I n c o r p o r a t i n g A U S T R A L A S I A N F O R E S T L O G G E R & S AW M I L L E R APRIL 2016 • P: (03) 9888 4834 • www.timberbiz.com.au
Plantations…the missing piece of the puzzle T
HE AUSTRALIAN Forest Products Association (AFPA) has released a comprehensive new policy proposal, Plantations…the missing piece of the puzzle, detailing a solution to the plantations crisis facing Australia. Softwood and hardwood plantations provide more than 80% of the wood fibre and timber for our national forest product industries. However, investment in new plantations in Australia has effectively come to a standstill. “We are now in the crazy situation where we are importing more and more softwood, for example, to build our houses because existing sawmills cannot get sufficient resources. It is a bad situation which gets worse and worse the longer we wait,” said AFPA Chief Executive Officer
Ross Hampton. AFPA’s new policy proposal would see the Australian Government recognise 29 Strategic Plantation Hubs in which plantations and downstream processing would be encouraged through a range of well-targeted measures. The policy does not propose new spending, rather the refinement of existing investment policy drivers, such as the carbon farming initiative, and the allocation of targeted funds from existing programmes to state governments, local governments and industry in 29 plantation hubs. The plan capitalises on the underlying regional basis and strengths of the plantation forest industry, with a focus on improved access to the Emissions Reduction Fund auction process; development of a national
farm forestry cooperative; redirecting Commonwealth infrastructure, road and communications funding to support projects in the plantation hubs; and training to address critical skill demand shortages. AFPA believes the policy proposal will reignite plantation investment while ensuring the right trees are planted in the right places for the right markets. The plantation hubs would be defined by 100 kilometre radius circles drawn around the 29 major wood plantation growing and processing centres in Australia, which service domestic or export wood and paper markets. Research into the economics of the plantation forest industry has repeatedly shown that the optimal areas to develop new wood
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AUSTimber2016 primed to be biggest yet
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he organisers of AUSTimber2016 have put in place an event with – • Over 80 brands exhibiting at the world famous Expo • Speakers from countries as diverse as Canada, Japan, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Chile and New Zealand at the international Sustainable Supply Chains for the Timber Economy of the Future conference • Industry field trips to venues ranging from steep terrain logging to Australia’s largest hardwood mill, Australia’s largest
pulp and paper mill and some highly specialised plantation and sawmilling sites • The Wood - the Intelligent Alternative seminar covering the exciting manufacturing opportunities presented by the new National Construction Code coming into play at the start of May • The traditional Welcome Dinner (this time featuring David Foster as MC) with its charity auction offering a range of interesting lots looking to beat the record result achieved at AUSTimber2012.
• The Komatsu Forwarder competition with a prize of $2,500 to go with the bragging rights of being the best operator • The VicForests Wood Chop with a variety of events including having the Victorian State Title for Double-handed cross cut sawing on the line and Production Hot Saw chain saw racing On top of delivering all of the above, the event is advertising for the first time on TV to encourage the general public to go along and see the equipment and people Continued on page 8