Willmott wins softwood tender
From the Winter 2008 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Willmott CEO, Marcus Derham, warmly welcomes the tender win with Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald. Photo courtesy of Willmott Forests
Bombala is set for a $60 million expansion of its timber milling capacity following the announcement that Willmott Timbers has won the Monaro softwood supply tender, the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald said.
“There’s no doubt this is fantastic news for the Bombala region,” Mr Macdonald said.
“This contract will be a great boost to the area, with the new mill facility expected to commence production during 2010, and to be up to full capacity by 2012.
“The mill is expected to employ 130 people directly and an estimated 300 or more indirectly when running at full capacity,” he said.
Willmott Timbers successfully tendered for a long-term sawlog parcel of 250000 cubic metres a year of plantation pine forest managed by Forests NSW.
Mr Macdonald said it was also a requirement that the tender winner develop the necessary processing capacity for the material within the Bombala area, generating regional economic benefits.
“Willmott Forests already has a processing centre in Bombala, which will undergo considerable expansion between now and 2010 when we expect the first of the new allocation to be available,” he said.
Willmott Forests has also won the right to explore with Forests NSW options to extract up to 70000 tonnes a year of biomass from plantation waste, which may be used in applications such as power generation and biofuel.
Sarah Chester Public Affairs & Media, Albury
