Manufacturing

The state government decision to close the native forest timber industry culminates eight years of mismanagement that turned VicForests from a profitable business into a loss maker, an analysis by a Traralgon consultant has found ... Mr Cameron said Australian hardwood sawn timber mill gate revenue sold for 3.5 times the price of Australian softwood sawn timber, and contributed to much greater value-adding and job creation than softwood.

AirPhysio is an Australian Made and Owned Medical Device manufacturer based in the Northern Rivers of NSW ... AirPhysio has expanded from 5 countries in January 2021 to 106 countries in the past 2 years, they decided to enter the Middle East through Arab Health in January 2022, bringing home l75 leads from over 25 countries..

Local Allora business Denny's Silos was on show at Farmfest last week. Denny's Salesman Caillum Coleman from Allora said it had been a busy two days with some good enquiries .. Farmfest enables customers to inspect the products with an opportunity to seek more information.

The rail transport initiative will see Forestry Corporation of NSW deliver around 270,000 tonnes of sawlog timber to Tumut and Tumbarumba processors over the next three years. This timber was initially set for export, however the impact of the Black Summer bushfires and local timber shortage have meant Australian timber mills have been given priority.

Ross McGuinness. Only three elements of Denmark’s railway exist today nearly 60 years since the closure of the line. Two are still clearly visible while the third, the historic 1897 turntable, is now mainly covered. The turntable and adjacent engine pit, sometimes referred to as the ash pit, are located on the bridge end of the station site.

Labor has failed to dispel misconceptions around the use and overseas imports of kangaroo products, allowing the United States to stick the boot into the kangaroo industry. It comes after shoe brand Nike announced it would stop making any product with kangaroo leather by the end of 2023 ... Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the Federal Government had been missing in action and had failed to fight for the industry.

Ports Minister Rita Saffioti has officially opened a new boat building facility in the Geraldton Fishing Boat Harbour. The facility will be the new home of local boat building firm Dongara Marine and will form part of a new precinct within the harbour.

The future of fashion is transparent. One of the global leaders in traceability technologies, FibreTrace®, are set to release a free digital traceability solution to the textile industry, which maps the global textile supply chain from fibre to retail.

Kaiser Reef’s 100th gold bar was poured at The Porcupine Flat Processing Plant in Maldon last week. The Times was lucky enough to be there to record the exciting moment ... Processing Manager Dylan Morgan, dressed in his protective fireproof coat and PPE, poured out the molten lava-like mix which was the liquid gold. 

Serena Kirby. The Birkbeck family’s Raintree Farm distillery and restaurant arm is completely ‘off grid’ after more than a decade of research and infrastructure construction. By being energy self-sufficient Steve said The Dam expected to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by between 105-150t a year. The move to energy self-sufficiency has been a long-term goal that has cost more than $1 million.

The NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative, which is a 50% stakeholder in the Sunshine Sugar business, held its 44th Annual General Meeting for members last Friday. Good news for cane growers is that the Sunshine Sugar business continues to operate profitably, with the Refinery delivering valuable returns.

Largest Australian ceramic tile producer saves almost half a million dollars annually in energy costs using OFS sensors on production lines ... “Forecasting penalties and trying to manually count energy usage is incredibly expensive. OFS has automated that entire process and positioned us to mitigate the surges in energy prices and optimise how we buy our gas”: NCIA Factory Manager Craig Oliver.

The Northern Territory Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwanese company, Aleees and Perth-based Avenira Ltd, to develop and operate the Territory’s first battery cathode manufacturing plant in Darwin. A significant economic and strategic opportunity for the Northern Territory, the plant will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cathode material.

The turmoil in the native forest industry is deepening, with Australian Paper turning to recycle more paper as its hardwood timber supply dwindles, while a sawmill in the state’s far east is due to close because it has no timber. Recent developments have underlined the crisis facing the Gippsland industry.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the site at Torbanlea will be home to a brand new train manufacturing workshop where 65 new trains will be built as part of her government’s $7.1 billion Queensland Train Manufacturing Program.

The Murdoch University research team - working with local industry including Synergy, Bluewaters Power Station and South32 - investigated the feasibility of using fly ash and other industrial by-products and waste materials as an ingredient in a low carbon concrete product called 'Colliecrete'.

Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) are expanding their plantation timber manufacturing operations thanks to a $1.2 million Victorian Forestry Plan innovation grant ... The new funding will help build a new $2.4 million specialised MASSLAM (Glue Laminated Timber) manufacturing facility to support the mill’s transition to alternative fibre sources ...

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) has announced it has reached an agreement with Yara Australia to acquire the Yara Nipro liquid fertiliser business in Australia. The acquisition is subject to ACCC clearance. Jeanne Jonns, Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) MD & CEO, said the Yara Nipro business is complementary to IPF’s broader business, and the acquisition of Yara Nipro operations in Moree and Whitton in New South Wales and Boundary Bend in Victoria will provide excellent liquid fertiliser options and enhanced security of supply for farmers across the east coast of Australia.