The growth in environmentally certified private plantation forestry continues to gather pace with logs collecting at Macquarie Wharf as part of a new export operation. Source: The Mercury
Neville Smith Forest Products subsidiary SmartFibre and SFM Forest Products are preparing to export privately sourced hardwood and radiata pine whole logs from Hobart.
SmartFibre general manager Danny Peet said the operation offered a solution to private landowners whose forests had stagnated over many years because of a lack of an export option.
Mr Peet said the operation had certification from the Australian Forestry Standard and Forest Stewardship Council.
“SmartFibre, along with SFM, has worked very hard to ensure we have upheld the values and criteria set by AFS and FSC to ensure we keep the highly sought after, sustainable and highly certified image for products from Tasmania to international customers,” Mr Peet said.
“The industry has come a long way in recent years and the announcement of certified whole logs being exported from Tasmania reflects this.”
Exports are expected to begin next month.
Private forest harvesting increased almost 50% in 2015-16.
The SmartFibre-SFM operation in Hobart is separate to a native forest log export operation which is also set to take place at Macquarie Wharf as part of the State Government’s southern residues solution.
A spokeswoman for TasPorts said the activities of Southern Export Terminals (SET), which will handle southern residues, have “been seamlessly transitioned into the working port operations in Hobart”.
“SET is working with its customers in facilitating the storage and export of logs through the port in an efficient, safe and productive manner,” she said.
“SET began receiving cargoes during January and are very pleased with the smooth operation of transport business rules and that there has been no noticeable impact on Hobart traffic. The date of the first export shipment is yet to be confirmed.”
The SET deal will run for five years, to allow for longer-term development at Macquarie Point.
In addition to the TasPorts-Qube operation Majestic Timbers Australia will take up to 180,000 tonnes of logs annually for export in containers from Macquarie Wharf to markets in South-East Asia.
