 
Hardwood sawmilling shares a resource with a greedy old frontier industry called woodchip which lies economically stranded by a failure of our society over three decades to commit to paper mill production. We all still embrace paper product with no realistic consumer restraint but we prefer that the visible environmental downsides of mills, if they be unconquerable, remain the legacy of societies in Sweden, Finland, USA and China.
In the meantime we sell raw woodchip at low global prices. Viable only if handling and freight costs are low
- and they no longer are. Viable if tree farm to port distances are low. But really only viable where purchase cost is artificially low because state governments, particularly Victoria and Tasmania, sell woodchip from native forests at about
50% the plantation price. That's where we are coming from.
Where are we going? Without a commitment to mills in the regions of Australia where woodchip plantations agglomerate, the woodchip industry, left to the role of primary producer, is doomed by global pricing. Like a wine industry that grows grapes alone, it’s a banana republic scenario. So what do the
federales do? Give tax breaks for forestry-related projects feeding primarily into pulpwood plantations. The chances of a financial return after 12 years? None. On Kangaroo Island? Are you kidding?
If we can't establish a
closed-loop plantation/pulpwood/paper mill and freight centre in a region where the community welcomes, participates, supports and benefits from the enterprise, we need to shut down the whole show because
it's a travesty of an economic model. A good start is to deny native forest resource to this industry.
I'm not proposing a national paper industry nor denying it a chance. I just wish the circus would leave town.
55mm Messmate edge-laminated to heavy section treads can complete the look in
open-tread staircase projects.
Timberzoo is currently stocking lengths up to
4.0 metres. We avoid unnecessary manual handling here, so if lengths exceeding 4.0m
are required, allow plenty of lead time for a special run.
Rate $110.00/m for 325 x 55mm, sanded and
black-filled.
 
| Weathered old bridge beams with a fairly low residual structural index are separated from the pack at Timberzoo and stacked in the front yard with the old rail sleepers for landscape use.
All sorts of sizes and lengths can be found bracketed with rusted metal fixings.
Come and stroll the timber cemetery at Timberzoo for
$5 per metre to $20 per metre beams for landscape, retaining or beach driftwood projects. |
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