New Guinea Timber

Australian Sawmillers Interested in Softwoods

EVIDENCE that Australian sawmillers are interested in New Guinea tim ber is indicated by recent inquiries from the secretary of the Richmond- Tweed Branch of the Association of Country Sawmillers of New South Wales, Mr. Alex. R. L. Small.

Mr. Small’s Association is particularly seeking utility softwoods suitable for fac ing three-ply, and he states that hoop pine, usually used for this work, is now a thing of the past in New South Wales.

Establishments using the ports of Byron Bay, Ballina and Coff’s Harbour, in New South Wales, would be able to cope with 3,000 logs a year of peelable quality (logs to average 1,000 super, feet), but would need to be assured of 10 years’ regular and steady supply. This would mean that 30,000,000 feet of suitable softwood would be required in the period, prefer ably from as small an as possible.

Some of the points made in Mr. Small’s inquiries are:— • Under what conditions as regards tenure and royalty (or its equivalent) would the area be made available? • What would be the approximate cost per 100 super, feet of placing the logs either in rafts or at a place where they could conveniently be loaded for trans port to Australia? • Assuming boats were available, and the total distance 1,200 miles, what is an estimate of the freight, insurance and handling cost per 100 super, feet? • What is the present import duty on logs imported from the Australian Ter ritories, and what chance is there of having this duty eased or lifted? • What is the present import duty on logs imported from the Australian Ter

ritories, and what chance is there of having this duty eased or lifted? • What is the situation In normal times with regard to the establishment of a mill on the job to saw logs not economic to freight to Australia for peel ing. This might be necessary in order to keep hverall logging costs to a mini mum. If favourable, is there an island market for the sawn timber produced without competing unduly with estab lished sawmills? • What quantity of millable or peel ing quality logs of other species would be associated with the basic softwood over the proposed area?

WHEN approximate costs and quanti ties are known, the Association then would be in a position to approach the Minister for External Ter ritories, Mr. Small said.

Reference to New Guinea timber mill ing was made by Mr. Ward in his address to the Pacific Islands Society recently (see report on page 25, this issue). He stated that men with timber permits were being allowed to go to the Terri tories, but that, for the present, any timber milled in the Territories would be used for building purposes there.

During the war both Australian Army and Air Force units have been operating milling plants in New Guinea. In an Army bulletin issued in September, it was stated that “from the ‘commence ment of sawmilling operations in May, 1944, to June this year, approximately 20,000,000 super, feet of sawn timber was produced, valued at mainland prices at about £465,000, and representing a sav ing in shipping of approximately 57,000 tons, on which freight charges would have approximated £285,000. This represents sufficient timber to build 2,000 good-sized four-roomed wooden houses.

“Present production in New Guinea and the Islands is at the rate of 1,750,000 super, feet per month, valued at about £40,000, and representing a monthly sav ing in shipping space of 5,000 tons and freight charges of £25,000.”