The future of forestry was officially unveiled last week at OneFortyOne’s Glencoe Nursery to state and local representatives, following the completion of an $8m redevelopment project for the site.
South Australian Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven joined OneFortyOne Board Director Angie Davis and chief executive Wendy Norris in officially opening the upgrades and witnessing the new state-of-the-art handling systems in action.
The three-year redevelopment project includes undercover automated handling lines, new irrigation and ergonomic systems and major infrastructure upgrades, which will improve employee safety and wellbeing at the site.
Also in attendance were Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell, Member for MacKillop Nick McBride, Department of Primary Industries’ Director of Forest Industries Rob Robinson, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional South Australia, Ben Hood and Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub Executive General Manager Tony Wright.
South Australian Forest Products Association chief executive Nathan Paine and the Australian Forest Products Association chief executive Di Hallam also attended the event.
Speaking at the opening, Ms Davis said the redevelopment demonstrated OneFortyOne’s “commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the future of forestry in the Green Triangle”.
“The Glencoe Nursery has been a cornerstone of the region’s forestry operations for 40 years, growing 7.5million trees annually to support not only OneFortyOne, but other forest growers in the region,” she said.
“Innovation and safety are the key drivers of this redevelopment with a new state of the art undercover handling system that enhances seedling growth whilst reducing chemical and water use.
“We can now grow an additional 4 million seedlings per season, significantly bolstering our capacity to meet the demand for timber resources in South Australia and beyond.”
Ms Davis also commended Nursery Manager Craig Torney for his long-term vision for the site and for leading the project over the last three years.
“The safety and wellbeing of the nursery’s workforce was a major factor in the decision to upgrade the facility, helping enhance the safety of people and making it a better place to work,” Ms Davis said.
“The infrastructure upgrades are not a replacement for workers but are designed to complement our existing nursery workforce.”
Minister Scriven heralded the redevelopments as “significant for the future of the Green Triangle forestry sector”.
“This region is the powerhouse of the Australian forest industry with 140 years of innovation and experience in growing and producing world recognised products,” she said.
“The Glencoe Nursery, which supports both OneFortyOne and other local growers, is at the very heart of a supply chain which sustains multiple major industries, from construction to plantations and logistics, which, in turn, supports the jobs of thousands of South Australians.
“Today, in seeing these new systems in action and streamlining traditional operations, we are seeing the future of our forestry sector – a major economic driver for our state.”
