The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) congratulated AKD Softwoods on its acquisition of Carter Holt Harvey Timber Pty Ltd (CHHT) sawmilling assets in NSW. Source: Timberbiz
CHHT sawmilling assets include a sawmill and timber treatment facility in Tumut, a 50% interest in the Highland Pine Products joint venture sawmill in Oberon and a timber distribution centre in Berkeley Vale, all located in NSW.
This news follows AKD Softwoods’ announcement earlier in July of a $50 million expansion of its Caboolture sawmill, which will create 100 new jobs and more than double the mill’s capacity. The Federal Government pledged $10 million towards the project.
AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ross Hampton, said that AKD Softwoods’ huge investment was a significant endorsement of Australia’s forest industries’ potential to produce world-class renewable timber products and create new jobs and investment in regional Australia.
“Australia’s renewable forest industries contribute about $24 billion to the economy each year and employ around 120,000 people across the full value chain,” he said.
“With record global demand for quality timber products like those made across AKD softwoods’ growing suite of sawmilling operations, we must ensure that our forest industries are supported, and the policy settings are right to capitalise on this opportunity.”
AKD Softwoods is a privately-owned company with 60 years in timber processing, forest growing and the forest industry. Before this huge new investment, AKD Softwoods was processing more than 1 million m3 of sawlog across six separate sites and employing around 600 people nationally.
This new investment will substantially increase AKD Softwoods’ sawmilling capacity and is consistent with its strategy of operating high-quality, well-located sawmills.
