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The Timber Framing Campaign has announced its FY26 funding partners and another year of the campaign, which originated in 2018. Campaign manager Chris Briggs said that despite tough market conditions the funding partners were showing their industry leadership and commercial astuteness in the investment of this campaign collaboration. Source: Timberbiz The campaign will continue to work with four other past contributing companies and would also welcome new funding partners to discuss their involvement in the campaign, to grow and defend the timber framing category in Australia. The Timber Framing Campaign funding partners for FY26 are AKD, OneFortyOne, Timberlink, Wespine, Storaenso, Vida, FTMA, Koppers, arxada, MiTek, pryda, Multinail, Responsible Wood, NTHA and Timber Queensland. Ms Briggs said that with demand still soft, the question of “supporting local” continues to surface. She said many of the funding partners were Australian-owned and actively promoted their Australian-made credentials. The Australian Made Campaign’s research showed 73% of consumers preferred Australian-made, but this preference faded if it delayed a build or increased cost. When it came to building materials, consumers trusted the builder to make the right call. Australian-made is a feature, not a benefit in classic marketing terms. If local supply means faster turnaround, reliable delivery, and agility to meet demand, then it’s a benefit builders will value and promote themselves. But a strong timber framing category depends on both domestic and imported supply. With 20–25% of framing imported, the focus must remain on quality and reliability, regardless of source. Certified imported timber supports the same sustainability narrative and often outperforms steel on environmental credentials like embodied carbon. While some builders may prefer Australian-made materials, it’s not the ultimate differentiator. In B2B markets, environmental performance is far more compelling. Timber’s renewability, carbon storage, and low embodied emissions remain our greatest category strengths, whether the product is local or imported. Perceived quality also matters. Fortunately, our global partners invest heavily in certified forestry, quality control, and long-term reputation. Ongoing improvements, like Country-of-Origin labelling and audited QA systems, enhance trust and transparency. The collective message is this: timber framing offers builders reliable, ethical, and sustainable options, from a range of trusted suppliers. This choice and flexibility stand in stark contrast to the monopoly-like positioning of steel. While individual companies on the manufacturing end, will continue to promote their own value propositions, it’s the unified voice of the Renewable Timber Framing campaign that ensures the whole category remains relevant, resonant, and ready to meet the market, now and into the future.

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On National Tree Day Sunday 27 July, Australians across the country had the opportunity to connect with their community and nature by planting a tree. Source: Timberbiz An annual event since 1996, National Tree Day has grown into Australia’s largest community tree planting and nature care event. During this time, about five million Australians have planted 28 million trees and volunteered 10 million hours of their time to give back to their community. “National Tree Day is a great reminder for people that you can do something very simple like plant a native tree to help protect and enhance the environment,” Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said. “Getting involved in National Tree Day helps raise awareness about the importance of trees and the role they play in our environment, from cooling our urban areas to providing shelter and food for native species. This includes homes for threatened animals like koalas, spectacled flying-foxes, and swift parrots. “All of us can make a difference in our local communities.” While many communities around Australia were able to plant trees on the day, Shepparton had to take a rain check. The event was moved to 31 August due to the heavy rainfall expected in the area. “We were looking forward to this year’s celebration, but the significant rainfall predicted in the days leading into the event will create unsafe conditions for participants, leading to the decision to postpone,” Greater Shepparton city Mayor Shane Sali said. “The good news is we’ve locked in a new date on Sunday, August 31, 2025, and we are excited to welcome residents and volunteers for a fantastic day of planting and community spirit in Mooroopna.”

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Earlier this month, FWPA approved seven research proposals worth $8.75 million selected from the January 2025 open call. Chosen from 36 total expressions of interest, the successful proposals represent some of the most forward-thinking ideas in the sector. Source: Timberbiz Proposals were reviewed by scientific experts, grower representatives, and an independent economist to ensure a strong return on investment and direct benefit to the forestry industry. The approved projects focus on remote sensing for forest health surveillance and resource modelling, robotics and automation, phytosanitary treatments for log exports, and invasive species management. All major commercial forest-growing regions are represented, with proposals led by research teams in collaboration with growers. FWPA will publish further details of the projects in coming weeks, once contracting is complete. “In evaluating the proposals, there was a strong focus on scientific merit and benefit to industry, and I thank the many industry members and independent scientists who contributed to the robust process,” said Jodie Mason, FWPA’s Head of Forest Research. These new research investments align with FWPA’s Research, Development, and Extension (RD&E) Investment Plans. These plans were created in close consultation with Australia’s commercial forest growers in 2019 and have been progressively updated to ensure all research is targeted, timely, and focused on sector priorities. By investing in high-impact research, FWPA continues to support sustainable growth, improved forest management, and long-term resilience across the industry. The total $8.75 million investment includes a $4.45 million contribution from FWPA. This is made up of industry levies, voluntary cash contributions from growers, and matching funding from the Australian Government. In addition, industry members and research partners are providing further financial and in-kind support. This collaborative funding model ensures long-term, stable investment in research that delivers real value to growers and the wider sector. FWPA’s recent funding announcement and the upcoming Grower CEO Research Roundtable reflect the organisation’s focus on practical solutions through partnership. These efforts reinforce the importance of industry-wide collaboration to solve challenges, identify opportunities, and lead the sector forward. With FWPA at the helm, Australia’s forestry industry is well-positioned to continue transforming challenges into opportunities — fostering innovation, promoting sustainability, and supporting long-term growth.

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The fight for residents to have a wood pellet mill development moved from a major highway has continued. In 2021, Altus Renewables put forward plans to build a $120m renewable energy plantation along Hutchinson Road, adjacent to the Mount Gambier and Regional Airport. Source: Charlotte Varcoe The Border Watch The initial plan would have attracted a large number of b-double trucks during both day and nighttime with near-by residents raising concerns. Now, Albioma, which purchased Altus Renewables upon its liquidation, has taken another chance at the mammoth project which would utilise wood products from forest floors to create the pellets and turn it into energy. According to the company’s website, the plant would produce 300,000 tonnes of prospective wood pellets per year on a 57-hectare site. Albioma has officially put forward an application for the development on PlanSA without plans being released, something which has marked concern from the District Council of Grant as well as local residents. Elected members opted to stick by its original stance with the pellet mill and requested a fresh CASA assessment against the development and any potential impact on the airport. Council also decided to request a community engagement and representation process as part of the development while continuing its position the development was planned to be in close proximity to the airport and was “not appropriate” for large scale industrial development. The motion – which was passed unanimously – also opted to support the land reverting back to rural zoning in line with council’s previous development plan should the development be unsuccessful. District Council of Grant mayor Kylie Boston said elected members wanted to have the same voice going back to the development yet again. “The development appears to be a bit different, there is no opportunity for representation from the community which is something we have asked our chief executive officer to include because for us sitting here when we are not part of the assessment, we would like to see it fairly done so everyone has a chance at representation,” Ms Boston said. “We are a council which is open for business and for development, we recognise the economic development and high-level investment and employment opportunities which the pellet mill develops, and we are largely in favour of being open for business while also listening to the needs and considerations in terms of the ongoing sustainable operation of the airport.” She said that was why council had requested a new assessment against the development which would include traffic to be managed in accordance with the council’s previous position. “Council is seeking the government to commit to a process of community engagement or representation to ensure local voices can be heard in this matter,” Ms Boston said. “Over everything this is part of what we do as a council, we ask for views from everybody and we should always be seeking that feedback from our community. “The last assessment had a number of representors who put in submissions and although it is closely aligned there may be some changes which the community are interested in or favour for or against and that type of feedback helps to inform the decision and the condition which may be required as part of the assessment.” Local resident and adjacent landowner Barney McCusker said the proposed mill was not in an adequate location, stating he believed it would be better positioned in a secluded forest area. “The process is just another process like burning coal and burning gas to produce heat, to produce steam and it will still produce carbon dioxide,” Mr McCusker said. “It is in the same category which is a green energy process to help save the planet, but it is still producing carbon dioxide and there are only three ways to actually produce electricity without producing carbon dioxide and that is solar, wind and nuclear.” He said should the process be portrayed to be green and reduce carbon footprint; it would be inaccurate. “The product and wood in general is a good way of sequestrating carbon, if we actually grow the trees and cut the timber down and make houses out of it, we are locking carbon into our houses,” Mr McCusker said. “If we took the product off the forest floor and instead of turning it into pellets, we turned it into a product and made a fiber board out of it and put that into our houses, we would also be sequestering carbon.” He said council advocating for community representation and engagement was a positive step in regard to the elected members duty of care to ratepayers. “It is a very clear process, we live in an open, pluralistic society and all these things should be a matter of openness,” he said.

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The Benalla Ensign has stated that it was told by an employee of ForestOne that around 140 jobs would be made redundant at the company’s particleboard manufacturing plant in Benalla. Source: Timberbiz ForestOne is one of the area’s largest employers and the shutdown of the particleboard and dry sawmill would have a great impact on the region even if there were fewer job losses than the stated 140. The company will not confirm how many job losses there would be as they say they are still to determine that. There is also no date set for the closure. In a statement ForestOne managing director Ian Fankhanel said that costs were the main factor that had made it “unviable at the present time to continue making particleboard and drying timber”. The company also said that it was facing increasing governmental and compliance costs plus weak demand, and low market prices also contributed. Mr Fankhanel said that the prices sold in the market are some of the lowest in 20 years with no significant lift in demand on the horizon. High freight costs to interstate locations meant the company had been focused on selling within Victoria but Mr Fankhanel said it was the worst performing state in the country. ForestOne will continue to run its green sawmill manufacturing and lamination line and hoped that in the future if demand returned it could start up full production again.

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