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C The Timber Preservers Association of Australia IT'S TIMBER - TREAT IT WELL !!

03 JULY ISSUE 2017

Correspondence: 3, Wright Street BRIGHTON VIC 3186 Telephone: (03) 9596 8166 Email: doug@tpaa.com.au Email: secretary@tpaa.com.au Web: www.tpaa.com.au Plant Register Web: www.tpaa.com.au/treatment-plants

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President: Gerry Gardiner (07) 3204 0444

Technical: Harry Greaves (0419) 585 193

Secretary: Jack Norton (0418) 989 398

Editor: Doug Howick (03) 9596 8166

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______________________________

… … from TPAA President … …

President Gerry has continued to

preside over the TPAA during

the period since the Council

meeting in Melbourne.

For this Issue of CONTACT

he has allowed himself to be

the next person who we

feature in our on-going

series about the “Movers &

Shakers” in our sector of the

Australian forest products industry (See page 8).

After all, if the President of TPAA is not a Mover

& Shaker, who is?

* * * * * * * * *

… and from TPAA Secretary …

Jack’s rant … … I was

going to have a rant about the use

of charge sheets – sorry I mean

lack of use of charge sheets by

many treaters in our industry but

instead I want to share an

experience I had over the last

couple of days. I visited a

family-owned sawmill just north

of Brisbane and was blown away

by the professionalism the owners

applied to their operation.

I saw safety manuals not just occupying

space on a shelf but being implemented in every aspect

of the operation. I saw regularly updated operating

instructions being applied during routine activities.

I saw check-lists and tallies being kept and monitored to

make sure all was on track. It was very much a case of .

. . . . “If you don’t measure you don’t know!”

I reckon there were about 20-25 staff in the place and all

of the troops I talked to were proud of what they were

doing and talked positively about the way the place was

being run.

Somewhere in the dim past I completed a

course/qualification in business administration and what

struck me about this place when I visited it, was that the

stuff I had read about in books can be implemented in

an SME (Small to Medium Enterprise – just to prove

that I read the books) ─ and it was! “Well done” to the

crew I visited – keep up the good work.

Now for something different . . . . . I am very close to

getting a final draft of a revised TPAA Constitution

finalised. I am waiting for a response from the legal

crowd to a number of changes we have come up

with. Working on a Constitution is guaranteed to put a

grown adult to sleep but the work had to be done. A

Constitution sets the ground rules for our activities and

it is important to get it as good as we can.

Finally a request to all registered treatment brand

owners. If you haven't already received brand renewal

notices, they should arrive in the very near future.

Please take this opportunity to review and if necessary

send me update details for your listing under the

'Treatment Plant' tab on the TPAA web site. I get

regular requests from all over the world for information

on specific treatment plants and the information on the

web site is (a) really useful and (b) being used.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you

have any questions. I am open to hear from you as to

how we might lift our game.

Jack Norton Mob: +61 (0)4 1898 9398

Fax: +61 (0)7 3311 5612

* * * * * * Skype: jak.norton1

C NTACT

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… and from TPAA Technical

Committee Chairman …

Since attending the IRG-WP 48

Conference in Ghent, Belgium

last month, Harry Greaves is

still travelling. Rather than

ask him to write a summary of

that gathering for us, your

Editor has encouraged him to

RELAX and instead of Harry’s

customary summary, our readers

can share that of Bruce Breedt who

is CEO of SAWPA, the South African Wood

Preservers Association ─ and importantly, Chairman of

IRG-WP 49 which will be hosted by South Africa in

Johannesburg next year (see below). Thanks Bruce!

Newsletter 211 26 June 2017

IRG48 GHENT, BELGIUM Bruce attended the annual International Research Group

on Wood Protection conference in Ghent, Belgium held

from 4 to 9 June 2017. IRG48 was attended by 256

delegates from 33 countries, and 108 papers and 20

posters were presented. The sections related to wood

protection on which papers were presented, pertained

to Biology, Test Methodology & Assessment, Wood

Protection Chemicals, Processes & Properties, and

Sustainability & Environment. Under Section 2 which

deals with Test methodology and Assessment, Bruce

acted as a co-convener for the working party session 2.3

dealing with Chemical and Physical analysis.

As a point of interest, during the final plenary meeting

Bruce was nominated and appointed as a member of the

IRG-WP Executive Council for a period of three years.

IRG49 JOHANNESBURG 2018

With the successful conclusion of IRG48 in Ghent,

IRG49, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg

from 29 April to 3 May 2018 has now become a

reality. As the Local Organising Committee responsible

for hosting the conference, SAWPA has already started

preparations and planning to ensure that IRG49 is as

much a success as previous IRG conferences.

They are proud to

introduce the official

logo for IRG49, which

depicts the Southern

Cross, the Nelson

Mandela bridge, the

Johannesburg skyline

as well as annual rings

of a log cross section.

* * * * * * * * *

Lonza gains “Grown in Britain”

promotional licence 20 June 2017

Lonza Wood Protection has gained a promotional

licence from Grown in Britain, linking the latest

Excalibur incising machines firmly into the British-

grown timber supply chain.

This enables Lonza, with its engineering partners on

Excalibur, Tweddle Engineering, to express its support

visibly for the Grown in Britain campaign, which is

driving markets for British-grown timber and wood

products.

“Linking with Grown in Britain shows our customers

that we are serious about helping them grow their sales

of treated British timber,” said Andy Hodge, marketing

director of Lonza. “With a high proportion of the

fencing and landscaping market using British-grown

timber, and escalating interest in treated British timber

in the builders’ merchant and joinery sectors, Lonza is

keen to support the Grown in Britain campaign in

connecting up markets for British-grown wood.”

Grown in Britain’s CEO Dougal Driver said

promotional licensing enables companies to identify

with their customers’ values, to support local economies

and to give British forests and woodlands a sustainable

future.”

Lonza’s promotional licence enables them to use the

Grown in Britain logo on literature, online and in other

communications.

* * * * * * * * *

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3

Wood Beetles Like Termites Are

Recyclers Of Nature With Some Help

From Fungi

Staff Writer - May 24, 2017

(Photo : China Photos/Getty Images)

Wood beetles like termites are known to be pests

as they cause damage to most of the residential

properties. However, they have a task that actually

helps humans in a long term run: by helping the

humanity decompose dead trees.

Decomposition, in this case, is a necessary process

as it would ensure that people would not be buried

under the huge mass of dead organic matter

produced every year produced by wood-based

materials.

In an article published in The Conversation, wood

beetles are among the world's best decomposers.

They are described as organisms that digest dead

matter and make their own living cells and tissues

that were out of acquired atoms.

The vast majority of organic matter that was

produced worldwide annually is stored in wood,

which is considered tough as it is hard to digest

and decompose. Dead woods, which is consumed

by wood beetles, is rich in sugars like cellulose,

hemicelluloses, and lignin.

In an article published by Phys.org, digested wood

might be a source of energy but it is insufficiently

nutritious for other organisms depending their

development on dead wood like flies, moths, and

bacteria.

Still, wood beetles are able to survive and develop

with this considered low-quality food source.But

how could these wood beetles develop from dead

wood? The answer is fungi.

In the first few years of decay of a dead wood, its

nutritional composition is slowly changed by

fungi. With the help of fungi, the fungal tissues

start growing inside of dead wood and are

connected to nutritionally-rich areas outside the

wood. With this, it helps the wood beetles to get all

the nutritional values of the wood.

But how exactly did it help the environment

through recycling? The wood beetles affect the

wood, fragmenting, and shredding it that it

produces "frass" -- wood pieces mixed with

excrement that may be decomposed by

microorganisms.

With that, these wood beetles like termites are

actually helping in contributing wood

decomposition and nutrient cycling. It's the way

of nature to recycle itself.

* * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * Items provided in this CONTACT Newsletter

are drawn from a number of sources. The

source of the item is quoted, either by

publication or organization in line with the

practice of fair reporting.

TPAA does not necessarily agree with or

endorse the content of articles written by others.

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4

Coal Tar Creosote Market

Press release from: marketsizeforecasters.com

PR Agency: Market Size Forecasters

“Global and Chinese Coal Tar Creosote Industry, 2017”

Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth

study on the current trends and future forecast.

The Coal Tar Creosote Market report values the

industry in USD million terms for 2016. The expected

USD million value by the end of 2022 is provided,

showing a steady CAGR percentage number between

2016 and 2022.

This report studies coal tar creosote in the global

market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-

Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.

It focusses on the top five coal tar creosote players in

each region, with sales, price, revenue and market share

for the top five manufacturers, covering RUTGERS

Group, Koppers, China Steel Chemical Corporation,

Himadri Chemicals & Industries, Mitsubishi

Chemical, JFE Chemical Corporation, Huanghua

Xinnuo Lixing, ArcelorMittal, Stella-Jones, Ganga

Rasayanie, Jalan Carbons & Chemicals, Konark Tar

Products, AVH Pvt. Ltd, Carbon Resources, Cooper

Creek, Palace Chemicals.

Request A Sample Copy of Coal Tar Creosote Market

Research Report @ marketsizeforecasters.com/get-

sample/70731/?utm_source=OP...

* * * * * * * * *

Everything You Possibly Need to

Know About Screws

How they survive the chemicals in treated

wood, for one thing.

By David Grossman - Jun 28, 2017

You've certainly used many screws in your lifetime, but

have you ever taken time to consider the wonder that is

the screw in all its various forms? If you're working on a

DIY project of any complexity, you should. Scott

Wadsworth of Essential Craftsman breaks down

everything you ever thought you needed to know about

screws.

What screws lack in sheer strength they make up with

ease of use: drilling a screw into wood can be much

easier for a beginner than hammering in several nails,

although driving them still takes some practice.

Perhaps the greatest threat to any screw are the

chemicals found in pressure-treated lumber. While

pressure-treated lumber can ward off termites, it can

also corrode nails that aren't built to stand their

ground.

Wadsworth recommends the pricey GRK structural

screws as a top-of-the-line brand to solve the problem.

Some screws have also added flat drill bits at the end,

which allows them to move through wood without

splintering, as well as stronger materials like steel.

Once you settle on what suits your needs for your

toolbox, there are no shortage of DIY projects that can

satisfy your need to screw.

* * * * * * * * *

5

Sawdust stockpiles to be moved

Wednesday, 7 June 2017,

A section of land alongside the upper Taylor River is

being temporarily fenced off by Marlborough District

Council so contractors can remove old sawdust

stockpiles.

Years ago the area was an unused section of the western

river reserve, across from the old Blenheim landfill,

where untreated sawdust could be dumped.

With the Upper Taylor Reserve becoming increasingly

popular for public recreation, Council tested the area in

advance of more development of the Taylor River

Floodway Management Plan.Some contamination has

been found in some of the remaining sawdust piles and

the soil beneath them.

Rivers Engineer Geoff Dick says the contamination is

consistent with the wood preservative chromated copper

arsenate (CCA) used in treated timber.

The public is advised to stay off the site until the sawdust

piles and some of the underlying soil can be removed

and clean topsoil spread across the area. Resource

consent will be required by the Council before it can

remove the material to the landfill.

Press Release: Marlborough District Council

* * * * * * * * *

6

Call for nationwide termite action

Rachel Gray - AAP on May 10, 2017

Termites munching on Aussie homes are causing

more damage than floods, fires and storms combined,

a state building authority says.

The pest's voracity across the nation has prompted calls

for a nationwide action plan to stop it in its tracks.

Archicentre Australia director Peter Georgiev says he

wants all state governments to make it mandatory for

councils to declare termite infestation zones. "The

termites are eating people out of house and home," Mr

Georgiev told AAP. "They don't care about state

boundaries. All these boundaries are man-made and they

are not in the natural order of things; termites are

everywhere."

He said Tasmania is the only region in Australia that's

safe from the risk of damage caused by the tiny but

"voracious pests".

A nationwide plan could include termite treatment of all

sites and inspections on houses before they are sold, Mr

Georgiev said.

Current attempts to combat termite infestations vary

between the states.

In Victoria, local councils "may declare" areas within

their municipality that are likely to be subject to

infestation by termites, and people should check before

they build or buy, the Victorian Building Authority said.

The pests cause more damage than floods, fire and

storms combined, the VBA added.

* * * * * * * * *

Termites warning

Kalesi Mele - May 20, 2017

FIJI Villagers of Nalawa, Ra, have been urged to use

treated timber when building homes, to avoid

attracting termites.

Biosecurity project officer (Termites) Lemeki Ratucicivi

said with termite infestation being an issue in Lautoka,

there was a chance it could spread further to the rest of

the Western Division.

"These creatures live on the ground and their food is in

the timber," he said.

"They reside within three to sixteen feet under the

ground so when they do come up for food it's as a large

group."

He made the comments at the Nalawa tikina (district)

meeting held at Nausori Village.

Tui Nalawa Ratu Epeli Niudamu (right) stresses a

point during the Nalawa tikina council meeting at

Nausori Village in Ra on Wednesday.

Picture: KALESI MELE

Mr Ratucicivi said termites fed on all timber.

"The only way you can ensure that they don't feed on

it is to use treated timber."

He added families should have their homes checked.

"There are cases where foundations of homes —

particularly wooden ones — just collapse and we would

like to safeguard families against this."

* * * * * * * * *

7

EPA tests methyl bromide at Chicago

Freight timber yard

Louise Thrower - 22 Jun 2017

An EPA officer undertaking testing of methyl bromide

concentration levels on Sloane Street, near Chicago

Freight Rail's timber yard. Photo: EPA.

Methyl bromide emissions from a south Goulburn

(NSW Australia) timber yard are well below safe

levels, says the Environmental Protection Authority.

The agency undertook testing at Chicago Freight Rail

Services’ facility in April in response to community

concerns about emissions of the substance, used to treat

timber. Some residents complained they could smell the

compound and took up the matter with Goulburn

Mulwaree Council and the EPA.

But in an address to Tuesday’s council meeting, the

Authority’s regional operations officer Michael

Heinze said levels were well below regulated criteria.

Officers collected and analysed 33 air samples at the

yard, on Sloane Street and as far afield as the waste

management centre.

They were taken over both a 24-hour and five-day period

from April 5 on what Mr Heinze described as a still, cold

day with light easterly winds blowing.

It was designed to replicate a “worst case scenario” of

methyl bromide’s dispersal after opening six containers.

A National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)

accredited laboratory analysed the samples using what

the EPA described as “precise techniques capable of

detecting methyl bromide to the smallest concentrations

possible (down to parts per billion (ppb).”

“The results were quite encouraging,” Mr

Heinze said.“...It gives us confidence the results are

consistent with the assessment information put to the

council and which the EPA assessed as well.”

The highest one-hour concentration measured at a

community location was 0.01 ppm, nine times lower than

the EPA assessment benchmark of 0.09 parts per million

(ppm) and 500 times below the Safe Work Australia

standard of 5ppm. The maximum measured 24-hour

concentration at a community location was 0.0025ppm,

equivalent to 36 times below the EPA assessment

benchmark.

A full report and summary will be publicly released in a

month and posted on the EPA website.

Mr Heinze said Sydney air experts had described the

exercise as the most comprehensive monitoring in

NSW, if not Australia.

“It was quite important to get it right so we got in the air

quality experts from Sydney to run the program and

employed an independent contractor, Ektimo, who are

leaders in their field, to run the monitoring,” he said.

The exercise involved consultation with the community

and the council.

In response to a question from Cr Sam Rowland about

whether the levels were safe for humans, Mr Heinze said

he was not a health expert but the criteria were based on

health standards.

In a statement, an EPA spokeswoman said the agency

was confident the right management measures were in

place at the CF Rail Services “to safeguard the

community and environment.”

“The EPA will continue to review the company’s

operations to monitor their compliance with the licence

requirements,” she said.

Mayor Bob Kirk said he and general manager Warwick

Bennett had previously met with the EPA about the

matter.

“The (methyl bromide) levels are so far below the

requirement, the notion that people can smell it is,

according to the EPA, not possible,” he said.

“It’s good and the reason we wanted a report was to

allay people’s concerns.”

* * * * * * * * *

8

Part 2 of Series: Gerry Gardiner

City of Residence: Noosa, Queensland.

Inhabitants at my residence: My wife

Irene and myself.

Start date and current position: I am an

owner and Director of itreat Timber.

We commenced trading in 2007.

What I like best about my work: The new

and exciting technology.

Best job: Being a provider for my family.

Worst job: I don’t think I have

experienced that yet..

Favourite place to live: Peregian Beach,

Noosa – Home.

Motto or Personal Mantra: ”Surround

yourself with good people and good

things will happen”.

I’m happiest when: I am with our

Grandchildren - They make me laugh!

What I fear most: Keeping all the balls in

the air, all of the time.

I’m proudest of: My son and daughter.

Favourite sports or pastimes: Playing

Guitar, riding my bike.

The Top 3 Highlights of my Life:

Having my own businesses,

Building development,

My family.

People would be surprised to know: I have

been in the Timber Industry for 40 years

this year.

If I could do it all over again, I would: Do

most things the same.

Favourite Memory: Holidays - on the

Gold Coast.

Pet peeves: Lazy people who expect

something for nothing.

Favourite song, movie, book, or comedian:

Movie: The Great Escape.

Books: Any Lee Childs books.

Comedian: - --------

Best Vacation: Cruising the Whitsundays

Favourite Vehicle: BMW’s in general.

They make great cars!

Before I die, I would like to: Spend an

extended period floating around the

Whitsunday Islands.

* * * * * * * * *

TPAA CONTACT DETAILS

TPAA

PO Box 390 Patterson Lakes, VIC 3197 Australia

National Secretary: Jack Norton

Mobile: +0418 989 398

E-mail: secretary@tpaa.com.au

National President: Gerry Gardiner

Mobile: +0411 075 134

E-mail: president@tpaa.com.au

Newsletter Editor: Doug Howick

Mobile: +0428 380 838

E-mail: doug@tpaa.com.au

Treatment Plant Register Enquiries: Jack Norton

Mobile: +0418 989 398

E-mail: secretary@tpaa.com.au

Chairman Technical Committee: Harry Greaves

Telephone: +61 3 9889 0764

Mobile: +0419 585 193

E-mail: hgreaves@bigpond.net.au

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