WA leads nation in value-adding processes for native timbers

13/12/95

Western Australia was leading the nation in value-adding processes for its native timbers and in establishing hardwood plantations, Premier Richard Court said today.

Mr Court said the State had the most ecologically sustainable managed native hardwood forest found anywhere in Australia and that its forest management far outstripped those of most other countries.

"Value-adding processes such as kiln drying are now absorbing more than 50 per cent of the jarrah sawlog intake, with some of the bigger sawmills kiln drying more than 80 per cent of their jarrah savings," he said.

"WA research also is leading to exciting breakthroughs in seasoning, milling and finishing other native hardwoods such as karri and marri.

"The regrowth forests of the Goldfields are also attracting international interest as a source of high quality, high value timber for musical instruments and fine wood crafts.

"The State has pioneered value adding technology such as solar assisted kilns which has brought value-adding processes within the reach of small sawmillers throughout Australia.

"As well, expertise developed in this State now is attracting $150 million in overseas investments in establishing hardwood plantations over the next 10 years."

The Premier was speaking at the opening of the expanded timber seasoning facilities at Bunnings Forest Products Manjimup Processing Centre.

He said he found it particularly disappointing that in its Deferred Forest Assessments released this month, the Commonwealth did not acknowledge the dramatic advances being made in the State's timber industry in regard to value-adding and downstream processing.

"The Commonwealth appears to have latched on to value-added processes without the merest recognition that the State, which has the ultimate responsibility for sustainable forest management, has been encouraging investment in value-adding for years," Mr Court said.

The new facilities at Bunnings include a $3.3 million pre-drying kiln, a $3 million high temperature kiln and a $300,000 flooring end matcher.

The Premier said the equipment represented 'state-of-the-art' technology that was more efficient and would lead to greater recovery rates from sawlogs.

The pre-drying kiln could reduce moisture content in 25mm think green timber from 80 per cent to 25 per cent in 44 days, compared with about a year using traditional air-drying methods.

The high temperature kiln further reduced the moisture content to about 12 per cent in one day, compared with four days for conventional kilns. This kiln also was built from stainless steel, meaning it could season other hardwoods such as Karri which were highly corrosive.

"Investment in this type of technology takes confidence not only in the natural resource, but especially in the people who make up the company's workforce," Mr Court said.

"I congratulate Bunnings and their staff on this achievement.

"There is no doubt that these latest investments by Bunnings will not only maintain WA at the forefront in terms of the way in which we use our natural timber, but they will also provide opportunities for WA to become a world leader in high value, high quality wood products.

"After all this State is one of the few places in the world where there is a sustainable supply of quality timbers.

"The State Government remains firmly committed to maintaining an economically viable and ecological sustainable forest and timber industry-based on using the native forest resources and maximising the State's competitive position through downstream processing and value-adding."