“Put the foresters back in charge of the forests.”
Malcolm David McComb, Pentarch Group, quoted in The Monthly, November 2020
According to the 'privately-owned' Melbourne-based PENTARCH GROUP it commenced business in 1984, combining the expertise of five individuals with diverse commercial backgrounds. In the early 1990s, the group’s primary focus was on three key businesses - representing major international manufacturers of military hardware, exporting containerised hay to Japan, and exporting softwood logs to South Korea - through its Industrial, Forestry and Agricultural divisions.
By 2019 the Group was managing over 8,000ha of land - with est. 30 per cent of the defined forest area being native forest.
That year NSW Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Forestry John Barilaro announced Pentarch Logistics Pty Ltd was receiving a $3 million grant to drive innovation and technology advancements in the NSW forestry industry.
In August 2021 the Group purchased the assets of Dormit Pty Ltd which operated two sawmills and associated operations located at Dandenong South and Swifts Creek in Victoria. That same year Boral divested its timber business to the Group in October 2021. Allen Taylor & Company, Duncan’s Holdings and their subsidiaries (collectively known as Boral Timber) now trade under the brand Pentarch Forestry. This acquisition saw Pentarch add eight sawmills, including part ownership of the Highland Pine mill at Oberon, to allegedly become the largest hardwood processor in NSW.
Pentarch Forestry exports in excess of 800,000tn per annum of plantation softwood and hardwood from Australian and New Zealand ports. This division is actively involved in forestry harvesting and haulage; port logistics including marshalling, storage and stevedoring; and international marketing and shipping.
These days its forestry division boasts that its key woodchip and logs export destinations are; China, India, Japan, Korea and the Middle East. While its sawn timbers are listed as being sourced from; Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia.
By 2022 the Pentarch Group operated 20 sites nationally with a high concentration of timber mills in NSW.
The Pentarch Group clearly states:
Timber sustainably sourced from our native forests is our most valuable and precious resource and Pentarch Forestry™ takes pride in finding ways to better use every part of that resource.
In particular Pentarch Forestry harvests Tasmanian hardwood logs from the north-west of that state and timber from native forests (including privately-owned native forest) on land around Nungatta, Mila & Delegate in NSW, as well as from Combienbar, Murrangower & Bendoc in Victoria and, apparently sees itself as helping to protect and manage a large permanent native forest estate.
[Mapping at https://pentarchforestry.com.au/sustainability-environment/sustainable-forest-management/]
The Group's milled native timber is ending up as everything from solid timber floor boards through to mass produced wooden pallets for industry and woodchips as a secondary product.
Its offices can be found at 18 different locations across five states. [See list & details at end of this post]
In its April 2022 submission to the NSW Legislative Council's INQUIRY INTO LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND FUTURE OF THE TIMBER AND FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, Pentarch advocated for the permanent retention of multiuse State Forest. Also expressing a sense of frustration that the forestry industry had not been allowed carte blanche to clear the 2019-20 native forest fire grounds of all suitable timber. Apparently a firm believer in a forest restoration harvesting process. Leaving this reader with the suspicion that the Pentarch Group belongs to the 'lets keep the forest floor tidy' brigade.
2022 was also the year that Pentarch Forestry Pty Ltd had its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sustainability certification (first obtained in 2017) suspended when a renewal audit found that Pentarch’s due diligence system was out of date, regrowth native forest and plantation wood were at risk of being mixed together, and threatened species assessments were not being done.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison & Chairman Pentarch Group Malcolm McComb. IMAGE: Merimbula News Weekly, 23 June 2020 |
Despite the apparent ease of access to political decision makers large forestry corporations appear to enjoy at federal & state government level, this apparently doesn't satisfy all in the industry that their voices are the loudest.
The Pentarch Group chairman also reportedly co-founded Forest and Wood Communities Australia which has a dedicated website, a Facebook page and an X/Twitter account with the less than subtle principal aim of pushing back against so-called "environmental extremists", "ideological idiocy", criticising the Victorian Government and pressuring the NSW Minns Labor Government. The social media accounts in particular have a tendency to mislead.
The faces fronting the Pentarch Group are on display at:
http://www.pentarch.com.au/pentarch_team.html.
However, the principal corporations in this group are very careful to conceal shareholder identities - all shares in the following three registered companies are beneficially held by the companies on behalf of unnamed individuals/corporations.
Although it is not hard to imagine that the Sedger, McComb, Yuncken, Cuthbertson and Dadd families might properly feature heavily on the shareholder list - along with a discreet number of self-managed super funds, investment entities and trusts. It is also not hard to imagine that the 'hidden' nature of such shareholder lists might potentially contain conflicts of interest for state and local governments dealing with the forestry industry.
It is noted that the Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for Environment and Minister for Heritage, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW and Minister for Western NSW and the NSW Treasurer were meeting in 2023 with members of the forestry industry concerning what was loosely described as "forestry industry reform" and "forestry matters".
~~~~~~~~~~
PENTARCH GROUP PTY LTD
ACN: 064 165 635
ABN: 21064165635
Registered in: Victoria
Registration date: 31/03/1994
Registered address & principal place of business:
'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street,
SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
Directors:
MALCOLM DAVID MCCOMB (Victoria)
IAN KENNETH SEDGER (Victoria)
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN (Victoria)
FRASER JEFFREY CUTHBERTSON (Victoria)
STEPHEN GORDON DADD (NSW)
Company Secretary:
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN
Shares issued:
Ordinary Shares - 1,438 Fully Paid
838 Beneficially held by: TIMBER AUDITS & TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
600 Beneficially held by: PENTARCH GROUP PTY LTD
Current roles in the following organisations:
PENTARCH PERMACULTURE & CARBON PTY LTD
ACN: 661 995 035
ABN: 98661995035
Address: Unknown
OCEAN2EARTH PTY LTD
ACN: 663 110 629
ABN: 71663110629
Address: Unknown
Current shares and interests in:
*675,000 CLASS I SHARES & 1,125,000 CLASS
N_SHARES Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: SOUTH EAST FIBRE EXPORTS PTY LTD
ACN: 000 604 795
ABN: 85000604795
Address: Unit 1, 250 Charman Road, CHELTENHAM VIC 3192
*600 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: PENTARCH HOLDINGS PTY. LTD
ACN: 064 165 635
ABN: 21064165635
Address: Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
*96,000 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: ALLIED NATURAL WOOD ENTERPRISES PTY LTD
ACN: 607 144 089
ABN: 65607144089
Address: Jews Head Edrom Road, EDEN NSW 2551
*96,000 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: SAPPHIRE FORESTS PTY LTD
ACN: 607 256 780
ABN: 85607256780
Address: Jews Head Edrom Road, EDEN NSW 2551
*10,000 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: ALLIED NATURAL WOOD EXPORTS (TAS) PTY LTD
ACN: 619 876 345
ABN: 23619876345
Address: Jews Head, EDROM NSW 2551
*1,000 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: FORESTS IN PERPETUITY PTY LTD
ACN: 639 068 732
ABN: 84639068732
Address: Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
*73,740 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: TIMBER AUDITS & TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
ACN: 094 390 271
ABN: 88094390271
Address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
*10,000 Ordinary Shares Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: PENTARCH PERMACULTURE & CARBON PTY LTD
ACN: 661 995 035
ABN: 98661995035
Address: Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
~~~~~~~~~~
PENTARCH HOLDINGS PTY. LTD
ACN: 064 165 635
ABN: 21064165635
Registered in: Victoria
Registration date: 31/03/1994
Registered address & principal place of business:
'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street,
SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
Directors:
MALCOLM DAVID MCCOMB (Victoria)
IAN KENNETH SEDGER (Victoria)
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN (Victoria)
FRASER JEFFREY CUTHBERTSON (Victoria)
STEPHEN GORDON DADD (NSW)
Company Secretary:
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN
Shares issued:
Ordinary Shares - 1,438 Fully Paid
838 Beneficially Held by: TIMBER AUDITS & TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
600 Beneficially Held by: PENTARCH GROUP PTY LTD
Ultimate holding company for:
PENTARCH FOREST PRODUCTS PTY LTD
ACN: 059 465 879
ABN: 57059465879
Address: Level 2, 121-123 High Street, PRAHRAN VIC 3181
ARI LEASING PTY. LTD
ACN: 072 963 798
ABN: 77072963798
Address: Unknown
PENTARCH LOGISTICS PTY LTD
ACN: 075 432 254
ABN: 99075432254
Address: Level 2, 121-123 High Street, PRAHRAN VIC 3181
PENTARCH AGRICULTURAL PTY LTD
ACN: 101 274 613
ABN: 45101274613
Address: "KINGS GARDEN ESTATE", Level 1, 99 Coventry
Street, SOUTH MELBOURNE VIC 3205
SAPPHIRE HAULAGE PTY LTD
ACN: 132 292 436
ABN: 55132292436
Address: Unknown
NARROGIN HAY PTY LTD
ACN: 104 157 593
ABN: 73104157593
Address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
PENTARCH STEVEDORING PTY LTD
ACN: 108 439 185
ABN: 53108439185
Address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
MALLEE HAY PTY LTD
ACN: 123 956 089
ABN: 78123956089
Address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
PENTARCH FARMS PTY LTD
ACN: 123 956 105
ABN: 97123956105
Address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
~~~~~~~~~~
TIMBER AUDITS & TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD
ACN: 094 390 271
ABN: 88094390271
Registered in: Victoria
Registration date: 06/09/2000
Registered address & principal place of business:
Registered address: 'Kings Garden Estate' Level 1, 99 Coventry Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006
Directors:
MALCOLM DAVID MCCOMB (Victoria)
IAN KENNETH SEDGER (Victoria)
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN (Victoria)
Company Secretary:
SIMON JOHN YUNCKEN
Shares issued:
Ordinary Shares - 73,740 Fully Paid
Beneficially held by: PENTARCH GROUP PTY LTD
~~~~~~~~~~
Pentarch Group offices current as of 17.02.24:
TASMANIA
Massy Greene Drive
South Burnie, Tas, 7320
PO Box 3033
Ph: 03 6430 7333
VICTORIA
Level 1, 99 Coventry Street
Southbank, Vic, 3006
Ph: 03 9621 7900
Great Alpine Road,
Swifts Creek, Vic, 3896
Ph: 03 5159 4438
98 Indian Drive
Keysborough, Vic, 3173
Ph: 1800 818 317
96-106 Ordish Road,
Dandenong, Vic, 3175
Ph: 03 9706 5744
QUEENSLAND
838 Nudgee Road
Northgate, Qld, 4013
Ph: 1800 818 317
Suite 12 Level 1,
84 Wises Road
Maroochydore, Qld, 4558
PO Box 5561
Ph: 1800 818 317
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
176-178 Magill Road
Norwood, SA, 5067
Ph: 1800 818 317
NEW SOUTH WALES
Eden Log Export Facility
Lot 2, Edrom Road
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0252
Eden, NSW
Eden Chip Export Terminal
Edrom Road, Jews Head
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0222
420 Herons Creek Road
Herons Creek, NSW, 2443
Ph: 02 6585 7188
43 Mill Road
Koolkhan, NSW, 2460
PO Box 437
Ph: 02 6644 7280
13056 Summerland Way
Kyogle, NSW, 2474
PO Box 187
Ph: 02 6632 1866
148 Tweed Valley Way
Murwillumbah, NSW, 2484
PO Box 56
Ph: 02 6670 8700
6016/6018 Princess Highway
Narooma, NSW, 2546
PO Box 75
Ph: 02 4476 7908
Unit D1, Regents Park Estate
391 Park Road
Regents Park, NSW, 2143
Ph: 1800 818 317
50 BTU Road
South Nowra, NSW, 2541
PO Box 5014
Ph: 02 4447 8262
PRINCIPAL SOURCES:
- ASIC company extracts retrieved 16.02.24
- The Pentarch Group website at http://www.pentarch.com.au/
- Industry news media
- Submission 233, NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Long term sustainability and future of the timber and forests products industry.
- Pentarch Forestry, Forestry Management Plan, September 2019.
- NSW Government, 2023 Ministers' Diary Disclosures at https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/the-cabinet-office/access-to-information/ministers-diary-disclosures/2023
- The New Bush Telegraph, NSW Biggest Native Forest Logger Loses Sustainability Certification, 10 September 2022.
- Michael West Independent Media, Big logging company Pentarch pinged for shifty forestry practices, 7 September 2022.
- Forest and Wood Communities Australia at https://fwca.org.au/news/ https://twitter.com/woodcommunities & https://www.facebook.com/WoodCommunities/
