Australia’s forest industries have expressed their disappointment that AUSTimber 2020/21 has been cancelled. CEO of AFPA Ross Hampton and CEO of VFPA Deb Kerr said they understood how difficult the decision was for the organisers who had tried so hard to work around the COVID induced difficulties. Source: Timberbiz
The event was spearheaded by the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) and scheduled for November in Gormandale, Victoria.
The four-yearly event, held over several days, usually attracts thousands of visitors to the region and is a fantastic way of showcasing the timber industry and its many innovations.
Organisers announced on Wednesday that the compounding costs of deferring the show on two prior occasions combined with the continued uncertain outlook resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic had meant it was not financially feasible or possible to reschedule the show again.
The organisers also announced that the AUSTimber Events Pty Ltd board had decided to appoint Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants to undertake a creditors voluntary winding up.
Worrells will issue a formal communication to creditors in the near future.
“This is one of the biggest events for Australia’s forest industries. A lot of hard work has gone into the event to showcase what we do, so we feel for our colleagues at AFCA,” Mr Hampton said.
Ms Kerr said the timber industry, like many others, had taken a few big hits with the devastating 2019/20 bushfires and then, of course, the pandemic.
“This flagship event is not suited to a virtual format. The cancellation is sad but ultimately understandable,” she said.
“We thank the organisers for the hard work they’ve put in and hope that the gap in showcasing our industries can be filled in due course.”
