Friday Offcuts – 22 May 2015
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! We’ll start by touching briefly on the two country’s Budgets delivered over the last two weeks. Response to the Australian 2015 Federal Budget last week was muted. As anticipated, there were positive measures for small and medium sized businesses. Back in March the Prime Minister had already released information on the AU$1.5 million that was being set aside for biomass removal trials for bushfire reduction at an industry gathering. All in all – a steady as she goes Budget – with AFPA calling on the Government next year to show more direct investment in positioning the forest and forest products industry - just as it did with agriculture this year.Unusually the focus for the NZ Government’s Budget delivered yesterday was social spending. In the lead up to the Budget another NZ$5 million had been announced for research into plantation species other than Radiata pine (see story below). Also as part of the 2015 Budget up to NZ$25 million over three years has been set aside to support the establishment of new privately led Regional Research Institutes and an NZ$80 million operating boost over four years has been given to R&D growth grants administered by Callaghan Innovation –aimed at supporting innovative Kiwi businesses carrying out research and development. NZ$4.1 million is also being made available over four years to facilitate the development of a "supply management strategy (it’s expected to include consideration and design of an auctioning function where the Government could issue and sell NZUs) for the ETS. In this week’s issue we’re covering drones, UAV’s or remotely piloted aircraft again. We cover an interesting story this week from one of the many HarvestTECH 2015 presenters – a logging contractor who has been in the business for over 30 years. Bill Winmill, with an interest in model aircraft as well as harvesting wood is now using a UAV (maybe the first contractor in the world) to run out hauler ropes to new settings – the innovation improving on-site safety and productivity of his North Otago harvesting operations. Other stories on UAVs include a drone large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides that has just won rare approval from federal authorities to spray crops in the United States which is a first – and may offer opportunities in an array of land-based industries. Also, just to get your eyes watering, we’ve included a short video clip of an insanely super-fast UAV called the Quadmovr. In the recent MobileTECH 2015 technology series an Australian UAV company outlined some of the operational issues they were having flying over forests and crops in Australia. Their fixed wing craft are routinely being attacked by wedge tailed eagles. The Quadmovr you’d have to say would leave any bird – dead in its tracks. Finally, the good news this week includes the celebrating of the success of those working within the forestry industry at a regional level, on the East Coast of New Zealand. From one of the smaller regions by population in the country (interestingly though, one in four households on the East Coast has someone who is dependent on the industry for work), a staggering 480 people turned up for the sixth annual Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards. The other region in New Zealand showcasing training achievements and celebrating contributions to the local industry is the Southern Wood Council with its awards evening running on Friday 19 June. Enjoy this week’s read. Remember, in just over a month, the largest gathering of forestry managers, harvest planners and contractors wanting to learn more on the very latest innovations on extracting wood off increasingly steeper terrain will be converging on Rotorua, New Zealand. The event, HarvestTECH 2015 - Steep Slope Harvesting is already beating all sorts of records. This year it’s going to be SOLD OUT. Note, today is the LAST DAY for early-bird registrations. At this stage it’s not so much the discounted registrations that should be driving you – but the ability to book a remaining space.
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This week we have for you:
UAVs – a new tool for steep slope harvesting
Bill Winmill is the owner of Gillion Logging Ltd, which is based in Waikouaiti in North Otago. He has been contracted to Blakely Pacific Ltd for 15 years. Gillion Logging is a hauler operation, with mechanised processing, and mechanised felling where possible. Bill has been involved in logging operations for over 30 years now. He’s well know from within the industry as an extremely innovative person and is always willing to try new ideas and systems in order to make things safer and more productive. A recent innovation is Bill’s development of the use of a UAV for running hauler ropes. The reason for this is to remove workers from the slow and difficult task of running steel strawline in order to lay out the hauler ropes at a new setting. Previously this was done by workers carrying and pulling steep strawline, which would then be hooked up to the main hauler ropes. However this often involved workers scrambling underneath, through, and over felled trees on steep and unstable terrain – the potential for an injury was high. In order to prove the concept, Bill started off with a small quadcopter pulling out braided fishing line around the setting. The braided fishing line was then connected to small diameter synthetic rope which was then pulled back around the setting using an electric fishing reel. The synthetic rope was then connected to steel strawline, which was pulled back around the setting with a small winch. At that point the steel strawline was now around the setting as if it had been pulled and carried around manually. Despite the amount of handling that this process involved, it was very effective in that no-one had to struggle across the setting to pull and carry the ropes. It was also able to be done ahead of time by Bill himself so the crew could continue with their normal extraction. This meant that there were immediate productivity benefits also. The process to run the ropes has now evolved with Bill’s purchase of a larger 8 bladed UAV. This can now pull out larger synthetic rope directly, which is then hooked onto the hauler ropes, which has made the system even more versatile. They have removed the need to use steel strawline completely in their operation. This is a great initiative developed by Bill, and to the best of our knowledge is the first time it has been successfully done both in NZ, and the world. The initiative has involved significant investment in time and money by Bill, but the benefits to his operation have been immediate. It is an approach that other contractors should look at closely as it has direct benefits to health and safety and production. Bill will be presenting on this innovation as part of the upcoming HarvestTECH 2015 event that will be focussing on steep slope harvesting technologies scheduled for Rotorua on 24-25 June. Note: Registrations at this stage are unprecedented with already well over 350 registered for the two-day event. Early-bird registrations close today. The event will be SOLD-OUT. To avoid disappointment – if you haven’t already registered you should look at this today. Details and registration information can be found on the event website, www.harvesttech.events. Source: Blakely Pacific Check out this insanely fast droneAt first glance this is hard to believe. Once this drone decides to go, it just guns it like a warp speed rocket ship into the air. It’s so fast it’s tough to believe it’s actually real. But apparently Quadmovr has been showing iterations of its super-fast drone for months now and everything else in the video seems to be moving at a normal speed. This is pretty special – but you’d have to ask yourself – if true – what’s the accident or crash rate like?2015 Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards
More than 480 people turned out for the sixth annual Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards, held at the Farmers Air Showgrounds Event Centre in Gisborne, New Zealand last Friday. “This event is for the guys on the ground,” says Trevor Helson, chief executive of the Eastland Wood Council. “It’s a great motivator and an opportunity for them to get the public recognition they deserve.” “There are some very good people out there in the forest and we want to show them and others that we value them. There is tremendous opportunity for people who work in this industry.” Forestry is vital to the Tairawhiti region, contributing more than NZ$350 million a year, which will increase as volumes rise. Around 1600 people are directly employed in forestry. And, one in four households has someone who is dependent on the industry for work. “We will go from 2.5 to 3.4 million tonnes over the next couple of years. And, the vast majority of money that comes into the region through forestry is spent locally,” says Helson. The big winner of the night was Scott Torrie, from Dewes Contractors, who took home the award for Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year. “The quality of this professional’s knowledge of the industry, his leadership and problem-solving abilities enable him to get the best out of those he works with,” says MP Anne Tolley, who was on hand to present the award. More >> NZ$5m new funding for forestry research partnershipThe New Zealand Government will be investing NZ$5 million over seven years in a research partnership to increase the competitiveness of the forestry sector, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce announced earlier in the week.The new partnership is led by Future Forests Research, an industry-operated entity, in collaboration with Scion, the University of Canterbury, and the NZ Dryland Forests Initiative. The research will focus on developing a broader range of higher value, better performing wood products from tree species such as eucalyptus, Douglas-fir and cypresses that provide an alternative to the radiata pine. The industry’s heavy reliance on pine makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in demands and the threats of pests and diseases. Using alternative species will help to reduce these risks, and create opportunities to increase competitiveness by tapping into the global demand for higher value specialty wood products while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. “These projects will help to build on our existing forestry strength by innovating and moving up the value chain,” says Mr Joyce. The Government funding is provided through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Research Partnerships Programme and will be matched by the industry on a dollar for dollar basis.  Forest Owners support alternative species programme
Forest owners of all sizes have welcomed
government support for research into plantation species other than radiata pine.“Radiata pine is the backbone of the New Zealand forest industry and likely always will be. It grows rapidly on a wide range of sites and is suitable for numerous uses from joinery to structural lumber, as well as newsprint manufacture,” says Forest Owners Association chief executive David Rhodes. “By focussing on a single species, we have achieved economies of scale and have developed world-class expertise in growing and manufacturing. “That said, radiata is not the ideal species for all growing environments, end uses and market needs. There are also biosecurity risks in being heavily reliant on a single species.” He says forest owners therefore appreciate the support of the government for research into alternative species, both through Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Sustainable Farming Fund. Farm Forestry Association president Dean Satchell says the MBIE co-funding announced today will enable the industry to maximise opportunities for alternative species for which there is existing market demand, especially Douglas-fir, eucalypts and cypresses. “Douglas-fir is our second largest plantation species by area, with commercial plantations in colder areas, including the Central North Island and the South Island high country. All three species are also widely planted in small blocks on farms,” Mr Satchell says. “This seven-year programme takes a value chain approach to the breeding, growing and processing of these species, to enable market opportunities and returns to growers and processors to be maximised.” Mr Satchell says the MBIE project will have synergies with projects on alternative species co- funded by the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund. These include: • Providing best-practice information to forest owners on growing cypresses and eucalypts • Selection and breeding of eucalypts cultivars that are not subject to growth-strain (a major processing fault) • Evaluation of the performance of cypress cultivars on a range of sites as a basis for establishing commercial plantations • Assessing the durability of coastal redwood timber • Producing guidelines for growing totara on farms. “The potential of the forest industry to grow and diversify is clearly recognised by both forest growers and government agencies. Together with Scion, the universities and other providers, they co-fund these and other research projects to the tune of many millions of dollars a year,” Mr Satchell says. NZ export log prices hit 3-year lowNew Zealand export log prices, which fell to a three-year low this month, may start to pick up as demand improves in China, the country's largest market. The average wharf gate price for New Zealand A-grade logs fell to NZ$83 a tonne in May, from NZ$94 a tonne in April, marking the lowest price since May 2012, according to AgriHQ's monthly survey of exporters, forest owners and sawmillers.The price for New Zealand A-grade logs delivered to China fell to US$99/JAS from US$111/JAS last month, the lowest level since AgriHQ started collecting the data in 2012. While inventories currently sit at about 4 million cubic metres, double normal levels, Chinese sawmills have stepped up demand, taking an average 65,000 tonnes per day from the ports, leading to optimism that the bottom of the market has been reached and prices will now start rising, AgriHQ said. "High take off from ports is a good indicator that ports will start to clear which will increase demand leading to prices returning to normal levels," said Emma Dent, an analyst at AgriHQ. "This isn't an overnight fix though; it will take some time for prices to get back to normal levels." She said the latest survey showed people in the market expected prices may rise between US$5/JAS and US$10/JAS next month. Demand for New Zealand structural logs remains steady, due to local demand for housing, particularly the shortage of houses in Auckland, Dent said. However, prices for structural lumber dropped to NZ$107 a tonne this month from NZ$108 a tonne last month, weighed down by lower export prices and as a higher New Zealand dollar dented demand in the key Australian market, leading to an oversupply in the New Zealand domestic market. Pruned logs continued to rise this month with the average price sitting at NZ$161 a tonne from NZ$160 a tonne last month. Average prices in the North Island at NZ$164 a tonne continued to outpace the South Island at NZ$148 a tonne due to tight supply in the Central North Island, Dent said. There were more pruned logs available heading into winter, she said. Source: Scoop Australian Paper's Shoalhaven mill closure details releasedAustralian Paper Ltd. has given workers the details of plans to close its Shoalhaven paper mill in New South Wales, Australia, reported ABC News on 20 May. In a meeting on Wednesday, company managers revealed that 55 workers will be made redundant on 31 July, and the 20 workers who remain will turn off the machines on 28 August. Australian Paper, which is owned by Tokyo-based Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd., first announced its intention to close the Shoalhaven mill on 24 February, but did not set a date. Workers will be paid their full entitlements, according to the company, ABC News reported.Source: ABC News Gene manipulation boosts tree growth rate and size
Trees may be a renewable resource, but the rate of this renewal may not meet the increasing demand for plant biomass. But now researchers at the University of Manchester have potentially found a way to boost tree stocks by using gene manipulation to increase the size and growth rate of trees. Led by Professor Simon Turner, researchers successfully modified two genes in poplar trees, called PXY and CLE, which are responsible for the rate of cell division in tree trunks. While poplar trees are already fast growing, causing the genes to overexpress resulted in the trees growing twice as fast as normal, while also ending up taller, wider and with more leaves. "Although, this needs be tested in the field, this discovery paves the way for generating trees that grow more quickly. This will contribute to meeting the needs for increased plant biomass as a renewable source of biofuels, chemicals and materials while minimising further CO2 release into the atmosphere," says Professor Turner. For more information check out the latest issue of R&D Works.  High rise timber can withstand fireWhile the use of timber materials in multi-story buildings has been a perennial source of safety concerns due to their combustible nature and associated fire risks, new construction solutions may have made such fears redundant, paving the way for the increased usage of wood in high-rise structures.Robert Gerard, fire engineer with Arup, noted that engineers have already developed techniques for the usage of wood as a safe and reliable construction material in multi-story buildings. “The solutions already exist to create safe, multi-story timber structures,” he said. Gerard is the co-author of Fire Safety Challenges of Tall Wood Buildings, a report released in December 2013 that was commissioned by the USA’s National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to explore the potential of timber as a safe and sustainable building material in high-rises. According to the report, it is possible to confer both light and heavy timber frames with enhanced fire resistance via the addition of at least one layer of rigid, non-combustible gypsum board, thus providing protection to the underlying wood and delaying the onset of combustion. This technique, referred to as “encapsulation,” is an easy and practical means of achieving fire safety, and entails little more than the attachment of non-combustible gypsum board to the timber frames by means of nails or screws. Fire safety can be further improved by incorporating additives into the gypsum board that increase its resistance to heat and inhibit combustibility. The report also points out that heavy timber frames, which are those most commonly employed for the columns, posts and beams of larger structures, already possess an inherent level of fire resistance, given the charring properties of timber. More >> Source: Sourceable. U.S. gives farmers approval to spray crops from drones
For those interested in UAV’s or drones – the very latest technology, operational use and regulations were covered as part of the just completed MobileTECH 2015 technology series. Payload being carried and approvals for a range of industries were covered. Out of the US comes the news that a drone large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides has won rare approval from federal authorities to spray crops in the United States. The drone, called the RMAX, is a remotely piloted helicopter that weighs 94 kilograms, said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft. Smaller drones weighing a few pounds had already been approved for limited use to take pictures that help farmers identify unhealthy crops. The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, Markofski said. The drone already has been used elsewhere, including by rice farmers in Japan. The drone is best suited for precision spraying on California's rolling vineyards and places that are hard to reach from the ground or with larger, piloted planes, said Ken Giles, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of California, Davis. Giles tested the drone in California to see if it could be used here. "A vehicle like this gives you a way to get in and get out and get that treatment done," Giles said. Source: Product Design & Development XLam Cross Laminated Timber expanding into Australia and Sam Leslie XLam Chief Projects Engineer.jpg)
XLam has announced plans to expand Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) production capacity both in New Zealand and Australia. The first Australian order for a project in Sydney has already been accepted. The installation of a second press at the New Zealand based plant will see CLT production capacity double as early as next month, June 2015. This is a significant announcement for the Australian commercial construction, design and architecture industry particularly in the multi residential market. In Australia, there are currently only two CLT buildings located in Melbourne using panels shipped from Europe. In New Zealand alone, XLam have already completed 80 building projects since 2012. XLam is the only CLT manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere. Weekly shipping services direct from Nelson in New Zealand’s South Island to Australian ports will enable XLam to supply early Australian projects from across the Tasman. Plans are already well underway to establish an Australian plant. Meanwhile, XLam will take a selective approach to the Australian market, focussing on bespoke projects which look well suited to the CLT system on one hand and the Australian Building Code on the other. Their expansion will also see the creation of jobs both in New Zealand and Australia and XLam is already calling for expressions of interest from qualified structural engineers. Spokesperson for XLam, Robin Jack (Photo: XLam CEO Robin Jack (left) and Sam Leslie, XLam Chief Projects Engineer) said this expansion into Australia and increased production in New Zealand is in response to significant interest and recognised success of CLT for construction. XLam’s rapid expansion has been financially supported by the Hyne Board of Directors in an agreement signed in recent weeks. Hyne Timber was established in 1882 and is the largest, privately owned timber company in Australia. The Hyne Board of Directors recognised the void in CLT availability in Australia and consider it in the interests of the broader timber industry to make additional timber options available to builders and designers particularly multi residential projects and commercial construction. Australian government looks into alleged contractor fraudConfirmation the Federal Government is investigating a case of fraud under the Tasmanian forest industry exit program has prompted calls for taxpayer funds to the industry to cease. The Department of Agriculture has revealed it is considering its options in relation to one case of alleged fraud by a contractor who took government money to exit the forest industry.It has also uncovered two cases of non-compliance with the scheme. The payments were made under the $17 million Tasmanian Forestry Contractors Program and $44 million Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants program. Recipients were required not to use their equipment or work in the industry (except as an employee) for 10 years. But a Senate committee has heard after companies were closed and payments made, new businesses rose up under the control of other family members. Confirmation of the fraud investigation followed a Senate inquiry into the payout scheme. Greens leader Kim Booth said the fact the Government was considering legal action in relation to one case confirmed widespread concerns the program had not operated fairly. Source: The Mercury French pavilion for expo milan 2015
Check this impressive new wooden structure out. expo 2015 is around the corner and for France, their distinctive pavilion is ready to be showcased to the public. Composed completely of glulam, the architecture practice XTU- who are known for their sustainable strategies- were commissioned to structurally convey and symbolize the country’s deep-rooted cultural and gastronomical background. Keeping to the theme of ‘feeding the planet, energy for life’ inside and outside, the organic form is abstractly derived from France’s hexagonal shape and contorted by the reminiscent ripples that reflect the wider topography. The project explores the use of digitally advanced techniques by using a robot and architecture software to carve out every angle of the framework. The elements making up the built structure have been innovatively crafted out, the lattice girders and pillars interlock and connect to form the unified edifice. Furthermore, the complex shell is an example of the durability of wood and the method of combining technology to enable complicated free forms to be created. Sheltered by the timber contours, visitors journey through the entrance route where all the senses are immersed in a combination of sights, smells, textures and technologies. The ground floor will contain exhibit boots and a distinctive market area where the structure itself forms spaces for products to be displayed along with traditional dishes, tastings, new agri-food technologies meanwhile the upper levels will host offices and a restaurant. More >> Source: designboom Treemetrics to double Cork workforceA major €1m ESA contract with Treemetrics in Cork will see the Irish company’s workforce double to 40, as the smart-web forestry business seeks out software engineers to aid its expansion. The ESA contract, which is actually just one of a number of new deals for the company, targets a way to manage forests in real time through Treemetrics’ web-based forestry measurement platform. Treemetrics recently gained a significant contract – worth around €500,000 according to sources – in Romania, while other projects lie in the UK, Finland, New Zealand and Australia. More >>.Trees sold as part of a messy break-up
Out of left field comes this story that appeared recently in one of the local papers. Break-up revenge can be acrimonious, but seldom is it so well-thought out and executed. According to a thread on Reddit about break-ups the couple who owned the house got divorced and the wife got the house in the settlement. A neighbour explains: "Only the house and the immediate house lot, not the surrounding land that went to the husband. The first thing he did was sell all the timber off the rest of the land. The trees were harvested. She went from living in a nice forest to living in a clear cut. Once the trees were gone he sold off the topsoil, then the gravel under that. By the time he was done her house was on a hill overlooking a barren landscape reminiscent of the lunar surface. This was years ago and the place is still hideous. Here's a Google Street View of the house." Now that’s pretty extreme!!! Source: NZ Herald Jobs
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