LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS
Australia - New Victorian Forest Products Association formed The newly formed Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) yesterday announced 23 foundation members and elected its Interim Governing Council. The new Association will span Victoria’s forest industry value chain including plantations, native forestry operators, sawmills and pulp and paper making.
The eight members of the Interim Governing Council are: • Sarah Harvie: Opal Group • Rob Hescock: Hancock Victorian Plantations • Paul Heubner: Allied Natural Wood Exports • Mike Lawson: SFM Environmental Solutions
• Phil Mason: New Forests • Darren Sheldon: Australian Bluegum Plantations • Tony Price: Midway Limited • Owen Trumper: AKD Softwoods The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association Ross Hampton said, “Forest industries employ thousands of men and women in Victoria. At a time when so many jobs are being lost, our industries can play a big role in Victoria’s post – pandemic economic recovery if they are enabled to.” “This new body will turbocharge representation for all our industries and help make the case to policy makers that now
more than ever our sustainable, renewable forest industries should be backed to deliver vital growth and prosperity.” The Chair of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries inc (VAFI) Craig Dunn said, “We are entering a new era for the Victorian forest products industry. VAFI has been the voice of the industry for many years. This new peak body is being formed on the strong foundation laid by VAFI through the perseverance of its members”. “The VFPA will bring a new approach and broader industry representation during these challenging times. VAFI will continue to operate in parallel until the VFPA is up and running to
NZ - Fresh thinking from JNL A bridge designed to carry heavy forestry loads is a substantial capital investment – but what if you could relocate that bridge and use it across multiple harvests? That’s exactly what Juken NZ Ltd (JNL) decided to do when commissioning two new bridges. In a first for Bridge It NZ, both crossings are designed to be disassembled in the years to come and moved to new sites within JNL’s forestry estate on the North Island’s East Coast in New Zealand. “A lot of our forests are still in their first rotation and we have identified a handful of other sites that are likely to require bridges in future,” explains JNL’s Planning and Engineering Manager Patrick Bethel. “So having the ability to pick a bridge up and transport it elsewhere – at a fraction of the price to build a new one – is an ideal solution. We can move them to suit our harvesting and heavy traffic requirements.” The first bridge at Rata Road, Wharerata (just south of Gisborne) was installed in August 2020. An existing culvert had blown apart during a storm many years ago, and until now JNL hadn’t required
access to that particular block in the Pamoa Forest so the issue remained unresolved. Pat weighed up the cost of installing another culvert versus building a bridge. The ongoing maintenance costs required to keep culverts clear of debris to avoid scour and erosion issues meant a bridge would be cheaper in the long-run. Bridges also provide greater clearance and flow capacity and are a better ecological option for native fisheries. “We looked at the real cost – not just the installation. The maintenance you can spend on culverts and pipes can get pretty hefty, pretty quick. And that’s where the bridge really shines for us. It’s pretty much a case of ‘put it in, walk away’ and not have to worry.” After carrying out all necessary site investigations, Bridge It NZ’s engineering partner designed an 18m x 4m steel beam bridge with timber deck capable of holding a full HNH072 load (required for forestry truck and trailer units and heavy machinery). Resource and building consent was obtained from Gisborne District Council
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and Bridge It NZ fabricated and installed the new bridge, taking care of the entire project management process. A second relocatable bridge will be installed at ‘Centre Track’ in late 2020. Together, both crossings will give JNL the ability to access and harvest around 425,000 tonnes of wood from the Pamoa Forest in the next four to five years. Another significant benefit is the two bridge crossings will shave 24km off each round trip to the harvest site, allowing JNL crews to avoid some treacherous roads and saving an estimated NZ$1 million over the duration of the upcoming harvest.
Ross Hampton, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) ensure a seamless transition,” Mr Dunn concluded.
