No one can deny the importance of local timber mills for regional jobs and the economy, however, the often-aging infrastructure has, in the past presented challenges with air pollution and quality according to OneFortyOne (OFO). Even before purchasing the Jubilee Highway Sawmill last year, OneFortyOne was in discussions with the South Australian Environment Protection Authority on air quality to meet legislative requirements for the site. Source: Timberbiz
“The purchase of the Jubilee Highway Sawmill was a landmark investment for the business, cementing our commitment to the Green Triangle region and becoming a local domestic processor ourselves,” OneFortyOne’s Executive General Manager, Cameron MacDonald said.
“As a member of this community, with nearly 400 employees, it was important to us to reduce emissions from the site. We committed to a significant capital expenditure for the boiler emissions project of $4.2 million as soon as we took over”.
The boiler emissions project was undertaken by a dedicated team of OneFortyOne’s engineers, boiler operators, maintenance and safety teams, along with local contractors Whitty Engineering and Gabriel Electrical.
It involved the installation of advanced cyclonic technology to ensure compliance with environmental air quality licence conditions.
“The reduced air emissions not only ensures OneFortyOne is compliant with its environmental obligations, but will also significantly improve the air quality for the community in Mount Gambier,” EPA’s Mount Gambier Manager, Naomi Grey said.
OneFortyOne’s Jubilee Site Sawmill General Manager, Paul Hartung said: “This is great news for our workforce and the local community. It was the first investment of its kind at Jubilee and as well as improving emissions, it is just one of many significant investments OneFortyOne has undertaken since it took over the mill in January 2018.”
