Australian timber industry news

VicForests is seeking markets for approximately 837,000 tonnes per annum of residual log material, available from Victoria's commercial native forest estate.

Timber Communities Australia has issued an invitation to attend the ‘Native forest biomass for bio-energy forum; social, environmental and economic considerations’ on 7 March.

The Australian Government will be holding public information sessions around the country to inform industry and other interested parties on the Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2011 that was introduced into Parliament on 23 November 2011.

The Future Fund is helping to finance a move by United States timber investment manager The Campbell Group in a A$600 million offer for South Australian forestry assets.

THE ANZ Bank and nine other banks have extended Gunns Limited's $340 million senior debt and $200 million working capital facility until December 31, 2012, according to Nick Clark writing in The Mercury.

On a more positive note, we are pleased to advise that the sale of the softwood joint venture plantations was finalised today. The Deputy Premier Bryan Green and Forestry Tasmania's chairman Adrian Kloeden announced back in early December that Taswood Growers had reached agreement to sell rights to the plantation estate to Sydney based firm New Forests for $156m. The sale process, which included Foreign Investment Review Board approval, was finalised today, and our share of the proceeds will be used to retire debt.

McKay's Timber, the largest family-owned sawmill in Tasmania’s south, has stood down 30 of its workers - about a third its staff.

Forestry Tasmania has come out swinging in the latest round of the fight with anti-forestry activists. FT managing director Bob Gordon landed some heavy blows when he released a report entitled Forest management in Tasmania - the Truth.

An exhibition promoting forest certification by the Forestry Bureau was held in Taipei, teaching the public about the internationally recognized certification mechanisms and how consumers can support a sustainable environment by purchasing certified wood products.

Wood chip exports from Latin America are on track to reach a record high of almost eight million tons in 2011, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.

FWPA has three Scholarships and Prizes that remain open for application until 31 January 2012.

“THE CURRENT debate over who should be doing what, if anything, in 430,000ha of possible High Conservation Value Tasmanian forest actually highlights a much more serious issue with the Tasmanian forests agreements– it’s a sham deal and it should be torn up,” says Coalition Forestry Spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck.

The AUSTimber 2012 Forestworks’ conference ‘Precision Forestry in action’ intends to be hard hitting and controversial, casting new light on the opportunities for precision forestry in action.

Global Forest Coalition and Global Justice Ecology Project have produced a new video entitled A Darker Shade of Green: REDD Alert and the Future of Forests. The 28 minute video, documents opposition around the globe to controversial programs that claim to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) by putting forests into the carbon market.

LITA TRAINING has committed to a number of exciting career development opportunities at AUSTimber 2012.

FOREXPO, THE European forestry and logging show, will take place at the heart of the largest European reforestation project, Mimizan, in the Landes, from 6 - 8 June 2012.

SIMON FRASER University Beedie School of Business professor Jeremy Hall is leading the social science research component in a new project dedicated to significantly reducing forest pests in Canada, and ultimately globally.

THE MOST important international meeting of the forestry sector in 2012 is calling for Australian and Kiwi forest industry people to get involved.

TFS Corporation has entered into a contract to purchase the farming property known as “Midway Station” in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory for $4,450,000.

Just prior to Christmas, David Marlay completed a long and successful career with Hyne - for the last several years as General Manager, Marketing . Does that mean he's going to go fishing for ever? Oh no! With many good memories of his experiences and of the special friends made in the timber industry over the past 35 years, it may come as no surprise that he's not hanging out the ‘retired‘ shingle just yet. Source: TPAA