PNG Forest Products' proud history of helping Papua New Guinea develop over 50 years

Captions: 1. Plantation pine at Bulolo. 2. Golden Pine Plantations, Bulololo. 3. Lower Baiune Power Station, Bulolo

PNG Forest Products evolved from Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited that commenced operations in large-scale alluvial mining in the late 1920’s.

The Bulolo region was at the time one of the largest gold fields in the world.

A total of seven dredges scoured the valley floor, dredging thousands of tones of high grade gold-bearing ore.

As the mining operation scaled down, the plywood factory and sawmill were constructed.

In collaboration with the then government, the pine plantations were also established at this time.

In 1954, plywood production and the export of product to overseas destinations commenced.

From the early 1950’s the company has been involved in the conversion of both hardwood and plantation resource to high value end products.

Today, PNG Forest Products is the leading producer of timber and plywood products using only 100% plantation pine.

Its products include prefabricated houses, dressed timber and mouldings, treated power poles, export high grade plywood and veneers.

The company operates a 5.5MW Hydro Power Station at Baiune which was built pre-war to supply power to the gold dredges.

Today, it supplies the total power requirements for the company township of Bulolo and Wau.

PNG Forest Products is truly a self-sufficient organisation with retail stores, freezers, bakeries and a cattle farm.