❓ Mr. Masters questions the impact of old-growth forest logging restrictions on the Busselton Jetty's repair, specifically regarding jarrah availability and karri alternatives. The Minister assures that timber is available and karri is a viable option.
AnsweredQoN 1513Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is the Minister aware that, because of the Government’s policy of stopping all logging of old growth forests, the Busselton Jetty Committee is unable to access jarrah logs suitable for use as piles beneath the seaward sections of the jetty?
(2) Is the Minister aware that a major marketing theme used to attract tourists to the jetty is that it is the longest wooden structure in the southern hemisphere, a claim that will not be able to be made if far more expensive concrete piles are used?
(3) While karri logs of suitable length are available, is the Minister aware that no assessment has been made of their longevity when used as piles in the marine environment?
(4) Will the Minister urgently arrange for the treated karri logs used in the Challenge Harbour at Fremantle and installed in 1986 or 1987 to be assessed for their resistance to marine borers, wood rot and the other problems to which jarrah is generally far more resistant than karri?
(2) Is the Minister aware that a major marketing theme used to attract tourists to the jetty is that it is the longest wooden structure in the southern hemisphere, a claim that will not be able to be made if far more expensive concrete piles are used?
(3) While karri logs of suitable length are available, is the Minister aware that no assessment has been made of their longevity when used as piles in the marine environment?
(4) Will the Minister urgently arrange for the treated karri logs used in the Challenge Harbour at Fremantle and installed in 1986 or 1987 to be assessed for their resistance to marine borers, wood rot and the other problems to which jarrah is generally far more resistant than karri?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
10 June 2003
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Response time
27 days
I can also advise that the Forest Products Commission has included areas on the Indicative Harvest Plan in each of the last two years that were specifically suited to production of bridge and jetty timbers. They have not been harvested due to a lack of requests. It is the case that there may be difficulty in accessing jarrah piles of particularly long lengths required in some circumstances. However, I do not accept the view that this is as a result of the Government’s ‘Protecting Our Old Growth Forests’ policy. The scarcity of these timbers has existed for some time, as the use of karri in Challenger Harbour during the 1980s will attest. (2) Yes, I am aware of this marketing theme and, based on the above, I have no reason to believe it will not remain justified. (3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
It is the case that there may be difficulty in accessing jarrah piles of particularly long lengths required in some circumstances. However, I do not accept the view that this is as a result of the Government’s ‘Protecting Our Old Growth Forests’ policy. The scarcity of these timbers has existed for some time, as the use of karri in Challenger Harbour during the 1980s will attest. (2) Yes, I am aware of this marketing theme and, based on the above, I have no reason to believe it will not remain justified. (3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(2) Yes, I am aware of this marketing theme and, based on the above, I have no reason to believe it will not remain justified. (3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
It is the case that there may be difficulty in accessing jarrah piles of particularly long lengths required in some circumstances. However, I do not accept the view that this is as a result of the Government’s ‘Protecting Our Old Growth Forests’ policy. The scarcity of these timbers has existed for some time, as the use of karri in Challenger Harbour during the 1980s will attest. (2) Yes, I am aware of this marketing theme and, based on the above, I have no reason to believe it will not remain justified. (3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(2) Yes, I am aware of this marketing theme and, based on the above, I have no reason to believe it will not remain justified. (3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(3) Yes. I am advised that there are no records in the forest products literature of karri being used for piling because, until relatively recently, jarrah was used almost solely for this purpose in WA. (4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
(4) No. The latest information on CSIRO Durability Ratings has rated karri and jarrah as having similar resistance to fungal attack, based on the in-ground performance of the outer heartwood. In ground, karri has the disadvantage of being termite-susceptible, compared with jarrah being termite-resistant. It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
It is worth noting that the sapwood of all species has low natural durability, but is durable after treatment with preservatives. Karri has a significantly greater proportion of sapwood in the cross-section of the stem than does jarrah. Treated karri sapwood can therefore provide more durable timber than what is possible in treated jarrah. Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
Consequently, in marine use the treated karri pile should provide a satisfactory working life. In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
In addition, karri is superior to jarrah in terms of impact resistance, a quality that may provide some advantages in jetty applications.
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