Australian Forests & Timber News - December 2017

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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 DECEMBER 2017

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M er Ch r y ristma s

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Whole new view of forestry

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ForestTECH Report - Page 8

Remarkable year for Australian forest industry - Page 7

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In the news

Rob de Fégely steps down as Chair of Cape York Timber

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ob de Fégely has stepped down as Chairman of Cape York Timber, the Indigenous sawmilling operation based in Cooktown in Far North Queensland.

“It has been a tremendous honour and immensely satisfying to lead the creation and development of this business,” Rob de Fégely said in Cairns.

“We started with very little in 2014 and could only afford to purchase second-hand sawmilling equipment but the business is now running profitably and selling a quality durable hardwood timber product.

Cape York Timber is now employing nine young indigenous people who had very few employment prospects prior to the establishment of the sawmilling business.

“In addition to the sawmill we are also providing an economic opportunity for the Traditional landowners on Cape York to manage and improve their forests and gain an economic return in the process,” he said “However, it has been disappointing that the Queensland Government has been unable to make a decision to allow access to some of their leasehold forests on Cape York. This access could supplement and stabilise our log supply and thereby support the economic development of a wholly indigenous business in a what is a very remote part of Australia,” Rob said.

The mill is now processing approximately 6,000 cubic metres of sawlogs per annum.

“I am particularly thankful to our previous general managers, Maurie Killeen and Shane and Kerry Sproule who physically built the sawmill and got it running profitably. I expect our new www.timberbiz.com.au

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Rob de Fégely

General Manager Glenn Downing will continue the great reputation that Cape York Timber has established as a local business and provider of quality hardwood sawn timber.

“I am also grateful to the support we have received from Curly Tatnell at DTM Timber who is not only one of our major customers but also an enthusiastic supporter of our project.”

Cape York Timber is a subsidiary of Cape York Enterprises which is an Indigenously owned trust.

“I would like to thank both Noel Pearson and Richie Ah Mat the Chair of the Cape York Land Council who have been great supporters as well as their fellow Cape York Enterprises Board Members including the Chair Danny Gilbert and staff including the CEO Duncan Murray, CFO Matthew Turner and General Manager Tim Beasley.

“I would love to stay as Chairman but I am overcommitted particularly with my main occupation as a Director with Margules Groome Consulting Pty Ltd. My replacement is Bryan Tisher the former CEO of Boral Timber and he will do a fantastic job.”

Victoria at crossroads with forests and parks policies The Economic and Infrastructure Committee of the Victorian Parliament’s report into VicForests operations completed in May-August this year and released in October, covered recommendations on VicForests operations and State forest management.

The committee’s recommendation to government on the issue of timber supply suggested a transition to plantations while exploring a sustainable mix of both native forest and plantation resource.

In its response to the report, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) said for the forest, fibre and wood industry to continue to exist and thrive there needed to be a stable and secure timber volume from native forests to immediately restore economic scale to the existing industry operators, plus an expansion of the plantation estate.

VAFI stressed that the two sectors combined were needed to create the required volume scale and a resilient fibre source, adding it cannot be a case of one or the other.

Timber harvesting levels in Victorian native forest are already at their lowest levels in 20 years (VicForests figures) as a result of government policies and the 2009 bushfires.

The forests, fibre and wood products industry in Victoria generates over $7 BN in sales and service income annually, employs 21,000 Victorians and supports another 40,000-50,000 local jobs, many of these in regional Victoria.

As a significant regional community resource, the government needs to maintain a focus on best practice forest management that delivers environmental, social and

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

Editorial

economic values. This requires the regulatory system that the industry operates under be more flexible, and recognise the adaptability of industry to any changes.

Meanwhile, following the election of the Greens candidate Lidia Thorpe in the Victorian by-election of Northcote, Thorpe has promised to support the creation of the Great Forest National Park (GFNP) covering the Central Highlands.

The 2015 Deloitte report showed a $573 million economic impact from native timber harvesting in the Central Highlands, delivering more than 2,100 direct jobs.

With a State election only 12 months away, the Greens will take heart from the Northcote win and their chances for a solid showing in several other inner Melbourne seats at next year’s State election.

A strong result could lead to the Greens holding the balance of power and adoption of the GFNP plan --as well as other detrimental policies affecting the industry -- gaining support.

More than 170,000 hectares of forests in the Central Highlands is already excluded from timber harvesting in current parks. To add another 355,000 hectares to this would be a real blow to the State’s native forests and timber resources.

The impact of an additional national park, and changes to native forestry resource policies from both these developments would be devastating to Victorian timber businesses, employment and Victorian regional communities, let alone Australia’s consumer timber market that relies on native timber as a renewable and sustainable resource.

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December 2017

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In the news

The evolving use of Australian woodchips and wood fibre The rise of the environmentally conscious consumer has seen global demand for renewable products skyrocket

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nprecedented change driven by shifting global markets and consumer tastes is sweeping through almost every industry in the world, and forestry is no exception.

Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (Mitsui) has been part of Australia’s woodchip industry for close to three decades and during this time its role has grown from simply exporting woodchips to Japan, to establishing itself in all stages of the woodchip value chain.

Today, its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mitsui Bussan Woodchip Oceania (MWO), is one of Australia’s leading woodchip exporters, shipping approximately 2.5 million green metric tonnes of hardwood and softwood woodchips from Australia each year.

As 2017 draws to a close, Mitsui reflects on the year that was and is excited about the future and potential of the Australian forestry industry.

In Mitsui’s words ....

A growing Asian middle class will continue to

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drive demand for quality woodchip and timber products as manufacturing and energy needs only increase. For Australian forestry, the combination of these market conditions uniquely positions forestry as one of Australia’s leading sustainable export industries.

Japan is one of the world’s largest importers of woodchips, and while it remains MWO’s key trading partner, other countries are increasingly recognising the value and potential of Australian woodchips.

Just last year China overtook Japan as the world’s largest woodchip importer, and we believe India holds great potential for the future. In 2010, we made our first shipment to China and in a first ever for the Australian industry, in 2013 we made our first shipment to India. Both countries are enjoying some of the highest growth rates among global economies and are supported by positive future outlooks.

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One year old Eucalyptus globulus plantation within the Bunbury region.

A sustainable future The rise of the environmentally conscious consumer has seen global demand for renewable products skyrocket, and what’s interesting for the

Log truck being unloaded at BFE. Logs are lifted from the trucks and placed directly onto the infeed deck of the chipper.

Australian Forests & Timber News

future of our industry is the role woodchips can play in creating more sustainable products.

While many people think of pulp mills as producers of paper, there are a new generation of mills that could be considered biorefineries. These mills are taking woodchips and extracting an abundance of materials from them; woodchips are now helping to create bioplastics, textiles and even components used in motor vehicles.

Another essential use for woodchips lies in energy production. The Japanese and Korean governments are encouraging the use of more renewable energy options, and as a result are ramping up imports of wood pellets and woodchips for industrial power production.

Used in either co-firing with coal or in dedicated biomass power stations, wood pellets are assisting some of our largest neighbours to meet their growing energy demands.

We recently started exporting wood pellets from Australia, and our relationships with power

December 2017

stations in Japan, give Mitsui unique access to coal consumers and the ability to promote and supply biomass as a supplemental or alternative renewable fuel.

It is through the use of woodchips for new products and to support existing industries that forestry can continue to be one of Australia’s leading sustainable exporters.

Longevity and partnerships As the industry continues to evolve we see partnerships becoming even more integral to the longevity of forestry in Australia. As well as creating employment opportunities, collaboration ensures knowledge sharing and means we can continually improve our processes and products.

As a global conglomerate, Mitsui does business in 66 countries from over 139 offices around the world.

This network enables us to have expertise in investment, finance, marketing and logistics, and apply this www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news knowledge across a diverse range of industries including resources & energy, infrastructure, chemicals, machinery, food, healthcare, and financial services.

MWO has positioned itself as a local presence which acts as a conduit between regional Australian forest resources and the extensive global markets offered by Mitsui. Through investments in South West Fibre and Bunbury Fibre Exports, we have expanded our footprint beyond woodchip exporting. These businesses, in combination with some of our new ventures on the Tiwi Islands and Kangaroo Island, allow us to extend industry capabilities and ensure the sustainability of the forestry industry over the long term.

In fact, just recently MWO signed a binding sales agreement with Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers (KIPT) for a fiveyear exclusive marketing arrangement for all woodchips exported from Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The agreement adds yet another port to Mitsui’s growing list of woodchip export ports around the globe and gives MWO exclusive access to a sustainable, high quality supply of Eucalyptus globulus. The Kangaroo Island plantation estate is of a size, quality and distance to port which will enable it to produce a long-term sustainable supply well beyond the current rotation.

Mitsui looks forward to supporting KIPT to bring the resource to market for the benefit of supplier, customer, and the local economy and community.

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The result of these investments and partnerships means Mitsui is now involved in all stages of the value chain.

This extends from owning plantations, to managing harvesting and logistics, owning and operating woodchip mills, managing port facilities, chartering woodchip carriers, and marketing to customers throughout Asia.

Importantly it is our unique ability, driven by our global network, that allows us to act as a cultural interface to open forestry to limitless cultures and markets, meaning we can continue to unlock value for our industry. ¢

Bull dozer grooming the woodchip stockpile at BFE. Grooming of the stockpile is necessary to maximize the volume of woodchip for a given footprint and to ensure that woodchip stock is routinely turned over.

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Woodchip vessel berthed at berth 8 of Bunbury Port. Each woodchip vessel carries around 50,000 tonnes of woodchips and takes four to five days to load.

New opportunities The exploration of new opportunities across Asia and the formation of industry partnerships will enable the Australian woodchip industry to continue to grow, expand its capabilities and significantly contribute to the Australian economy.

There is no denying that forestry is changing.

The role of woodchips has moved from one of simple paper production, to one with almost infinite use across a vast array of industries.

At MWO, we are excited about this future, and are keen to make a contribution to shaping it. That’s why we are always on the lookout for new partners to work with, and learn from, so together we can ensure our industry realises its potential.

Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

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In the news 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

December 2017 Issue 8 Vol. 26 Established 1991 In The News

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ForestTECH

8-11

Training

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Software

14-15

Head-Lines

16-19

Harvesters

20-22

Fire Preparedness

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OFO to acquire Nelson Forests in NZ This commitment to truly sustainable forestry and domestic processing is clearly aligned to the values we have built in our existing operations in Australia.

Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editor: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9512 Advertising: Gavin de Almeida g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide Office (08) 8369 9517 Production: Luke Westle

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While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

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INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

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Linda Sewell.

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he rise and rise of fledgling forestry company OneFortyOne Plantations continues with news that it has just signed an agreement to acquire one of New Zealand’s leading forestry businesses, Nelson Forests.

“Nelson Forests is recognised as being one of New Zealand’s best run forestry businesses and an established leader in safe and sustainable forest management,” said Linda Sewell, OneFortyOne Plantation’s Chief Executive Officer.

“This acquisition reflects OFO’s intention to grow its business through investment in well managed forestry operations that have a focus on sustainable domestic processing and strong community partnerships.

“Located within New Zealand’s second largest domestic processing region, the acquisition of Nelson Forests is consistent with our growth strategy and highly complementary to our existing Australian operations,” Ms Sewell said.

Nelson Forests is currently 100% owned by investment funds advised by Global Forest Partners LP, a USbased timberland investment management organisation.

The acquisition will allow for the exchange of best practice forestry management between the Australian and New Zealand operations.

Following the acquisition of Nelson

Forests, OFO intends to pursue options to increase the scale of both the forest and domestic processing activities in the Nelson region.

Collaboration “The Nelson Forests lead team will continue to manage the plantation. We look forward to welcoming the team into the OFO family and working collaboratively with them to leverage best practice across both regions,” Ms Sewell said.

“With a strong commitment to workplace safety, environmental management and innovation, the approach of the Nelson Forests management team is recognised as best in class in safety and environmental management within the New Zealand industry.

“This commitment to truly sustainable forestry and domestic processing is clearly aligned to the values we have built in our existing operations in Australia,” Ms Sewell said.

Since commencing custodianship of an 80,000-hectare plantation within the Green Triangle region of South Australia in 2012, OFO has grown domestic fibre supply to local processors by more than 45% and increased the number of trees planted. It has also invested extensively to support a strong, vibrant local industry and community.

Australian Forests & Timber News

Significant role “We recognise that we have a significant role to play within the regions in which we operate. Like the Nelson Forests team, OFO works in close partnership with regional stakeholders and supports a range of local environmental, community and education initiatives,” Ms Sewell said.

“Nelson Forests is already a strong contributor to the Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough communities.

I am pleased with OFO’s commitment to support Nelson Forests continuing to make these contributions and for the further benefits that OFO can provide to the region. OFO has an excellent track record of supporting domestic processing and making substantial investments to grow its business and to support the community,” said Lees Seymour, Managing Director of Nelson Forests.

“The values of the Nelson Forests business and our existing business are strongly aligned, and we will work hard to ensure this continues and grows further following successful completion of the acquisition,” Ms Sewell said.

Completion of the transaction is expected to occur during 2018, subject to approval from New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Office (OIO). Campbell Global,

December 2017

Gresham Partners and MinterEllisonRuddWatts were advisory partners to OFO on the transaction.

Leading the way OFO, owned by Australian and international superannuation or pension funds and governed by an independent Board, acquired the harvesting rights of the Green Triangle plantation estate from the Government of South Australia in October 2012.

In the South East of South Australia, OFO has led the establishment of the Association of Green Triangle Growers, bringing together six major growers in the region to develop new processing capacity, that will drive investment and employment growth and build a sustainable local processing industry.

Also on the acquisition front, OFO is currently awaiting ACCC approval for the purchase of the Jubilee Highway sawmill in Mount Gambier. Some months back OFO signed a Sale Agreement with Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) for the purchase of the Jubilee Highway mill and the woodchip operations at Portland.

Incidentally, the company name takes its origins from the one forty one meridian east line that approximates South Australia’s eastern border with Victoria. www.timberbiz.com.au

In the news

Remarkable year for Australian forest industry Commitment to forestry sector, now and into the future

By Senator Anne Ruston Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources

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017 has been a remarkable year for the Australian forest industry and I congratulate everyone involved in every aspect of the supply chain.

It is a growing industry that delivers economic, social and environmental outcomes and benefits for the Australian community – and is continually improving, developing and innovating.

The volume and value of logs harvested in 2016–17 hit record levels with 32.8 million cubic metres of logs harvested worth $2.5 billion.

All of this by an industry that directly employs over 67,000 Australians and makes an annual $23.6 billion contribution to our economy.

One of the drivers for success is how well the industry is able to innovate, from growing wood in plantations and sustainably managed native forests, through to providing finished products on the shelves and in our homes.

To support innovation in the forest products area we’re delivering on the Coalition’s election commitment to provide $4 million to establish the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation.

We’re launching the Mount Gambier and Launceston hubs this month, and I’m delighted the South Australian

and Tasmanian governments are contributing substantial funding and resources to this important initiative.

The institute complements our ongoing investments in forestry innovation through funding for research and development undertaken through Forest and Wood Products Australia. In 2016– 17, an investment of over $5.6 million in matching funding has been made in research that will benefit all aspects of the forestry industry and the broader Australian community.

The Coalition’s commitment to 20 year rolling extensions of the Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) was realised for the Tasmanian RFA in August this year. The Prime Minister and Premier of Tasmania jointly signed and announced the extension in Launceston and were delighted to support this ‘renewable and sustainable’ industry. The independent review for the Western Australian has been completed and public consultation on the Victorian and New South Wales RFAs is being undertaken. The engagement of stakeholders in the review, improvement and extension of these agreements is vital to ensure they continue to be robust and fit for purpose.

In August, I announced the government had approved a new Plantation Forestry Method under the Emissions Reduction Fund. This recognises the important contribution this sustainable industry can make to reducing our carbon emissions, and meeting our commitments under the Paris climate agreement.

Together with state and territory ministers, I released a Forestry Ministers Statement in September that clearly illustrated our strong support for Australia’s forestry industries. This statement recognises the significant contribution that the forestry industries make to regional Australia both today and into the future.

In addition to supporting our domestic forest industries, our government is committed to tackling the trade in illegally logged timber. In October, I announced that we are improving our illegal logging laws by cutting red tape for our importers and processors and slashing regulatory costs by more than $4 million annually. These changes will acknowledge that timber products certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes meet our requirements for best practice forest management and chain of custody standards Looking ahead, the ‘soft

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

start’ to our illegal logging laws close at the end of this year and from 1 January 2018 businesses and individuals must comply with the due diligence obligations or face financial penalties. I encourage all importers and domestic processors to familiarise themselves with their obligations.

I would like to end on one of the highlights of 2017.

Many of you would recall the announcement made by Prime Minister Turnbull about the development of a new government plan for Australia’s renewable timber and wood-fibre industry.

This statement, made during

the keynote address the Australian Forest Products Association gala dinner in September, highlights the Coalition’s commitment to Australia’s forestry sector, now and into the future.

The plan will build on the important report developed by the Forest Industry Advisory Council. We will be undertaking targeted consultation over the next four months and I’m looking forward to delivering the plan in the second half of 2018.

I look forward to 2018 being an even better year for our sector and wish you all every success.

Court orders halt to logging A Federal Court ruling has ordered a halt to logging in 34 areas across Victoria’s Central Highlands. Friends of Leadbeaters Possum (FLP) challenged VicForests exemption from Federal environment protection law during the hearing and called for a interim injunction. Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) filed the application on behalf of FLP. The case being brought by FLP will challenge whether logging in endangered species habitat can continue to have a special exemption from Federal environmental protection law.

“Following court proceedings on 17 November, VicForests has www.timberbiz.com.au

consented to delay harvesting in four operations until a further hearing can be held on 14 and 15 December which will provide the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum an opportunity to put its case in more detail,” said Nathan Trushell, VicForests CEO. “These four operations are part of 34 coupes we have agreed to suspend until the further hearing.

“We believe our operations are in accordance with the Central Highlands Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) “We look forward to the court clarifying obligations in regards to this.

“We are keen to see the legal

matter resolved as quickly as possible to minimise disruption of timber supply to local mills and to important regional jobs,” said Mr Trushell.

Mr Trushell said that the native timber industry in the Central Highlands contributes more than $570 Million in economic activity each year and employs more than two thousand people.

VicForests is a highly regulated organisation and undergoes regular audits in all areas of it operations.

VicForests is certified by the Australian Forestry Standard which is endorsed by the world’s largest forest certification scheme, PEFC.

Australian Forests & Timber News

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December 2017

Nathan Trushell.

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A whole new view of forestry Quality of data collection and delivery have gone ahead in leaps and bounds

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Virtual Reality being put to the test at the ForestTECH Conference.

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eing able to cruise or assess a plot in the forest without having to physically go there is now a step closer. Researchers from Australia and New Zealand are concluding a project linking forest inventory, data processing and Virtual Reality (VR).

Demonstrations of this new-age system were eagerly watched (and participated in) at the recent ForestTECH conference in Melbourne.

Using Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, participants were shown how they could view and assess the size,

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shape, and form of trees inside the virtual plot.

This new technology has the potential to greatly improve the safety of field measurement, especially in areas that are difficult to access.

Dr Winyu Chinthammit, leading research scientist at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory at the University of Tasmania, believes that over the next few years the technology may change the concept with which forestry operations are managed.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a 3D human computer

interface technology that enables users to be immersed in a computergenerated virtual environment. VR has made possible applications where users can perform tasks from remote locations.

In forestry, there are a number of essential tasks that currently are performed manually in timber plantations and native forests, such as tree and plot measurements for inventory assessments.

The VR technology offers a unique opportunity to fundamentally change forest operation practices

Dr Winyu Chinthammit, leading research scientist at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory at the University of Tasmania.

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for which human perceptual skills are required.

Described as a niche conference with resultant major ramifications for the whole forestry and timber industry, ForestTECH attracted 140 representatives at the Melbourne event and a similar crowd at the New Zealand event.

Cutting edge Mike Sutton (Manager, Forest Information & Planning, Forestry Corporation NSW), who

has attended a number of ForestTECH conferences, described the event as good opportunity for people to get exposed to what other people are doing in the technology area.

“Once again it’s been a really good opportunity for people to hear what’s going on in the development area and to meet and talk to people who are working in similar fields and also a range of areas. Some of it is pretty cutting edge stuff, too,” he said When asked about changes that have followed ForestTECH conferences and resultant research he was quick to site the introduction and advancement of LiDAR. “Having been involved in that (LiDAR) not only in ForesTECH but also in that area itself, it’s always interesting to see what has happened in the previous 12 months. The fundamentals are the same but it’s the quality of the data and the improved processing capacity, or the additional products that you can get, for linking information together “Probably the most interesting thing this time has been seeing where the FWPA projects are starting to come together and to deliver some very interesting results.

David Herries (General Manager, Interpine Group).

Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

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FWPA project This VR Forestry project is part of the FWPA PNC326-131 project, “Deployment and integration of cost-effective high resolution remotely sensed data for the Australian forest industry” which is led by Dr Christine Stone (NSW DPI –Forestry) and Dr. Jon Osborn (UTAS Senior Lecturer in Surveying and Spatial Sciences).

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Mark Jones (Forestry Corporation of NSW) and Mike Sutton (Manager, Forest Information & Planning, Forestry Corporation NSW).

Making things safer “In the past we were looking at broad scale LiDAR across large areas and now we’re bringing it right down to the plot level and being able to virtualise (have a virtual plot). That was something that Dr Christine Stone (Leader Forest Science, NSW Department of Industry Lands & Forestry) and I talked about years ago. We thought back then wouldn’t it be good if we could create a virtual plot and make it safer.

“By using the technology we’ve got from LiDAR, not only from earlier on but with the improvements in the sensors and the ability to get more detailed information, and bringing in people from non-forestry areas (robotics and HITLab -- not what you would normally associate with forest information), bringing their skills in and bringing that improved data with new techniques you start to see it all come together,” said Mike.

He stressed, too, that one of the strengths of ForestTECH was that it provided a good forum and genuine area in which people could collaborate ... “a lot of us are working already in a collaborative sense through things like FWPA projects”.

“We’re not only hearing what other people are doing but by making those contacts makes that collaboration go much further,” he said David Herries (General Manager, Interpine Group), is another who has been a strong supporter of ForestTECH for years. www.timberbiz.com.au

Heading in the right direction “ForestTECH allows like minded people in the field to come together once a year and to talk about innovation, new technologies, and hopefully get some adoption of those technologies; then it’s up to companies to make effective change and to manage forests better.

“I guess there’s not that many opportunities for the people in this room to come together from both sides of the Tasman and as much as the presentations are incredibly useful it’s also the networking and the discussions that come out that help researchers head in the right direction. It’s also good for the practitioners to discuss how we can utilise that research and implement it to make things better.

“Socialising, innovation and technology is really important because it takes a while for people to move from first seeing something to adopting and actually making use of it. So, ForestTECH is a great avenue for socialising technology that you may adopt tomorrow or in a years time or five years time.

LiDAR’s leaps and bounds “If I look at ForestTECH five years ago we had a lot of slides up here describing what LiDAR was and that maybe it might be of interest for forestry companies to use.

We’ve now reached a time when I would say upwards of 80% of Australia’s softwood estate is covered in high density LiDAR.

“We’ve now got users of that technology who first learned about it at ForestTECH then networked about it and discussed it with their researchers to find out and trial it then come back to ForestTECH and talk about it. Then you’ve got the adopters moving through to an extent where it reaches the point of now that we’ve got this data how do we use it, and how can we use it now and in five years time.

“Some of the stuff we’ve seen with VR (tree segmentation, advanced metrics analysis) is starting to answer the questions we had five years ago ... can we use LiDAR? It’s shown to be that we can.

“ForestTECH is a good feedback venue for the industry and to get the researchers together and to talk about where were going in the future,” David said.

Just briefly, here are some of the take-out points from ForestTECH in Melbourne:We’re transforming the way we think about resource allocation.

The AgTech revolution is showing the way for the forestry industry.

There’s a lot more data but it is being analysed and distributed more efficiently and effectively.

The future is now!

Increased computer power, highly accessible VR and AR, improved graphics, Cloud, machine learning are all playing a major part.

High altitude pseudo Satellite (Zephyr) operates at 65,000 ft, solar powered, ideal for intelligence, communications, forestry management and a host of additional fields.

Australian Forests & Timber News

The team consists of researchers from: • Forest Science, NSW Department of Industry, Lands & Forestry • NSW Department of Primary Industries • Geography and Spatial Sciences, School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania • Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) Australia, School of Engineering & ICT, University of Tasmania • Australian Centre of Field Robotics, University of Sydney • Forestry Corporation of NSW • Forestry Tasmania • Australian UAV • Timberlands Pacific The objective of this VR Forestry project is to evaluate the potential of virtual reality technology for remote cruising of individual Pinus Radiata trees from dense point clouds.

Ongoing work: • The development of a VR software application with the following features: • Rendering very dense 3D point cloud data and provide an immersive 3D VR environment for visualisation of that dense point cloud data (demonstrated at ForestTECH NZ & AU 2017) • Demonstrate the capability for users to directly measure tree parameters such as tree height and stem diameter (partially demonstrated at ForestTECH 2017) • Demonstrate the capability for users to visually quality-assure stem segmentation data from automatic segmentation software (to be demonstrated at Forestry Point Clouds Workshop on December 8-9, 2017 at HIT Lab in Launceston, Tasmania) • Develop recommendations for future research and development

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For Contractors & Forest Managers A streamlined system to manage the skills of employees and improve safety in the workplace.

New mobile app – available late 2017

fols.forestworks.com.au

1800 177 001

December 2017

An industry-led program managed by ForestWorks

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IMAGES FROM THE NIGHT 1. Rajeev Kumar (Manager ICT, ForestrySA), Leon Osborne (Resource F orester OneFortyOne Plantations), Glenn Brookes (Resource Analyst, OneForttyOne Plantations), Lucas Veno (Resource Analyst, OneFortyOne Plantations).

2. Jeremy Gibson (Director, ForestPHD), Brendon Satchwell (Eastern Australia Manager, Waratah).

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3. E lvona Goliath (Growth and Yield Progrgam Manager, Komatiland Forests).

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4. J ames Kelly (GIS Infrastructure Analyst, Forestry Corporation NSW), Ben Peirce (IPA Manager, Midway Limited).

5. Adam Steer (Synthesis Technologies), Kim Piercy (Senior Project Manager, RPS).

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6. B en Magann (Forester, Snowy Mountains Forests), Matt Pope (Project Officer, Forestry Corporation NSW), Jarrod Addinsall (Senior Planner, Forestry Corporation NSW), Nick Rudder (Plantation Improvement Supervisor, Forestry Corporation NSW).

7. N our Eltanbouli (Business Development & Sales, AAM Group).

8. Z elda Calitz (Business Systems Analyst, VicForests), Branislav Zoric (Strategic Planning Manager, APRIL).

9. William Shearman (Gippsland Resource Manager, HVP Plantations), Eric Smith (GIS Information Officer, Forestry Corporation NSW).

10. Wilson Siringoringo (Solution Analyst, Integral/Atlas).

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Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

www.timberbiz.com.au

IMAGES FROM THE NIGHT

11.

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11. T ony Brown (Remote Sensing Resource Analyst, Forestry Corporation NSW), Jarrod Addinsall (Senior Planner, Forestry Corporation NSW).

12. A nthony Hay (GIS Services, ForestrySA), Gordon Robson (Forest Estate Manager, AKD Softwoods), James Rennie (Director, Australian UAV).

13. P eter Auge (Forest Consultant, Interpine Group), John Erwee (Planning Manager, Komatiland Forests).

13.

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14. A lex Rixon (Production Manager, Atlass Aerometrex), Kristan Peters (Director, Vertical Forest & Woodlot).

15. Masoomeh Alaibakhsh (Spatial Analyst, NSW Department Primary Industries), Dr Christine Stone (Leader Forest Science, NSW Department Industry – Lands & Forestry).

WOOD SCIENCE COURSE 2018 Monday 05 to Friday 09 February 2018 Fenner School - ANU (Acton - ACT)

Designed for people new to the industry, the Gottstein Trust Wood Science Course aims to provide an understanding of wood as a biological material and the origins of the properties that affect its processing and end-use.

Come along for insights into the development of new products, appreciation of environmental issues and networking opportunities in industry.

Numbers of delegates are limited, apply early to avoid disappointment.

Enrol Now! www.forestry.org.au/gottstein-wood-science-course/individual-registration For more information about the course and discounts, contact Kenia Schmitt at

E-mail:gottsteinsecretary@gmail.com www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

Ph: 02 6153 3044 11

TRAINING

Simulator role highlighted in special forum

I

t was something unique, something long overdue, and something highly beneficial ... it was, in fact, the first Forestry Simulator Lead Users Forum.

Held early in November at Waratah’s Melbourne distribution centre (and planned and run

by Waratah Asia Pacific and Africa), the forum was designed to concentrate on “upskilling” the forestry workforce.

Over the past few decades a number of training providers have either had donated or purchased various types of forestry simulators.

These owners and providers can own and manage small software packages right through to full system platforms that cost in excess of $100,000.00 worth of investment.

However, over time, the after sales support for upgrading and maintaining the product falls away because of distance from the manufacturer. It’s not a core business of the local supplier and there is a genuine lack of peer support.

The original new trainers themselves in many cases move on to more senior roles, the training packages become aged or, in some cases, not applicable to today’s needs.

In some situations government changes to industry training funding can have a large effect on the target audience in providing off-the- job or new entrant training with these simulators.

Other industry effects -- such as the mining boom, export downturn -- can also play a major part in establishing baseline courses that consistently deliver training packages and competent entrants into the industry.

Advancing user compliance “One driver that is not changing, though, is the increased dependence on mechanisation and advancing user compliance in forest operations,” said Jules Larsen, Waratah’s General Manager Distribution and Operations (Asia Pacific and Africa).

“The expectation of the forest owner has always been to have machine owners and operators to provide quality logs of the highest value with consistent production and to perform this safely.

“We, as an industry, are slowly changing and coming to realise that not only for our existing employees but new employees we need forms of offsite training available to us to upskill staff,” said Jules.

“We cannot continue to expect new machine operators to get in these machines and learn as you go. We cannot expect forest owners to let this continue to happen forever either,” Jules said.

Vital for worker retention “We cannot ever achieve this offthe-job training availability without committing to and investing in local training providers. They are not only the key to recruitment but also vital for retention by continually reinvesting in our existing staff.”

Forest Simulators can provide that off-the-job training effectively, providing platforms that enable realistic and replicable tasks that can presented at any time.

“We have Forest Simulators in training hubs all over the region and we should be utilising these more effectively to improve industry quality,” said Jules.

“Our aim with the Annual Simulator Forum is to create a means of refreshing the physical training tools, scoping the latest training needs, sharing training packages and, most importantly, building a strong network of support,” he said.

Invited to the forum were a wide range of industry simulator representatives who are not only great coaches and skilled trainers but who are also passionate about the people in the forest industry.

Representatives from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand attended the Melbourne forum, all prepared to share and leverage skills and experience to help the forestry industry.

Special guest was Simo Tujula the John Deere Technology Consultant from Finland.

Simo presented the latest developments from around the world in Forest Simulator training and set out some examples of how we can locally apply some of these tools to help trainees in this region.

Attendees got to see and run first hand a wide range of simulators and software packages, including everyday data management skill training right through to competency based programs for Forwarders and Harvesters.

The first half of the forum was devoted to sharing previous experiences and regionally targeted packages. This format gave the greatest insight for everyone as to the actual gaps, scope and opportunities within the region.

Over the course of the forum it was clear that many of those gaps were able to be easily closed and quickly become opportunities.

“It was a great event and hats off

to Waratah for their initiative,” said Andy Cusack LITA Mt Gambier.

Shot in the arm for industry “ It was a great networking opportunity and everyone learned a great deal from the event. I believe the plan is for more to come in the future and this can only be a shot in the arm for the industry and everyone connected with it.

“Computerisation is beginning to play an even bigger part in modern day forest harvest and haul and the better equipped everyone is the better for the industry. Again, Waratah deserves credit for the top job they did,” said Andy.

Another of the attendees was David Priem, Manager, TAFE NSW Forest Industry Training Centre, who said there were three important outcomes from the event: • the installation of TeamViewer on the simulators now enables the Forest Industry Training Centre to send a simulator to any location and provide real-time harvesting training from wherever the trainer happens to be. That is, it breaks the problem of needing the trainer to be on-site, at-least in the early phase of operator training, • we were shown how to use the Terrain software so that appropriate harvesting scenarios and landforms can be constructed for training purposes, and • planning is under way for the rollout of Calibration training at key sites in-conjunction with partner trainers such as the TAFE NSW Forest Industry Training Centre.

Waratah is already planning next year’s forum and is aiming to make it even bigger and better.

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Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

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TIMBERRITE H-16 ™

NEXT-LEVEL PRODUCTIVITY.

Take productivity to the next level with Waratah’s new, next generation TimberRite H-16 measuring and control system. Having expanded features for improving user-friendliness, performance and adaptability, operators can get the most out of their day with this easy-to-use system. Stay connected to what’s going on in the woods and improve real-time information with new wireless data transfer options – and when coupled with TimberOffice™, optimize your operations and your productivity and know how it’s affecting your bottom line. It’s time for profitable precision and smart business decisions with TimberRite H-16. See your local Waratah dealer for more information. www.Waratah.com

For more information contact:

Waratah at 03 9747 4200

SOFTWARE

NSW haulage firms transform timber haulage operations with Trimble Forestry’s logistics solution

I

n 2015, a consortium of three haulage contractors working for Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) commissioned a white paper study to benchmark current haulage productivity within their fleets.

The data was modelled to gain an insight into potential initiatives that could increase fleet productivity.

The recommendation was that a possible increase of 4 – 7% on loaded running could be achieved if they shifted away from a Harvest and Haul operation, collaborated and moved towards a Central Dispatch model.

In 2016, FCNSW decided to award the haulage consortium the cartage for the entire hardwood estate provided they meet a number of key objectives for improving the overall supply chain process. These were identified as: • Visibility - Real-time visibility of the supply chain allowing for them and their stakeholders to make informed and timely decisions • Control - Management tools that allow for more effective control of the

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overall process and its individual parts • Maximise Value Eliminate or minimise elements of the process that lead to suboptimal value recovery • Streamlined Data Management - Minimise overhead in managing data required for and derived from, the log supply process, including paperless E-ticket • Proven Technology - A partner with specific domain focus and commitment to research and development, aligned with consortiums strategic objectives for operational excellence • Chain of Responsibility – The tools to actively manage the haulage fleets legal requirements under OH&S, Chain of Responsibility and Fatigue Management rules Trimble Forestry’s Wood Supply Execution (WSX) system was deployed to manage the Central Dispatch operation and to ensure the requirements of both the haulage companies and the FCNSW were met.

Trimble’s WSX solution

Forestry Corporation NSW logging site.

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Hoffmans Haulage ... ”easier to balance truck capacity

is designed specifically for planning and executing the woodflow process for log harvest and haulage operations. WSX facilitates tight control over the uplift and delivery of logs and provides end-to-end visibility of the timber supply process, including web access and reporting.

Dramatic rise in efficiency In the first 12 months of the new operation, truck utilisation and efficiency increased significantly with the average percentage of loaded kilometres increasing by upwards of 10+%.

The flow-on effect has been that the consortium has been able to control haulage costs, move logs from bush to mill in a more timely fashion with the flow-on effect allowing FCNSW to capture improved market opportunities by moving a greater volume of logs with fewer trucks. For the haulage contractors the improved productivity of their fleets resulted in increased investment into their operations and a more profitable business.

“The key reason for the program’s success was the way in which the haulage firms involved themselves in the design of the new logistics service model in conjunction with Forestry NSW, its customers and Trimble Forestry,” said Tony Johnson, Sales and Distribution Manager for Forestry Corporation of NSW.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

Trimble Logistics solutions empowered the consortium and FCNSW managers to responsively control their fibre supply operations to mitigate risk, optimize production, and increase efficiency.

Stakeholders have improved their competitive advantage within the market they operate, and improve the value of the underlying forest asset.

“It has become much easier to balance truck capacity requirements when trucks might otherwise have been parked or logging operations and mills could fall short of their uplift or delivery needs,” said Lisa Hoffman, Operations Manager for Hoffmans Haulage Pty Ltd.

Specific solution

Development of WSX has been driven by customers who are immersed in the forestry supply chain challenge. It has been specifically geared to support these stakeholders to do their jobs, to track log production and inventories and schedule log haulage fleets for uplift and delivery to meet customer priorities. www.timberbiz.com.au

SOFTWARE

¢

31 metre pole at South Grafton.

The solution not only includes comprehensive tracking and alerting but a range of tools including proactive fatigue management, and a customisable OH&S suite.

These have been designed to meet the Chain of Responsibility requirements of the Australian heavy transport industry while monitoring and reporting, in real time, on a driver’s behaviour and conformance.

Today, Trimble Forestry Logistics provide logistics systems and/or services for timber haulage operations delivering over 50 million tonnes annually to facilities in Australasia, Europe and North America. Customers

range from haulage contractor cooperatives to international forestry companies.

In Australasia - Trimble Forestry Logistics is providing Central Dispatch services to a number of large forestry companies and haulage companies including consortiums of haulage contractors which operate under a range of logistics models (Harvest and Haul to a fully managed Central Dispatch service).

While each of the stakeholders had a different motive for implementing the Central Dispatch Management System they all recognise the key objectives that underpin

their ability to plan, control, and manage their operations, including; • Control uplift and delivery options by Contractor &/or Operation • Comprehensive web reporting platform providing real time visibility of operating metrics (plan v actual), to contractors and stakeholders, • Mobile application for truck driver and/or loader operator on in-cab device • Paperless E-ticket solution that provides traceability for all users, integrates with their enterprise solutions and

has a comprehensive reporting suite.

• Integrated In-Cab Technology (ICTS) and Chain of Responsibility support Trimble Forestry offers land, forest and fibre management solutions that improve the productivity and operations for some of the world’s most recognized integrated forest product companies, forest land owners, timberland investment, conservation, state and federal departments as well as international food processing companies involved in environmental, social and economic land management.

The Connected Forest solutions manage the full raw materials lifecycle of planning, planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and processing. WSX is a key component of the Connected Forest portfolio.

The Connected Forest allows forestry businesses to transform data and processes into strategic actions that promote new thinking, collaborative industry approaches and intelligent workflows.

ENSIGN LOG FORKS AND LOG GRAPPLES CAN BE CUSTOM MADE TO SUIT CUSTOMERS REQUIREMENTS. CONTACT US TO DEVELOP A CUSTOMISED SOLUTION THAT WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS. EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN AGENT & DISTRIBUTOR OF ENSIGN GRAPPLES & LOG FORKS log_grapple_hp_march.indd 1 www.timberbiz.com.au

For product and sales enquiries contact GB Forestry P: 03 8353 6655 E: office@gbforestry.com.au or visit us at... www.gbforestry.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

15

10/03/2017 11:18:36 AM

HEAD-LINES

Simplicity, strength and durability hallmarks of Ponsse harvester heads

P

onsse has a long history of making harvester heads. The very first were manufactured in the 1980s and, ever since, each harvester head model has been designed with a focus on efficiency, durability and ease of maintenance. Each model is characterized by its simple and strong structure.

Ponsse harvester heads are built to meet the demands of the roughest conditions and thanks to the wide

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range, the manufacturer can offer solutions for wheeled harvesters and track-based machines.

The Ponsse harvester head range offers 11 modern harvester head models, which are suitable for various uses from thinning to final felling and processing. Their high feed power and fast economical sawing result in extreme efficiency. As each harvester head can be adjusted according to tree and base machine properties, working is easy and the harvester head has a long service life. Moreover, Ponsse´s in-house

developed and manufactured Opti information system guarantees measurement accuracy in cutting. “All our harvester heads of different sizes are also suitable for the multi-stemming of energy wood and pulpwood without any optional equipment,” says Janne Loponen, Product Manager for Ponsse Harvester Heads. “This eliminates additional costs, servicing and weight. The frames of our harvester heads are machined after the welding assembly. This guarantees the highest quality with excellent precision.” Durable hoses, well-designed hose routing

and strong delimbing knives are important features of Ponsse harvester heads. In addition, the automatic Ponsse CT+ chain tensioner and the grease lubrication system for the saw chain are available for all harvester head models except H10 where saw unit is Hultdins 300.

Stronger version “For H7 and H8 models a stronger HD version is available for track-based harvester installations and can also be used in larger wheel based harvesters. The

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

H8, H8HD and H10 models can be equipped with a top saw and find end sensor for even more efficient logging.”

Loponen is very proud of the latest model in the Ponsse harvester head family, the H8 HD, which is a heavy duty harvester head for felling and processing of hardwood and softwood in tough conditions.

Thanks to the modern and optimized design of H8 HD, the weight of the harvester head is low, making it possible to use it on the Ponsse Bear, wheel-based harvester and most track-based machines.

Low weight also enables lower fuel consumption and

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HEAD-LINES

easier handling, especially in processing operations.

“Strong grip, powerful feeding and fast sawing are packed in a robust and reliable package that can be fitted into various tracked carriers,” Loponen said. The H8 HD has a wide feed roller geometry that supports even the largest stems with feed rollers instead of delimbing knives.

Improved fuel economy This allows a lower pressure to be applied by the knives, improving fuel economy and feeding speed as well as measuring accuracy. The H8 HD is available with a top saw for processing curvy trees with big branches. Processor delimbing knives are longer than standard knives for

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picking logs more easily reporting and many other said.

“Forest machines from a pile, Loponen added. features.

Applications must be effective, reliable, The other newcomer, the for wood procurement and capable of measuring H10 processing head, offers management are also wood accurately, and they unbeatable Ponsse quality available. The basic principle must also be easy to use and and productivity to a new size behind the Opti information environmentally friendly. class. The H10 is The fulfilment of designed and built these requirements for heavy-duty can be greatly All our harvester heads of different processing work enhanced with the sizes are also suitable for the multiin the hardest help of information conditions. technology. The stemming of energy wood and Robust structure, cutting suggestion pulpwood without any optional strong grip and made by the powerful feeding measurement equipment. guarantee high device ensures the efficiency and optimal usage of reliability through the raw material, the years. Meanwhile, the system is user friendliness. leaving the machine operator Ponsse Opti is an entire “We are aware of free to concentrate on the product family of forest importance of the operator quality of the tree.” To help machine information skills; therefore, we have the operator to focus on what systems. It covers harvesters, created the system where is essential and improve forwarders and loose the operator doesn’t need to working methods, harvester heads installations adapt to the control system – Ponsse has also developed and can consist of CTL the control system is adapted EcoDrive software, which measuring, weight scaling, for the operator,” Loponen indicates in real-time

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

whether the machine is being controlled economically and efficiently.

Hanna Vilkman, Product Manager for Information Systems: “Efficient and economic wood procurement is in the best interests of all parties in the procurement chain, that is, the forest owner, the contractor, the forest company, and the nature of the forest.” Ponsse forest machines, harvester heads and information systems are widely available from Ponsse dealers and service centers around the world. Ponsse is a pioneering developer of mechanical timber-harvesting based on the cut-to-length method.

“We only manufacture forestry machines so our focus is clear, at Ponsse we put customers always first and we aim to be the preferred partner in our industry.

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HEAD-LINES

Almost four decades of leading edge technology

S

P Maskiner was founded in 1978 and presented the world´s first ever single grip harvester head in 1980. “We have the longest experience of all in the field of development and manufacture of harvester heads for the forestry professional,” the manufacturer says. Last year and for what has passed in 2017 has been a busy period for the SP product development team. A new productive, reliable and versatile harvester head, the SP 661 LF, has been designed and presented at Elmia in June. The SP 661 LF is currently being tested in various harvesting operations around the world and is planned for official sales release in early 2018.

Another major development also presented was the FDM system. FDM (Floating Diameter Measuring) is a patent-pending innovation, designed to ensure high precision diameter measuring at during full production, high speed feeding.

using a very rugged and reliable type of non-contact encoder. Also contributing to the increase in uptime is the further refined house routing and component placement.

SP 661 LF

As mentioned, the SP 661 LF is the latest design from SP. It is a compact and strong high performance harvester head designed according to SP’s low friction (LF) principle for minimum friction and maximum productivity. The SP 661 LF is designed to be able to offer highest productivity in both small and large diameter harvesting.

In large diameter harvesting, the proportional-angled feed rollers in combination with SP’s patented knife control system LogHold, ensures an impressive capacity and productivity. When harvesting smaller diameter trees, the compact and agile design is a great asset.

Equipped with the optional multitree handling equipment, the SP 661 LF is able to reach high productivity when harvesting very small tree dimensions. The comprehensively protected and robust design in combination with state-of-theart hose routing ensures high reliability and uptime regardless of tree size and harvesting condition.

Though the SP 661 LF officially goes on sale early 2018, orders are already being placed by dealers and customers worldwide.

SP 461 LF

The SP 461 LF is designed for first and second thinning jobs but is also capable of handling larger tree sizes. Due to carriers getting larger and stronger, and measuring accuracies becoming more and more important in thinning applications, the SP 461 LF underwent a major update in 2015.

During 2016, further refinement of details was made that resulted in a substantial increase in reliability and uptime and an even lower carrier fuel consumption than before.

SP 761 LF

SP 561 LF

The SP 561 LF is an all-round harvester head that is used for both thinning and light clear-fell operations. In order to be able to meet the demands of larger and stronger carriers, the SP 561 LF underwent a major update in 2015, resulting in a more robust and heavy-duty product. During 2016, a further detailed refinement of the product has taken place with optimization of hose routing, covers and component placement resulting in a substantial increase in uptime and reliability.

SP 591 LX G3

The SP 591 LX is purpose built for debarking of difficult and crooked eucalyptus and acacia. Since the launch in 2007, it has earned a very 18

good reputation on various global markets for its simple and robust design in combination with its high production. The latest version is called G3 and was released in 2016. The SP 591 LX G3 offers two different frame designs (‘A’ and ‘E’) in order to optimize the performance depending on tree species and operation

characteristics. The A frame is optimized for superior handling of crooked and difficult tree species such as acacia and Australian blue gum while the E frame is optimized for eucalyptus species with straighter tree form.

The G3 version offers an increase in uptime and reliability thanks to a redesigned measuring device

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

The SP 761 LF is a compact and heavy-duty harvester head designed to handle a variety of different demanding applications.

The SP 761 LF was released four years ago and has been extremely well received all around the globe.

It is a very versatile head that through a large offering of options can be built to perfectly suit both cut-to-length, road side processing or debarking eucalyptus operations.

During 2016, the SP 761 LF was further refined, which has led to an increase in uptime and reliability.

For more information, visit www.randalls.com.au

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HEAD-LINES

Komatsu C144 harvesting head is somewhat unique

T

he newly-developed robust Komatsu C144 with its uncompromising dependability and profitability never lets you down – not even in the most demanding and rough harvesting environments.

The entirely new 4 WD feed system’s extra roller produces significantly higher feed force, making it truly unique. This is especially noticeable on extremely rough trees and difficult to delimb tops.

Productivity is further enhanced with an entirely new Constant Cut cutting unit, including a new saw motor and bar mount. The Constant Cut function not only speeds cutting and increases dependability, it also minimises risks for chain shot and splitting. The generous 40-degree tilt also does its part in raising production by enabling the fastest possible feed

start. And the two front delimbing knives make quick work of even the most difficult delimbing tasks.

At the same time, you’ll gain terrific dependability and ease of service, in among other ways, through centralised lubrication points. An important quality factor is patented accurate and reliable new MaxiXplorer™ 3.1 Head Control System. So if you want a head that offers maximum production every day and every shift – choose the Komatsu C144 for:• Faster cutting performance • Reduced fuel consumption • Reduced chance of splitting and/or cracking • Reduced saw maintenance • Longer saw motor life.

• Optional stump treatment and color marking systems .

C144 Key Specification Summary: Weight:

1,400 kg

Driven Feed Rollers & Motors:

4&4

Delimbing Knives:

5 (1 top, 2 upper, 2 lower)

Feed Force:

29.6 kN

Feed Speed:

0 - 5 m/sec

Rearward Tilt Link Angle:

40º

Saw Bar Length & Chain Speed:

825 mm & 40 m/sec

Saw Motor:

19 cc

Maximum Cutting Diameter:

710 mm

Feed Force:

29.6 kN

Rearward Tilt Link Angle:

40º

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The Komatsu C144 harvester head in use.

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19

HARVESTERS

New Generation Komatsu harvesters leading the way in Australia

¢

Komatsu 931

Komatsu 951

Tech Specs

Tech Specs

Weight

19,610kg

22,620kg

Engin

Agco Power 74 AWF

Agco Power 74 AWF

Power

184kW @ 1,900rpm

210kW @ 1,900rpm

Torque

1,100 Nm @ 1,500rpm 1,200Nm @ 1,500rpm

Drive Speed

0-25km/hr

0-23.5km/hr

Tractive Force

168 kN

232 kN

Front

710/45 x 26.5

780/50 x 28.5

Rear

710/55 x 34

750/65 x 34

Crane

Komatsu 230H

Komatsu 270H

Reach

8.7/11m

8.6/10.3m

Lift Torque

229 kNm

274 kNm

Slew Torque

47.5 kNm

60 kNm

Head Weight

1,700 kg

2,200 kg

Tyres

20

It doesn't mater where you go the 951 is at work ... here it's showing its worth in Germany.

K

omatsu harvesters have been in the forefront of productivity enhancing technologies for decades; in everything from first thinning to small final felling, choosing a red harvester will get you maximized productivity from day one. Komatsu Forest offers an impressive line-up of marketleading New Generation harvesters.

The New Generation Komatsu 901, 911, 931 and 951 harvesters all have the same market-leading features but due to tree size and form only the larger models 931 & 951 are imported into Australia.

These features includes Komatsu’s innovative, 3PS three-pump hydraulic system, which provides significantly higher hydraulic working flow at low engine speeds

than other systems, for greater productivity and lower fuel consumption.

This allows the operator to simultaneously slew, feed and maneuvreer for increased productivity.

These hydraulic system interactions are all automatically controlled by Komatsu’s state-of-the-art MaxiXplorer control and information system.

Productivity and operator comfort is further enhanced by Komatsu’s standard 360° cab/crane rotation and 4-way cab/ crane leveling systems.

The powerful parallel cranes are fast and easy to operate. In combination, these features maximize the size of the working area, enable harvesting more trees per stop, and keep the operator level, with a clear and unobstructed view to the harvesting head at all times.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

The powerful, EPA Tier 4 Final certified engine ( Tier 2 for Australian market)features high torque backup, high capacity cooling systems, low noise level and reduced fuel consumption.

A wide range of Komatsu harvesting heads are available to meet specific application needs. The Komatsu C144 “carrystyle” head, which has four powerful motors and four heavy-duty driven feed rollers is ideally suited for the 931 & 951 with other options being Komatsu 132 & 172 The new modern cab provides operator comfort and convenience with excellent upward and downward, front line-ofsight visibility. Sixteen (16) powerful LED working lights provide excellent illumination, for improved productivity in low light www.timberbiz.com.au

HARVESTERS

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Modern cabin layout features state-of-the-art MaxiXplorer control and information system.

conditions.

An air suspension, air-vented seat, fully adjustable ergonomic armrests and hand controls, and an automatic, 4-season climate control system, keep the operator comfortable in all working conditions. The spacious cab has multiple covered and open storage areas, including separate heating/ cooling boxes for food and beverages.

A deluxe, AM/FM/CD/ MP3 stereo system, with USB, Bluetooth© and handsfree microphone is standard. The optional MediaZone media hub provides the operator with an audio/media system.

The state-of-the-art MaxiXplorer control and information system has many advanced software options, for improved productivity and reporting.

Komatsu Forest Australia has had incredible success with the New Generation 931 & 951 Harvesters with a total of seventeen units delivered in Australia since its release with an added highlight being the new C144 harvesting head

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Komatsu 951 in Sweden.

www.timberbiz.com.au

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Easy access to engine.

Corpwood (Chris McIntyre) On the 951, both of our machines are working south of Tumbarumba in Radiata Pine. They have currently spent most of their time in clear fall with piece sizes from .5m3 up to 1.5m3. They have also done some second thinning.

Terrain is anywhere from flat up to 26 degrees and from soft ground on the flat to rocks in the steep.

The first machine was commissioned fairly quickly after the decision to purchase, but we had more time with the second as it was a new job. We don’t mess about with new machines.

I’m always doing the ground work on machines so I’m up to date with what they can do and who they have behind them, the decision is usually made well before it’s time to purchase.

Maintenance and servicing is reasonably good with most filters being easy to access. Electric lift bonnet and other covers open up well to allow you to get in to most places.

Quiet cab, visibility and operator comfort are the standout points of these machines. Also, the boom strength and reach is great.

When it comes to heads the S172 was really the only option due to its versatility. It is the largest capacity head that can be fitted to the 951 and its safe to say that nothing else would have been

able to do the job. These machines are being pushed to their limits in the clear fall.

There is also the fact that these heads are based on a Logmax. I’m a big supporter of Logmax having owned a number of them in the past and I personally operate a LM10000XT with 13000hrs on it which is in excellent condition and still performs outstandingly.

Operators Sebastian Berg and Brett Caunt have given these machines the care and respect they need to achieve great production and uptime.

The support from Komatsu Forest has been great in particular from Jason McGuffie. The first machine had some teething issues that where dealt with quickly and second machine went straight to work without a blink!

Shanbe Logging (Col and Jill Wescombe) Col and Jill have had a long and close connection with Komatsu Forest dating back to 2002 when they purchased a couple of second hand machines. “Since that time we have had many dealings with them, our last purchase being a 951 wheeled harvester fitted with a Komatsu C144 harvesting head and the 895 forwarder”, said Jill.

“We also have a 951 wheeled harvester fitted with a Komatsu C132

¢

¢ Modern keyless entry system

head coupled with another 895 that we purchased about 2 years ago. All are working in Forest Corp first thinning blocks”, she said. “The 951 definitely out-produces the track harvesters with operator comfort another stand out point, as is reliability.

“The maxi fleet computer configuration is also an added benefit as we can see on our computers in the office what the Harvesters and forwarders are producing. It can be paired with the mapping features if we want,” said Col. “The combination of the 951 Harvester and 895 Forwarder means increased production with less operator fatigue.”

“Backup with servicing and maintenance are excellent as KF have a diesel mechanic stationed in nearby Tumut. Parts are normally available next day as well, so downtime is minimal.

The ProAct warranty is also another great KF feature,” he said.

Nettley (Matt Mangan) This is our first wheeled Harvester, production is definitely better in the size wood we purchased this machine for. Currently has around 2500 hours and no real issues as yet. The new c144 Head is going like a rocket and holding together really well so far. As normal backup from Komatsu forest has been second to none.

Komatsu 951 in Australia.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

21

HARVESTERS

Keeping ‘track’ on comfort, power and production The John Deere M-Series Harvesters are proving to be high-productivity machines for logging contractors in a number of applications. Customers are raving about the unsurpassed power-to-weight ratio, tractive effort, and comfortable cabs.

R

unning a Harvester over stumps and hills from six in the morning until five at night can take a toll on an operator but they get out of these machines at the end of the day and they don’t look like they’ve been to work.

John Deere has designed a range of tracked harvesters for any application starting with three non-leveling models built for flat to undulating slopes (803MH, 853MH,903MH) with the leveling models (859MH, 959MH) built to handle the steep and rugged applications.

M-Series tracked harvesters are built to help logging contractors meet the demands of any

application, with improved efficiency and comfort.

The M-Series tracked harvesters have a longer, wider undercarriage for increased stability and traction, and tilt and leveling cabs maximize operator comfort and productivity, even in challenging terrain.

The 859M and 959M models incorporate a patented leveling control system that uses sensor technology to maximize the forward tilt angle (26 degrees forward), while electronically preventing any possible mechanical interference when also tilting to the side. The leveling envelope boundaries are set automatically and the

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patented system provides a smooth transition when approaching the leveling limits.

The M-Series machines from the 803MH right up to the 959MH are equipped with a powerful engine starting at 300hp for the 800MH- Series up to 330HP in the bigger models, delivering premium performance, fluid efficiency and reliability. Optional Rapid Cycle System (RCS) combines automated harvestingattachment arm cycling with simple boom control, dramatically reducing operator fatigue while increasing efficiency and productivity. RCS can be tailored to individual skill levels and specific harvesting conditions.

One of the most popular features in the M-Series is the

redesigned operator station.

Fully adjustable armrests provide fingertip control of all machine functions, and the air-conditioned seat offers daylong comfort in the climate-controlled cab.

Operators are what make a contractors business go round, they sit in these machines day in, day out and therefore appreciate the larger cab, better visibility and more legroom. Also featured in the cab design are floor-to-ceiling front and side windows plus an overhead skylight, expanding the view of the cutting area by 22%. The LED lighting package allows for 24/7 operation.

Both G-Series wheeled harvesters and M-Series tracked models incorporate the John Deere ForestSight™ suite of technology

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

solutions, with JDLink™ enabling unsurpassed levels of connectivity. Now standard in the base price for five years, JDLink enables remote machine monitoring and sends alerts to the office, mobile device or dealer to inform them of immediate machine issues. If downtime does occur, exclusive remote diagnostics and programming enable the John Deere dealer to quickly identify the issue at hand.

JDLink allows contractors to view productivity and uptime of their machines while lowering daily operating costs.

For more information regarding this range from John Deere, visit www. hcma.com.au or phone 1300 HITACHI to speak to a representative. www.timberbiz.com.au

FIRE PREPAREDNESS

Tackling the dry season: how fire prevention impacts the forestry industry

By Steve Nicholson

A

Director of Sustainability Solaris Paper

s many Australians gear up for summer it’s quite easy to get wrapped up with planning trips to the beach and summer barbeques. This is mainly to do with the excellent climate Australia has during the summer months of December, January, and February.

Unfortunately, with that scorching heat also comes the risk of bushfires which can be debilitating to not only communities but industries like forestry as well. Communities in Indonesia know this all too well as pulp and paper companies like Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) must also battle extreme heat and weather in order to protect its industry as well as the local community and at times the international community.

In places such as Australia and Indonesia where forest fires can easily happen during the hot dry summers, it is crucial that forest plantations implement Integrated Fire Management to combat fires that could have devastating effects if left unchecked.

With the technology now available, organisations must take advantage of

traditional and technological strategies and practice fire prevention, preparation, and early detection to counter fire outbreaks.

Prevention

One of the best ways to fight forest fires is by preventing them from happening in the first place.

This is easier said than done, but one strategy that helps is a procedure called ‘Canal Blocking’. Canal Blocking is where large ditches are dug out around the perimeter of the plantation and filled with water, forming a canal.

The canal not only keeps the area around the plantation hydrated preventing dry grass areas to burn but in the case of a fire in the plantation, the canals can contain the burn.

Another method to prevent fires from breaking out is by getting the community involved. Fires negatively affect communities more than anything, particularly those whose livelihoods are dependent on the land they live on. It is important that forest plantations communicate with the surrounding community, ensuring there are established boundaries made up between the community and the plantation to ensure community agricultural

efforts don’t cause a fire close to a plantation. By teaching the community preventative measures and including them in training, it is a way to not only prevent fires but grow the economy and food security of a community.

Preparation

Preparation is key when handling problems, the right way as opposed to the wrong way. In the traditional sense, basic fire training is a necessity when it comes to dealing with forests and fire risks during the summer season. Having the appropriate training carried out by a third party or a local fire department that specialises in fighting forest fires is also an important tool to being prepared for a fire if one breaks out. Of course, the training would be irrelevant if there was not a designated team to constantly train, observe, and take action in the case of a fire.

Another important part of being prepared for the summer season is having the right tools available to prevent and fight a fire. Observation towers strategically placed around the plantation to provide 360-degree views at all times paired up with strategically placed wet line sprinklers and hoses can assist in keeping the fire

fighting team on the front foot when watching for early signs of a fire. When a fire does break out, the right equipment on hand is imperative, especially when a forest plantation can cover hectares of land. Transportation trucks are crucial to getting the fire fighting team from their base to the fire, additional trucks that can carry water, pumps, generators and hoses are also important to ensure the fire fighters have everything they need close by to fight the flames. Preparation can make the difference between catastrophe and saving a local community.

Detection

When a fire breaks out detection can make the difference in fighting a fire that takes a few hours to extinguish, to a fire that takes days to extinguish. APP, like many forest plantations, has a situation room that acts as the central nervous system for fire operations. The situation room at APP has some of the most cutting-edge technology available to ensure the most accurate observation and readings are obtainable.

Through the implementation of surveillance cameras, thermal infrared, shortwave infrared, and optical observation technology,

the situation room has a constant flow of data available to monitor the state of the plantation. Hot Spot monitoring is also deployed.

This monitoring system uses geospatial technology to detect if the environment is right for a fire. This is an early warning detection system that will alert fire fighters to certain “hot spots” before they become a fire so appropriate measures can be taken.

Take action

Unfortunately, sometimes natural disasters still happen no matter how prepared you are. In times when fires do break out, it is important for the situation room to command and control the situation and orchestrate a rapid response. They must coordinate fire fighters, helicopter support to drop water on flames, and ensure the community is aware of the risks they face. Fighting fire will always be a stressful job during the summer season on forest plantations. By ensuring preventative actions are in place, being prepared, and having early detection technology available we can tackle the dry season the best way possible.

State-of-the-art tankers join Victoria’s fire fighting fleet The Victorian Government is rolling out a new fleet of state-ofthe-art heavy tanker fire fighting trucks ahead of the summer fire season.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said the new fleet of ‘Unimogs’ was part of the Labor Government’s $32 million upgrade of Victorian fire fighting vehicles.

The Unimog is an all-terrain vehicle housed on a Mercedes Benz Unimog cab chassis and is fittedout with equipment designed for Forest Fire Management Victoria’s fire fighting and planned burning needs.

It will become a core fire-fighting heavy tanker – featuring exceptional off-road capabilities and a range of safety features including: www.timberbiz.com.au

• in-vehicle hose monitors • a cabin deluge system for crew protection • fire curtains • a unique Falling Object Protection System.

The Unimogs have a watercarrying capacity of 4,000 litres and are built to accommodate four fire fighters – double the capacity of the existing heavy tanker.

Final vehicle design and composition followed a comprehensive field testing program of different types of vehicles, terrain and equipment.

Forest fire fighting crews will have 21 Unimogs at their disposal this fire season, marking the first stage of the roll-out of a new heavy tanker fleet. A further 20 vehicles are due to join the fleet in 2018.

The Unimog project has also created 34 jobs within Quik Corp, who oversaw the fire appliance body builds, with nearly half of the jobs going to redundant workers from the car and manufacturing industries.

The Unimog upgrade is in addition to the overhaul of the

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

ultra-light fire fighting fleet over the next three years.

“These vehicles will be critical in fire suppression, planned burns, emergency response, as well road network and recreation site maintenance.” -- Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio 23

FORESTRY MACHINES

Tigercat takes on Far North Queensland

The Wik Timber project based in Weipa and Aurukun on the remote Western Cape York Peninsula of Australia purchases two Tigercat machines for an exciting new operation.

-- Glen Marley, district manager, Australasia and southeast Asia

T

he Wik Timber project recently purchased two Tigercat machines for its logging operations south of the Embley River, on the Western Cape York Peninsula. They were put to work clearing land for Rio Tinto Aluminium, to allow the mining giant access to the abundant supply of Bauxite.

The rock, a primary ore of aluminium, is extracted and exported to the lucrative Asian market from this very remote northern region of Australia. Wik Timber Holdings is an Indigenous business and the timber harvesting, woodchipping and seed collection operations will provide jobs for local Aboriginal people resident in and around Aurukun and Napranum.

Wik Projects strategic initiatives and operations manager is Jacky Castelain.

His senior management team includes his daughter Gina

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24

Castelain, the managing “Probably 98 percent of the windrowing and burning director of Wik Timber and population in the region is on to waste. Two key areas Mark Annandale, research welfare or part of the welfare of Indigenous community manager for Tropical Forests dependency cycle. We want concern are the current and People Research Centre at to create real jobs – people pre-mining management the University of the Sunshine in meaningful jobs and on practices and the outcomes Coast in Queensland. Several their traditional country. of post-mining landscape other highly motivated and It’s heartbreaking and a rehabilitation efforts. dynamic Cu r rently, people are bauxite mining working on operations clear this project The initiative and drive of the Wik Timber and burn an average and based in Holdings team is improving the education of approximately and around 1 500 hectares Weipa. Jacky and long-term employment opportunities (3,700 acres) of is very handsnative forest per for the Wik and Wik Waya people. on with the year, representing operations. approximately 210 W i t h 000 tonnes (230,000 very high levels of social real waste to see the timber tons) of forest biomass. Rio disadvantage and few pushed up and burned. And Tinto’s Amrun project – employment opportunities, we can’t continue to keep extending mining activities Aurukun has been recently wasting this valuable timber south of the Embley River, described as a community resource.” between Weipa and Aurukun in crisis. Gina, overseeing Over the past five decades – is estimated to require a group of Wik and Wik of bauxite mining on Cape additional clearing of around Waya owned businesses York, mine site preparation 28 000 hectares (70,000 aiming to generate jobs, has involved using bulldozers acres) of forest, representing income and independence pulling chains to clear around 4,2 million tonnes for the Wik people estimates, the forest, followed by (4.6 million tons) of forest

biomass.

“Substantial quantities of greenhouse gases are being emitted, says Gina. “Bauxite mining is expected to continue for at least another 50 years and the continued burning of forest products would be a major lost commercial business and employment opportunity for the region’s Indigenous communities and a significant ongoing source of greenhouse gas pollution.”

Gina, along with other Indigenous community leaders, knew they were not making use out of the high value timber – Darwin Stringybark, Cooktown Ironwood and Melville Island Bloodwood – that was being disposed of. Sound harvesting with a diverse range of products, including saw logs, peeler logs and biomass chips, along with value-adding operations seemed to be the logical long-term answer. Demand

Jacky Castelain is impressed with the build quality of the machines.

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

www.timberbiz.com.au

FORESTRY MACHINES

¢

The new 610E skidder pulling a hardwood drag.

for the various products is expected to come from Chinese, Vietnamese and domestic sawmillers and manufacturers of timberbased products. In addition, power transmission poles will be marketed to electricity distributors, Rio Tinto Aluminium will require railway sleepers, and Rio Tinto Aluminium and others will demand chips for mine rehabilitation.

The Wik and Wik Waya people have a rich history associated with logging, milling and home building in this region going back well over 100 years. The Aurukun and Napranum communities both operated sawmills to supply products such as home building materials, local farm fencing and railway sleepers up until the Napranum mill finally stopped production in 2012.

A long tradition of sustainable and responsible forest, land, environmental, historical, and cultural management in this region guides the vitally important goal of developing a commercially viable and sustainable business plan for forest harvesting, as well as fire management and mine rehabilitation operations.

When at full scale, the business will produce up to 125 000 tonnes (138,000 tons) of timber and other forest products annually for international and domestic markets. Annual turnover is expected to be around $6 million. The operations will employ 70 local Aboriginal people.

This particular project has been seventeen years in the making. The harvesting concept started back in 2000, with Rio Tinto offering a Letter of Agreement in 2008, and the Queensland State government minister www.timberbiz.com.au

issuing a Letter of Support government to investigate Wik want to salvage: Darwin that same year to the Wik and the characteristics of the Stringybark and Cooktown Wik Waya community elders woodchip generated from Ironwood. These species and leaders. The Operational land clearing for bauxite are in the highest value Harvest Plan was finally mining. Mark and his team categories and can be used for secured in December 2016. are currently assessing any construction purpose in Many detailed trials and the woodchip’s potential housing. One of the beauties studies were completed and as a biofuel through for the market,” continues a full Access Agreement with gasification, production of Mark “is the range of colours Rio Tinto was close to sign pellets, or other processes, from light gold colours suited off. in addition to the potential to domestic markets through At that point, Jacky set about in mine rehabilitation to the red timbers favoured by securing the most reliable areas to improve soils and the China and Japan markets. and robust forest harvesting rehabilitation outcomes. These Cape York timbers machines provide that he could spectrum.” find for this W i t h very remote harvesting, location. The transport result was the and port purchase of a a c c e s s 610E skidder planning as well as complete, an S855D the logging shovel logger operat ions equipped are now in with the 5195 their initial d i r e c t io n a l stages. Phil felling saw Tu r n b u l l and the feller (O ne t r a k director territory boom system. manager The Wik and Wik Waya people have a rich history associated The machines ¢ for NSW, with logging and milling going back well over 100 years. w e r e QLD, and delivered in NT), Brad August 2017 to Hey Point on Importantly, these options Madden (Onetrak senior field the southern side of the huge will be further considered service technician), Steve Embley River. for their Indigenous business Green (Tigercat Australian Gina reports that “our first and Indigenous employment product support manager) sales agreement is close to outcomes. “Imagine if we and myself arrived at the being finalized with Curly can demonstrate that we remote Hey Point operations Tatnell Dale & Meyers can collect sawlogs for our along with the two machines Operations Pty Ltd. Dale & sawmills, process some for for the three-day delivery and Meyers is expected to take veneer, utilize some logs start-up trials.

Darwin Stringybark and for power poles and then Jacky stated after the Bloodwood sawlogs as made utilize the rest as woodchips delivery and start-up that available by Wik Timber to generate electricity for the Tigercat machines were Holdings Pty Limited, up to a Aurukun through Indigenous “very strong and well built” maximum of 3 500 tonnes for owned business and replace and that he was “very happy the remainder of 2017 and 25 diesel power generators. that he bought Tigercat.”

000 tonnes in 2018.” That’s And all of this from forest Then he asked with a big grin great news for the burgeoning resources that have been on his face, “When are you operations. traditionally cleared and guys going to start building In addition, Wik Projects burnt for over 50 years,” says mining and construction has partnered with the Gina. equipment?”

University of the Sunshine Mark adds that his “inner Gina and her team spoke to Coast Tropical Forests Brisbane Stringybark many existing loggers around and People Research Cottage is a show home for Australia before choosing Centre and the Queensland the high value timber that the Tigercat. The result was a Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

recommendation to Jacky to invest in a brand name that – as an experienced mine clearing operator – he had never heard of. Once Jacky watched the 5195 equipped S855D falling these large, mixed eucalypt trees and then bunching them up for the nimble but powerful 610E skidder, he knew they had made the correct decision.

Now a few months on, Jacky says, “The machines are running well and the Onetrak and Tigercat guys so far have been very good to deal with and helpful with our operations.” Both units are fitted with Tigercat’s RemoteLogTM telematics system, with real time machine data relayed via satellite. The Wik Timber Holdings service and support team can monitor each machine’s working positioning, production and fuel efficiency at any time, as well as be advised immediately of any technical issues to proactively monitor performance. They can use the system to manage scheduled servicing and maintenance quickly and accurately.

The initiative and drive of the Wik Timber Holdings team is improving the education and long-term employment opportunities for the Wik and Wik Waya people. In addition, the team is leading the way with much improved management of the Australian northern mining leases by utilizing a sustainable and valuable forestry resource. The team is accomplishing all this while shouldering the additional and incredibly important cultural responsibilities.

Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg for mining operational land clearing practices in Australia going forward.

25

In the news

Onetrak celebrates re-opening in WA

K

en MacDonald, owner and CEO of Canadian forestry equipment manufacturer Tigercat, and the team of Australian crushing and screening manufacturer Striker joined Onetrak staff and customers in celebrating the re-opening of Onetrak in Western Australia.

“Striker was pleased to attend the Onetrak Bunbury WA open day and to see so many of our loyal customers visit and inspect the full range of products on offer.

We are proud to be associated with a company like Onetrak who are driven to succeed in the construction equipment industry with brands like ours,” said Neil McKenna, Striker Australia Business Development & Dealer Manager.

The event was held at Onetrak on 8 Wallis Road, in Davenport. It was also an occasion to celebrate the launch of new product lines, such as Hidromek construction equipment. The

Onetrak yard was temporarily organising a demo with this Terex Fuchs material handlers turned into an equipment machine in the new year. to complement our already demonstration site where The function was also very significant investment in the customers were given the nice,” said David Cain, PLC Tigercat forestry equipment opportunity to drive and test a Earthmoving. range and Dressta dozer range of equipment including “It was fantastic to be able range. a Hidromek excavator and to celebrate the opening of “We wanted to let the backhoe loader, Tigercat the larger Onetrak Bunbury broader market in WA know skidder and Dressta dozer. facility with customers, that Onetrak is here to stay A Striker jaw and ready to crusher was also I was very impressed with the Tigercat work with on static display our multiple forestry machines and the changes they during the event. customers in “We would the key market have made to the cab as well as the like to thank all seg me nt s hydraulic system. customers who of forestry, showed interest c on s t r u c t ion , in and attended quarries / the function. Our staff based suppliers and staff. Onetrak mineral processing and in the Bunbury and Albany has committed to the South industrial material handling,” regions have taken Onetrak Western region of WA in David said. to a new level and we’re a significant way with this “I was very impressed excited to see what the future larger purpose built facility in with the Tigercat forestry holds with the addition of the Bunbury,” said David Hazell, machines and the changes new brands to our product Onetrak Managing Director. they have made to the cab as portfolio,” said Hendrik “We have several new field well as the hydraulic system.

Visser, Onetrak Regional service trucks with well- I was also very surprised to Manager WA. trained service technicians, see the quality of the new “I was very impressed with a large investment in parts Hidromek machines that the quality of the Backhoe inventory plus new brands Onetrak is the dealer for. It especially the plating and such as Striker crushing was a well-organised and welding, compared to some and screening, Hidromek enjoyable event,” said David of the other makes. I will be construction equipment and Hughan, Plantation Logging.

In 10 years Onetrak has grown from a single construction equipment franchise in Brighton, Tasmania, and extended its reach into the earthmoving, forestry, quarry and mining and material handling industries. Today,Onetrak has a national network of outlets in Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.

In addition to new and used machines sales, parts and service, Onetrak offers rental machines and attachments. The brand portfolio now includes world renowned brands such as Hyundai construction equipment, Hidromek construction equipment, Tigercat forestry equipment, Dressta dozers, Striker crushing and screening equipment and Fuchs material handlers. The attachments range includes Rotobec, Satco, Furukawa and Alicon.

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Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

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In the news

Brisbane hosts AFCA AGM

O

n 15 November the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) headed to Brisbane for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is ostensibly to appoint another board. At the 2016 AGM, Ian Reid stepped down as chairman and didn’t seek re-election hence four new board members were elected for 2017 and a new chair in Adan Taylor. This year the board has remained largely similar with the only new appointees Wayne ShawJohnston and Tony Stonjek.

“We have a new board with Adan Taylor, Phil Dohnt, Karen Hall, Ricky Leeson, Christian Stafford, Wayne Shaw-Johnston, Tony Stonjek,” Stacey Gardiner, General Manager AFCA said.

“Some of them are new; Wayne was appointed in September and renominated now as a formal member of the board.”

Mr Shaw-Johnson is the chief operating officer of Harvestco, but has previously held roles at VicForests and HVP. He played a significant role in the successful delivery of AUSTimber2016 as operations manager.

Mr Stonjek started AKS Forest Solutions in 2007. He was introduced to forestry by his late father; he has since worked for Forestry Tasmania when it was the State Forestry Commission as well as Forest Resources and Rayonier. He developed Evergreen Forest Services and Forest Consultancy Services, and AKS Forest Solutions where he is a director.

Adan Taylor was returned as chairman of AFCA and Phil Dohnt as deputy chair.

Next year the AGM is planned for Tasmania and the association is hosting an industry dinner and a Hall of Fame presentation. This year following the AGM in Brisbane there was an industry dinner with Timber Queensland.

“In conjunction with the AGM we held a dinner with Timber Queensland. It was a really great informal evening where we had an opportunity to sit down and touch base with industry and catch up,” Ms Gardiner said. www.timberbiz.com.au

¢

Adan Taylor.

¢

“We have a busy first half of the year with the delivery of the forest logistics safety training workshops which we started delivering in October.

“Also, drafting the log haulers code of practice in collaboration with industry.”

The National Forestry Log Haulage Registered Code of Practice comes in response to changes to the law which will be in place in 2018 and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulators guidelines released to support Code of Practice developments.

This is the first time that AFCA has led such a significant industrywide project, however, it seemed such an obvious decision given the potential impacts these changes may have on members and the importance of leading change.

In June 2017 AFCA also was successful in partnering with Engistics to receive funding as part of the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative. Over the coming year AFCA, with Engistics, will deliver more than 25 Forestry Logistics Safety Training Workshops.

“We are looking to also focus on safety and supporting contractors with issues,” Ms Gardiner said.

“We’ll also be looking at HR and how we can improve support with HR and health and wellbeing under the banner of safety and supporting contractors.”

There was no formal discussion about the year ahead at the AGM but

Stacey Gardiner.

significantly a launch will be held in March for AUSTimber2020.

“This launch will really kick it off and signal to industry that AUSTimber is coming,” Ms Gardiner said.

“It will be two years to the event and we will launch onsite.”

The site is at Flynn Creek just out of Traralgon and the prospectus for the event has been released. Early bird offers finish soon and the response so far has been positive.

T h e AUSTimber2020 Planning Steering Committee was formed in 2017 which includes key stakeholders.

It hasn’t taken long for the Planning Steering Committee to start the process for AUSTimber2020 which has included setting dates, developing a program outline for the week and site plan for the expo days and launching an exhibitors and demonstrations prospectus.

As part of promoting AUSTimer2020 and to gather fresh ideas, Ms Gardiner attended the Elmia Wood show in Sweden in June. She said that this not only allowed her the chance to see a wood show at such a large scale and observe the way different events are managed, it also demonstrated how it could be possible to grow AUSTimber by diversifying the types of exhibitors and to capture supporting business and services that relate to the industry.

Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

27

In the news

Timber Communities Australia looking to build on 2017 achievements

T

CA is looking to the future and, with a reinvigorated focus, is planning on building on its success.

Following the 2017 Annual General Meeting in November, the new Board met to discuss plans for the future. The new Board is made up of; Owen Trumper (Industry Consultant) (Chair), Brenton Yon (Komatsu Forest), Peter Rutherford (South East Timber Association), Anne Kerr (OneFortyOne Plantations), and Nigel Catchlove (Communications Consultant).

The Board acknowledged the significant contributions to TCA made by departing Board members Stacey Gardiner (Australian Forest Contractors Association) and Peter Gostelow (NSW TAFE). Their efforts in supporting TCA have been substantial and valuable.

Board Chair Owen Trumper said: “2017 saw significant progress on some key areas. Helen Murray as National Coordinator was extremely successful in developing the award winning Young Community Ambassadors program and working on the board of FSC to ensure the interests of community

were well represented in the standards and initiatives set by the board of FSC Australia.

“Helen has recently resigned and TCA wishes her every success in her new endeavors.

“As a result of Helen’s resignation and the election of the new Board, we will be reviewing and updating our business plan. The Board is enthusiastic about building on the successes of 2017 and taking this opportunity to refocus the goals and aspirations of TCA. The review is expected to take place over the next few months and will involve extensive consultation with TCA stakeholders.

“The role of the National Coordinator will be defined by the planned review.

Once the revised business plan is established, TCA will be recruiting a National Coordinator with the skills and experience to deliver the new goals,” said Owen.

Coordinator sought for AUSTimber 2020 The Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) is seeking an event coordinator for AUSTimber2020.

AUSTimber is held every four years and is the largest forest industry event in the southern hemisphere. AUSTimber2020 is to be held in Gippsland, Victoria, as it was in 2016.

AUSTimber Events Pty Ltd is responsible for running the event and is a company owned by AFCA is a national membership based association for forest contracting businesses and is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors selected from membership and a small team. AUSTimber Events shares AFCA’s management structure.

AUSTimber2020 will build on the success of the 2016 event.

AUSTimber2016 attracted over 80 exhibitors with over 7,000 people visiting the event over a week of activities generating more than $60 million in free publicity alone. AUSTimber attracts comprehensive coverage across television, radio, print, online and social media,

reaching regional, state, national and international audiences.

In 2020, AUSTimber will deliver activities over the course of 6 days and will include field trips and site visits as well as over two days of Exhibition & Demonstration field days at the HVP Flynn site, just outside Traralgon in Gippsland, Victoria.

AUSTimber is looking to grow and diversify the number of exhibitors from 80 to over 110.

AUSTimber2020 will run from Monday 30 March–Saturday 4 April 2020. In addition, there will be related events in the lead up to 2020 including a launch in March 2018.

EOIs must be submitted no later than 15 December 2017 and include a covering letter, response to the above criteria and a proposed fee structure. Please forward applications to office@ afca.asn.au For further questions or to discuss this unique and flexible opportunity please contact: Stacey Gardiner, AFCA General Manager, M 0419 328 093, E stacey@afca.asn.au

Old Media + New Media For 74% of Advertisers, It’s a Package Deal Let’s face it advertising media decisions are a constant challenge for SME’s, especially “new media” or digital options.

A USA local advertising survey shows 74% of Advertiser’s believe combined digital and legacy media (TV, Radio and Press) works best. Only 3% of respondents surveyed said they are buying only digital media.*

So next time you are planning a new product or service marketing campaign, why not book the ideal Ryan Media marketing mix - PRINT + DIGITAL - with Australia’s leading forests and timber manufacturing magazines Australian Forests & Timber News and Australasian Timber, and the industry’s digital news digest Daily Timber News.

Marketing solutions in PRINT & ONLINE! Call us today for a PRINT + DIGITAL proposal that targets your market and best suits your budget.

Contact Gavin de Almeida on +61 8 836 9517 or via email at g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au Kent Humphries on +61 8 836 9516 or via email at k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au australasian

MEDIA

magazine

INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

*Source: Borrell’s Annual Survey of local advertisers; April-June 2017

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Australian Forests & Timber News

December 2017

www.timberbiz.com.au

Log on Today! Visit www.timberbiz.com.au/dtn to sign up today.

BOILERMAKER Seeking Expressions of Interest for Native Forest Harvesting Contractors Majestic Timbers Australia Pty Ltd (MTA) is an Australian owned, Tasmanian based, harvester and exporter of Tasmanian Native Forest and Pine timber products.

MTA currently has a contract to harvest and export timber products from Tasmania’s state owned forests.

MTA, as the principal contractor, is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from eligible harvesting contractors to conduct operations for MTA who have 4 x 40,000 tonne per annum allocations available to harvest in Tasmania’s southern forests. MTA will consider viable proposals for operations of alternate volumes.

All harvesting operations will need to comply with State Forest Practice Codes.

The EOI process will be conducted in three stages: • Stage 1 – Register EOI by Sunday, 17 December 2017 • Stage 2 – Return MTA provided proposal document by 24 December 2017 • Stage 3 – Formal review of EOI by MTA including face to face meetings by 07 January 2018 Initial EOIs can be made by emailing MTA at admin@mtaus.com.au Please provide the following detail in your email:

Skookum Technology is one of Australasia’s leading engineering service providers offering engineering and maintenance solutions throughout Australia and New Zealand.

We are seeking a motivated and reliable individual, preferably with a strong mechanical background for the position of fulltime Mechanical Fitter and/or Boilermaker.

This vacancy comes with an attractive wage and will be based around the Colac area, including a variety of industries with key focus in the sawmilling industry.

RESPONSIBILITIES • Service and maintenance of equipment • Plant installation and upgrades • Fault finding and diagnostic skills • Welding and Fabrication • Working from drawings • Site maintenance and Shutdown work REQUIREMENTS The successful applicants will possess the following attributes: • Mig and Tig welding and Fabrication experience, • Fitting Experience, • Excellent attitude towards Health and Safety, • A full Australian driver license, • Ability to work unsupervised as well as being a good team player, • Produce work of high quality with good attention to detail, • Good communication Skills, • Honest, reliable and be capable of presenting a good company image, • Self-motivated and have a can-do attitude, • Physically capable, • Able to work across multiple sites and variety of industries, • Flexibility in relation to working overtime and taking some after-hour calls.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Skookum is a great place to work, with the best people in their field which are rewarded for the job they do.

If you have the skills for this role together with an excellent work ethic, a proven history of reliability and punctuality then please send a cover letter together with your CV now to:

Email: Ph: Web:

darren@skookum.com.au 04 07041 947 www.skookum.com.au

• Name of the preferred company representative • Preferred postal address • Preferred contact phone number

HARDWOOD SAW MILL FOR LEASE $1200ex GST / WEEK

ELECTRICITY INCLUDED GUARANTEED INCOME AVAILABLE NOW SOUTH GRAFTON NSW CONTACT TEL: 02 6642 3597 or EMAIL: admin@krugers.com.au

• • • •

National Sales Development Role Technical & Engineering Products Market Leader in specialised Capital Equipment Great Company to work for

Skookum are the market leader in providing sales, engineering and service to the solid wood processing industry within Australasia. Alongside our partner USNR, we have pushed the limits of technology to help USNR to become the premier global producer of equipment and technologies for the industry. Ongoing employee training and technological upgrades ensure that Skookum / USNR is at the forefront of the market.

We actively seek a talented individual to help continue our tradition of innovation and market leadership.

Skookum is seeking a self-motivated National Sales Engineer to join our Team.

RESPONSIBILITIES As the National Sales Engineer for Skookum, you will contribute to the development of sales and marketing strategies across Australia, selling machinery, capital products, spare parts, upgrades and engineering solutions. No two sales are the same, and there is a high level of consultancy involved in the selling of our products.

You will work closely alongside our partners USNR, based in North America to help further establish our industry dominance.

Responds to and communicates effectively with customers, engineers and project managers to ensure customer requirements are understood and resolved.

REQUIREMENTS • Diploma, degree or trade qualification in the engineering field or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Sales Experience in Capital Equipment Sales, Spare Parts and Upgrades.

• Sales Process, Costings, Proposal generation experience.

• Sawmill industry experience is a definite asset.

• Ability to work effectively with customers.

• Role based in South or Eastern Australia.

• Able to travel to locations within Australasia.

Skookum offers an excellent team-oriented working environment with comprehensive benefit programs.

Please submit resume in confidence to: Jonathan McLachlan Email: jonathan@skookum.com.au Phone: +64 27 648 8488

FIREWOOD MILLS

• Name of the company

• Preferred email address

NATIONAL SALES ENGINEER

WE’RE HIRING!

For Information, please, call 0419-536 804 or email your postal address to info@firewoodmills.com.au

Workshop and field service technicians.

• Multiple positions available • Attractive salary • Relocation assistance • Specialist technical and product training offered

Visit www.onetrak.com.au/careers to find out more

New model Easy50 available now!

Different sizes of mills with optional feeding table and drum cleaner. Tractor, Diesel Power Pack or Electric Power Pack driven models.

The premier forest and timber industry web portal Latest industry news Buyers guide of industry suppliers www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

Industry event calendar Employment postings 29

Classifieds FOR SALE BY EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Acting Under Instructions from the Directors of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers Ltd – total site equipment disposal due to business redevelopment

Sell your used equipment, advertise your tender, offer your real estate or find your next employee. For rates and deadlines call Gavin de Almeida on (08) 8369 9517 or email: g.dealmeida@ryanmediapl.com.au

CLEARANCE

Milling & Processing Machinery Anthon 1.8m wide belt sander

Very heavy duty, high production machine. $15,000+GST

Loser - Dowell cut off machine x 2 No. 220

$3,500+GST Each

Loser - Dowell rod sander

$4,000+GST

Dimpter 204 Optimising line

complete with infeed and out feed, multiple kick off stations, $16,000+GST can be seen operating.

Tilt Hoist pack destripper

TIMBER SAW MILLING PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

with multi Bundle infeed and strip conveyor very good unit. $32,000+GST

Rex Planer

Comprising, Green Mill, Dry Mill, Drying System, Kilns, Furnace, Boiler, Timber Stick & Pick Line

600x200, VG condition $35,000+GST

MK Impianti

K C

KINCAID CONSULTANCY PTY LTD

RF continuous laminated timber press line, (came out of Door component factory), good sound condition $42,000+GST

VALUERS & ASSET MANAGEMENT

Enquiries Steven Kincaid 0409 974 973 • sk@kcsa.com.au

Austral Timber Group

Contact: Ken Baker 0438 643 992 or ken.baker@dynagroup.com.au

2010 Hyundai R290LC-7HC Engine and hydraulic pump area has been burnt.

Track gear, tracks, final drives, cab, rops canopy, rams and boom are all ok.

Selling as a complete unit.

$45,000

Contact: Kevin Muskett 0428 144 984 - Tasmania

WANTED

STRETCHER ROLL for CIRCULAR SAWS to accommodate saws up to approx 60” (5ft)

Contact: Phil - 0400 216 378 or Jeff - 0488 090 079 Gippsland, Victoria

Waratah Forestry Equipment 5 Collins Road, Melton 3337 Melbourne, Victoria.

03 9747 4200

FL85 SERIES 2

Designed for 20-25 tonne carriers or where a mid-class size felling head can add value through not compromising larger carrier base stability and reach, such as tethered applications. Our FL85 series II has substantial cutting capacity together with auto-tension mainsaw which increases daily uptime and a low overall cost to run- and like all of our heads, when you put one to work, our Waratah support team goes to work – to get you going and keep you productive.

Waratah FL95

Price $69,000.00 + GST

For a Limited time,

BRAND NEW Waratah 616C debarking head from $110,000.00 +GST

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Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

25-35 tonne carrier class felling head. The new Waratah FL95 is a heavy duty, fixed saw box directional felling head that is specifically designed for steep slope felling, handling oversized trees and shovel logging.

With its massive 1580mm grapple opening and 45” mainsaw bar the FL95 is your felling head solution for all applications.

Price $85,000.00 + GST

Used Waratah 622B with approx.

6000 hours POA www.timberbiz.com.au

Log on Today! Visit www.timberbiz.com.au/dtn to sign up today.

M

US

E AI HIN D LA ES BL E

AV AC

Forest Equipment Specialist

THE RIGHT MACHINE AND ADAPTABLE TOOLS – MORE AFFORDABLE

DRESSTA TD20M $POA

FROM CUTTING THE FIRST TREE TO FINAL CLEAN-UP, THERE’S A CAT® MACHINE FOR EVERY JOB. Cat® Forest Machines are versatile, purpose-built machines that can be customised to perform a complete range of tasks for forestry operations. Load, slash and delimb with the most efficient and adaptable tools in the market.

William Adams offers a full range of forestry equipment in New and Used conditions, including: Forest Machines, Forwarders, Feller Bunchers, Harvesters and Knuckleboom Loaders.

Komatsu PC300-7

Madill Feller Buncher $187,000 inc. GST

$231,000 inc. GST

Nobody knows adaptable tools like William Adams. We are the leading stockist of Cat®, Satco, Waratah, Talon, South Star, Broons, Allied Winch, Weiler and Noram.

To find out which forestry equipment or adaptable tool will best meet your needs, contact your local William Adams branch on 1300 WADAMS or visit williamadams.com.au

Always Improving – it’s how we’re built Valmet 890.3

Tigercat 630C

$84,700 inc. GST

© 2017 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow”, the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

$104,500 inc. GST

FOR SALE

Caterpillar 320BLL

2628 Timberjack Buncher

$71,500 inc. GST

$49,500 inc. GST

HYUNDAI R210LC-9 HC $POA

Timberjack 560D Skidder $104,500 inc. GST

r ste ve dy r Ha rea

CAT 324DL

LICENSES SPACE AND POWER 45 acres On Warwick-Killarney Road B Double Route Existing Use Sawmill License 28x12m sawmill shed with breakdown saw 750kva of power connected Two large 18x14 storage sheds Queenslander Style 3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom residence with 3 car garage and workshop

$86,900 inc. gst

Price on application

Timberpro TF840B $132,000 inc. GST

1300 727 520

www.onetrak.com.au

Share your industry news.

If you have a news tip call John Hudswell on 08 8369 9512 or email j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au www.timberbiz.com.au

Australian Forests & Timber News December 2017

Share your industry news.

$59,048 inc. GST

If you have a news tip call John Hudswell on 08 8369 9512 or email j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au

Rotobec Log Grapple

Contact Brett Jackman on: Mob 0418771257 Email: bwjackman@hotmail.com

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