Speech Detail

Honourable Speaker of Parliament;

The Honourable Prime Minister;

Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers;

Honourable Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers;

Honourable Leader of the Opposition;

Honourable Members of Parliament;

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good morning to you all.

Honourable Speaker Sir, I rise to deliver my statement on the status of timber treatment in Fiji.

Honourable speaker Sir, I am delivering this statement because the issue of selling sub-standard treated timber on the domestic market is a cause for concern and has become one of critical national interest. Last month Hon. Premila Kumar raised this issue in the media and so did the Consumer Council of Fiji (CCF), raising a crucial question on the role of the Ministry of Forestry in this regard.

I must thank the Hon. Premila Kumar and the CCF for raising this important issue, especially when we are faced with the serious challenges relating to the incursion of the Asian subterranean termites.

As you may all know, the main purpose of treating timber with chemicals is to protect the timber from insect attack and fungal decay, making it more durable and be able to last longer in service. Without treatment, many species of timber, including pine, will not be suitable for use in exposed and ground contact situations.

Timber treatment therefore substantially extends the service life of timber, particularly for those with lower natural durability classes, including a number of our native timbers and our main plantation species.

It must however be noted that the treating of timber with chemicals is not compulsory. This is because some untreated timbers from species such as pine, can be used without any problems for some specific end uses, especially for non-load bearing and in fully protected situations and out of ground contact. Also low grade timbers destined for boxing purposes are not normally treated.

At the same time, there are native species, the heartwood of which are naturally durable and do not need to be treated. So, in the market, one has a choice of purchasing either treated or untreated timber depending on one’s requirements. It is only when a timber processor elects to undertake timber treatment that the current legislation comes into play to ensure that certain quality and safety standards are met.

Honourable speaker Sir, the Ministry of Forestry currently regulates the operations of all Timber Treatment Plants in the country as required under the Forest (Timber Preservatives) Regulations 1992. As we speak, we have 29 registered timber treatment plants and so far 14 are licensed to operate this year.

These plants are licensed annually and are monitored on a quarterly basis.

The monitoring of these plants focuses on Operator competency, health & safety and quality control where timber samples are collected on a monthly basis for testing, looking at the concentration and penetration of preservative chemicals in the timber to ensure that these are within the required standards.

Different end uses have different levels of chemicals with assigned brandings, including:

H2 – Interior use (fully protected from the weather and not in ground contact)

H3 – Exterior use (not in ground contact)

H4 – Posts (low risk and ground contact)

H5 – Poles (high risk and ground contact)

H6 – Post/Poles (marine use)

All licensed timber treatment plants should have the appropriate branding gears to enable them to brand their treated timbers, showing the treatment plant ID number, the chemical used and the hazard level to which the timber has been treated. One end of every piece of treated timber should be branded as described.

As would be noted Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Forest (Timber Preservatives) Regulations 1992 mandates the Ministry of Forestry to license and monitor the operation of timber treatment plants, but does not authorize the Ministry of Forestry to also ensure that timber users only buy timbers which are treated according to the legally prescribed standards.

We can only advise and offer our assistance in the proper specification of timbers and also in the inspection to ensure that the specifications have been followed.

To this end, the Ministry of Forestry has been working tirelessly over the years, carrying out awareness and training with timber retailers and hardware shops, and also using the radio talkback shows and the Na I Katalau TV Program to educate and to raise the awareness of the general public.

Consumers need to know and understand what they are buying for and what they need to ask retailers as well as seek in the specifications, the level of treatment and what hazard level the timber is suitable for.

As this issue of sub-standard timbers continues to be a challenge, especially in the face of the incursion of the Asian subterranean termites, the Ministry is at the moment exploring the possibility of developing a Timber Marketing Regulation to also oversee the operation of timber retailers.

In closing my statement, it is important to note that treating timber with chemicals is only part of the solution. Proper design of buildings and proper specification of building materials, all go a long way in ensuring that we are better protected, especially against termites.

Honorable Speaker, Sir and members of the house, I thank you for your indulgence.