Australia’s forest industries are disappointed that AUSTimber 2020/21 has been cancelled. We do however understand how difficult this was for the organisers who tried so hard to work around the COVID induced difficulties, CEO of AFPA Ross Hampton and CEO of VFPA Deb Kerr said today.
The event was spearheaded by the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) and scheduled for November in Gormandale, Victoria. The four-yearly event, held over several days, usually attracts thousands of visitors to the region and is a fantastic way of showcasing the timber industry and its many innovations.
“This is one of the biggest events for Australia’s forest industries. A lot of hard work has gone into the event to showcase what we do, so we feel for our colleagues at AFCA,” Mr Hampton said.
“The timber industry, like many others, has taken a few big hits with the devastating 2019/20 bushfires and then, of course, the pandemic. This flagship event is not suited to a virtual format. The cancellation is sad but ultimately understandable,” Ms Deb Kerr said.
“We thank the organisers for the hard work they’ve put in and hope that the gap in showcasing our industries can be filled in due course,” Ms Kerr concluded.
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Find the original media release here.