Australian timber industry news

History keeps repeating itself in the smouldering forests of southwest France, now ash-covered and charred. Sources: The Associated Press and Mark Carlson, Toronto Star Devastated by previous blazes in 2022 and 1949, when 82 people died, the largest human-made woodland in Western Europe has again been ravaged by wildfires which burned an area four times the size of Paris. The forests of Les Landes — covering 10,000 square kilometres (3,860 square miles) were created in the 19th century for timber and resin production. They comprise endless rows of pines in neat, close lines, which works against them in a wildfire, with flames jumping easily from one tree to another. Blazes loom as a growing danger for the timberland because Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent. But climate change isn’t its sole vulnerability, experts say. They also point to the very nature of such industrial plantation, whose origins date back to the Second French Empire. The latest disaster is forcing a rethink in France about how to better prepare and manage forest expanses to cope with hotter, drier, more fire-prone conditions made worse by human-caused climate change, from the burning of coal, oil and gas. President Emmanuel Macron said a different kind of forest should be replanted. “The structural conditions created by climate change, under which we will have to live, have changed,” he said. “So has the pressure from housing and tourism.” Maritime pine is considered relatively fire-resistant due to its thick bark and ability to regenerate naturally. But experts believe its monoculture increases risk. Single-species forests of conifers are drier than mixed forests of broadleaf trees and conifers, favouring flames. “In a healthy, diverse forest there are multiple tree species, different age classes and several layers of vegetation, from ground plants and shrubs to mature trees such as oaks and beeches,” says Nathalie Naulet, an expert in forestry and agriculture. “In these ecosystems, less than 3% of the sun’s radiation reaches the forest floor.” In Les Landes, that layered structure does not exist. “Without a protective canopy, the soil heats up and dries out,” Naulet said. “The top few centimetres of soil, which should normally consist of water-rich humus, become dry and impoverished. In many places, humus has virtually disappeared.” Broadleaf trees retain more moisture, better for resisting fire. Pine trees coat the forest floor with mounds of flammable dead leaves that are springy underfoot, but which can smoulder long after a blaze. Fire crews and citizens are now dousing smoking embers — a job that could take weeks. “No matter how much we try to extinguish it, re-extinguish it, re-extinguish it, it keeps restarting all the time,” said Jean-Francois Pauner, 64, a resident helping the effort. Resinous pinecones can also ignite and be hurled hundreds of meters by wind, helping fire spread. “You end up with fires breaking out in every direction,” Naulet said. “Add heat and drought, and you get the picture.” Les Landes’ forests developed following a 1857 law on the drainage and cultivation of the Landes de Gascogne. Ruler Napoleon III ordered municipalities to sow maritime pines and sell off the heathlands, regarded as unproductive. Marshland was transformed into productive forest. The last shepherds who tended their flocks while walking on stilts disappeared. The forest displaced peasants. They found work in the timber industry and the harvesting of pine resin. The forest’s main purpose now is timber production. More than 90% of the forest area in Les Landes is privately owned, with 75% held by just 20% of landowners. The National Forest Office and local municipalities manage the remainder. According to the Southwest Foresters’ Association, which represents more than 65% of the privately owned forest in the region, the sector supports an estimated 60,000 jobs and generates more than 10 billion euros (US$11.5 billion) in annual revenue. Changing the way the Landes forests are managed will require negotiations between the timber industry, owners, and public authorities. If monoculture is partially abandoned in certain areas, financial compensation will be necessary. Nicolas Lafon, the association’s president, said rebuilding will require “financial resources commensurate with the scale of the challenge.” “Forest owners reject any attempt to portray them as being responsible for a disaster of which they are the primary victims,” he said. “They now expect the French government, elected officials, and all public stakeholders to implement a truly ambitious, coherent, and long-term national forest policy.” The national rethink on forests is also extending to wildlife. An online petition calling for a hunting moratorium in burned woodlands has gathered more than 300,000 signatories. Geographer Arthur Guérin-Turcq says that when fires start in the Landes, they can spread without encountering breaks until they reach villages. “It is therefore necessary to create buffer zones around settlements,” he said. Other possible solutions could include adding wetlands, more farmland or more businesses that aren’t so fire prone. Another option is to introduce more broadleaf trees. But transforming the entire forested area is a tall order in poor soils, said Guérin-Turcq, who wrote a report on the 2022 wildfires that displaced 37,000 people and destroyed 320 square kilometres (124 square miles) of forest. Bruno Lafon, regional president of the Forest Fire Defense Association, called for stronger wildfire prevention. “We need larger, well-maintained firebreaks, even if that means sacrificing 1,000 or 2,000 hectares,” he said. “Otherwise, we risk losing the Landes forest.”

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The Sumitomo Forestry Group publishes an Integrated Report every year to inform shareholders, investors, and all other stakeholders about its yearly performance and medium to long-term initiatives for corporate value enhancement, and to provide an opportunity for further dialogue. Source: Timberbiz This Integrated Report 2026, which reports on activities during the fiscal year ended December 2025, reaffirms the significance of the wood cycle and clearly presents the group’s approach to value creation. The report also provides a detailed update on the progress of Mission TREEING 2030 Phase 2, the Medium-term Management Plan established to realize the Long-term Vision for 2030, and presents the strategies and business models of each business segment. This report is intended to serve as a medium for stakeholders, including shareholders and investors, to better understand the Sumitomo story. In addition to this report, the IR section of the company’s website provides IR information in both Japanese and English, including financial results, financial factbooks, briefing materials, and monthly order information related to the Housing Business. Detailed information on sustainability initiatives is available in Japanese and English on the sustainability section of the website. You can download the report here.

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The US Forest Service announced US$105.5 million in wood innovation grants for 177 projects across the nation that support active management of national forests and grasslands, promote wood and energy infrastructure by increasing manufacturing capacity and operational efficiencies and support rural economic prosperity and jobs. Source: Timberbiz The grants include US$31 million for 113 wood innovation projects, US$17 million for 23 community wood projects, and US$57 million for 41 wood products infrastructure assistance projects. The selected projects across 44 states and the District of Columbia will create and retain jobs, reduce wildfire risks for communities adjacent to federal or tribal lands, improve forest health and expand economic opportunities for forest products businesses. “The greatest threat to forest landowners and those who use forests is the lack of critical markets in today’s timber and wood products industries,” US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “There are significant gaps where low-value wood, small diameter trees and restoration byproducts lack viable buyers. To close these gaps, we are investing in companies and organizations that are developing technologies, products, business models and training to expand and strengthen markets directly connected to forest restoration. “Over time, this will help create new uses for underused materials, strengthen rural economies, improve forest health, and make forest management more financially sustainable.” National forests and the wood products industry are intricately linked in ways that benefit landscapes, communities, and the broader national economy, especially for rural economies that rely on healthy forests. Active forest management including environmentally responsible timber harvests, helps reduce wildfire risk, improves forest health and maintains diverse, resilient ecosystems. By extension, the wood products industry creates a market for the byproducts of active forest management, turning small-diameter timber, dry, overgrown vegetation that can fuel wildfires and other industrial byproducts into useful projects that support jobs and rural communities. The wood innovations investments support President Trump’s Executive Order on Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L Rollins’ direction to have the Forest Service to ramp up active forest management to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity. Byproducts of these activities such as small diameter timber and woody biomass have historically had little market value. Forest Service grant programs help create new opportunities to use this material in a wide range of wood products.

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OneFortyOne has released a new video providing an overview of the Jubilee Co-Generation Boiler Project, one of the most significant investments in the future of the Jubilee Sawmill and the company’s sustainability journey. Source: Timberbiz The video explains how the project will modernise energy generation at the site by converting sawmill residues into renewable energy, reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency. Once complete, the facility will be capable of producing enough renewable electricity to power the sawmill’s operations, with the potential to export surplus energy to the grid. OneFortyOne Executive General Manager Australia Cameron MacDonald said the project represents a major step forward for the business and the region. “The Co-Generation Boiler Project is a cornerstone of our emissions reduction strategy and demonstrates how manufacturing and sustainability can work hand in hand,” Mr MacDonald said. “The new video is a great way for our employees, customers, and community to better understand what we’re building and the long-term benefits it will deliver.” The video is now available to view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq3lddh9UYc

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New Canadian research echoes themes explored by Australia’s System 600 while highlighting different approaches to industrialised housing. Source: Built Offsite When Perkins&Will recently released its research into a modular mass timber housing system for Canada, the immediate takeaway was straightforward: another country is exploring how prefabrication, standardisation and offsite manufacturing might help address housing supply. Look a little closer, however, and another story emerges. Although developed independently and for different purposes, the Canadian research and Australia’s System 600 initiative appear to be grappling with many of the same questions. How can housing become easier to manufacture? How can design, approvals and construction become more repeatable? And how can industrialised construction support domestic manufacturing rather than relying on isolated proprietary systems? The answers, however, are not identical. The Canadian project, developed by Perkins&Will in collaboration with industry and academic partners, is built around a rationalised structural grid, a concise kit of prefabricated components, coordinated building services and modular planning principles. The objective is to streamline design, manufacturing and assembly while supporting Canada’s housing and climate objectives. Many of those themes will sound familiar to Australians following Building 4.0 CRC’s System 600 research, which also explores standardised design rules, coordinated interfaces and component-based construction. Neither project simply asks how to manufacture buildings in a factory. Instead, both investigate whether greater coordination across design, manufacturing and construction can improve productivity, simplify delivery and create more repeatable outcomes. Where they diverge is in their starting point. The Canadian research is firmly rooted in mass timber. It examines how engineered timber, modular planning and prefabricated components can work together to produce adaptable, low-carbon housing while strengthening Canada’s timber manufacturing sector. System 600, by contrast, begins with a broader manufacturing platform. Rather than focusing on a particular material, it explores whether common dimensional rules and standardised interfaces can enable multiple manufacturers and building systems to operate within a shared framework. In that sense, the Canadian work starts with a construction system built around timber, while System 600 starts with the concept of interoperability across the construction supply chain. The distinction is important because it reflects different ways of approaching the same challenge. The value of comparing these initiatives is not to determine which approach is superior. Both remain research programs rather than established industry models, and both will continue to evolve through testing and industry engagement. System 600, in particular, has generated considerable discussion within Australia’s offsite sector. Some participants see value in developing common interfaces and greater interoperability, while others have questioned aspects of its framework, implementation and potential role within a diverse manufacturing ecosystem. Those differing perspectives are part of the ongoing conversation about how industrialised construction should develop in Australia. What is perhaps most noteworthy is that researchers in two different countries are increasingly asking similar questions. Rather than focusing solely on individual products, whether volumetric modules, panels or pods, both initiatives are examining how housing can be designed around coordinated systems, manufacturing logic and repeatable processes. That does not necessarily point towards a single international model. Instead, it suggests the conversation around industrialised construction is becoming more sophisticated. The focus is shifting beyond factory-built buildings towards the broader systems that enable them to be designed, manufactured and assembled more efficiently. Whether those ideas ultimately lead to common standards, multiple competing platforms or entirely different approaches remains to be seen. What is already evident, however, is that the discussion is no longer confined to individual building systems. Increasingly, it is about how entire manufacturing ecosystems can be organised to deliver housing at greater scale, while responding to the priorities and capabilities of each country. To find out more about System 600 visit https://www.prefabaus.org.au/news-events/rethinking-prefabrication-how-system-600-is-pioneering-a-new-kit-of-parts-approach-to-australias-housing-crisis Find the proposed Canadian mass timber modular housing system at https://www.modulartimberhousing.ca/

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The company behind Ikea’s flat-pack furniture has quietly become one of the biggest forest owners in New Zealand, and it wants to more than double the land it holds there. Source: Newswire Ingka Investments, the investment arm of the Ingka Group that owns most of the world’s Ikea stores, now controls about 43,000 hectares of New Zealand forest worth in the order of NZ$648 million. That makes New Zealand the group’s fifth-largest forestry holding by country, behind Latvia, the United States, Estonia and Romania, out of a global portfolio of more than 500,000 hectares. The company has told RNZ it plans to push its New Zealand estate towards 100,000 hectares. Ingka started buying New Zealand farmland in August 2021 and has since spread across Southland, Otago, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, the Bay of Plenty and Northland. Of the current holding, about 17,175 hectares was already in forestry when the company bought it, while 23,838 hectares has been converted from farmland into trees. Roughly 31,500 hectares is in productive plantation, with the balance set aside for conservation. Central Hawke’s Bay is where the shift is most visible. Ingka has turned six farms into forest since 2021 and now says it is the largest forestry owner in the district. One of its most recent purchases was an 850-hectare block about 15 minutes from Waipukurau, bought in 2025, adding to plantations such as a 650-hectare stand near Wallingford Station. For a company that owns so much land, Ingka has kept a low profile, and its managers say that is deliberate rather than secretive. “We’ve got nothing to hide. We’re an open book,” Forestland country manager Kelvin Meredith told RNZ, adding that the company did not “need to wave the flag how great we are”. Operations manager Dylan Foster said the buying was not finished, telling the broadcaster that “if the right farm came up, we’d definitely look at” it. The operation is a real employer in a part of the country that needs the work. Ingka runs about 250 staff across its New Zealand forestry business, and that number swells to roughly 800 people during planting season, when crews move through the blocks planting, releasing and pruning young trees over the first 10 to 12 years of a rotation. About 60 percent of the timber is exported, chiefly to China, India and Korea, with the remaining 40%  sold into the domestic market. The expansion lands in the middle of one of rural New Zealand’s most heated arguments. More than 300,000 hectares of sheep and beef country has been converted to forestry since 2017, and the Climate Change Commission has projected that another 900,000 hectares could follow by 2050 on current settings. Farming groups have warned for several years that whole districts risk losing the families, schools and stock trucks that keep a rural economy turning when productive hill country is planted in pine. Successive governments have tried to slow the conversion of the most productive farmland into carbon forests without shutting the door on genuine timber investment. Ingka is at pains to separate itself from the carbon-farming operators that have drawn the sharpest criticism. The company says it has not planted any of its New Zealand trees purely to earn carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme, and that its business is growing wood to cut, mill and sell. It has said it may look at carbon offsetting in future, but that harvesting timber, much of it destined for its own supply chains, is the point of the exercise. Fire risk is one area where the company has faced questions. A blaze on Ingka land near Porangahau in 2025 burned about 240 hectares, and New Zealand does not require forest owners to carry fire insurance. Meredith said the company took the responsibility seriously and would meet the cost of any damage it caused, telling RNZ it “will not shy away from paying”. Forest manager Blake Jones described using wetland setbacks and buffer zones as an environmental filter to protect waterways running through the estate. Because Ingka is a foreign investor, its purchases of forestry land need consent from the Overseas Investment Office, which weighs the benefits a buyer brings against the sensitivity of the land. Forestry has its own streamlined pathway under the overseas investment rules, a setting that has itself been contested by those who argue it makes it too easy for offshore money to buy New Zealand hill country and plant it out. For all the debate, the underlying driver is simple economics. Owners of marginal sheep and beef country have been offered prices for their land that pastoral farming cannot match, and a company the size of Ingka can take a very long view, waiting decades for a return that lines up with its need for a steady supply of timber. Whether doubling that footprint to 100,000 hectares is good for the districts involved depends on who you ask, and on whether the jobs and export earnings that come with a working forest outweigh what is lost when the last of the stock leaves the hills.

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Wesbeam has been named Big River Group’s Supplier of the Year for the second consecutive time, securing back-to-back wins in an award presented every two years. Source: Timberbiz The recognition reflects the strength of Wesbeam’s long-standing partnership with Big River Group and the consistent contribution of teams across both organisations. Winning the award again is a significant achievement and recognises the commitment required to deliver the fundamentals well, day after day. From manufacturing and distribution through to sales, engineering, customer service and marketing, the award reflects the collective efforts of the entire Wesbeam team. “Congratulations to Team Wesbeam on a well-deserved win,” said Helen Awali, Executive General Manager, Construction at Big River Group. “Thank you, Rachel, Peter, and the entire Wesbeam team for your kind words and for being such a valued part of our conference over the past few days. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing support, partnership, and commitment. It was fantastic to have you with us, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship together.” Big River Group is one of Wesbeam’s most valued national customer partners, with the relationship built on collaboration, responsiveness and a shared commitment to supporting Australia’s building and construction industry. Wesbeam General Manager Sales & Marketing, Peter Board, said the award provided an important reminder of the value Wesbeam delivers to its customers every day. “While we know there are always opportunities to improve, this recognition reminds us not to lose sight of the many things our teams consistently do well,” Mr Board said. “Winning consecutive Supplier of the Year awards is an outstanding result. It takes a high level of commitment, consistency and execution across every part of our business. “Everyone who helps make, move, market, sell or support our products has played a part in achieving this result.” The award also reinforces Wesbeam’s commitment to being more than a product supplier. Through Australian manufacturing, national distribution, engineering expertise and close customer relationships, Wesbeam continues to work alongside Big River Group to help its branches and customers pursue new opportunities and achieve better project outcomes.  

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Efforts to decarbonise freight transport are being accelerated through a South Australian State Government supported project aimed at supporting South Australia’s forest industries to reach net zero targets. Source: Timberbiz The State Government is investing $200,000 towards the Decarbonising the Freight Task – Driving to Net Zero project, a joint South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) and Tabeel Trading venture. The funding, provided under the South Australian Wood Fibre and Timber Industry Master Plan, supports the Government of South Australia’s vision of decarbonising forest freight to further reduce carbon emissions across one of the hardest-to-abate sectors – heavy freight transport. The State Government of South Australia is working side by side with industry to deliver solutions and drive success in this area by delivering low emission vehicles for the Green Triangle. Forestry is already the ultimate renewable and this is yet another step the industry is taking to decarbonise its footprints. The project will include new technologies aimed at reducing reliance on diesel, with the end goal to decarbonise forestry’s freight trucks through electrification, which will deliver substantial carbon savings. The project presents an opportunity to deliver real, measurable decarbonisation outcomes. Funding will support Stage 1 of the project by developing: an evidence-based decarbonisation roadmap for South Australia’s forest freight fleet detailed cost-benefit analysis of alternative freight technologies including the modelling of emission reductions a freight logistics and charging/refuelling infrastructure blueprint policy, regulatory and investment recommendations aligned to state and national climate targets and Master Plan priorities Subject to the findings from Stage 1 and the availability of vehicles and infrastructure, Stage 2 will see the project progress to a live demonstration phase to validate modelling results under operational forest freight conditions.   The Decarbonising the Freight Task project aligns with the Master Plan’s goal of developing a clean and green circular economy. The South Australian Wood Fibre and Timber Industry Master Plan, launched in February 2024, was developed by the Forest Industries Advisory Council of South Australia (FIAC-SA) as part of a State Government election commitment to provide a vision to further grow and develop South Australia’s $3 billion forest industry.

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As part of its broader strategic focus, Opal has undertaken a detailed review of its bag manufacturing operations in Thomastown, Victoria. Following this assessment Opal has made the decision to sell its bag business. Source: Timberbiz The sale will be to an Australian entity owned by Thomastown International, an affiliate of The Magan Group, a US family office exclusively focused on investing in corporate divestitures. Opal says this sale is consistent with its strategic focus on its core integrated recycling, paper and packaging products and services. The acquisition is expected to complete by 1 September 2026, subject to the fulfilment of the sale conditions. Opal and the buyer will work closely with bag customers and suppliers to support a seamless transition once the sale is complete. It’s not expected that there will be any interruptions to production during the transition period. “This decision was made following careful consideration and supports Opal’s continued focus on its core integrated recycling, paper and packaging products and services,” Simon Nozu, Chief Supply Chain and Procurement Officer Opal said.

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Some much better news this month across both China and India markets. Both are stable in sales prices with a reduction in shipping costs and a favourable US$/KIWI$ FOREX seeing prices at wharf NZ recovering back up to close to where they were in May. Both markets hold a ‘tread with caution’ warning, and it is certainly time to be happy with our lot and not push on price or volume. Weather events and the market generally, has seen a lower harvest rate in NZ and that is certainly needed to give both markets a breather. It is extremely disappointing to see one exporter pushing volume into India without sales contracts and LCs in place. Those logs are now sitting in bond in Kandla with more on the way. This may yet have a debilitating impact on log prices in what otherwise remains a fragile market at present. The India Free Trade Agreement is the hot topic at present with NZ Forestry said to be a big winner. I thought readers might be interested to learn more about this increasingly important market for NZ. There is the usual plethora of misinformation about the opportunities in India. I can assure readers realising any opportunities will not be a cake walk. One of the largest challenges lies in developing strategic long-term relationships with India companies. The strategic fundamentals include honesty, integrity and a strong desire to see everyone make a profit. In my view, these need to be the three guiding principles. If I look at the history of the NZ log trade with India to date, I see many examples where the 3 guiding principles on both sides have been sadly lacking. The one thing to know about dealing with the India trade is there are many who want a slice of the action. There are even more who give little or no regard for everyone being sustainably profitable. Thus, any trade with India, must be approached with great caution and a great deal of research and investigation to ensure the people you are dealing with hold tight to, and believe in, the 3 guiding principles. The majority of NZ Log trade to date has been via the Port of Kandla. At present and reflecting recent increases in the log trade, this port receives 9 – 10 vessels per month of softwood logs, each on average carrying about 40,000 cubic metres of logs. There are typically 3 from Australia, 3 from Uruguay and 3 – 4 from NZ. There is also some ongoing deliveries of logs in containers to other ports, but this comprises a very small volume by comparison. Kandla is at the top NW side of India about 130km from the Pakistan border. The city has a population of about 400,000, very close to the same size as Christchurch. The difference is, the population of Christchurch is a reliable number ascertained by Census. The lack of a reliable Census in India means any attempt at population numbers is pretty much a guess. The Port of Lyttleton can berth 6 to 7 large vessels at any one time. The Port of Kandla has 31 berths with 7 of those just dedicated to oil tankers. There is one berth where log vessels have priority with 3 other berths available depending on first at anchor, first unloaded basis. At the Port of Lyttleton, the average load rate is about 5,000 m3 per day (24 hours continuous). The discharge rate in Kandla is about 3000 m3 but is very much an average. Ships discharging small Australia or Uruguay logs can be much slower. Hence, if there is 360,000 m3 of logs in a month discharging at 3,000m3 per day, ships sitting at anchor waiting to discharge are common. The total 5 berths committed to breakbulk cargos include on-going discharge of the likes of Coal, grains and fertilizers. Sitting at anchor usually results in demurrage, which is a penalty charge on the charterer of the vessel imposed by the ship owner for unloading delays and therefore loss of earning potential. Some shipments have seen charterers pay in excess of US$1mil for demurrage. Herein lies one of the largest challenges facing Kiwi companies wanting to expand log sales to India. More about this market in future reports. As always, please remember the thoroughly important message. It remains fundamentally important, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees! Allan Laurie, Managing Director, Laurie Forestry.          

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Wood procurement has always been about balancing competing priorities, but the margin for error has narrowed. Procurement teams are expected to secure a reliable fibre or log supply at a competitive cost while responding to shifting market conditions, changing mill demand, transportation constraints, natural disaster events, and increasing scrutiny around sustainability. At the same time, leadership expects procurement decisions to be backed by data, not just experience. Source: ResourceWise Experience and relationships remain essential in this business. However, they’re no longer enough on their own. Markets move faster than they once did, and the factors influencing delivered wood costs are more interconnected than ever. The challenge isn’t simply reacting to what’s happening today, it’s recognizing where the market is heading before those changes begin affecting procurement costs. Timber markets have always been cyclical, but today’s volatility is increasingly regional. Two procurement teams operating only a few counties apart can face very different pricing dynamics based on mill expansions, harvest activity, weather, export demand, or shifts in local fibre and log consumption. That makes benchmarking more difficult and more important. Many organizations still rely primarily on their own purchasing history to evaluate whether they’re paying competitive prices and word of mouth from suppliers for market intelligence. The problem is that internal data only tells you what you’ve paid; it doesn’t tell you whether the broader market has moved and word of mouth is not a verifiable market transaction. Without visibility into transaction-level market activity, procurement teams can miss emerging trends until they’re already reflected in supplier negotiations. By then, opportunities to lock in favourable pricing or adjust sourcing strategies may have passed. Figure 1. Benchmarking company purchases against broader market pricing helps procurement teams identify whether they’re buying competitively and recognize market shifts before they impact negotiations. Strong supplier relationships and local market knowledge remain competitive advantages, but they don’t always reveal what’s happening beyond a procurement team’s immediate operating area. Questions that matter today often extend beyond a single wood basket: Are neighbouring mills becoming more aggressive buyers? Are fibre and logs beginning to move across traditional procurement boundaries? Which regions are experiencing tightening supply? How do our delivered costs compare with similar facilities?   These aren’t questions suppliers can always answer, nor are they visible in an organization’s ERP system. They require market-wide visibility that connects individual transactions to broader regional trends. Transportation has evolved from a cost centre into a strategic procurement variable. Rising diesel prices, driver availability, equipment constraints, and longer average haul distances have changed the economics of wood procurement. In many markets, freight now accounts for a growing share of delivered wood costs, making transportation efficiency just as important as stumpage price. The lowest stumpage price doesn’t always result in the lowest delivered cost. Procurement teams increasingly need to evaluate sourcing decisions based on the full delivered economics—not just what they’re paying at the contract. Understanding average haul distances, freight trends, and delivered-cost benchmarks can uncover opportunities that aren’t immediately obvious when procurement and logistics are viewed separately. Procurement teams rarely have the luxury of optimizing for today’s needs alone. They must keep mills supplied today while preserving relationships with landowners, contractors, and suppliers that will sustain operations months or years from now. Chasing the lowest available price may reduce costs in the short term, but it can also create instability if trusted suppliers shift their business elsewhere. The challenge is finding the balance between responding to current market conditions and maintaining a resilient supply network. That requires more than operational visibility. It requires confidence in where the market is likely headed and an understanding of how procurement decisions made today will affect supply flexibility tomorrow. Executive leadership is asking procurement teams different questions than it did a decade ago. Instead of simply asking, “Did we secure enough wood?” they’re asking: Are we buying competitively relative to the market? Where are our biggest cost opportunities? How exposed are we to future market shifts? Can we support budgeting with market-based forecasts instead of historical averages? What mills are at risk of closure based on finished product costs, current market demand, and forecasted demand?   Procurement has become a strategic contributor to financial performance. As a result, teams are expected to support decisions with objective market intelligence rather than anecdotal evidence or historical norms. Sustainability reporting is no longer limited to environmental teams. Procurement organizations are increasingly expected to demonstrate responsible sourcing, understand carbon implications, and contribute to broader ESG initiatives. This doesn’t necessarily change how fibre or logs are purchased day to day, but it does change the information procurement teams need. Supply chain transparency, sourcing patterns, and forest management data are becoming important business inputs alongside price and volume. Organizations that can combine commercial and sustainability data will be better positioned to meet evolving customer and regulatory expectations without compromising operational performance. The common thread across these challenges is visibility. That’s where market intelligence platforms such as SilvaStat360 can make a meaningful difference. By bringing together transaction-level pricing, delivered wood costs, freight analysis, benchmarking, and regional market trends, procurement teams can evaluate their performance against the broader market instead of relying solely on internal history. The goal isn’t to replace experience—it’s to complement it with objective data that helps procurement professionals make faster, more informed decisions in an increasingly dynamic market. The challenges facing wood procurement today aren’t entirely new. What’s changed is the pace at which markets evolve, and the amount of information required to stay ahead of them. Organizations that combine industry expertise with timely, independent market intelligence are better equipped to anticipate change rather than react to it. In an environment where even small procurement decisions can have significant financial consequences, that perspective has become a competitive advantage.

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A study led by the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) investigated how seven different Central European tree species respond to metal-contaminated soils. Source: Timberbiz For centuries, artisanal and industrial activities have left many soils polluted with excessive levels of heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, copper and lead, posing a threat to the environment and human health. Cleaning up polluted sites is often difficult and expensive, especially when larger areas are affected. As a result, many sites need to be managed in a way that prevents pollutants from washing away into groundwater or neighbouring ecosystems. One promising solution is phytostabilisation— using plants to reduce the spread of pollutants into the environment. Trees are particularly well suited because of their long lifespans and extensive root systems. To find out which tree species to select for this purpose, researchers from the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL and ETH Zurich compared the stabilisation potential of seven Central European tree species. The researchers grew the trees for five years in soils containing heavy metal-concentrations similar to those found in contaminated sites. They measured metal concentrations in the roots, the stems and the leaves and compared them with trees growing in uncontaminated soil. The results have been published as the cover story of the journal Plants. The selected tree species represent two contrasting growth strategies (see Box). Four “acquisitive” species, including grey alder (Alnus incana), aspen (Populus tremula), osier willow (Salix viminalis) and silver birch (Betula pendula), require large amounts of nutrients. On the other hand, three “conservative” species, namely Norway spruce (Picea abies), European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), have lower nutrient requirements. While all seven species showed similar concentrations of heavy metals in their roots when grown in contaminated soils, the amount of these metals transported aboveground was different. The acquisitive species transported more zinc and cadmium into their stems and especially their foliage, likely because of their higher nutrient needs. In contrast, the conservative species kept excess metals away from their stems and foliage, in some cases storing excess zinc in specialised root structures instead. As a result, the wood of conservative species contained no more heavy metals than wood from trees grown in uncontaminated soil. “We were surprised by how clear-cut the distinction was between the two growth strategies”, says Madeleine Günthardt-Goerg, first author of the study. “This gives us practical guidance on which tree species to choose for polluted sites”. Once abandoned, polluted sites are often spontaneously reclaimed by forest trees.  Selecting suitable species with conservative growth strategies could help confine contaminants in the soil, prevent metals from recirculating through falling and decomposing leaves, while also yielding uncontaminated wood products. “Adapted forest management may allow us to bring polluted sites back into the economic cycle in a cost-effective way,” said Pierre Vollenweider, researcher at WSL and last author of the study. “The next step would be to test this approach under real conditions at polluted sites.”

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As we sawed through yet another fire-scarred fir that had fallen across a backcountry trail, my trail crew and I would sometimes hear a hiker, pause our work and brace for the inevitable question: “What, they don’t let you use chainsaws?” Source: High Country News Nope, we’d answer. In a federally designated wilderness area, no motorized equipment is allowed. That’s why, we’d explain, we cleared trails with a crosscut saw, the same wooden-handled tool you see in old black-and-white photos of loggers. To most people, “wilderness” is in the heart of the beholder: an abstract term for any wild or remote-feeling area. But when it comes to our federal public lands, wilderness is a proper noun, defined by the 1964 Wilderness Act. A designated wilderness area consists of 5,000 or more contiguous roadless acres that meet special criteria, including “opportunities for solitude” and “unconfined recreation” and a lack of “permanent improvements.” The law protects these areas from development and regulates activities there more tightly than on other public lands. Earlier this year, the US Forest Service allowed the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association to use chainsaws to clear a limited number of trails in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Some wilderness advocates panicked, warning this would lead to the erosion of wilderness protections; some accused the agency of bowing to special-interest groups. But the trail workers I know — skilled professionals who have spent years clearing logs and brush from trails and who deal firsthand with the devastating impacts of climate change and federal budget cuts on trail stewardship — have long sought greater flexibility on chainsaws in wilderness. Yet their voices remain largely absent from the conversation. I spent eight years working on trail crews in Washington’s fire-prone and heavily timbered Cascade Range, primarily clearing downed logs from trails. My ranger district on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest encompassed over 700 miles of trail, about half of them in designated wilderness. I cut thousands of logs, using crosscut saws on wilderness trails and chainsaws elsewhere. After a wildfire — and there are more fires each year in the West — a single mile of trail can be blocked by scores, even hundreds, of downed, dead trees. And trees will keep falling for years, even decades, to come. Other climate-fueled phenomena, including widespread beetle infestations, wetter, heavier snows and extreme winds, contribute to the buildup of deadfall. Each season, with an average of four or five people on the trail crew and dozens of volunteers, we were lucky to clear about half of our district’s trail mileage. Districts with smaller crews, or none at all, cleared far less. Unsafe and impassable trails are not just inconvenient; they hinder backcountry evacuations, fire management and scientific monitoring. They also limit public access to wilderness, stifling the growth of a diverse community of wilderness lovers and defenders — something we need now more than ever. Trail workers care about keeping public lands accessible. That’s our core purpose, after all. The Wilderness Act requires the government to administer wilderness “for the use and enjoyment of the American people” — a phrase that appears three times in the law’s text. But it’s hard to enjoy what you can’t experience. And, to paraphrase David Attenborough, people are unlikely to care about protecting what they’ve never experienced. I took pride in my skill as a sawyer, relishing the rhythm and camaraderie of pulling a crosscut with a partner. But log after log, year after year, the work took its toll on my body and morale, and I came to question the agency’s no-exceptions ban on chainsaws in wilderness. A single cut with a chainsaw takes seconds. The same cut can take minutes, even hours, with a crosscut saw, increasing sawyers’ exposure to hazards like standing dead snags. In today’s forests, with today’s staffing, prohibiting chainsaws is merely performative; instead of protecting wilderness, we’re helping it disappear. Maintaining wilderness access demands both bigger, better-paid trail crews and the targeted use of chainsaws. It’s worth noting that the word “chainsaw” does not appear in the Wilderness Act; Section 4(c) simply prohibits the use of “motorized equipment” in wilderness areas “except as necessary to meet minimum When I started working for the Forest Service in 2016, our district crew had already stopped maintaining over a dozen minor wilderness trails. Ten years later, they’re struggling to keep open major trails that provide the only remaining access to entire backcountry zones as well as to key sections of through-routes like the Pacific Crest Trail. Abandoning these trails would mean further concentrating people in high-profile places like the Enchantments or busy national parks like Mount Rainier — areas already suffering from overuse requirements for the administration of the area.” The National Park Service, which has long considered clearing trails to be a minimum requirement, allows its wilderness trail crews to use chainsaws. The buildup of deadfall now obliterating wilderness trails in national forests demands that the Forest Service do the same. Even if every ranger district in the West were fully staffed next year, trees would still fall, fires would burn, and crews would keep playing a hopeless game of catch-up. Chainsaws could help make the workload manageable again. When I started working for the Forest Service in 2016, our district crew had already stopped maintaining over a dozen minor wilderness trails. Ten years later, they’re struggling to keep open major trails that provide the only remaining access to entire backcountry zones as well as to key sections of through-routes like the Pacific Crest Trail. Abandoning these trails would mean further concentrating people in high-profile places like the Enchantments or busy national parks like Mount Rainier — areas already suffering from overuse. In the Frank Church — the focus of the latest debate about chainsaws in wilderness — dozens of airstrips and private ranches predating the Wilderness Act welcome fly-in guests. Trails provide a far more equitable and affordable access to wilderness, if we can keep them. Today’s battery-powered saws provide a […]

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Marlborough Research Centre is proud to be a founding partner of New Zealand Dryland Forests Innovation (NZDFI), a collaborative research program advancing durable eucalypts as a sustainable forestry option for New Zealand. Source: Timberbiz NZDFI has released its latest Project Update (July 2025 – June 2026), highlighting another year of research and development across the program. This edition includes updates on a new Forest Growers Levy Trust/Te Uru Rākau-funded project, progress from University of Canterbury PhD researchers, seed orchard and propagation developments, and planning for the next national NZDFI field day in Hawke’s Bay in February 2027. NZDFI has a vision for New Zealand to develop a future hardwood supply chain by strategically establishing a multi-regional durable eucalypt forest resource of 60,000 ha by 2050. One of the regions identified with excellent potential is Hawkes Bay. The update showcases the breadth of work underway to support resilient, high-value hardwood forestry and demonstrates the strength of collaboration between research organisations, industry and growers. Significant research investment has been made in Hawkes Bay with 10 NZDFI trials established across the region from 2011 to 2021. This region, therefore, offers an excellent location for a national field day to be held on Wednesday 17 February 2026. Sustainable durable eucalypt forestry is feasible for many North Island regions and Marlborough, Nelson and North Canterbury. This field day is targeted to forest growers and farmers interested in the potential for durable hardwood forestry as a productive land use in areas where more intense summer droughts are likely to become more frequent. Read the full Project Update on the NZDFI website https://nzdfi.org.nz/library/resources/project-updates/project-update-july-2025-june-2026/

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Registrations are open for the Gottstein Trust’s 2026 Understanding Forest Science course, which will be held in Launceston, Tasmania, from Sunday 8 November. Source: Timberbiz The biennial course alternates with the Trust’s Understanding Wood Science Course and was last held at Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 2024. Places are capped at 30 to 35 participants to allow for exchange and discussion. The week opens with a casual welcome dinner and course briefing on the Sunday evening and runs through to lunchtime on Friday, combining classroom sessions with field trips. Two dinners are included in the package, among them a final-night celebration dinner hosted by Gottstein Trust chair Suzette Weeding, who will also host field trip sites at Sustainable Timber Tasmania. Participants can expect to see Tasmanian farm forestry, public native forest and both hardwood and softwood plantation operations. Course convenor Helen Murray said the program was refreshed every year and had been delivered to many hundreds of participants. “The course offers a curated set of topics and activities that cannot be gained otherwise, all in one dedicated week,” Ms Murray said. Session presenters range from academic researchers to experienced industry practitioners, all donating their time. “It’s a genuine collaborative effort to deliver these courses, and we are thankful for such strong support from presenters coming to help pass their knowledge on to others,” she said. Topics include the role forests play in hydrology, forest biodiversity and protection, biosecurity, third-party certification and the latest carbon research into Australian forests and timber products. The 2026 program will also cover EPBC Act reforms and the Timber Fibre Strategy, along with the monitoring technology now used to track native and endangered species. There are no exams. “We find that people generally focus closely on the specific topics of greatest interest to them as, across the week, they gain insight into a whole range of topics,” Ms Murray said. Ms Weeding thanked the industry donors underpinning the Trust’s annual capacity-building activities and confirmed donor discounts would continue. “We’re very pleased to reconfirm the 20% discount for Patron Donors and 10% for sponsor donors, applied to their first two course registrations,” she said. Full details and the online registration form are at www.gottsteintrust.org  

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Conversion of sheep and beef farms to forestry in New Zealand has slowed, but an additional 30,000 hectares of whole sheep and beef farms have been confirmed as sold for forestry since mid-2025. New research for B+LNZ brings the total extent of whole sheep and beef farms sold for afforestation since 1 January 2017 to almost 330,000 hectares. Source: Timberbiz B+LNZ has been monitoring whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for several years. B+LNZ Chair Kate Acland says the latest figures bring the total extent of whole sheep and beef farms sold for afforestation since 1 January 2017 to almost 330,000 hectares – equivalent to 3,300 square kilometres or roughly six times the size of urban Auckland. The new analysis by Orme & Associates has found that an additional 30,000 hectares of whole sheep and beef farms have been confirmed as sold for forestry since the previous research was released in mid-2025. Revised confirmed sales in 2024 added 11,482 hectares (bringing the revised 2024 total to 41,966 hectares), with 15,743 hectares sold in 2025. The 2025 figure is expected to rise as further sales are confirmed through the Overseas Investment Office. “While we are pleased that total sales have slowed from the height of conversions to forestry in 2021 and 2022 (when almost 64,000 hectares were sold each year), we remain concerned that too much is still going to occur,” Ms Acland says. The report indicates that 27,000 hectares of sheep and beef land could still be converted into forestry each year under the restrictions that were introduced on whole farms being entered into the ETS. Prior to 2018, when it was signalled that the cap on the carbon price would be lifted, only 7,000 hectares or less was converted into forestry on average each year. Ms Acland said that 27,000 hectares a year, combined with how much has already happened, would see New Zealand lose a million hectares of productive pastoral land by 2050, which is unsustainable for our sector, our rural communities and the country. “While the restrictions introduced in 2025 are welcomed, we are concerned they do not go far enough and we will be keeping a close eye on ongoing levels of afforestation,” she said. “B+LNZ is not anti-forestry. We strongly support the integration of trees within farms. Forestry presents an important and well-established diversification opportunity for farmers. Farmers know their land and can plant the right trees in the right places, without affecting overall levels of production.” The latest research combines with analysis carried out by BERL earlier this year which found that sheep and beef farms create employment and exports on a continuous, annual basis. In contrast, forestry mainly generates both employment and export revenue at harvest, around 25–30 years after planting. In 2025, New Zealand’s red meat sector generated NZ$17.5 billion (4%) in GDP and supported a total of 120,580 jobs, or 5% of total employment in New Zealand. Converting productive farms to forestry makes it harder for rural communities to retain people and skills, in turn reducing local spending, school rolls, rural services and future food-producing capacity. B+LNZ estimates that more than two million stock units have been lost to afforestation since 2017. Download the Orme & Associates report at https://beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub/PDF/blnz-afforestation-review-2026

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The Coalition wants Treasurer Jim Chalmers and the Foreign Investment Review Board to reject the proposed foreign-backed acquisition of Victoria’s Cobungra Station, warning Labor has already shown it cannot be trusted to protect Australia’s productive agricultural land. Source: Timberbiz The proposed sale of Cobungra Station north east of Melbourne near the NSW border to carbon investment manager Silva Capital remains subject to FIRB approval. Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Darren Chester said Australians had every reason to be concerned after Labor approved the foreign takeover of Tasmania’s Rushy Lagoon which will be converted from an agricultural estate into a $142 million pine plantation and carbon project. “Labor has already signed off on the loss of one of Australia’s most productive farming enterprises in Tasmania, allowing it to be converted into a carbon project,” Mr Chester said. “That decision showed Labor is prepared to put its net zero agenda ahead of Australia’s food security, regional communities and agricultural production. “Now Cobungra Station is before FIRB, Australians deserve to know whether the Government will once again wave through the loss of productive farmland. “We cannot continue replacing food production with carbon credits. Australia’s productive farmland exists to feed Australians, support regional jobs and strengthen our national food security.” Mr Chester said the national interest test must recognise that food security is a strategic priority. “Every hectare of productive agricultural land permanently diverted away from farming reduces Australia’s ability to produce food into the future.” Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Dan Tehan said Labor’s carbon policies were distorting the agricultural land market and pricing farmers out of their own industry. “Labor’s approach is creating a perverse incentive where foreign-backed carbon investors can outbid Australian farmers for productive land,” Mr Tehan said. “We’ve already seen what happens when Labor is faced with this choice after they approved the sale of Rushy Lagoon. “We don’t want to see history repeat itself at Cobungra. “The Coalition believes Australia’s foreign investment laws should protect productive farmland, not facilitate its conversion into carbon assets.” The Coalition is calling on the Treasurer to reject the proposed acquisition of Cobungra Station and send a clear message that Australia’s productive agricultural land should remain in food and fibre production, not be sold off to foreign-backed carbon investors. The Coalition will also reinstate the Ministerial Veto power so the Minister for Agriculture can veto any project that will lock up prime agricultural land for carbon credits if it will have a significant impact on water, agricultural production and regional communities.

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The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, has lashed the Carroll Labor Government for its part in the latest round of job losses in the Latrobe Valley. Source: Timberbiz Opal has announced 84 jobs will be axed at the Maryvale paper mill as a direct result of Labor’s failure to meet its contractual obligation to supply timber. “The non-sensical closure of the native timber industry has been disastrous for the Latrobe Valley workforce,” Mr Cameron said. “In 2019, former premier Daniel Andrews guaranteed 1,000 workers at the mill their livelihoods were secured until 2050, but that was a lie. “Labor pulled the rug out from underneath the mill workers when he went back on his word and shut the industry six years ahead of schedule. “This move had an enormous impact on the mill’s operations and has placed Opal under unsustainable financial pressure.” Nearly 200 jobs were cut when the Maryvale mill ceased production of white paper in 2023, and another 40 were lost in 2024. “Now we are losing another 84 jobs, and it was avoidable. Labor killed off a sustainable industry for political expediency,” Mr Cameron said. “I have requested a briefing with Opal to understand the finer details of this decision and discuss supports available for workers, but one thing is clear – Latrobe Valley families continue to pay the price for Labor’s disastrous forestry policy.” Premier Ben Carroll served as the Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty when the white paper mill shut in 2023. Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, said the Premier was liable for the trail of destruction left across the Latrobe Valley. “Ben Carroll sat idly as 200 jobs were lost at Maryvale, he failed to provide support for retrenched workers and backed in the forestry policy that caused this mess,” Ms Bath said. “The Premier is culpable for bringing this industry to its knees and he is responsible for the latest round of job losses in the Valley. “The leader may have changed, but it’s still the same old tired and corrupt Labor Government presiding over the destruction of regional Victoria.”

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The Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub has appointed Mr Johan Revalk as its new Executive General Manager, succeeding Tony Wright, who will retire from full-time work on 14 August 2026 after three years leading the Hub. Source: Timberbiz Mr Revalk has already commenced and will work alongside Mr Wright during a short transition period. A South Australian lawyer and former journalist with The Advertiser, Mr Revalk has held a number of senior leadership roles, including as chief executive of an industry association. The Chair of the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub, Dr Ruth Schubert, said the appointment marked an important and well-planned leadership transition for the organisation. “On behalf of the Board, I am very pleased to welcome Johan to the Hub,” Dr Schubert said. “Johan joins the Hub at an important time. He will work with the Board, members and partners to build on the strong momentum across industry development, workforce, research and policy. “His experience across law, journalism and senior organisational leadership, including as chief executive of an industry association, brings a valuable combination of governance, communication and stakeholder engagement skills to the role. “The transition period will provide continuity for the Hub’s members, funding partners and stakeholders, while allowing Johan to gain the benefit of Tony’s knowledge and established relationships.” Mr Revalk said he was honoured to be appointed and looked forward to working with the Hub’s members and partners. “I am keen to get out across the Green Triangle, meet the people and businesses that drive the industry, and develop a strong understanding of the region’s opportunities and challenges,” Mr Revalk said. “I am excited by the opportunities in forestry and timber manufacturing. The industry is nationally vital, and the Hub has an important role in bringing industry, government, researchers and communities together around practical opportunities. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by the Board, Tony and the Hub team, and to supporting the industry’s sustainable growth, competitiveness and contribution to the region.” Dr Schubert said Mr Wright had made an important contribution to the Hub and the broader Green Triangle region. “Tony has brought strategic thinking, governance experience, regional commitment and a strong ability to work across industry, government and community,” Dr Schubert said. “During Tony’s tenure, the Hub strengthened its role as a trusted regional industry body, delivering practical research, supporting policy development and helping sustain the Green Triangle’s position as one of Australia’s most important forestry and wood fibre regions. “A major recent milestone was the completion of the Hardwood Manufacturing Hub Feasibility Study, funded by the Victorian Government, Victorian Forest Products Association, Industry and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The study examined the opportunity to establish advanced hardwood timber manufacturing capacity in the Green Triangle, with a focus on Western Victoria. “That work formed part of a staged pathway to capture more value from the region’s plantation resources. “A critical earlier step was the ATMAC-funded Fast Commercialisation Trial, which supported the development, market testing and creation of a new Australian-made plantation hardwood engineered wood product – Blue Gum GLT. “The commercialisation work directly informed the feasibility study and the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations Precinct Project, helping move the opportunity from analysis and technical development towards future investment and manufacturing.” Mr Wright said he was proud of the Hub’s work, pleased to welcome Mr Revalk and was optimistic about the region’s future. “The Green Triangle has always been home for me. I am originally from Kingston, and I understand how important regional industries are to the prosperity and identity of our communities,” Mr Wright said. “I am proud that the Hub has helped connect industry strategy, government policy and practical delivery in ways that are creating real opportunities for the region. “The hardwood manufacturing work, the Precinct Project, the Forestry Centre of Excellence, new education and training pathways, our workforce development strategy and major private-sector investments are coming together. The Hub is in a strong position, and I am excited to see what happens next.” Dr Schubert also acknowledged Mr Wright’s broader regional contribution beyond the Hub, including his leadership as a former Chair of Generations in Jazz, his service as a director of ac.care since 2020, and his contribution to the Forestry Centre of Excellence as a Board Member and Project Control Group member. Mr Wright began his career as an electrical fitter with the Electricity Trust of South Australia. His executive career has included senior leadership roles across the forest and timber, local government, water and energy sectors. “On behalf of the Board, I thank Tony for his leadership and contribution, wish him every success in retirement from full-time work and warmly welcome Johan as the Hub’s new Executive General Manager,” Dr Schubert said.

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prefabAUS has welcomed the passage of the Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026 through Parliament, describing the inclusion of a clear definition of prefabricated building work as a significant milestone in modernising Australia’s building regulatory framework. Source: Timberbiz The amendment recognises the growing role that prefabricated and manufacturing-led construction will play in addressing housing supply, improving productivity and affordability, and strengthening Australia’s sovereign building capability. Executive Chairman of prefabAUS, Damien Crough, said the legislation acknowledges that construction is evolving and that regulation must evolve alongside it. “This is a significant step forward for New South Wales and one that recognises how buildings are increasingly being manufactured as well as constructed. “The Bill doesn’t create a separate regulatory pathway or reduce compliance requirements. Instead, it provides greater certainty for industry, regulators, certifiers, financiers and consumers by clearly recognising prefabricated building work within the legislation.” Mr Crough said the reform demonstrates that governments can embrace innovation while maintaining high standards for building quality and consumer protection. “Good regulation should enable innovation, not create uncertainty. This amendment provides a clearer legislative foundation for modern construction methods while maintaining the rigorous building standards that Australians rightly expect.” Today’s reform reflects several years of collaboration between industry, government, regulators and research organisations to ensure Australia’s building legislation keeps pace with innovation. Through its Building the Future We Want – Smart Building Industry Roadmap 2023–2033, submissions to governments and regulators, and ongoing engagement with industry, prefabAUS has consistently advocated for regulatory frameworks that recognise modern construction methods while maintaining confidence in Australia’s building system. Mr Crough said the passage of the Bill demonstrates what can be achieved when governments and industry work together to deliver practical reforms. “This is more than a definition. It is recognition that Australia’s construction industry is entering a new era,” he said. “As buildings become increasingly designed for manufacture and assembly, legislation must provide certainty for everyone involved in the delivery process, from manufacturers and builders through to certifiers, regulators, insurers and financiers.” prefabAUS acknowledged the NSW Government for progressing the legislation and thanked Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum for supporting a practical reform that will benefit the broader construction industry. “Housing affordability and housing supply remain among Australia’s greatest challenges. Every jurisdiction will need to modernise the way homes are delivered if we are to increase productivity and build the homes our communities need.” “New South Wales has demonstrated leadership by ensuring its legislation reflects contemporary construction practices. We hope this becomes a model for other jurisdictions as they review their own building legislation.” The organisation said the amendment complements broader national work underway to improve productivity, increase housing supply, boost affordability and strengthen Australia’s manufacturing capability. However, prefabAUS said legislative recognition is only the beginning. “The next step is to build a nationally consistent framework that supports investment in Australian manufacturing, strategic procurement, conformity assessment, financing, workforce capability and digital delivery,” Mr Crough said. “Ultimately, this is about creating the conditions for Smart Building, an industry where manufacturing, digital design, automation and construction operate as one integrated system to deliver better buildings more efficiently. ” prefabAUS looks forward to continuing to work with governments across Australia to support the implementation of modern building legislation and to develop nationally consistent policy settings that unlock greater productivity, accelerate housing delivery and strengthen Australia’s sovereign construction capability

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