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News Update: Spring 2009
Chairman's Report
AGM THIS 12 NOVEMBER 2009
Our AGM is coming up, providing the opportunity to take stock of
what has happened over the year. As usual it is a mix of the cooperatives
timber value-adding business and our attempts to contribute to the
sector through R&D and lobbying.
This year has seen the slashing of funding to the 19 Private Forestry
Development Committees across the country. It was the Central Victorian
PFDC that helped SMARTimbers come into being in 2002 against real
odds and supported us through our first three tottery years. Other
PFDCs have played an equally important role in their regions. Co-incidentally
the Victorian Government slashed funding to private forestry extension,
cutting extension staff from 18 to only four, and left most farm
foresters with no expertise to call on just at the time when
we need to have support for expanding farm forestry to sequester
carbon, substitute industrial timber in lieu of native forest logs
and provide biomass for energy.
At the same time the Federal Government ceased funding of Land and
Water Australia and the Joint Venture Agroforestry Program was not
renewed. This leaves R&D for the sector in an even worse state
than previously. SMARTimbers in its small way has produced some
useful and informative reports for the sector, and will continue
to do so.
We have seen Farm Forestry North East (FFORNE) Cooperative about
to close its doors. This was a group we had good and close ties
with, and often shared activity in the political arena such as contributing
to the new Timber Industry Strategy and to the set up of Farm Forest
Growers Victoria (FFGV).
We, however, continue in business, with good sales, an improving
balance sheet, and a happy way of telling the policy makers what
we think which is rarely flattering to them or their parentage.
The AGM is on Thursday 12 November at 15 Dawson St Sth, Ballarat
(in the first block to the south of Sturt St, and the home of our
registered office). Our normal meeting will start at 10.00 am, the
AGM at 10.30am, and a light lunch will be served at the meeting
at about 12.00.
We have asked Liz Hamilton to talk to us from about 1-2 pm about
her recent Gottstein Fellowship study of bioenergy and forestry
in British Columbia, Oregon and Montana. Liz is based with the DPI
at Colac and Gellibrand and was a farm forestry officer for many
years until she metamorphosed into a senior bioenergy officer one
night. Last heard of, after attending two large outdoor music events
in Los Angeles, she was hitting the Las Vegas casinos before heading
for Mexico and Cuba. We expect unusual insights into how things
are being done in North America.
The directors as usual are feeling that the B0oard needs fresh blood
and invite fresh faces with fresh ideas and energy to join. Not
pressuring anyone of course, but it is necessary for cooperatives
to grow and renew themselves.
ACTIVITIES
SMARTimbers has contributed to the development of the new Victorian
Timber Industry Strategy and will continue to play a role. We also
have two members on the committee of the new farm forestry umbrella
body Farm Forest Growers Victoria, set up to give farm foresters
in this state a unified and greater voice.
By the time of the AGM, we will have met with and taken for a long
road trip three senior members of two environmental groups. We feel
that it is important that these groups understand the potential
for farm forestry to supply industrial round wood, biomass for energy
with both yielding environmental and social benefits.
Since the last newsletter, directors will have spoken at a number
of conferences and met with state and federal policy makers. These
are times of real change and opportunities may arise that need seizing.
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
Our report on improving the economics of value adding small parcels
of sawlog was one of the last pieces of research funded by JVAP.
This will be put in a slightly different form and sent out as an
electronic publication.
We contributed in various ways to research commissioned by CVFP
and undertaken by DSE on fauna in multi-aged plantations and woodlots.
This indicates that even very young single-species farm woodlots
from about five years old can provide important habitat for birds
and bats .
SMARTimbers commissioned and oversaw an important report on how
a farm forestry organisation like us can play a prime role in managing,
measuring, aggregating and trading carbon credits. This report is
posted on our website.
The cooperative contributed to a CVFP project to determine the
timing and volume of wood flows along the public road system from
forestry in the region. This is vital information for forward planning
by shires and VicRoads.
We continue to accumulate information on improving economics of
thinning and processing thinnings. In May this year a director visited
Elmia Wood in Sweden and an associated seminar and field visits.
Information from this visit (which was mostly self-funded, with
some sponsorship support from Australian Forest Growers) will add
to our knowledge in this area.
SMARTimbers members have contributed to an innovative and far reaching
project by the Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum to audit the
range of biomass in the region and propose options for converting
this to energy .
PRODUCTS AND SALES
Sales have tended to average about $10-15,000 a month and have
been little affected by rumours of a global downturn. The great
majority of our products are being used as decking, and we are getting
a steady stream of repeat orders. We are experiencing our usual
lumpy log supply, but the exit from the market place of several
competitors has meant we may have an improved supply for several
years.
Posts and poles including vineyard poles is a potential
growth area, which we are developing.
We are continuing to develop a model for firewood sales into Melbourne
in partnership with an entrepreneurial city-based farm forester.
After an exploratory stage, we hope that it will become a welcome
income earner for the cooperative.
Similarly, we hope that the harvest waste from firewood and other
harvest can become an income earner as biomass for energy, and we
are continuing to work in this area.
CHANGING OF THE FINANCIAL GUARD
Our bookkeeper for some years, Pam Oddie, has opted for maternity.
She leaves us with an improved system, a better understanding of
our deficiencies and inefficiencies and generally in better financial
shape. She put considerable work into making the changeover to a
new bookkeeper as smooth as possible. We owe her our thanks, and
look forward to our new bookkeeper continuing the process of civilising
our systems.
Andrew Lang
Chairman
1. www.cvfp.org.au
2. www.chaf.org.au
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