The New Zealand Government is investing NZ$2.5 million over a maximum of five years to support research that will increase the productivity of the forestry industry. Source: Timberbiz, Lesprom, Radio New Zealand

National skills development organisation ForestWorks is looking to working with the newly elected Abbott Government on training and skills development. Source: ABC News

VicForests is inviting the timber industry to have input into its forest management practices as part of a preliminary assessment of its operations against the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Source: Timberbiz

Tasmania's opposition leader will send Forestry Tasmania in to log World Heritage listed areas if elected at next year's state poll. Source: ABC News, Yahoo7, The Australian

Sincere condolences to Timber and Forestry e-News editor Jim Bowden who lost his granddaughter and great granddaughter in a tragic car accident.

Wood costs account for between 50-55% of the production costs for pulp mills in the US. Source: Wood Resources International LLC

A species of old trees in the Appalachian Mountains is growing faster than expected in the wake of clean-air controls implemented decades ago, a new study shows. Source: Huffington Post

Researchers at Sweden’s Luleå University of Technology have developed a new technology that scales up the production of nanocellulose from forest residues. Source: The Engineer