Is Australian forestry minister Eric Abetz’s call for a review of forest certification schemes Green consciousness or a political ploy? The guns have been out for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in many quarters its continued criticism of the Australian Forestry Standard which is accredited by the FSC’s great rival – the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
Pacific countries are losing half their potential national income through unmonitored log exports. But Australian importers and politicians plan to change all that. For instance, the Australian Customs Service is using databases to track the origins of timber products and the Australian Timber Importers Federation is “taking steps” to guard against illegal imports.
Weeks of speculation about the future of privately owned TDC Sawmills in New Zealand’s Northland ended with Carter Holt Harvey buying the New Zealand company and announcing further expansion. Industry colleagues are hopeful that the enterprising and energetic Tony Davies-Colley will continue to be involved with the wood processing industry in New Zealand.
New Zealand builders are floundering as they try to fathom the latest round of changes to timber grading standards. Adding to the confusion is a shortage of some of the new grades of timber. The situation is prompting some industry associations to question the whole standards making process.
An exclusive Inwood survey reveals that the parked Australian structural pine grading scheme is likely to be back on the agenda in 2007. Timber engineers and a number of the bigger frame and truss manufacturers think the new grades could be on the market in eastern states by June and put the deferment down to “bad timing”.
Is Australian forestry minister Eric Abetz’s call for a review of forest certification schemes Green consciousness or a political ploy? The guns have been out for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in many quarters its continued criticism of the Australian Forestry Standard which is accredited by the FSC’s great rival – the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
Against a backdrop of recent company mergers and takeovers in the harvesting equipment industry, operators want a fairer sharing of R&D costs at a time when there is wide recognition of the need for research on enhancing computer-based technologies that are at the core of modern log harvesting systems.
Efforts to get a generic wood promotion campaign going in New Zealand are behind schedule, but the budget is there to back industry aspirations. It is likely to be July or August before the public is exposed to a programme that aims to persuade them to use more wood.
A new company has been formed to provide a unified brand for the Australian forest and wood products industry through a generic marketing campaign. Approved by Federal Government, Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) will replace the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Council on 1 July.
