The Tasmanian Boat Building Wood Bank
The author’s boat JULIENE, built with King Billy Pine.
Here at SWS we consider ourselves to be generalists. We know a little about many things, and not a lot, about much. One of the things I definitely don’t feel qualified to opine on, is the state of the Tasmanian boat building timber supply. When we were approached by Ian Johnston to publish his views on the topic, I knew we would be hearing forthright opinions from a person with a long and personal connection to Tasmania and wooden boats. Ian is not afraid to say it how he sees it. Many people won’t agree with him, and some may even be offended. But when a person with his experience and passion speaks, we would do well to listen.
By Ian Johnston
The wood bank was created during the signing of the Regional Forestry Agreement three decades ago. It was recognised that there would be an inconsistent supply of boat building timber and a wood bank could smooth out the supply by having a reserve of timber that could be drawn on to provide for sustaining our industry and special needs. It has a role as the storage facility where Tasmanian boat builders can obtain timber for our craft and culture when all other sources of timber are unavailable. As timber is sold it is supposed to be replaced with quality timber.
Unfortunately, due to indifference, substitution, theft and lack of support from those who are supposed to be responsible for its management the outcome has been an unmitigated disaster. Presently the wooden boat building industry contributes $20 million per year into our economy, plus the economic and cultural benefits from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. Without ongoing access to world class endemic boat building timber our industry is threatened with decline.
Quotes from the RFA; - “establish a trading house and permanent storage facility for wooden boat boards…ensure timbers are not converted to lesser uses…demonstrate that timber meeting specifications will be available”.
So far, the management of the wood bank has been an embarrassing shambles but hopefully Sustainable Timbers Tasmania (STT) will concede there needs to be substantial changes under the directions of a management committee.
At present what there is of the wood bank is kept in a dirty, dusty corner of a shed with no firefighting facilities (apart from a single small diameter hose). The timber is jammed in behind a vast wall of other timber. There has been no actual audit of the timber since its establishment, some boat builders who have tried to buy timber are appalled that sometimes good wood is mixed with low quality craft wood. It is only possible for professional boat builders to purchase whole unopened packs with no guarantee of their contents even if all the want are a few boards to finish a project.
From earlier sales $46,000 is presently in the purchase kitty but the people who are supposed to manage it have done nothing. There has been no replacement of stock despite boat boards being sold interstate and overseas from local sawmills (half the sales of one sawmill)
It has been made almost impossible for sales of private stockpiles from deceased estates to be sold into the wood bank.
What can be done to resolve these problems?
Form a management committee comprising mostly boat builders plus sawmillers and representatives from STT to change the management structure.
A new storage facility is being constructed at Geeveston, ensuring that the timber will be accommodated in a secure, safe and accessible facility. And as the timber is moved across, the packs are pulled apart and properly audited. Sell off the craft wood which has been mixed into the packs and replace with boat building timber.
Use the $46,000 to purchase suitable boat boards for the facility, enable and encourage any privately owned timber reserves that comes with a statutory declaration as to its legality can be sold to the wood bank.
Private Tasmanian boat builders who can demonstrate their skills should have access to the wood bank as well as the ability of all boat builders to purchase small quantities of timber.
Ask the sawmills, if they are not selling directly to Tasmanian boat builders to sell excess boat boards into the wood bank.
Regulate the harvesting rate of suitable trees to a rate that equals Tasmanian demands (within sustainable harvesting constraints).
Stop STT from cutting down ANY immature potential boat trees until they achieve maturity. This will require a change to low impact selective harvesting in the last 10% of accessible Permanent Timber Production Zones native forest, i.e., helicopter harvesting or cable pulling from established roads.
Declare category 1 eucalypt a Special Species Timber and manage appropriately.
Add to the wood bank suitable knees, breast hooks, timber with sweep and some suitable cat 1 eucalypt.
Ensure STT fully complies with directions of the Forest Practices Authority regarding harvesting practices in all native forests.
And now to the great opportunity: -
In Portland Victoria, there has come on the market a large quantity of boat grade King Billy Pine. This timber although not as well-known as our iconic Huon Pine is in some boat builders’ opinion equal in statue (and sometimes preferred) to Huon Pine.
Captain Two Dogs sails the engine-less RATU built in 1961 on the Huon River from King Billy pine by Athol Walters
As there is virtually no boat building timber coming from Tasmanian sawmills for the foreseeable future, purchasing this supply could keep our industry and consequently the legitimacy of the Festival going for many years.
STT reportedly has a $2.1 million ‘slush fund’ that could, in part, be used to afford loaning the wood bank $250,000 to purchase the best of this timber. The money will be returned to their slush fund when the timber is sold on to Tasmanian professional and quality amateur boat builders.
This timber offer is only available for a short time. Already a European boat building industry is trying to buy the lot. Or it could end up decorating a lawyer’s office in a city which would be a great shame.
Presently, the seller is kindly willing to give first option to Tasmanian boat builders, it will not last.
Another possibility is for private individuals to purchase a quantity of this timber The timber would be managed and sold to suitable boat builders and the money returned at cost, but no profit, to the purchaser of the timber. (We have free safe storage in Hobart organised until the wood bank is moved and reorganised). I have undertaken to cash in some of my superannuation to become a supporter of this plan.
Is there anyone out there who is willing to participate in this idea if we cannot get STT to purchase more than a token amount?
Ian Johnston
Co-founder Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Boat builder, sculptor, author.