CSIRO And Scion Recommit To Ensis

19 September 2007

Australia's CSIRO and New Zealand Crown Research Institute Scion have confirmed a commitment to continue their science collaboration, developed through their joint venture Ensis, in the forest and forest industries research domain.
Ensis has been in operation since 2004.
Ensis chief executive Tom Richardson says the ongoing objective of the science collaboration is to provide leading science to transform and enhance the economic, environmental and social benefits from forest and forest industries.
"Based on our experiences over the past three years, we think it is important to continue to focus upon the forest industries, but also enhance our research in the changing role of forests, to ensure that the best people, skills, resources and capabilities are available collaboratively for the benefit of all our stakeholders in both countries," Richardson said
CSIRO and Scion's recommitment to Ensis will see a modification to the operating structure, changing it from a joint venture operation, to a new collaboration agreement. This new agreement will be effective from 1 January, 2008.
"The new model focuses on growing this science collaboration, while reducing some of the complexity of running the unincorporated joint venture," Richardson said.
"Both CSIRO and Scion are fully committed to delivering the best forest and forest industries scientific research to our wide range of stakeholders and the new collaboration agreement allows us to focus on this.
"Substantial progress has been made in the past three years to develop the joint offerings and there are good examples of collaboration success.
"Both CSIRO and Scion have unique capabilities and to be able to put them together means we can present unique offerings to the forest and forest products sector, including our environmental and government stakeholders."

Wood Supply Sustainable For Next 90 Years

A new review has found Tasmania’s state forest is capable of sustaining current wood production levels for the next 90 years.
The review by Forestry Tasmania found the forest will grow faster than it will be harvested for the next nine decades, meaning there’ll be more, not less, forest by the turn of the next century.
The data sets, models and systems used for the review have been independently audited by an expert from the Australian National University.
As well, the ratio of mature eucalypt forest over 110 years of age compared to regrowth and plantations on state forest will remain roughly the same over the next nine decades.
Executive general manager Dr Hans Drielsma says the results vindicate Forestry Tasmania’s forest management strategies, demonstrating that the sustainable harvest will not compromise the state’s forests.
“This review shows that the forest is growing faster than we are harvesting,” Drielsma said.
“In simple terms, it means that state forest will continue to provide around 300,000 cubic metres of saw and veneer logs for the foreseeable future. Over the next 20 years, the amount of pulp wood generated, or arising, from the sawlog harvest will remain constant at around two to three million tonnes a year.
“However, in 2027 the amount of available pulp wood from state forest will fall to less than 1.5 million tonnes a year as the transition to regrowth and plantations is achieved.”
Drielsma said this fall would be offset by an increase in pulp wood available from the private sector, as plantations matured.
The review into Sustainable High Quality Eucalypt Sawlog Supply from Tasmanian State Forests fulfils Forestry Tasmania’s obligation under the Regional Forest Agreement to conduct such a review every five years.
Drielsma said the report should provide comfort to those Tasmanians who have been misled into believing vast areas of forest are being harvested and not re-generated.
“The fact is that every coupe on state forest is regenerated using techniques that mimic nature.
“These areas are re-sown using seeds gathered from trees harvested from the site and are re-grown to provide habitat, store carbon and maintain biodiversity for the next 90 years.”
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