WoodChat WoodChat

WARNING – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that the following materials may contain the names and voices of deceased persons.

The latest episode of FWPA’s WoodChat podcast is focused on recently completed research which has showcased great potential for the development of sustainable native forestry activities in the Northern Territory led by Traditional Owner communities.

Listeners will hear from Northern Territory Government Project Manager Dallas Anson and University of the Sunshine Coast Associate Professor (Adjunct) Mark Annandale about their involvement with the initiative, which aimed to boost the forestry capacity of Traditional Owner (Yolngu) communities in the East Arnhem region.

“The overarching principles behind this project include Traditional Owners making informed decisions about what they do on their land before anything takes place and supporting the sustainable livelihoods of the Indigenous people within the project,” Mark said.

“The Traditional Owners were interested in pursuing sustainable forestry opportunities, but there was no foundational knowledge about their needs and desires from forestry, the forest resource itself, or the kinds of timber products that could be manufactured from it,” Dallas said.

“This project addressed those foundational questions about what a combination of Traditional Owner and western forest management practices might look like in the region.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Indigenous project participants Mabo Mununggurritj and Balupalu Yunapingu share their experiences.

The project saw training offered to Traditional Owners in operational skills and forest management principles, and the establishment of a Sustainable Native Forestry Demonstration Site where products were manufactured from locally harvested timber.

Other activities included raising stakeholder awareness of the value of sustainable Indigenous-led commercial forestry, and the consideration of potential business development opportunities.

FWPA facilitated this important work by providing funding to match the investment made by project partners including the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Gumatj Corporation, Northern Territory and Queensland governments, and other regional organisations.

Read more about this project: https://fwpa.com.au/report/indigenous-commercial-forestry-opportunities-east-arnhem-northern-australia/

In 2023, the FWPA-supported Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life entered an exciting new stage in its evolution with the appointment of its new Director, Professor Tripti Singh.

With more than 20 years of experience in managing collaborative, multi-million-dollar research programs, Professor Singh is a leading figure in wood protection research.

In this episode of WoodChat, we catch up with Tripti to find out about her plans and vision for the future of the Centre.

We also speak to the researchers heading up two key Centre-led projects - one that's investigating the termite resistance of fast-grown plantation heartwood timber species, and another that's focused on improving the environmental profile of treated timber by identifying appropriate alternative uses for it at end-of-life.

This episode we take a focus on biosecurity. You’ll hear about three exciting research initiatives aimed at improving Australia’s protection measures to help mitigate the risks posed to our forests by exotic pests and diseases.

Lucy Tran-Nguyen, GM of Partnerships and Innovation at Plant Health Australia, tells us about The National Forest Pest Surveillance Program - also known as Forest Watch Australia - which commenced on the 1st of July 2022, and recently completed its first full year of activity.

Lucy also told us about The MyPestGuide Trees app, which equips all forestry stakeholders with the tools to do their bit and help minimise the damage caused to Australian forests and trees by the presence of exotic pests and diseases.

In addition, you'll hear from Dr Madaline Healey, Research Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Forest Research Institute, about work to improve risk management for invasive forest pests and diseases right across the South East Asia region.

Today we bring you the second part of our focus on the latest initiatives from the FWPA-supported ForestLearning program.

Tune in for everything from ForestLearning resources that utilise the latest technologies, to award wins, outstanding feedback from kids and teachers, and much, much more!

In today's episode, we focus on the latest achievements of the FWPA-supported ForestLearning initiative.

And with so much exciting news to report - from new and highly innovative resources, to award wins, glowing testimonials from kids and teachers, the embracing of new technologies such as drones, and much, much more - we’ll be presenting this episode in two parts … a first in the history of WoodChat!

So make sure to keep an eye out for Episode 2 next week.

During the latest episode of FWPA’s WoodChat podcast series, listeners will hear from two thriving Australian forest and wood products companies adopting smart manufacturing principles.

Applying these principles during the wood processing stage brings a range of benefits, including increased profitability, improved worker safety, and better environmental outcomes.

Hosts Sam and Georgia spoke to Trevor Innes, Technical and Sustainability General Manager at Timberlink, and Daniel Wright, Director and National Business Development Manager at Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH), about some fascinating recent innovations in timber manufacture.