FPI05 has been developed as a result of extensive industry consultation and validation. This Training Package has been revised to address the needs of all aspects of the Forest and Forest Products Industry and replaces the FPI99 Forest and Forest Products Industry Training Package.

The Industry

The Forest and Forest Products Industry covers a diverse range of activities from growing and management of plantation and native forest resources, through harvesting, sawmilling and processing, to the manufacture, merchandising and retailing of finished products.

The industry is characterised by a mix of small, medium and large enterprises. Some enterprises show a high degree of vertical integration, being involved in activities across the six industry sectors. The six industry sectors are:

• Forest Growing and Management
• Harvesting and Haulage
• Sawmilling and Processing
• Wood Panel Products
• Timber Manufactured Products
• Timber Merchandising
   
  

Forest Growing and Management has traditionally been dominated by very large organisations, usually either State owned, or associated with large downstream manufacturing operations. A new category of forest growers are the agroforesters, or farm foresters, who often run plantations as micro-businesses attached to a commercial farm.

Activities in the Forest Growing and Management sector generally involve the planting, tending, protection and preparation of trees for harvesting, including the general environmental management of the land and land usage. Forests are maintained not only for the production of timber products, but for conservation, land protection, recreational, social and scientific purposes.

Harvesting and Haulage typically involves small enterprises employing the 4-6 people needed to run a single logging crew. Harvesting operators usually have a contractual relationship with their suppliers (forest owners) and customers (sawmillers and manufacturers of various
types), rather than an open-market relationship.

Forest harvesting is carried out in both native hardwood forests and softwood or hardwood plantations. Jobs in this sector, typically involving outdoor work, can include activities such as construction of roads and log-landings, harvesting trees either mechanically or manually, plant
and equipment operation, shifting tree lengths into various products and grades of product, grading of sawlogs, loading logs for delivery to specified processing plants, and undertaking rehabilitation works to rejuvenate forest coupes (areas from which trees are harvested).

Sawmilling and Processing is comprised of small, medium and large organisations that undertake a range of activities. These include log sawmilling, production of hardwood and softwood chips for use by other sectors of the industry, and value adding through planing and
moulding activities (including finger jointing), preservative treatment, kiln drying, the production of landscape bark and chips, production of flooring and joinery products, component manufacturing and planing, moulding and machining.

Increasingly, enterprises involved in sawmilling and processing are highly mechanised and rely on computer technology to control the production process.

Wood Panel Products is predominantly comprised of large enterprises due to high costs involved in establishing efficient production facilities. Activities in the wood panel products sector include the manufacture of veneers, plywood, particle board and medium density fibre board (MDF).

The manufacture of wood panel products is a highly mechanised, technology driven production process.

Timber Manufactured Products comprises small, medium and large enterprises and is involved in the production of a wide range of products including doors, windows and prefabricated trusses and frames, for the construction industry. Other enterprises produce pallets, casks, boxes, crates etc. for agricultural and industrial use.

Enterprises employ skilled tradespeople (eg carpenters, joiners, builders and maintenance mechanics) as well.

Timber Merchandising outlets range from small ' corner-shop' timber and hardware stores to large national chains. Industry seems to be trending away from small independent stores towards larger businesses, or groups of small businesses coming together under the banner of a franchise. This sector includes:

• Wholesale distributors who import timber and wood or buy from local manufacturers forsale to merchants and other large volume clients. They are often associated with largetimber producers and are usually based in capital cities or major regional centres.
• Merchants who sell to trade users of timber products. They usually handle many different types of timber species and products, bought from a large number of suppliers. They may provide ancillary services, eg. Quantities and sizes to order, drying, moulding etc.
• Retailers who sell timber products and associated hardware in smaller quantities to individual tradespeople and the general public. The emphasis is on display, customer service and packaging.