(Posted on 27/03/19)
Australia’s Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers directors Shauna Black and Keith Lamb recently attended a recent Women in Forestry Industries workshop in Canberra around the International Women’s Day theme – Balance for Better.
More than 100 attendees discussed ways to achieve better gender balance in forestry in Australia, making a list of actions for forestry companies to implement.
“The old-fashioned notion of forestry being a bunch of blokes with chainsaws is well and truly debunked,” Ms Black said. “It was gratifying to see women there from all aspects of forestry – from directors to marketing professionals, silviculturists, scientists and machine operators.”
Groups worked together to formulate a vision, outline actions and rank priorities.
Australian Forest Products Association policy manager Natalie Heazlewood said there were some common themes from the groups and she listed the top three priorities from the workshop as:
1. Improve image/social license.
Promote forestry as environmentally friendly and socially sustainable.
Advertising campaign to show the diversity of the forestry industry and promote it.
2. Gender policy for all AFPA members – adopt core principals (signed up to be reported)
Plus aspiration goals eg flexibility, recruitment, mentoring, % employment.
Industry standard/pledge that support women in the industry. Standard would be reportable against setting benchmarks.
Companies sign on and report against it.
3. AFPA board gender equity by 2021.
Females invited to board meeting and Chamber meetings. Each member to commit to this target.
Rio Tinto has driven performance to achieve 3% YoY CuEq1 growth in the first half of 2026.Chief Executive... Read more
BHP have released its Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2026.Chief Executive Officer, Brandon... Read more
Bulk carriers carrying elemental sulphur cargoes in the Strait of Hormuz are at significant risk of... Read more
Further to BHP’s announcement in February, BHP, through a wholly owned subsidiary, has executed... Read more
Australia’s Federal Government's fertiliser support package has come under scrutiny as global... Read more
SSAB has once again paused work at the construction site for its new steel mill in Luleå, Sweden... Read more
Trafigura Group Pte Ltd. has announced the issuance of a USD500 million senior Reg S bond with a five... Read more
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA has welcomed the release of Senate Agriculture... Read more
Anglo American plc, through its 50.1%-owned subsidiary, Anglo American Sur S.A., and Codelco, have announced... Read more
SSAB Americas, The Greenbrier Companies and Alter Trading are partnering on a circular economy project... Read more