In mid-2007 the PNG Sustainable Development Programme purchased a majority shareholding in Cloudy Bay Sustainable Forestry Ltd with a view to increasing production from under 10,000 cubic metres of log 60,000.and thereby providing jobs and social infrastructure to the local population. The site is approx. 250km east of Port Moresby.
Prior to the takeover the previous management at Cloudy Bay had purchased used sawmill equipment from the Demby and Drouin West Sawmills in Victoria. International forestry consultants Poyry, were called in as consultants for the project and quickly realized that the gear was inadequate to cut the 60,000 cubic metres required. After assessing the situation Poyry selected Gibsons to come up with an appropriate mill design and assess what existing equipment could be utilised Sawmill design was based on similar Gibson mills cutting hardwood in Australia. Cloudy Bay management toured some of these sawmills and were suitably impressed with the concept put forward by Gibsons supplied new sawmill equipment where necessary but utilised the old sawmill equipment where they could in order to minimise expenditure. The sawmill consists of two Gibson Linebar carriage systems with band headrigs, a band resaw and two benches with appropriate sawn and materials waste handling systems.