That is according to a peer-reviewed study published this year in npj Natural Hazards, which used the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) and an ensemble of dynamically downscaled CMIP6 climate projections to model how extreme fire weather will evolve under different levels of global warming.

Across Australia, once-in-twenty-year and once-in-fifty-year extreme fire events are projected to become 2.7 and 3.7 times more likely under 3°C of global warming. Whilst in southeast Australia’s eucalyptus forests those same benchmark events are projected to be 2.1-2.5 times more likely at the same warming level.

Tasmania faces the sharpest trajectory of any region studied.

Under 3°C of warming, 20-year return interval fire weather events are projected to become 3.2 times more likely, whilst 50-year return interval events are projected to become 4.1 times more likely. And even at 2°C of warming, Tasmania’s equivalent risk multipliers are 2.0 and 2.3, respectively.

The study, led by Ryan McGloin, warns that the Tasmanian findings warrant special attention, describing the projections as “particularly significant given Tasmania’s history of destructive bushfires and unique and vulnerable ecosystems that are potentially at risk of being replaced by more flammable vegetation when exposed to more frequent fires.”

The warning is grounded in history. The 1967 Black Tuesday fires killed 62 people and destroyed nearly 3,000 structures across southern Tasmania. Whilst in January 2013, fires razed 203 homes in the village of Dunalley alone. And unlike mainland forests, Tasmania’s vegetation mosaic — fire-sensitive rainforests, alpine shrublands and wet forests — faces a feedback loop in which more frequent fires progressively shift the landscape towards more flammable, fire-adapted vegetation.

A cycle, the authors say, has no natural brake.

The drivers differ by region. In Tasmania and southern Victoria, for example, projected increases in extreme fire weather are driven primarily by rising maximum temperatures, compounded by declining spring rainfall, which lifts the drought factor and lowers relative humidity on the continent’s worst fire days.

In the subtropical eucalyptus forests of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, increasing humidity associated with a shift towards positive phases of the Southern Annular Mode partially moderates the temperature impact, resulting in the study’s lowest projected increases. There, 20-year and 50-year return interval events are still projected to become 1.8 and 2.0 times more likely at 3°C — figures the researchers describe as not immaterial.

Spring has emerged as the season of greatest concern. Severe fire weather days (FFDI ≥ 50) are projected to rise substantially in north-western and central Australia, while Very High fire weather days (FFDI between 24 and 50) are projected to increase in both the north and south. The pattern points to an earlier onset and overall lengthening of the fire season — with a shrinking window for hazard-reduction burns, a direct operational consequence for fire agencies.

The study — authored by Ryan McGloin, Ralph Trancoso, Jozef Syktus, Rohan Eccles, Nathan Toombs and Andrew Dowdy — is the first to apply the latest CMIP6 downscaled projections under different global warming levels to fire weather extremes specifically for southeast Australia’s eucalyptus forests.

For more information: McGloin, R., Trancoso, R., Syktus, J. et al. Substantial increases in the likelihood of extreme fire weather events for fire-prone ecosystems in Australia. npj Nat. Hazards 3, 28 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-026-00193-9

It comes after the Coalition and the Greens crossed the aisle to force the Australian National University to hand over documents underpining the method.

The motion put by NSW Nationals Senator Ross Cadell, a long-time supporter of Australia’s $23 billion forest-based industries, orders the ANU to produce substantive written communications between its staff and the federal environment department DCCEEW; consultancy and research services agreements connected to the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee; and gift deeds or gift forms tied to work undertaken by Professor Andrew Macintosh.

One of the key drivers of this Order of Production of Documents (OPD) was that the Emissions Reduction Assurance Commission is currently considering whether to recommend that the Minister approve this method despite the ANU not making the primary documentation available to the public during the consultation process, thereby denying Australia’s forest scientists the ability to test the proposed method’s calculations

Wood Central understands that the decision by the Greens and key crossbench Senators to back the motion is of key consequence. “These strange bedfellows are far from natural allies,” according to Stuart Coppock, a lawyer with legal standing on the model. “And their calculation is simple — they want to know who has been funding the Macintosh model and why…including a focus on the gift deeds.”

It comes after ERAC Chair Professor Karen Hussey last year confirmed to a Senate committee that the New South Wales Great Great Koala National Park, which will take out 40% of the state’s hardwood supply, cannot be established without its approval.

The ACCUs generated under the scheme are the funding mechanism.

If the documents that come back show that external interests have impacted the science underpinning the method, it calls into question the integrity of a method put forward by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Heritage.

Wood Central understands there have been sustained concerns across the sector for some time, centred on two specific failures. “It suffers from key integrity failures, particularly additionality and leakage, and does not meet the evidence-based standard required by the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee,” Coppock said. And on leakage, the argument is blunt.

Underpinning concerns are a genuine scientific dispute over carbon storage. “Does halting harvesting in Australian native forests produce the long-term sequestration that the Macintosh model claims? The majority of independent peer reviewers say no,” another source said. “So do scientists work inside the NSW Government. So does ABARES — the research arm of the Commonwealth’s own Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The method does not meet the evidence-based standard that the ERAC is legally required to apply.”

When the documents are produced, the Senate will see whether the model was built to find an answer or to deliver one.

The ANU will have to answer either way.

The 636-hectare holding — to be named Bunya Orchards — includes 341 ha of established, high-density macadamia orchards, 50 ha of grazing land flagged for greenfield development, and retained native vegetation with scope for environmental plantings across the broader footprint.

Day-to-day orchard management will remain with Macadamia Farm Management, Australia’s largest macadamia orchard manager, while New Forests’ related entity, New Agriculture, will oversee the broader asset strategy.

“This aligns with our whole of landscape investment strategy,” said David Shelton, managing director for Australia and New Zealand and global head of investments at New Forests.

The acquisition is the fund’s second agricultural deal in seven months, and Mr Shelton said it was designed to broaden the portfolio’s exposure beyond timber and into land-based assets with different return drivers.

“The asset provides exposure to a high-growth tree nut market while enabling opportunities to integrate natural capital, improve ecological outcomes and build long-term value for our investors,” he said.

Bundaberg is Australia’s top macadamia-producing region, sitting at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef catchment, with a well-established processing ecosystem and strong global demand for the nut.

New Forests is flagging a range of value-add plays beyond straight production. The native vegetation on the property opens a pathway to Australian Carbon Credit Units, biodiversity credits and other nature-based market programs, while the greenfield grazing land gives the fund room to expand the orchard footprint without a new land purchase.

On the emissions side, the plan includes switching irrigation systems to on-site solar and battery storage, phasing out diesel farm vehicles in favour of electric and hybrid alternatives, and reducing fertiliser inputs through biological solutions where the agronomics stack up.

“The acquisition strengthens ANZLAFF’s agricultural footprint and further diversifies exposure across uncorrelated land-based asset types and geographies,” Mr Shelton said.

The first agricultural deal came in August 2025, when the fund took a 50% stake in McPhee Beef Farms — later renamed Benditi — a high-quality F1 Wagyu beef operation.

Investors in the ANZLAFF fund include Swedish pension fund Andra AP-fonden (AP2), German pension group Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK), the federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and an Australian and a German insurer.

The Bunya Orchards name is a nod to the bunya pine — a Queensland native that holds deep significance for the Gubbi Gubbi people, who have long symbolised abundance. Seasonal nut harvests were occasions for ceremony and gathering among tribes, bringing communities across the region together. Mr Shelton said the name felt right for an asset planted in that landscape.

That is according to the latest ABARES Agricultural Commodities Report, published yesterday, which revealed that the gross value of forestry (GVP) production is expected to reach $2.23 billion in 2026-27 — a 3 per cent nominal increase or a 1 per cent real increase. And over the medium term, the GVP is projected to drop back $2.1 billion, with no material growth expected until at least 2030-31.

By the numbers, total gross value production in forests has dropped by 36 per cent over the past eight years — from about $3.4 billion in 2017-18 — with softwood relatively steady at about $1.5 billion, hardwood plantations flatlining at $0.5 billion and native forest continuing what is now a 20-year decline.

According to Diana Hallam, CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association, whilst the topline figures point to the vital role of sustainable forestry in producing essential products, the report also identified serious challenges and headwinds for the sector.

“Some of these challenges and risks include high manufacturing and energy costs, greater use of structural steel in residential and mid-rise construction, as well as a growing amount of imported timber products of varying quality flooding the Australian marketplace, including from China,” she said.

Hallam said the new estimates also reaffirmed the importance of aligning the government’s policy with Australia’s Timber Fibre Strategy, which outlines opportunities for the industry to make a greater contribution to national goals in carbon, innovation, and housing construction.

Softwood up, hardwood down, native at historic lows

The value of softwood plantation production is forecast to increase slightly in 2026-27, driven by short-term movements in detached housing demand. But ABARES warns that a gradual shift toward higher-density dwellings is expected to temper timber demand over the medium term, whilst projected increases in softwood log availability will ease unit prices.

Hardwood plantation production, however, is heading the other way.

And that’s because ongoing shifts in global paper markets are placing downward pressure on woodchip demand, whilst Vietnam’s growing share of global trade — combined with projected exchange rate changes — is continuing to erode Australia’s competitiveness overseas. ABARES expects Australian hardwood woodchip exports to settle at similar volumes but lower unit prices, with Australia holding a smaller, more specialised role in the market.

And then there is native forestry, where production has now fallen to historically low levels following 20 years of contraction driven by the transfer of multiple-use public native forests to nature conservation reserves and increased harvest restrictions.

A $570 million downward revision

ABARES has slashed its forestry forecast by more than $570 million — a 21 per cent revision from its December report — with exports the major driver of the writedown, down more than $619 million amid weaker production and prices.

It comes days after this masthead reported on a new white paper from the Rozetta Institute arguing that Australia needs a national roadmap to boost forest productivity and encourage new capital into the market.

On Friday, Wood Central spoke to the white paper’s lead author, Steve Walker, Principal of Terrafolia Advisory, and co-author Dr Lyndall Bull, who revealed that Australian plantations produce just 15 to 18 cubic metres per hectare per year against international benchmarks of 30 to 50.

And on Monday, Walker went further, telling Wood Central the sector’s decades-long focus on cost discipline had come at the expense of genuine value creation. “Lifting productivity on the land already planted is the fastest and most scalable opportunity,” Walker said. “International benchmarks in Brazil, India, Vietnam and China demonstrate that 30 to 50 cubic metres per hectare per year is achievable using proven technologies already available.”

“If we can do this, we can ultimately strengthen our capacity to produce more competitive engineered wood products like LVL and other EWPs,” he said, adding that the downstream benefits could add tens of millions of dollars to regional communities.

• For more information, including the ABARES full March 2026 Agricultural Commodities Report, visit the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

Now, Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) — the country’s largest hardwood processor — says a $600,000 AFWI-funded research project is helping the industry find its way forward, with new species, new engineered products and new performance data that could change how timber windows are specified in Australia.

Daniel Wright, ASH’s National Business Development Manager, told Wood Central that window manufacturers are a big part of the company’s supply chain — from commodity and painted windows through to high-end architectural manufacturers — mostly across south-eastern states, but with a growing presence in northern New South Wales.

And Wright said the fallout from the decision to cease harvesting in Victorian forests has been immediate. “The window manufacturers of south-east Australia have been forced into a lot of change with the cessation of native timber in Victoria — just like we have,” he said. “But they also have upcoming changes to the NCC, which will structurally change how many of them operate.”

“Of course, what impacts our supply chain also impacts us.”

That disruption created confusion. “We’ve recently seen imported plantation timbers in the window market that don’t meet the specs they are intended for,” Wright said. “This was a direct result of Victoria’s hardwood being suddenly ceased. The window makers were trying to do the right thing, but were forced to make quick decisions.”

As one of the major stakeholders in the AFWI–AGWA Modernising Timber Windows project, led jointly by the Timber Development Association and the Australian Glass and Window Association, Australian Sustainable Hardwoods is providing timber species for testing their performance in modern systems.

“When we were asked to be involved, we saw this project as an opportunity to work together and help the window makers collectively find pathways forward that not only suit their specific needs, but also comply with upcoming changes to the NCC,” Wright said.

The project is also a chance for ASH to advance one of its newer species — Plantation Oak — as the company rebuilds markets lost when Victorian ash was taken away. Made from Shining Gum logs grown in a plantation for pulp, Plantation Oak is upgraded by ASH into higher-end, longer-term applications. Wright said a small part of every log can be used for architectural applications, but the majority needs to be engineered to get the best out of it.

“We’ve had success with Plantation Oak in MASSLAM, but in order to use this fibre in other market segments, we need to help build the standards and examples that everyone can follow with confidence,” he said. ASH is one of 10 timber suppliers involved in the project, alongside the Pentarch Group and others.

Now, the testing programme is about to shift up a gear.

Speaking to Wood Central today, Kylan Low — the Structural Engineer at the Timber Development Association leading the project — said next week’s round will put four configurations through their paces: a double-hung window, an awning and casement window, an awning and double casement window, and a centre bifold door. Low said the configurations are designed to capture various hardware setups used across the industry and will be tested under combined air and water pressure for durations representing storm periods.

In January, Low told Wood Central that the industry had been craving this kind of data for a very long time: “Window data hasn’t kept up with changes in codes, glazing, and timber supply.”

The project has also given a platform to the next generation. Jesse Ross — a Graduate Engineer at AGWA who has been working alongside Low since the project’s inception — recently shared his reflections on what has become his first major engineering project. Ross said that, unlike uPVC and aluminium systems, there was no prime operator in the timber window sector, meaning the entire system had to be built from the ground up.

Early testing revealed that some Australian hardwoods, such as Spotted Gum and Blackbutt, could outperform European staples. But given the project’s focus on species substitution, the team chose to work with the lowest passing species it could find. Designs have settled on 55/58 mm sash profiles with 24 mm glazing pockets, accommodating modern insulated glass units and manufacturable by small-scale workshops.

Ross said the industry engagement phase — travelling to state forums, meeting joiners, hardware suppliers and timber providers — was one of the most eye-opening parts of the experience. He found some joineries still working with outdated designs that didn’t fully comply with AS 2047 or accommodate drained insulated glass units.

“I learned that innovation is not just about creating new ideas,” Ross wrote, “but also about making them accessible to your audience.” The documentation phase — technical manuals, substitution procedures, shop drawings — is now underway, aiming to give any Australian joinery everything it needs to start building with confidence.”

The Modernising Timber Windows project is one of 30 research initiatives funded through AFWI — a $200-million-plus institute backed by $100 million in Commonwealth funding. It is generating new structural and performance data across a range of solid and engineered wood products, testing how timbers perform under AS 2047, Australia’s mandatory standard for windows and external glazed doors.

• To learn more about the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations programme, visit AFWI’s dedicated website.

Organised by the Timber Preservers Association of Australia, the forum is designed as a “hybrid” of traditional conferences and interactive workshops.

“This will ensure delegates don’t just listen but actively participate in shaping the future of our industry,” said TPAA national secretary and conference coordinator Jack Norton.

Sessions will include global research initiatives in relations to the latest national and international wood protection development, super critical treatment and why this technology deserves close consideration; market expectations – what the government and retail sectors demand for preserved wood; operations and sustainability – managing waste and product quality testing management in preservative operations; and, importantly, industry standards and an introduction to the new TPAA Code of Conduct.

The conference venue is the Swiss-Belhotel in Brisbane, located in the heart of Woolloongabba, next to the iconic Gabba Cricket Grounds, and offering excellent facilities.

Conferenced capacity is limited to 80 delegates – best in, best dressed! Registration cost is $196 p.p., which covers the full 1.5-day forum, two hours of drinks and a BBQ dinner. Parking is available across the road for $10 a day (detailed instructions to follow). Also, a major bus station is located just two blocks away.

Specially negotiated accommodation rates are available. All room rates include a continental breakfast plus one hot menu item. Superior room (King or King Split) is $199 per night, and a deluxe room (King or King Split) is $219 per night.

Why attend?

Jack Norton said that while we use digital tools for daily tasks, nothing beats the value of face-to-face connection.

“This forum is as much about the ‘dark corner’ conversations and networking as it is about technical sessions,” he said. “Come share a meal, a drink, and a story with your peers in the beautiful Brisbane winter, and if there is a specific challenge or topic you’d like to see discussed during the workshopping sessions, let me know.”

For more information, visit the TPAA website today.

Editor’s note: Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, perception and decision-making.

It is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning and intelligence to take actions that maximise their chances of achieving defined goals.

That is according to a new report in News Limited mastheads, which revealed that the four men, three from Southport and one from Upper Coomera, had questions to answer in one of the country’s most sophisticated drug rings.

Wood Central understands that the timber was allegedly “soaped” in a solution of the drug, with up to ten tonnes of timber confiscated by NSW and Queensland police in Lismore, NSW and the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Last week, Wood Central reported that the discovery was made following a months‑long investigation by Strike Force Capulin, established by the NSW Drug and Firearms Squad in August 2025 after intelligence suggested timber planks had been chemically bonded with cocaine and were destined for extraction by an organised criminal group.

At the time, Police said the concealment method – where cocaine was chemically impregnated and then extracted from timber planks – is unusually sophisticated for an Australian operation, with investigators still examining where the tropical timber originated, how it was treated, and whether legitimate supply‑chain channels were exploited.

Detective Superintendent John Watson said the cross‑border operation was central to dismantling the alleged network. “Information flowed quickly, resources were shared, and the result is a major disruption to organised crime,” he said.

“Cross‑border crime requires cross‑border policing. This operation is a strong example of how collaboration delivers real results. Criminal groups continue to evolve their methods, and this attempt to conceal cocaine within timber products was highly calculated. Our teams were ready for it, and their action ensured drugs never made the streets.”

Meanwhile, Acting Detective Superintendent Brad Phelps said the coordinated effort allowed police to intervene before the drugs were extracted. “These actions resulted in disrupting this criminal activity and preventing a significant quantity of cocaine from making its way onto the streets and causing community harm.”

“This investigation highlights the lengths that organised criminal syndicates will go to in order to attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. This concealment methodology, of impregnating cocaine into timber planks, had not been detected in Queensland previously.”

• To read more about the sting, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from last week.

“Wesbeam has a foundation where capable, committed people are aligned to a clear purpose and take pride in what they deliver. My focus is on strengthening that culture while driving disciplined performance and operational excellence,” Everest said. “Wesbeam’s scale and national reach, combined with its reputation for quality and reliability, position us strongly as engineered timber continues to gain broader acceptance in residential and commercial construction.”

With an eye to the future, Everest said his focus is on disciplined execution and extracting full value from the platform already built. His priorities include operational excellence and productivity, safety leadership and capability development, strategic customer and stakeholder partnerships, sustainable and disciplined growth, and market expansion through innovation.

Asked why Wesbeam, Everest pointed to the company’s reputation for quality, reliability, and national reach — attributes that have cemented its role as a critical supplier to builders, merchants, and frame-and-truss manufacturers across the country. Wesbeam, he said, is a business built on “capable, committed people aligned to a clear purpose,” adding that strengthening that culture while driving disciplined performance will remain central to his leadership.

Wesbeam operates a world‑scale, 24/7 manufacturing facility in Neerabup, Western Australia, supported by a long‑term plantation timber supply agreement with the WA Government. That agreement provides a level of security and consistency that has become increasingly rare in a market grappling with supply‑chain volatility.

Everest also acknowledged the outstanding contribution of outgoing CEO James Malone, who retired after leading Wesbeam through major phases of growth and capability development. “James and the team have built strong foundations,” Everest said. “My focus is on respecting that legacy while helping the organisation continue to evolve, execute and perform.”

Founded in 2001, Wesbeam has grown into a nationally significant manufacturer with distribution hubs across Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The company employs just under 300 people and has been recognised as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years, whilst investment in automation, plant upgrades and sustainability initiatives continues to lift productivity as Australia looks to expand housing supply and reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

• To learn more about Wesbeam and its projects, click here for Wood Central’s special feature on Bluerock Project’s Tupy Gardens, a $25 million timber-framed apartment complex where Bluerock picked Wesbeam’s LVL over brick.

The findings come as the Crisafulli Government finalises its Future Timber Plan 2050, which is expected to outline Queensland’s long‑term approach to both native forest management and plantation supply.

The poll, which surveyed 2,974 Queenslanders across all social demographic cohorts in October 2025, showed that support for a phase‑out extends across the political spectrum, with 50% of LNP voters, 62% of Labor voters and 71% of Greens voters backing an end to native forest harvesting.

“In summary, while intensity of support varies by political leaning, this polling data shows that Queenslanders across the political spectrum back a transition from native forest logging to plantation‑based timber production and manufacturing,” according to George Hasanakos, Director and Head of Research at DemosAU. “Environmental protection is seen as a shared value rather than a partisan issue, with strong public demand for policies that combine conservation, sustainable industry and long‑term timber security.”

Queensland Conservation Council campaign manager Nicky Moffat said the polling highlights the need for a comprehensive review of State Forests before long‑term decisions are made: “A thorough review of all forest values should be an urgent priority, and should come before these public assets are sold off to loggers for another 25 years,” she said.

“With decisions around the State Budget imminent, we urge the State Ministers for Recreation, Tourism and Environment, Primary Industries and the Treasurer to back in a review of the ecological, recreation and tourism value of State Forests.”

DemosAU’s research found environmental protection is the top priority for publicly owned native forests, with 61% of respondents nominating it as the primary purpose, well ahead of timber production at 20%. Support for ending native forest logging was consistent across regions, with Brisbane, North and Central Queensland and Wide Bay all recording agreement levels above 70%. The Gold Coast recorded the lowest support but still showed a strong majority at 69%.

The poll also found strong backing for expanding the state’s plantation estate. Nearly 80% of respondents want the government to expand plantation timber production to meet Queensland’s housing needs, and a majority support incentives to manufacture more products from plantation wood, including modular housing and engineered timber.

The technology, known as the Autonomous Forest Navigator, is being developed under a research project called SilvaNaut: Incorporating Autonomous Operation into Australian Forest Machinery – Robotic Weed Control Conditions.

Wood Central understands the system bolts onto existing forestry machinery and allows it to steer itself between plantation rows without human input, a capability researchers say could improve safety, efficiency and long‑term wood yields.

SilvaNaut is being delivered by Daryl Killin through his company, Native Conifers Carbon Sink — the first organisation to register a tree‑planting project for carbon credits under the Carbon Farming Initiative in 2012 — and Killin said forestry presents challenges that traditional automation systems cannot handle.

Designed for young plantations aged 0–3 years — when weed pressure is highest and manual labour is most intensive — the system uses high‑resolution GNSS, LiDAR, inertial sensors (IMU) and AI‑based obstacle detection to navigate rough terrain. This geospatial backbone will also support future applications such as inventory assessment, fire management and forest monitoring.

Tackling labour shortages, rising costs and safety all-in-one.

It comes as Australia’s forest value chain faces mounting pressure from labour shortages, rising operational costs and increasing safety risks. Manual weed control is labour‑intensive and often carried out in hazardous conditions.

“Not many people want to put on a knapsack and work in remote areas with snakes, spiders and rough terrain anymore,” Killin said. “And even when people are available, you’re limited by human constraints; you can’t work at night, reliability varies, and safety risks are always present.”

By removing operators from high‑risk terrain and enabling 24‑hour operation, the Autonomous Forest Navigator allows growers to target optimal spraying windows and reduce early‑stage tree losses.

“Weeds in the first two years are critical,” Killin said. “If you lose 200 trees out of 1,000 per hectare early on, you’ve lost future options for wood volume, and you can’t put those trees back later. That loss shows up 25 or 30 years down the track, right when the return on investment really matters.”

And whilst automation is well established in agriculture, Killin said existing systems are too costly, too fragile and poorly suited to forestry.

“Agricultural systems are often designed for flat land and annual crops,” he warned. “Forestry is a much longer game. We needed a forestry‑specific solution that’s cost‑effective, robust and fit for purpose, not something adapted from agriculture that doesn’t quite work.”

SilvaNaut aims to fill this gap with a vehicle‑agnostic, bolt‑on autonomous system for mid‑sized forestry equipment that complies with international technical standards. The system is also being engineered to work alongside drones, enabling smart task allocation between aerial and ground‑based weed control.

“There’s still an important role for ground‑based rigs,” Killin said. “Our system is designed to work with drones, not compete with them, choosing the right tool for the right job.”

The project is being co‑designed with seven major forestry companies — HQPlantations, HVP Plantations, Australian Bluegum Plantations, Australian Carbon Farming, Forestry Corporation NSW, Forest Products Corporation and Midway Limited — ensuring strong industry relevance and a clear pathway to adoption.

Native Conifers Carbon Sink has also engaged James Cook University to train the system to distinguish young plantation trees from weed species and ensure interoperability with drone‑spraying technology. Meaanwhile a Trans‑Tasman collaboration with Lincoln Agritech and Wrybill Robotics will fast‑track existing New Zealand technologies for Australian conditions, supported by the New Zealand forest research sector.

Field trials will begin in Queensland before expanding across Australia. Performance will be assessed against navigation accuracy, labour savings, safety outcomes, fuel use and overall cost‑benefit compared with manual operations.

According to Professor Mark Brown, Director of the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures and UniSC’s Forest Research Institute, the project aligns with AFWI’s mission to improve Australia’s wood‑fibre productivity: “By improving early‑stage plantation management, this project will help narrow the 30–40 per cent gap between biological potential and realised wood yield, bringing together industry experience, AI expertise and real‑world testing to build something foresters can actually use.”

The project is also expected to support workforce renewal by creating new roles in forest robotics, remote operations and data‑driven management. “This is about giving forest growers confidence to adopt automation in a way that makes sense for forestry,” Killin said. “If we get weed control right early, we protect future yield, improve safety, and make better use of the wood fibre we already have.”

• To learn more about the project, click here to read $1.5 million AFWI funding to advance autonomous forestry machinery and boost sustainable wood production from the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures website.