Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday 14th November through an online meeting. FWPA board members and staff were in attendance, along with members and industry stakeholders.
In his address to the AGM, FWPA Chair Craig Taylor emphasised FWPA’s appreciation for the support of our industry associations, in particular, our three national representative bodies, the Australian Forest Products Association, the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia and the Australian Timber Importers Federation. He also expressed FWPA’s thanks for the support received from the Australian Government through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
FWPA board updates
The 2024 AGM marked the end of service for three FWPA board directors. Craig expressed gratitude on behalf of FWPA to Steve Dadd, Nick Roberts and Yvonne Pengilly for their care and dedication during their time on the board. To fill these vacancies, FWPA Members (both those in attendance at the AGM and those that had submitted proxies advance) unanimously elected Dr Michelle Freeman, Mr Matt Crapp and Mr Cameron MacDonald as Non-Executive Directors of FWPA for four-year terms.
“We welcome Michelle, Matt and Cameron to the FWPA board and thank them for their willingness to support our company with their time and expertise,” said Craig.
“I am certain the new directors will bring unique perspectives and similarly strong commitment to excellence as our outgoing colleagues.” Craig extended his appreciation and recognition to continuing board members Katie Fowden and Professor Tony Arnel, and to the entire FWPA team led by Andrew Leighton FWPA’s CEO.
Meet our new FWPA Board Members
Dr Michelle Freeman
Michelle is a passionate forester with operations and planning experience in native forest timber production in southern Australia.
Michelle has extensive board, advisory council, committee and governmental policy experience. She is current President and Chair of Forestry Australia and a Commissioner for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. She is also a member of the Federal Government’s Strategic Forest and Renewables Partnership and the Farm Forestry Expert Panel for Local Land Services NSW.
In 2018, Michelle completed her PhD conducting research with the Tiwi Island Land Council and CSIRO.
Matt Crapp
As a business and investment leader, Matt has managed private and public forestry and agriculture assets for over 25 years.
His career spans operational field forestry in plantation and natural forests, forest and agriculture investment fund management, executive leadership, and non-executive Board roles in forestry companies and the environmental sector. His focus is on developing commercial and operational practices to optimise long-term asset value, in collaboration with commercial, community and government stakeholders.
Matt holds graduate qualifications in forestry from ANU and postgraduate business qualifications from Deakin University and RMIT.
Cameron MacDonald
Cameron is passionate about the science of how forests survive and thrive. This has led to a career in safely and sustainably managing forests to create renewable products that society uses every day.
Cameron was one of three industry representatives appointed by the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to the Strategic Forest and Renewable Materials Partnership, a forum for industry, unions and government to exchange ideas and promote cooperation within the forest and wood products industries. He personally drove greater national collaboration between forest growers on safety, fire management and research and development, leading to the establishment of the Green Triangle Fire Alliance and the Growers Research Advisory Committee.
Reflecting on 2024
In his address, Craig Taylor reflected on a challenging year for the forest and wood products industry, and the impact of these challenges on FWPA’s operations.
“High interest rates, cost of living pressures weakness in key export markets, relatively low housing starts, and construction activity have contributed to a downturn in demand for wood products manufactured in Australia,” he said.
“Our members have had to tighten their belts – and in turn, FWPA had to do the same: operating with reduced revenue and planning for a potential further year of doing more with less.
“I congratulate the whole FWPA team in delivering a small surplus for the financial year whilst receiving another clean and unqualified external audit.
“In this environment, it is more important than ever to ensure our activities reflect the priorities and needs of our levy paying members and we engage meaningfully with stakeholders in our planning and in communicating how and where we are investing.
“Under the leadership of CEO Andrew Leighton, the FWPA team has produced another year of dedicated work and innovation in trying circumstances. The team remains committed to delivering value for members and stakeholders alike and I thank them for their efforts.”
Program updates
This year marks the first full year of reporting under the new 2023-28 Strategic Plan. Under the plan, we report against specific key performance indicators (KPIs), which measure our progress towards our strategic goals.
The 2023-24 annual report outlines the activities, highlights and results from a productive year at FWPA.
The year ahead
Forecasts indicate the year ahead may continue to present challenges for most of our members. Craig concluded “To support our members, FWPA will continue its focus on improving our services, driving growth and providing value for money for industry, Government funders, and other stakeholders.”
