Australasia's home for timber news and information

Restructuring NZ training is a blow for Competenz

New Zealand industry training organisation (ITO) Competenz has three years to hand over its 20,000 apprentices and trainees and the 3500 New Zealand employers it works alongside to training providers such as the NZ Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), the centralised polytechni
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Indian sandalwood study comes to a close

An Indian sandalwood study plot in Kununurra, Western Australia has been brought to a close with the final trees being harvested. Technical Support Office Mike Cully said that Senior Timber Assessor Steve Davis had been harvesting the plots for the last several years. Source: Timberbi
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Science and innovation grants open to young foresters

Australia’s young agricultural innovators, scientists and researchers wanting to make a difference in agriculture are invited to submit their innovative agricultural research project ideas for a chance to receive a share in up to $242,000 in grants. Source: Timberbiz Minister for Agri
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ForestFit project manager at AFCA

AFCA has appointed Sue Kennedy as ForestFit Project Manager. Ms Kennedy will be working out of New South Wales and will play a vital role in the delivery this important project. The role is supported and funded by the NSW Government. Source: Timberbiz The ForestFit Contractor Training
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Australian Paper on track with $200m spend

Australian Paper is moving ahead with its five-year, $200 million capital investment program at its Maryvale paper mill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. The company committed $51 million in the second year of the program to upgrade key strategic infrastructure, according to AP’s 2018 Sus
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UK Wood Awards 2019 finalists

Twenty structures and 12 products have been nominated for the UK’s Wood Awards 2019 shortlist, among them a jewellery collection, a ‘House in a Garden’ and a radar station renovated into a holiday let. Source: Timberbiz The buildings judging panel is led by three-time Gold Award winne
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Ethiopia sets new world record in tree planting

Ethiopia has set a new world record for the most trees ever planted in a single day, planting more than 350 million seedlings and young plants in an effort to reverse the effects of deforestation and climate change. Source: Timberbiz The campaign comes after reports that the country’s
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Waterproof wood makes a splash

Innovative Finnish technology that makes wood waterproof and usable in bathrooms has won forestry giant Metsa Group as an investor. Metsa’s venture capital arm, Metsa Spring, has invested Euro 4 million in Finnish company Woodio Ltd, a leading developer of waterproof wood composite pr
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Australian researchers help balsa industry in PNG

The balsa export industry in the East New Britain Province (ENB) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is big business. Despite this, it faces major challenges with productivity and sustainability, market access and product development. Australian researchers have taken initial steps to work with
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Forestry, fishing and farming have highest work related injuries

New Zealand’s agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry had the highest rate of work related injury claims in 2018 according to Stats NZ. There were 190 claims per 1000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in 2018 for the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry. Source: Timberb
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