Building a stronger Queensland forest and timber industry |
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North Queensland Highlights - North Queensland Hub Updates - Collaborative Silvopastoral Pilot Project continues to thrive - Graziers highly engaged for second silvopastoral tour |
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South & Central Queensland Highlights - Inaugural meeting held for new working group - Stakeholder engagement: Connecting with our community - Hub projects update - Steering Committee welcomes new member |
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NORTH QUEENSLAND HIGHLIGHTS |
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Hulton King Hub Manager North Queesland Forestry Hub |
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North Queensland Hub Updates |
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The Hub is pleased to announce it is engaging with AEC to provide an economic analysis into the native hardwood industry potential for the region. Building on existing assessments of the Hub’s supply chain, the analysis will work to quantify the economic benefits associated with expanding this industry in line with Queensland’s sustainable harvesting requirements. Other projects nearing completion include the Hub Supply Chain Assessment, Carbon Regulatory Framework Assessment, and the Hub Literature Review. Keep an eye out on the Hub website over the coming weeks for more information as final reports are published for these initiatives. Finally, the Hub welcomed two new members to its Steering Committee this month: Kevin Harding (Forestry Australia) and Mark Raguse (Australian Workers Union). |
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Collaborative Silvopastoral Pilot Project continues to thrive |
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The Hub’s Collaborative Silvopastoral Pilot Project, led by the CRC for Northern Australia, is investigating the practice of grazing livestock with forestry operations, with this project investigating cattle within and existing commercial pine as part of a HQPlantations resource south of Cardwell. As potential benefits of silvopastoral systems are being investigated by this project, the Hub has also launched a collaborative project with the TNQ Drought Hub and Gulf Savanah NRM to explore both current perceptions and best future practice adoption methods for silvopastoral systems as a strategy for drought resilience in the Northern Gulf. Gulf Savannah CEO Zoe Williams said silvopastoral systems offers alternative animal feed sources and can provide income diversification for farming enterprises. “We are very interested in exploring the options silvopastoral systems may present for graziers in the Gulf to diversity their traditional grazing businesses and develop a new income stream, while obtaining a variety of co-benefits,” said Ms Williams. “Using trees to mitigate against the impacts of climate extremes and drought would be a win-win situation, sequestering carbon and providing timber products while supporting the grazing industry, which is the backbone of the region’s economy. The Hub will be working alongside University of Sunshine Coast to develop the required technical analysis to support adoption of Silvopastoral Systems across the Hub region. It is hoped that outputs from this project will also support broader plantation feasibility assessments currently being undertaken by the Hub. |
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Graziers highly engaged for second silvopastoral tour |
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November saw the second Field Day take place for the CRCNA Silvopastoral demonstration site, part of the just south of Cardwell. The Field Day was an opportunity to have cattle producers observe the site and discuss the project results to date with the local Grazier running cattle on the site, Peter Chiesa, and key research partners, including Thomas Williams from Central Queensland University and Nahuel Pachas from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The visit generated enthusiastic discussion around the project's opportunities and challenges, with HQPlantations facilitating access and providing valuable forestry context to the engaged attendees. |
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Top: The tour was well supported by interested graziers |
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SOUTH & CENTRAL QUEENSLAND HIGHLIGHTS |
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Kerry Fullarton Hub Manager South & Central Queensland Forestry Hub |
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Inaugural meeting held for new working group |
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A new working group, the First Nations Australians Traditional Knowledge and Economic Development Working Group, was established following the Strategic Review Workshop held in May earlier this year. Held in Rockhampton in early October, the inaugural meeting was facilitated by Leann Wilson from Regional Economic Solutions who led the group in exploring the First Nations Engagement Framework Process. |
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Above right: The inaugural meeting for the First Nations Australians Traditional Knowledge and Economic Development Working Group |
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Stakeholder engagement: Connecting with our community It's been a busy few months with South & Central Queensland Regional Hub Manager, Kerry Fullarton, attending a number of events, meetings and site visits to connect with industry. In July, Kerry attended the Regional Forestry Hub Managers Meeting hosted in Oberon by the Central West NSW hub. Her visit to the region included the opportunity to tour the Borg Manufacturing facility, forest tours around Isabella and a tour of the Allied Timber Products facility at Raglan. |
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In August, Kerry attended the Moreton Bay Regional Council Industry Stakeholder Event at Woody Point. Right: Kerry with Paul Martins from Moreton Bay Regional Council, and Michael Kennedy from Kennedy’s Timbers. |
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Later that month, Kerry was invited to provide a presentation at the Rotary Club of Gympie meeting and updated members on the current hub projects. Kerry also chaired the August meeting for the Grow Gympie - Economic Development Alliance at Gympie Regional Council. This is an informal forum for government agencies to meet on a regular basis to further the economic development of the Gympie Region. She also chaired the Canopy Steering Committee meeting in the same month. Left: Kerry with Rotary Club of Gympie President, Michael Atfield. |
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Kerry met with the Baywood team, enjoying a tour of their Maryborough facility. Baywood are a trusted supplier and manufacturer of quality timber products for the timber construction market. Their focus is 'in and around' decks for both residential and commercial structures. Right: Kerry with Baywood General Manager, Jimmy Chand; and Director, Nigel Pedersen. Kerry then held a meeting with the National Timber and Hardware Association in Gympie to discuss the Skills and Training working group and opportunities in the Wide Bay region. |
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The Gympie TAFE Expo was held in September bringing the business community, educators and high school students together to explore the skills industry needs in the region. Kerry attended the event, stopping in to say hello to the team from Timber Queensland's Canopy Hub. . Left: Kerry with Canopy Hub Workforce Business Development Manager, Jeff McIlroy; and Canopy Hub Communications Officer, Cassidy Sawford. |
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Hub projects update Two projects were completed earlier this year - view the technical reports on the Hub website: Another three projects are currently underway: Forest & timber industry awareness pilot project Spatial modelling of financially suitable afforestation under different scenarios for timber production and carbon storage with key prospective wood species. Recognising the carbon in native forest regrowth
Two projects are approved and ready to commence: Other projects that are under development with our Hub working groups include: Review of QDAF commercial assessment methods Improved cypress regrowth management scoping study Assessment of current safety practices in forest operations Assessment of First Nations Australians traditional knowledge policy strategy Cost benefit analysis to evaluate digital platform & micro credentials in plantation softwood sector.
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Steering Committee welcomes new member The third South & Central Queensland Regional Hub Steering Committee meeting was held in September and welcomed new member, Mark Diedrichs from AKD Softwoods. The meeting was held at the Bassett Barks facility in Glasshouse Mountains. Bassett Barks, Queensland’s largest manufacturer of premium grade potting media, kindly allowed the Steering Committee the opportunity to tour their facility during their visit to the site. |
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Above left: Thanks to Bassett Barks for hosting the Steering Committee meeting |
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