Australian timber industry news

Australia’s housing supply has fallen short of demand for over two decades, making affordability, accessibility, and construction timelines a real challenge. To provide insights into these challenges and help drive solutions, Forest & Wood Products Australia has undertaken the most comprehensive report into the housing crisis to date. Source: Timberbiz To launch the ‘More Houses Sooner’ report, FWPA is hosting an exclusive event on Wednesday 26 February at the State Library in Victoria, offering valuable insights for industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to understand and address Australia’s housing needs. The More Houses Sooner report takes a deep dive into Australia’s housing shortfall. Between 2001 and 2023, the country fell behind demand by around 470,000 dwellings, an average of 20,400 homes per year. Looking ahead, Australia will need 2.01 million new homes by 2034, or up to 2.48 million if factoring in the existing shortfall. Meeting this demand will require new ideas and a faster approach to construction. This event will highlight how the forest and wood products industry is stepping up to the challenge and how different sectors can collaborate to build a more sustainable and efficient housing market. Attendees will gain exclusive insights from industry experts, explore key data, and discuss innovative strategies for speeding up housing delivery. Speakers will include: Erick Hansnata – Lead Economist and Statistics and Economics Program Manager, FWPA Nerida Conisbee – Chief Economist, Ray White Panel Discussion: Kersten Gentle – CEO, Frame & Truss Manufacturers Association (FTMA) Tim Newman – General Manager, Timber Building Systems Australia Tim Woods – Managing Director, Industry Edge. This event is a must-attend for FWPA members, industry professionals, economists, and policymakers looking to engage with the latest research and practical solutions for Australia’s housing future. This is a free event, but places are limited. Register now at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/more-houses-sooner-tickets-1218741952989 to get exclusive access to the More Houses Sooner report and expert discussions on shaping a more sustainable and affordable housing market in Australia. The event will be held on Wednesday 26 February from 10 am – 1 pm at the Isabella Fraser Room, State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston St, Melbourne.  

Research in Fiji led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has developed new wood product engineering processes now being commercially trialled in both Fiji and Australia. Source: Timberbiz The engineering innovation has come from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI) Forest Product Innovation team, which has been working with partners in Fiji and Australia on a process to create timber veneers from coconut palms. The new veneer process recovers double the amount of timber of traditional sawn timber processes. It also requires less investment in equipment and uses less energy than conventional veneer processes. Project leader Dr Rob McGavin at QDPI said while veneer technology is used for many different timbers, his team has refined the traditional process primarily in response to the challenges of turning coconut palms into timber. Fiji has about 40,000 hectares of senile coconut palms – trees that may be 50 years old or more and are no longer productive. Left in the ground, the trees are susceptible to pests and diseases that can infect productive palms. But there has been limited incentive to remove senile palms and replant with either new coconut palms or other crops. If the palms hold value as a timber resource, it may help subsidise replanting, bringing more land back into production and increasing income opportunities for local smallholders. With this objective in mind, ACIAR has supported coconut timber-related research in Fiji for more than a decade. Two previous projects first confirmed that coconut palms could be used as a source of wood and then developed a production process that has worked effectively in a laboratory and then at a semi-commercial level. Having overcome the technical challenges of production, the current ACIAR-supported project is focused on the commercial adoption of new engineered wood product manufacturing processes. The project team is working with partners in both Fiji and Australia to scale up the technology for commercial use and to develop marketable products. As the manufacture of engineered wood products from coconut palms potentially creates a new industry, the project is also identifying training and employment opportunities for both women and men in Fiji and is assessing likely social impacts. Dr McGavin said coconut palms are not actually trees, but a form of grass. ‘The outside of senile coconut palms is incredibly hard, similar to ironbark, while the inside core is as soft as balsawood. The palms themselves are usually smaller in diameter than trees selected for milling. These characteristics mean sawn timber is a challenging option for coconut palms.’ Peeling the palms to create veneers has proved an attractive alternative; however, the conventional veneer technique uses steel spindles in either end of the log to hold it in place while it is peeled. Spindles have trouble gripping the soft core of the palms, and the size of the spindles means not enough timber can be recovered from each palm to make the process economically viable. Undeterred, the QDPI research team has adopted an alternative drive system that turns the palms as they are peeled without the need for spindles, allowing almost all the palm to be recovered as veneer. Another step in the veneer process is the heat treatment of logs before peeling, usually done by steaming the logs or putting them in hot water baths. Both processes require investment in expensive infrastructure, while hot water baths and steam create potential safety risks for staff. The new process developed through the ACIAR-supported project uses a hot water shower, which is less expensive to set up, reduces the amount of water needed and al-lows that water to be recycled. It also reduces the energy required to heat the water and reduces safety risks. Dr McGavin said this new heating method is still being trialled. One Australian company will launch the new shower-based system this year, while a partner mill in Fiji is trialling a hybrid system, as it already has steaming capacity in place. “In Fiji, most of the mills are operating under capacity, with reduced access to timber, as a result of changes to government forestry policy that incorporate additional sustainability and environmental considerations. To generate commercial interest, we need to demonstrate profitability, so we’re doing a lot of financial modelling that considers the cost of harvesting, transport and production locations, and potential products,” Dr Rob McGavin, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, said. ‘We are closely partnering with the Fiji industry, across the supply chain, from the farmers or organisations that own and manage coconut plantations through to harvesting and haulage contractors, the existing veneering industry in Fiji, and potential end users as well – builders and furniture manufacturers, the people who fit out buildings such as hotel resorts.’ Dr McGavin said there has been a considerable exchange of expertise between Fijian and Australian partners who are interested in engineered wood products, rather than coco-nut palms specifically. In Fiji, partners include the Pacific Community (SPC), the Fiji Ministry of Forestry, Fiji National University, University of the South Pacific, as well as industry members including the Fiji Hardwood Board, and veneer import industry and local timber mills. Australian partners with ACIAR include QDPI, the Australian Government’s Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program, University of Queensland, Griffith University, and industry members the Big River Group, Jowat Adhesives, Robertson Bros Sawmills and Eco Cottages. Mr Tevita Bulai, Executive Director of Research and Development at the Ministry of Forestry Fiji, said giving the palms some value at the end of their productive life may encourage more landholders to replant with coconut palms, rather than other crops such as kava. And this will be essential if Fiji is to establish a long-term timber industry supported by palms as a timber resource. “It will be good to explore expanding this technology to other Pacific countries such as Tonga and Samoa, so that we can join forces to create a larger resource,” the Executive Director of Research and Development in the Ministry of Forestry Fiji Mr Tevita Bulai said. “We also have options with […]

A significant freshwater marsh called Wirey Swamp will soon be reinstated to provide habitat for the threatened brolga, thanks to a partnership between Nature Glenelg Trust (NGT), Australian Bluegum Plantations (ABP) and OneFortyOne (OFO). Source: Timberbiz NGT is collaborating with the Green Triangle plantation forestry companies to lead a ‘matching fund’ campaign valued at up to $300,000, to fast track the purchase and ultimate restoration of the 180-acre Strathdownie property, in Western Victoria near the South Australian border, revitalising the farmland into habitat for vulnerable wetland dependent species. “Thanks to a new partnership we have entered into with Australian Bluegum Plantations and OneFortyOne, every donation made by the public will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, essentially doubling the community’s impact towards our fundraising target,” Nature Glenelg Trust founder and managing director Mark Bachmann said. “These two plantation forestry companies have stepped up and are willing to become financial partners in the project, alongside the community, to help make the exciting vision we have for the site a reality.” Wirey Swamp is adjacent to ABP’s hardwood bluegum (Eucalyptus Globulus) plantation forests, and within the wider OFO softwood (Pinus Radiata) growing region. The site is located east of the SA/Victoria border, neighbouring Kaladbro Bushland Reserve – close to a key annual gathering zone for the threatened local population of Brolga. The site has been artificially drained for several decades to support cattle grazing, resulting in seasonal dehydration of the once permanently saturated peat soil. The restoration plan proposes to regulate flows at the artificial outlet, to hold back a greater depth of water and restore the wetland. This will enhance habitat for the Brolga, which urgently require additional choice of wetlands in the landscape for breeding to sustain their numbers. The nationally threatened Growling Grass Frog, Australasian Bittern and fresh-water Little Galaxias fish, among other wetland dependent species whose habitats has been lost across south-eastern Australia, will also benefit from the restoration. If the remaining fundraising target of $600,000 is successful, building on other existing NGT financial contributions, the land purchase is scheduled to occur in June 2025 with restoration work to follow thereafter. ABP CEO Russ Hughes said the financial pledge built on NGT’s decade-long relationship with local plantation companies, delivering projects which had played an instrumental role protecting biodiversity across the Green Triangle. “We are proud to partner with NGT who have led many important environmental projects, enhancing and restoring a diversity of species to our landscape. Wirey Swamp is a unique opportunity to continue this great legacy, partnering with our community to re-store, monitor and manage the site for future generations,” Mr Hughes said. OFO CEO Wendy Norris said the project mirrored the foundations of their existing successful partnership with NGT at Mount Burr Swamp, which was restored in 2016 and now supports the recovery of the same threatened species earmarked for the Strathdownie site. “OneFortyOne and other Green Triangle forest growers have partnered with NGT on many projects including rebuilding swamp habitat, quarry restoration and threatened species conservation. We greatly value the ecological expertise of NGT and are proud to make this contribution,” she said. For further details, or to make a tax-deductible donation visit www.ngt.org.au or email donations@ngt.org.au or call Toni at the NGT regional office on 0438 268 114.  

Trump’s threats to Canada — imposing crushing tariffs on Canadian goods or making Canada the 51st state — may be repulsive, but they are unfortunately very real. While a full takeover of Canada is likely just sabre rattling, the imposition of tariffs is a genuine concern. Source:  Financial Post (www.financialpost.com) This is a time for aggressive leadership. Policymakers focused on “win-wins” or reactive strategies must rethink their approach if they are to effectively represent Canada. Trade negotiators must stay focused on one key fact: Canada produces many products and services upon which the United States depends. Canadian goods generate enormous “consumer surplus” for Americans, all of which could be lost if the price of these goods rises. The 25% tariff threats are troubling for Canadians, but they are equally alarming for those in the US who rely on Canadian products. Canada supplies a quarter of US lumber needs, giving it strong leverage. Lumber is a primary input in US home construction, which is a core component of the economy. The housing market is often cited as a leading indicator of the overall strength or weakness of the American economy. Economists understand that a significant rise in lumber prices will increase the cost of building and renovating homes. It’s no surprise that the US National Association of Home Builders protests every time our two countries negotiate the Softwood Lumber Agreement and there is talk of new tariffs on Canadian lumber. A sharp increase in lumber prices would fuel inflation and shrink disposable income, straining the consumer-driven economy. The timing for tariffs on lumber couldn’t be worse for the US, with the spring building season soon approaching. On the supply side, US lumber mills are already operating near capacity, and importing softwood lumber from other regions is expensive. In short, even if Canadian lumber prices doubled (or even quadrupled, as they have in the past), US consumers would still bear the higher costs — though begrudgingly.

John Deere now offers extended transmission coverage at no additional cost through its skidder transmission assurance program. Source: Timberbiz This new program provides coverage up to six years or 12,000 hours on all eligible skidder models and helps to maximize the machine lifespan with warrantable transmission repairs and replacements. The assurance program applies to all qualified skidders built on or after 1 January 2020 and is transferrable to subsequent purchasers. “We’re giving our customers added peace-of-mind knowing that their new machines are backed by a robust transmission assurance program,” said Mike Fulton, service marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “This is another way we’re helping our customers excel in the woods and in their businesses, no matter the challenge at hand.” Eligible machines include qualified skidder models (640L-II, 648L-II, 748L-II, 768L-II, 848L-II, or 948L-II) built on or after 1 January 2020 and purchased prior to 31 December 2026.

Adsorbi has raised €1M in funding from Metsä Spring, Chalmers Ventures, Jovitech Invest, and a grant from Sweden’s Innovation Agency for its cellulose-based air purification material. Source: Timberbiz The capital will be used to construct and operate a pilot plant in Gothenburg, develop new products, and grow its customer base. Despite being only three years old Adsorbi already has a growing customer base and industry collaborations. Adsorbi’s high-performing material, derived from Nordic tree cellulose, is designed for targeted pollutant capture, including key nitrogen oxides like nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – major contributors to air pollution – as well as acids and aldehydes. Aldehydes are commonly found in cosmetics, perfumes, cleaning products, odourant dispensers, and grooming aids. This means Adsorbi’s patented material can be used wherever gaseous air pollutants are a problem – in air filters, products that remove odours, and in museums to protect artefacts and works of art. Unlike the current market standard, which is activated carbon, Adsorbi’s material lasts longer, doesn’t release any hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) back into the air, is water and fire-resistant, and changes colour to indicate when it needs to be replaced. Adsorbi is also a more energy-efficient alternative, generating around 50% lower CO2 emissions – 3.5 kg CO2 per kilogram of material compared with activated carbon, which has an emission factor of 7.5 kg CO2 per kilogram of material. “We’re grateful to our investors for their continued support. With the funding we will establish pilot production, a crucial step for scaling Adsorbi. Air pollutant control is needed in many markets, and we’re ready to offer a commercial solution that ensures the air we breathe is clean without extensive use of fossil-based materials,” says Hanna Johansson, CEO of Adsorbi. “We joined Adsorbi’s journey 1.5 years ago. The company has achieved all the goals agreed upon at the time and even surprised us investors positively in a few areas. The plan for the company’s next phase was very logical, and we are excited to support its implementation. “Their development of a pulp-based new product makes them particularly relevant to Metsä Group’s mission. With Adsorbi in our portfolio, we move closer to replacing fossil-based materials in eve-ryday applications,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring. In October 2024, the European Union (EU) approved the new Ambient Air Quality Directive. The directive prioritises public health by introducing stricter air quality standards for key pollutants, including particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide – all known to cause respiratory issues. The new limits, to be achieved by 2030, bring EU standards closer to the WHO air quality guidelines, pushing businesses into a race to find new air filtering solutions. According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution killed more than three million people in 2020. Many ailments, such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancers, can be caused by bad air quality. As people in industrialised nations spend up to 80–90% of their time indoors, maintaining air quality is crucial to keeping people’s health intact.

Forestry Corporation is delighted to have one of its foresters selected in an international exchange program. Source: Timberbiz Silviculture Supervisor Prue Crundall, who is based at Tumut, will undertake a three-month paid international work placement hosted by the Duchy of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. “I am really looking forward to working in completely different forest types to expand my knowledge and expertise in forestry,” Ms Crundall said. “Here in Tumut, I have worked in pine forests for two years now and learnt a lot in that time while over in the UK I believe I will be working predominantly in oak forests. “I’ll be particularly interested to find out about England’s approach to pest and weed management given I have been involved in the ground and aerial spraying programs in the state forest pine plantations.” The exchange program is a joint collaboration between Forestry Australia, the Institute of Chartered Foresters in United Kingdom, the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and the Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada. “The pilot exchange program offers a unique opportunity for emerging leaders in forestry and forest management to participate in a three-month paid international work placement,” Forestry Australia CEO Jacquie Martin. “It allows participants to build global networks, exchange knowledge and gain hands on experience.” While Ms Crundall is working in the UK, Forestry Corporation will host English forester Alex Donaldson, who works as a Regeneration Program Manager with Zulu Ecosystems. Mr Donaldson said joining Australia’s international forestry sector is an unmissable opportunity. “I’m eager to exchange insights from the UK and immerse myself in Australia’s unique industry,” Mr Donaldson said.

Master Builders Australia has welcomed the release of the long-awaited Review into the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System. Source: Timberbiz The review recognises the challenges faced by employers to attract and retain apprentices, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The building and construction industry is made up of over 445,000 businesses, 98% of which as small in size.  SMEs make up 95% of all businesses who hire an apprentice but only take on 60% of first year apprentices. Recommendations relevant to industry employers: Align incentives to the Government’s economic priorities and social equity objectives. Direct payments to SMEs. Reward employers that are doing the right thing and address the behaviour of those who are not providing an appropriate working environment for their apprentices. Support the use of Group Training Organisations to assist SMEs in taking on new apprentices. Utilise the Australian Government’s procurement policies to increase engagement of first and second year apprentices and reduce ‘apprentice poaching’ from SMEs. Review the apprentice data systems to make them easier for apprentices, employers and other users to use and navigate. “Labour shortages are currently the biggest handbrake on fixing the housing crisis,” Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said. “Master Builders has worked closely with Dr Iain Ross AO and Ms Lisa Paul AO PSM who led the review, and we sincerely thank them for listening to the concerns of employers and the broader building and construction industry. “Employing an apprentice comes at a cost. Not just their wage, but the hours spent teaching them, covering their training costs, and managing the associated administration, and helping them navigate the workforce which all adds up. “A robust incentive system must provide assurance and minimise risk. It should mean that the employer does not shoulder the entire cost burden for the 50 per cent of ap-prentices who do not complete their studies. “A better incentive system should free an employer to focus on training and teaching: this is especially important in the first and second years. “Master Builders will work through the recommendations in the review and urges the Federal Government to prioritise the consultation and implementation of non-contentious recommendations as we do not have time to waste.”

The Victorian State Government has hurt local businesses, offering significantly reduced work for those who manage the bushfire threat in state forests, according to the Member for Gippsland Tim Bull. Source: Timberbiz He claims the Forest Fire Management panel of workers have had, without notice, a massive reduction in their contract work. Mr Bull said it was disgraceful that the State Government had starved work from these family-run businesses, after being promised similar volumes of employment as previous years. Mr Bull said that Forest Fire Management (FFM) engaged a panel of external local contractors who undertake important bush maintenance, including maintaining forest fire access roads and other important fire preparation work. “Panel members, who invest in gear and equipment, have reported FFM has failed to is-sue any job orders so far, this financial year. The loss of work has led to business distress and job losses,” he said. “These contractors are small business operators who have to maintain very expensive equipment and be on stand-by for when they are called to help out in the event of a bushfire. Having the tap turned off on all work without notice hits them hard. “I wrote to the Minister for Environment asking why these contractors have not been engaged, as the region simply can’t sustain any further loss of this skilled workforce – especially in the wake of the native timber industry shut-down. “In a response he conceded, ‘this reduction in the volume of civil forest works is a temporary variation’, and while he has committed to work returning at a later date, the failure to inform these businesses of the cutbacks is extremely damaging,” Mr Bull said. “In addition to this, with the state of fuel loads in our bush, we should not be reducing any fire mitigation services. “My office has been contacted by many of these businesses asking why they have not received one single contract. The Minister should have directed his department to communicate openly so these local businesses would be aware. “At a time when Labor is boasting about employment figures, it continues to put region-al jobs on the chopping block,” Mr Bull said.  

Timber companies have snapped up a number of farms along a 15km stretch of road in Victoria’s Western District in a series of deals worth about $16.5 million combined. Source: Timberbiz The Weekly Times reports that in the past year farms on Lavers Hill-Cobden Rd, between the towns of Simpson and Kennedys Creek, have become a hotspot for sales with more than 790ha traded as timber companies snapped up various holdings. Property records show in October last year a 158ha dairy on Lavers Hill-Cobden Rd was sold for $3.41 million, or about $21,500 a hectare, to a subsidiary of Hancock Victorian Plantations Holdings Pty Ltd. Hancock Victorian Plantations Holdings is one of the largest private plantation companies in Australia with 239,974ha across Gippsland, northern and western Victoria, of which 172,965ha are considered plantation. In their western Victorian region, which stretches from west of Heywood to the Colac-Otways region, Hancock Victorian Plantations owns 47,224ha with 39,488ha as plantation. The Weekly Times says that in November last year, a 168ha dairy also on Lavers Hill-Cobden Rd, was sold for about $3.3 million, or the equivalent of $19,722 a hectare. Otway Silva Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of German insurance giant Munich Re, secured the property adding it to its growing portfolio of Victorian farmland. Property records show two years earlier the same property was traded between two local dairy farming families for about $4.76 million, or more than more than $28,000 a hectare. The Weekly Times says that in recent years Munich Re, via forestry asset manager MEAG, has added more than 2000 hectares to its southwest Victorian holdings, after it bought 17,000ha of existing plantations in 2022 for $154 million from Midway. The deal also involved $200 million for new plantations to be developed under Midway management. In a 2023 report Munich RE’s said it was committed to investing in 10,000ha of new blue gum plantations, equivalent to an average price of $20,000 a hectare.

The Forest Stewardship Council ANZ Board has appointed Judy Alexander to the Standards Development Group responsible for revising the Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS) for Australia. Source: Timberbiz Ms Alexander replaces Tim McBride, who had to resign from the SDG following his departure from the organisation that nominated him. Ms Alexander, a member of FSC ANZ through her consulting firm, Foresa Consulting, brings a well-rounded skill set to the Standards Development Group from her close to 30 years in the industry. This includes experience developing, implementing, and auditing forestry standards in native and plantation forestry.

The American-owned Kimberly-Clark Australia Millicent Mill increased its production of tissue products by an unspecified amount in the last calendar year. Kimberly-Clark’s Millicent Mill is in South Australia and produces the Kleenex brand of tissues. Sources: The SE Voice The Kimberly-Clark Corporation released its annual results to the New York Stock Exchange at 10pm last night (Tuesday) This was the only reference to Australia in the document. KCC chief executive and chairman Mike Hsu announced the fourth quarter and full year 2024 results, and his remarks had an upbeat tone. He said the results illustrated the strength of its innovation-led growth model, driving volume gains, improving product mix, and generating significant efficiencies enabling reinvestment in its brands, new capabilities, and generating attractive returns to its shareholders. “2024 was a breakthrough year for Kimberly-Clark with the launch of our transformative, multi-year Powering Care strategy and successfully rewiring our organization into three powerhouse segments with world-class functional support,” Mr Hsu said. “Our full-year results exceeded our new long-term growth algorithm – supported by consistent execution across the organisation and we established a strong foundation to accelerate our strategy in 2025 and beyond. “We delivered organic top-line growth with an upward inflection in volume-plus-mix. “This, coupled with improved productivity, has driven strong adjusted profit growth and fuelled investments to advance our competitive advantage. “We’re excited about this new chapter of Kimberly-Clark, and we look forward to build-ing on our momentum and enhancing value for all stakeholders.” As per company policy, the financial results of KCA and other individual countries were not stated. Major Kimberly-Clark Corporation operational decisions are often announced at this time. Mr Hsu is due to attend a press conference scheduled for this morning (South Australian time). Last week, the Millicent Mill was inspected by Supply chain manager Ganesh Krishnamurthy who is based at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. Australian companies erected the plant now known as the KCA Millicent Mill on a greenfield site in 1958 with production commencing two years later. The Kimberly-Clark Corporation took a 50% stake in 1963 and then assumed full ownership in 2001. At its height in the 1980s, the Millicent Mill had a workforce of 1000. Nowadays, there are around 350 company employees and 50 contractors. KCA has closed its five other manufacturing plants across Australia over the past 25 years. The Millicent Mill has solely processed imported pulp since 2011.

Up to 300 Maryvale Mill production team members and the CFMEU remain locked out of the mill as negotiations on a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement are at a stalemate, with fears growing about the economic impact on the local community. Source: By Katrina Brandon – Latrobe Valley Express, Timberbiz Opal company negotiators are overseas, while workers remain keen to return to work, although some who were on leave or sick have retained their work privileges. The dispute began on Thursday, January 16 when Opal, according to the union, gave an hour’s notice to workers that they wouldn’t be returning to work until a new EBA was agreed upon. “They are all shattered that this has happened. We have always worked with the company,” CFMEU Maryvale Sub-Branch Secretary, Anthony Pavey, told the Express. “We had seven operators take a six-hour stoppage, and the company decided to give us one hour’s notice and locked us out. This is the first work stoppage by our members for over two decades. They want to talk about clauses that strip away all our rights and allow them to dictate terms at the drop of the hat,” he said. Since January 21, one hundred of the locked-out workers, who would have previously been working, camped out at the mill during work hours (8am to 3pm) to establish a presence and show that they want to return to work. Opal said given the protected action and planned lockdowns by the CFMEU, it could not operate its paper production plant and had been forced under the Fair Work Act to undertake a legal lockout. “Maryvale Mill’s operations have been severely impacted by the loss of wood supply from VicForests and the subsequent end to white paper manufacturing,” the company said. Opal said the terms and conditions from the previous enterprise agreements were no longer relevant in a more competitive market. “Clearly, Nippon Paper’s Opal has no regard for either their employees or other businesses and their employees,” Denise Campbell-Burns, the Pulp and Paper Worker District Secretary, said. “Like our members – who were given 60 minutes notice of the lockout – we understand these other companies were given no warning and were caught unprepared, leaving them and their employees blindsided by Opal’s directive.” Last week, the locked-out workers received support from the broader trade union movement, with the ACTU weighing in and the AMWU, Mining and Energy Union, and Victorian Trades Hall Council pledging support. At a mass meeting on January 20, the locked-out Opal workers vowed to stand firm and seek a fair deal that does not undermine their existing terms and conditions. Mr Pavey said all staff on approved sick or annual leave were revoked initially due to the lockout, but on January 23, the company was made to honour those on leave. Australian Forest Contractors Association general manager Tim Lester said timber deliveries to the mill had stopped, and the forest services businesses involved had received confirmation of Force Majeure. “Our estimates, and advice is that more than 120 people from contracting businesses will be directly affected, with flow on impacts for a large number of families and businesses in Gippsland,” he said. “It is unclear how long the situation will last although the current expectation is about four weeks. However, there are likely to be further delays in timber deliveries recommencing as the stockpile of timber already in the wood yard clears.

LapWall, Finland’s largest wooden element manufacturer, has been involved in numerous demanding construction projects. One example is Metsä Wood’s new Kerto LVL mill under construction in Äänekoski, Finland. Source: Timberbiz In this project, LapWall was responsible for delivering the roof, including the design, manufacturing, and installation of roof elements. The roof spans approximately 47,700 square meters, equivalent to six full-sized football fields. Roof elements measure up to 2.5 meters x 24 meters, enabling the fast and safe coverage of large areas with minimal lifts. Up to 1,500 square meters of finished roof can be installed in a single day. LapWall specialises in wooden wall and roof elements, which are increasingly in demand due to the rise of industrial construction methods. This approach focuses on pre-manufacturing structural components in factories before transporting them to construction sites. Compared with on-site construction, pre-fabricated products shorten project timelines, improve quality, and reduce moisture-related risks by shifting more work into controlled factory environments. The roof elements for the Äänekoski mill were produced at LapWall’s factory in Pälkäne within 5.5 months. The elements were transported wrapped in protective plastic, which was removed only upon installation, eliminating the need for additional weather protection and saving time. Lightweight wooden elements also provide logistics advantages. For example, LapWall’s delivery to Äänekoski included 696 roof elements, requiring 196 truckloads, far fewer than for concrete elements. Additionally, waste is minimized as the plastic wrapping and any leftover wood can be 100% recycled. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide detailed information on the carbon footprint across the supply chain, allowing builders and designers to assess the environmental benefits of using wood as a construction material. LapWall uses Kerto LVL in its products, particularly as the primary beam in roof structures. Kerto LVL enables the creation of lightweight, hollow wooden elements that are exceptionally strong and material efficient. Its hollow structure allows for integrating insulation and ventilation systems directly into the elements. In the Äänekoski project, the roof structure required approximately 800 cubic meters of Kerto LVL. The technical properties of Kerto LVL, including its strength, rigidity, and dimensional stability, make it ideal for element production, even under varying temperature and humidity conditions.  

John Deere revealed several new autonomous machines during a press conference at CES 2025. Building on Deere’s autonomous technology first revealed at CES 2022, the company’s second-generation autonomy kit combines advanced computer vision, AI, and cameras to help the machines navigate their environments. Source: Timberbiz “Our agriculture, construction, and commercial landscaping customers all have work that must get done at certain times of the day and year, yet there is not enough available and skilled labour to do the work,” said Jahmy Hindman, Chief Technology Officer at John Deere. “Autonomy can help address this challenge. That’s why we’re extending our technology stack to enable more machines to operate safely and autonomously in unique and complex environments. This will not only benefit our customers, but all of us who rely on them to provide the food, fuel, fibre, infrastructure, and landscaping care that we depend on every day.” Autonomy Expanding to More Machines: Autonomous 9RX Tractor for Large-Scale Agriculture: Tillage is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers. With the second-generation autonomy kit, featuring 16 individual cameras arranged in pods to enable a 360-degree view of the field, farmers can step away from the machine and focus their time on other important jobs. The advanced autonomy kit also calculates depth more accurately at larger distances, allowing the tractor to pull more equipment and drive faster. Autonomous 5ML Orchard Tractor for Air Blast Spraying: Protecting crops through air blast spraying is a challenging and repetitive job. Featuring the latest autonomy kit with added Lidar sensors to address the dense canopies found in orchards, the initial machine will be offered with a diesel engine. A battery electric tractor of comparable size and capacity to existing diesel 5M/ML models on the market today will follow. 460 P-Tier Autonomous Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) for Quarry Operations: Quarries supply the essential raw materials vital for building roads, buildings, and infrastructure, and it’s a complex process to mine, process, and transport materials. Using the second-generation kit, the ADT will handle the repetitive tasks of transporting material around the quarry to facilitate different steps in the cycle. Autonomous Battery Electric Mower for Commercial Landscaping: Commercial landscaping is a highly competitive industry and having the staff to support different bids is essential. The autonomous commercial mower leverages the same camera technology as other Deere autonomous machines, but on a reduced scale since the machine has a smaller footprint. With two cameras on the front, left, right, and rear, 360-degree coverage is achieved, and staff can focus on other aspects of the job. Select machines will be autonomy ready from the factory and the second-generation perception system will be available as a retrofit kit for certain existing machines, providing customers with multiple paths to adoption based on where they are in their technology journey. The machines are managed via John Deere Operations Centre Mobile, the company’s cloud-based platform. By swiping left to right to start, the machine can be started once placed in the appropriate spot. Through the app, users also have access to live video, images, data and metrics, and the ability to adjust various factors like speed. In the event of any job quality anomalies or machine health issues, users will be notified remotely so they can make necessary adjustments. The fully autonomous machines were on display at John Deere’s CES booth at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. The booth also showcased cutting edge technologies customers across industries are taking advantage of, like connectivity, AI, renewable fuels, and electrification.

Vietnam is the second country in the world that has signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), a bilateral, legally binding timber-trade agreement which aims at improving the forest administration and promote legal timber trade to the EU market. Source: vietnamnet.vn Under the VPA, countries that wish to export timber to the EU must have the Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) which can prove the legal origin of timber. EU only allows imports of timber with a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance & Trade (FLEGT) certificate. VPA has set criteria that exporters have to satisfy in order to export to the EU, including compliance with regulations on land and forest use rights, on management, the environment and society, on seized timber handling, timber import, transport and trade, and on timber processing and export, as well as regulations on tax and labour. The criteria has posed technical barriers for many timber exporters, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. However, Cuong has advised Vietnamese enterprises not to consider VPA as a barrier, but an opportunity. “In the immediate time, the EU’s strict requirements may cause difficulties or have negative impact on Vietnam’s timber exports, but in the long term, they will be good for the country’s development sustainability,” Cuong said. Regarding VPA compliance, Ngo Sy Hoai, deputy chair and secretary general of Vifores (Vietnam Timber & Forest Products Association), said Vietnam has prepared a legal framework, and control and management to be able to satisfy the requirements set by VPA. However, agencies still need to find an optimal mechanism for FLEGT licensing to every consignment of timber exports, to be sure that the mechanism can match EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation). To implement EUDR, Vietnam must do two things: first, declare due diligence practices (DDS) on the origin of timber; second, establish electronic evidence of geographical coordinates of the forest area/log lot, ensuring that the purpose of forest use doesn’t change from natural forest to planted forest or to other industrial crops. “The regulations seem to be technically difficult to follow. Vietnamese woodwork enterprises are ready to satisfy the EU’s requirements. There are many subjects related to the regulations, including farmers, merchants, transport agents, and enterprises that process and export products for export to the EU,” Hoai said. According to Hoai, though Vietnam’s timber export volume to the EU is smaller than to the US and other countries, Vietnam will still strictly observe EURD to send a message that Vietnam is concerned about issues related to forests and the wood industry. “Vifores considers the issues related to the EU’s strict requirements on deforestation and forest degradation as both challenges and opportunities,” he said. Currently, some neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand, have voiced their opposition to the agreement. If Vietnam can satisfy the requirements upon the agreement, Vietnam will be able to retain the EU market or even expand the market. “Despite big difficulties, we still believe that we can implement EUDR,” Hoai said.  

In the first three months of the National Housing Accord, Australia commenced construction on 43,247 new homes according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Source: Timberbiz This is 4.6% higher than the June 2024 quarter and 13.9% higher than the same quarter in 2023. The strongest growth was in new detached house starts, rocketing 20.5% since June 2024 and up 5.3% over the year to September 2024. Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said while the strong rebound in new detached house construction has been welcomed by the industry, there is still a long way to go to reach the level of output required to meet the Housing Accord target of 1.2 million homes. Over the year to September 2024, the number of new homes commencing construction reached 165,048, well below the 200,000 required. If building activity continues at this pace, Australia will commence construction on just over 825,000 new homes over the next five years. This is around 350,000 new homes short of the Housing Accord target. “Our performance in apartment construction will be the key to whether we meet the target. Apartment construction levels remain too low because the investment appetite is not there. “Low productivity, labour shortages, costly and restrictive CFMEU pattern agreements, a lack of supporting infrastructure and a high inflationary environment all contribute to project costs not stacking up. “If we are going to solve the housing crisis, we need to build more apartments and make them more attractive for people to invest in – only then will we see a lowering of rental inflation and more homes for Aussies,” Ms Wawn said.

A new prefabrication building company based in Central West NSW is helping to address the state’s current housing crisis, while also sourcing local timber and creating local jobs. Green Timber Technology, which has recently been established in partnership with The Pentarch Group, will fabricate timber walls, roofs and floors in the factory and then deliver them to site for assembly, mostly within NSW. Source: Timberbiz Housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing the people of NSW. Instead of taking around nine months to build a new home, this process can produce around ten homes per week. Once fully operational, the company will build a new home roughly every four hours. The company also aims to achieve zero waste. The houses that will soon be fabricated at the company’s Orange site, will not only be affordable, but also high-end architecturally designed homes. The 10,000m2 facility is also adding a robotic element to its production line while still creating local jobs, with plans to employ 70 people by 2026. While the prefabrication element helps dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to build a new home, the operation still involves essential building trade elements including plumbers, builders and electricians as part of the final construction phase. “This exciting new approach will help deliver on the Government’s priorities by producing affordable housing, which is the single biggest pressure facing the people of NSW,” Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said. “It will significantly increase the speed of construction through automation and avoiding weather impacts. “I congratulate the company for also working to achieve zero net waste and providing improved worker safety, because construction will occur in a controlled environment,” she said. “This prefabrication building company is also vertically integrated with Pentarch Forestry’s softwood plantations and mills which are based at Oberon, which is ensuring local timber and timber products are sourced in the region, reducing transport costs. “NSW sourced timber has an important role to play in addressing our housing crisis, and it’s companies like this that are demonstrating well timed critical problem solving to address this challenge. “The benefits for the local economy, industry and the community have come at a very welcome time.” Executive Director, The Pentarch Group Stephen Dadd said sourcing local products was an integral part of this new venture for the company. “In addition to the timber aspect, we hope in the future to see some other companies follow our lead and look at what other housing products could be produced locally,” he said. “We are not using the entire Electrolux site, so there is potential for further growth into a prefabrication housing hub.” CEO of Green Timber Technology’s Orange site Pete Morrison said around 20-25 people would be employed in the early stages of production on the floor to oversee the panel, flooring and roofing components, and additional staff in the design and structural engineering aspect.

Private Forests Tasmania has written to the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank expressing its surprise and disappointment at its decision to deny finance to projects in the native forest logging sector. Source: Timberbiz The bank has been widely criticised by those in the timber industry for its decision to withdraw its longstanding support for Tasmanian forestry contractor T P Bennett & Sons and drop them as a customer on “ESG (environmental, social, and governance) grounds”. TP Bennett & Sons have been logging in Tasmania for five generations. The Australian Forest Contractors Association has chosen to end its business relationship with the bank because of the decision. In his letter to the bank, PFT chairman Jim Wilson says PFT is very supportive of the intent of the bank’s statement to support the transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “We were surprised and disappointed that your Board had adopted a specific policy of not providing finance to projects in the native forest logging sector,” he said. Mr Wilson says in the letter that sustainable forest management, including sustainable native forestry, is recognised as one of the solutions to climate change rather than a cause of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that ‘sustainable forest management aimed at providing timber, fibre, biomass, non-timber resources and other ecosystem functions and services, can lower GHG emissions and can contribute to adaptation’. “Sustainable forest management ensures that the productive capacity of the forest is maintained over time. This means biomass removals do not exceed forest growth. Trees grow more vigorously and sequester carbon at higher rates when they are young, increasing in biomass and therefore carbon storage. Carbon sequestration rates decline as the tree matures and begins to decay,” Mr Wilson said. “Native forests managed for sustainable wood production take advantage of this natural cycle. “After growth rates have peaked, trees are harvested from these forests and converted into wood-based products. For solid wood products, the carbon can continue to be stored for decades or even hundreds of years until they are re-used, re-purposed or disposed of in landfill. Even in landfill, wood products will remain as a very long-term carbon store.” “Any policy that aims to cease harvesting in sustainably managed native forests will likely result in no additional mitigation benefits. “Conversely, the demand for native forest hardwood timbers will continue to grow and meeting this demand with imported hardwood timber creates a significant risk of increased GHG emissions and poor biodiversity outcomes as the imported timbers are often sourced from countries with less environmental regulations than Australia. “The native forest industry also provides the skills and equipment to fight bushfires and manage outbreaks of pests and diseases. Therefore, active forest management plays a role in reducing susceptibility to bushfires, pests, and disease, which in turn leads to climate benefits.” Mr Wilson says PFT urges the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank to reconsider its policy position of not providing finance to native forest harvesting projects. “…native forest harvesting done in a sustainable manner can provide enhanced GHG mitigation and other benefits as well as contributing substantially to Australia’s regional economies,” he said.  

The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says the Government’s decision to merge the country’s seven Crown Research Institutes (CRI) could strengthen forestry’s important role in bolstering the bioeconomy. Source: Timberbiz The announcement, which will affect CRI Scion, it will see all CRIs merge into four Public Research Organisations focused on the bioeconomy, earth sciences, advanced technology and health and forensic sciences. Forest Owners Association chief executive, Dr Elizabeth Heeg, says while the merge will result in significant change for Scion and its staff, it also presents an exciting opportunity that aligns closely with the sector’s strategic direction to strengthen the bioeconomy. “We are cautiously optimistic that the creation of this new Public Research Organisation places forestry at the forefront of facilitating New Zealand’s transition to a more sustainable future, all the while providing for our wood and fibre needs,” Dr Heeg said. “Our sector is already a major producer of renewable resources. It has great potential as a source of bioenergy and gives New Zealand a huge competitive advantage as the world moves away from fossil fuels. “Other primary industry residues simply don’t compare in energy or monetary terms.” Under the reform, Scion will merge with AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and Plant & Food Research to form the new Bioeconomy PRO. This PRO is said to be focused more on economic outcomes while continuing to deliver public-good science. “Scion has done critical work on shifting New Zealand’s dependency on fossil fuels to an economy using biological processes and renewable materials from planted forests,” Dr Heeg said. “Their role in protecting, strengthening and growing New Zealand’s forest estate of pine and alternative timber species should not be understated. “Retaining this expertise and the commercial opportunities and partnerships fostered by Scion over the years will be important for setting forestry in good stead under this merge.” While forest growers are optimistic the suite of changes will improve the science system, execution will be critical to the reform’s success. “Merging CRIs into four key entities will not be an easy feat without any additional funding,” Dr Heeg said. “Research and development is the area of highest investment for funds raised under the Harvest Wood Material Commodity Levy and forest growers will want assurances that there will continue to be a focus on fundamental forest research under the new structure, as well as sufficient funding for this essential work to continue, particularly at a local level. “Equally, without investment in this space, forestry’s role in the bioeconomy will be much more difficult to fulfill.” Once fully established, the bioeconomy is estimated to inject a further $30 billion into New Zealand’s economy. New Zealand has already begun paving the way for a wood-based future, using its forests to produce a variety of biological resources including construction timber, paper, pharmaceuticals, bioplastics and now renewable bioenergy. Mr Heeg said that more investment in this area creates exciting possibilities. “Today’s announcement signals a commitment to seeing the bioeconomy come to fruition, with trees featuring as a very critical component to complete that pathway,” she said.