length, spanning the aquatic halls without a column. The Forest, a finalist in both Public Building and Sustainability, retained 60% of the structures already on its site, framed what was new in Tasmanian Oak, and cut upfront carbon by 40% before a single new material was specified. Two of the three are also in contention at the National Architecture Awards, which will be announced in Brisbane on 29 October, with the Fish Market shortlisted for Commercial Architecture and The Forest for both Educational Architecture and Sustainable Architecture.

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A new radiata pine breeding seed orchard in North Canterbury, New Zealand, has moved from promise to delivery giving shareholders a clear path to faster deployment of elite genetics across Australasian production forests. Source: Timberbiz Earlier in 2026, Radiata Pine Breeding Company Limited (RPBC) invested in 23 additional hectares near Amberley to address the time constraints involved with the industry’s access to improved pollen and scion material. As New Zealand’s only specialist radiata pine breeding company, RPBC sits at a critical point in the forestry value supply chain. Its work supports growers, seed producers and processors through 16 shareholders that collectively own or manage 1.6 million hectares of commercial forestry plantations, across New Zealand and east-ern and south-eastern Australia. The new property will transform RPBC’s operating scale. Its breeding and archiving programme used to cover six hectares at Amberley, holding about 9,000 individual trees across 500–600 genotypes. The new orchard (over time) will lift that capacity to 34,000 trees with the added security of irrigation. In due course, its former six-hectare site will be sold. The first two hectares at the new property have been planted with 1625 grafted scions which include approximately 250 genotypes. RPBC’s board – together with RPBC’s management team – inspected the site late in August. RPBC Chairman Ross Dickson (Forestry Corporation of NSW) who travelled from Sydney, said the strong establishment of the scions was another important step in RPBC’s bigger picture. He confirmed that the key driver for the investment is to increase the deployment of genetic gain from the breeding programme into production forests at a commercial scale. “We are already seeing early flower and pollen production from the grafts,” Mr Dickson said. “That was expected given Amberley’s environment, soil type and the performance of other seed orchards in the area but seeing it this early is a powerful indication that the site is right. “It means for both the shareholders and other stakeholders that RPBC is well on the way to accelerating the production of genetically improved material with the additional scale of this new property. Bearing in mind we only realise the value of superior genetics when they are deployed.” RPBC plans to plant as much as possible, depending on planting availability through 2027. The plantings are being staggered under the supervision or RPBC’s Breeding Orchard and Field Trials Manager Will Stout, to take advantage of emerging superior genotypes. A mixed-age planting plan also allows for a steady and diverse stream of pollen and cones for industry. Mr Dickson said the investment, along with genomic selection, will ultimately maximise genetic gain, reduce operational risk and cut the time lag between breeding advances and their deployment into forests. “It will be a vehicle for unlocking the important genetics we have in RPBC’s pantry and within three to five years, we expect the August 2026 plantings to be producing increased volumes of pollen and scion material for seed orchards.” He added that there is much to celebrate within the move as RPBC’s strong scientific work can now be effectively transformed into practical progress. “This is the step from the lab bench into the forest,” Mr Dickson said. “Scaling up the new orchard will tackle the shortage of pollen and scion material faced by large seed-orchard producers and accelerate the flow of improved genetics into commercial plantations.

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Bevan Eatts Western Australia’s Shadow Minister for Forestry has accused the Cook Labor Government of risking the future of Western Australia’s native sandalwood industry by pursuing major changes without proper consultation with the people who have spent decades building it. Source: Timberbiz “Today I raised the issue in Parliament through a grievance to the Government, outlining concerns about plans to remove the Forest Products Commission (FPC) from commercial wild sandalwood operations, and replace the existing model with a licensing system, administered by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA),” Mr Eatts said. Mr Eatts said the proposal threatened one of WA’s oldest export industries and a sustainable regional sector that supports jobs, Indigenous contractors, pastoral businesses and international markets. “If I can make the time as Shadow Minister to meet stakeholders, travel to Kalgoorlie, visit operations and listen to harvesters, processors, distillers and exporters, why hasn’t the Minister done the same before making decisions that could destroy another sustainable WA industry?” Mr Eatts said. “This industry has spent decades building its reputation, international customers and the WA sandalwood brand. Once those markets and relationships are lost, you don’t simply get them back.” Mr Eatts said industry participants remained concerned about the future of the integrated supply chain currently coordinated by the FPC, including harvesting, certification, traceability, processing, market access and regeneration. “A licence does not replace a supply chain,” Mr Eatts said. “You cannot take away the structure supporting harvesters, Indigenous contractors, pastoral businesses, processors and exporters and expect everyone to fend for themselves. “This is also a renewable resource with regeneration built into its commercial model through Operation Woylie. If the Government removes the FPC, who coordinates that regeneration, who supplies the seed and who pays for it?” Mr Eatts said uncertainty surrounding the Government’s plans was al-ready affecting customer confidence, with industry warning international buyers were considering alternative supply arrangements beyond December 2026. “This is exactly why you consult before making the decision, not after the damage has been done,” Mr Eatts said. “WA has something special: a sustainable native industry, a premium product and a brand recognised around the world. The Minister still has the opportunity to sit down with the people who built it and find a sustainable way forward. “I’ve gone out and listened to them. Why hasn’t the Minister?”

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AFPA has welcomed legislation passed by Federal Parliament this week to establish a single, specialist trade remedies body to better support Australian timber manufacturers. Source: Timberbiz The Customs Amendment (Safeguard Inquiries) Bill 2026 transfers responsibility for conducting safeguard inquiries from the Productivity Commission to the Anti-Dumping Commission, which will be renamed the Australian Trade Remedies Commission (ATRC). “We sincerely thank the Federal Government for strengthening Australia’s trade remedy arrangements and recognising the need for greater specialist capability,” AFPA Acting Chief Executive Officer Richard Hyett said. “Moving responsibility for safeguard actions from the Productivity Commission into a single specialist agency – the ATRC – will help to improve the capabilities and effectiveness of the overall trade remedies system. “Consolidating responsibility for all trade remedies functions within the ATRC will also enhance regulatory efficiency, streamline processes and provide Australian manufacturers and consumers with a single expert body.” Mr Hyett said the widespread support for the legislation demonstrated these changes and their objectives have been well received across industry and other stakeholders. “In a recent submission, we said there must be a clear and accessible pathway for Australian industries to bring forward cases to the ATRC when they believe they are being harmed by unfair or damaging trade practices,” Mr Hyett said. “A well-functioning trade remedies system is vital for Australian manufacturers operating in globally competitive markets and facing growing international trade pressures. “However, we remain concerned that the ATRC must be provided with adequate resources to fulfil its expanded remit and undertake its responsibilities effectively. Furthermore, international trading systems are evolving rapidly due to significant geopolitical uncertainty. Australia must be vigilant and look to continue to evolve our trade remedies system to meet the increased risks of the changing landscape. “We look forward to working with the Government and the new ATRC to ensure Australia has a strong, responsive and accessible trade remedies system that sup-ports local manufacturing and a level playing field.”

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The NSW Government is progressing its alignment with the new Commonwealth Government environment laws that affect the regulation of forestry operations by tasking the NSW Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to develop a Strategic Assessment for forestry operations in NSW. Source: Timberbiz The assessment will be undertaken under Part 10 of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Commission will lead the assessment in collaboration with relevant NSW agencies and in conjunction with the Australian Government. The assessment by the NRC will cover public native forestry, plantation and private native forestry operations across forests sitting within NSW’s defined Regional Forest Agreement boundaries. The long-standing exemption for forestry operations between the Commonwealth and NSW across large areas of NSW forests, known as the Regional Forest Agreements (RFA), will cease on 1 July 2027 following the introduction of new environment legislation by the Commonwealth in November last year. Reforms to the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act last year introduced a new era for environmental protection and improved productivity in Australia. “The Albanese Government congratulates the Minns Government on reaching this important milestone, which will deliver better protections for the environment and more certainty for industry,” Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said. “As part of our landmark national environmental law reforms passed by the Australian Parliament at the end of last year, RFA forestry will need to meet the same Federal environmental requirements as other industries. “We’re providing up to $8.5 million to NSW to ensure it’s meeting national benchmarks, through the development of landscape-scale approval pathways like the strategic assessment. “We believe in a strong and environmentally sustainable future for the New South Wales forestry industry, and we look forward to continuing work with the Minns Government on this.” The RFAs in NSW cover forests in Eden, the North-East and Southern NSW and set obligations and commitments for forest management. The assessment will consider the impacts from forestry operations on nationally significant animals, plants, habitats and places to ensure they are appropriately identified and managed. From 1 July 2027, forestry operations taking place in RFAs will need to comply with the same rules and standards as other industries covered under the EPBC Act. The NSW Government is now releasing for public consultation the draft terms of reference for the strategic assessment. Once the strategic assessment is complete, the NSW Government will work on a long-term bilateral agreement with the Australian Government to accredit NSW forestry operations. The Minns Labor Government is continuing to develop a Forestry Industry Action Plan to ensure a sustainable forestry industry that is aligned with environmental and economic priorities. Consultation commenced on 18 September 2026 and finishes on 16 October 2026. The assessment will be informed by scientific evidence, spatial and environmental data, and stakeholder input. The Australian and NSW governments have released a draft Terms of Reference outlining the proposed scope, process, information requirements and expected outputs for the assessment. Have your say at https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/strategic-assessment-of-forestry-rfas

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