New mill back on track for completion this year

WORK ON a new timber mill in New South Wales has recommenced after a temporary halt. The December halt was caused by an administrative issue. However, Tasco’s managing director Bart Crawley said the Bombala Mill was on track for completion in December 2012.
“Tasco has worked closely with the New South Wales Department of Planning, Local Government and Local Council to quickly address the omission and we thank all those involved for their assistance and patience,” Crawley said.
“We are now focused on continuing construction at the site.
“With construction currently ahead of schedule, I am pleased to announce that the expansion of the mill is still on track to be completed by December 2012.
“Work is progressing on many fronts, earthworks have recommenced on the western side, the new carpark is established and the development of the building works for the new Dongwha Timbers administration office has commenced,” he said.
The project, also known as ‘Project Namu’, will create more than 60 direct construction jobs, adding to the mill’s current 87 local employees, according to Tasco.
Tasco announced plans for the commencement of the $69 million mill expansion in February last year.
The current operations and facilities at the mill that will be expanded include –
– Sawing and milling timber to produce round poles, fence palings, planed profiled timber and timber slab products;
– A treatment plant where a chemical preservative, usually copper chrome arsenate (CCA), is applied to timber under pressure; and
– Associated infrastructure including boilers, kilns, a packaging shed, office, weighbridge and fuel and water storage tanks.
Softwood log input will increase from 106,000 to 300,000 tonnes per year, and treated timber output from 31,800m3 to 150,000m3 per year.