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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-28 Daily Xml
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Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Forest Industries. Will the minister update the council on the recent Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards night held in Mount Gambier last week?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:52): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am delighted to update this place about the Green Triangle Timber Industry Awards night held at The Barn in Mount Gambier last Friday evening. This event is held once every two years and celebrates all parts of the forest industry: plantation, harvesting and haulage, timber processing and manufacturing, training, research, innovation and policy. This year's event was the biggest on record, with 520 people from the forest industry in attendance. 2025 is a particularly important year for the industry as it celebrates 150 years of commercial forestry that was pioneered here in South Australia.

I was proud to be able to present a number of awards and speak about the South Australian government's commitment to the forest industry in our state. I would like to congratulate award winners from the following categories. I was very pleased to announce two Timber Legends: Mr Laurie Hein, who I have had a long association with in the timber industry, and Mr Stephen Van Schaik, who is well known for his circular economy work. For safety excellence, the winner was Steve Allen. The Trainee/Apprentice of the Year was Hayley Grigg. The award for logistics excellence was won by Kessah Moore; for sawmilling and processing excellence, Andrew Hoath and Edwina Vulcz; for harvesting and in-field excellence, Adam Jennings; and for silviculture and plantation management, Noel Bull.

Tara Bonney won the Environment and Sustainability Excellence Award, and LITA Training won the Industry Support Services Award. For safety excellence, the award for less than 30 staff went to Hazelwood Forestry, and the award for safety excellence for more than 30 staff went to Merrett Logging. It was a very popular choice. The three Merrett brothers were certainly entertaining in their discussion with the MC.

I acknowledge the tremendous talent and commitment of everyone who attended this special event who shape the forest industry, as well as other guests, including the Hon. Ben Hood from this place. The South Australian forest industry plays a pivotal role in the state's economy, social fabric and environmental sustainability. From supporting local economies through employment and trade to contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and enhancing biodiversity, the forest industry provides a range of economic, social and environmental benefits.

The state government is committed to the forest industry and will continue to work in partnership with the industry into the future, as we have done for these past four years. I am proud of the continued investment that the Malinauskas government is providing in the forest sector and the way we have worked in collaboration to deliver a suite of election commitments that will underpin the sector's aspiration to grow and expand the industry's value.

Of course, events like this do not occur without an enormous amount of work behind the scenes: time, energy and preparation. For that, I would like to congratulate and thank the organising committee members: Adrian Flowers, Daniel Rosenthal, Jack Whitehead, Wayne Millard, Sheryl Vickery, Tim Williamson, Courtney Pink, Zach Westwick and Gaylene Newton. Your work has delivered another outstanding event, congratulations.

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