24 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2025 The year under review saw Member Services, in conjunction with other departments, primarily focused on activities aimed at easing the burden on members, not the least by securing an essence of cash flow during this time of financial stress as the Richards Bay mill rebuild continued. The Port loader accident at DWC in May 2024, inevitably caused a bottleneck all along the north to south supply chain. At one stage Richards Bay was the only access point for Acacia given the literal log jam across the chain. A challenging year for members. In order to alleviate the pressure on both members and the bark industry, several key activities were undertaken: • All Acacia supply from NCT own farms was suspended to give members preferential access. • The Richards Bay complex was used as a Acacia depot and trans-shipment yard, holding 20 000 tonnes of Acacia at any given time. This was moved to DWC as needed. • In the north two NTE depots were activated as a sales point, able to store around 8 000 tonnes each in total. • The Vryheid East depot served more as a transition and holding depot, holding key volumes for the mill, passing on as required. • Maximising Acacia to DWC, up to 60 000 tonnes per month, with limited Acacia direct access to DWC for northern members and a careful balance between north and south supply into DWC while DWC was able to accommodate this before the loader incident. • Richards Bay open as a biomass market for Eucalyptus growers via mobile chipping operations. • Strategic log swap and E.Smithii sales to a domestic market from time to time. • Careful management of all domestic sales points, both north and south, to maintain and where possible maximise the Eucalyptus flows. • Glenside and Ahrens NCT depots taking in peripheral tonnages of both Eucalyptus and Acacia. Acacia-bark supplying members were given preferential allocations to sustain our sister bark industry. This led to prolonged Acacia timber storage on member farm depots in some cases, with NCT committing to detailed plans to consume such stored material within as short a period as allowed by prevailing circumstances. A detailed storage and offtake plan was compiled by Member Services and the Acacia depot stock monitored critically. The value of signed Guaranteed Supply Tonnages (GST) was proven time and again given that supply per member, under constrained market conditions, could be tempered / controlled to the post-fire revised and signed GST limit. This provided a very fair and accessible means of managing timber flow. NCT members were hosted at the mill complex regularly to view the post-fire repair progress and to discuss the allocation processes and any concerns or suggestions. Regular briefs were sent out to the member base outlining developments on the market and mill repair front. Specific and regular guidance was given to assist members with the extent and timing of timber harvesting. MEMBERS
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