Australian timber industry news

The UK Wood Awards has announced its shortlist for this year’s awards, which includes a bright red 170m water-crossing and a majestic 20-seat oak banqueting table. Source: Timberbiz The 30 shortlisted projects, which are in the running for awards in six different building categories and four furniture and object categories, are located across the United Kingdom, from the Cornish coast to the Lake District National Park. Among the 20 shortlisted buildings is a barrel-vaulted extension to Westminster’s coroner’s court and a redevelopment of a historic water mill on the River Test in Hampshire. The shortlist also features a new CLT-framed social housing terrace by Hackney Council and a vibrant performing arts hub in Camden showcasing both reused and engineered timber. The 10 shortlisted furniture and object projects include a freestanding demountable Douglas fir kitchen and a collection of sculptural vessels, handcrafted from local hardwoods. A playful steam-bent ash rocking chair and an innovative jetty structure made from forest thinnings are also shortlisted. From over 200 entries, the shortlisted projects have been carefully selected by two expert juries. The winner of each project category will be announced live at an evening ceremony on Wednesday, 19 November at Carpenters’ Hall in London. All category winners will then compete for the prestigious Gold Award. All shortlisted projects are listed below: Furniture and Objects: A Forest Datum by the Design + Make Post Grad Course, Architectural Association Karyo Rocking Chair by Isabelle Moore Design A Banqueting Table Reimagined by Box 9 and TedWood Somer Kitchen at Balbougie Steading by Somer Levity Collection by Katie Walker Furniture and Gaze Burvill The Growth Project by Darren Appiagyei Pebble Jumble by Jan Hendzel Studio Red Knot by Laura Welsh Her Captain’s Chair by Lily Hitchcock Design Rinato Coffee Table by Dominic Grasso Buildings: Vert, London, by Diez Office Westminster Coroner’s Court, London, by Lynch Architects Amento, Suffolk, by James Gorst Architects Walworth Town Hall, London, by Feix & Martin The Armadillo, Norfolk, by Unknown Works Upminster Tithe Barn, Upminster, by Purcell Rafter Walk, London, by Asif Khan Studio Urban Nature Project, Natural History Museum, London, by Feilden Fowles Pine Heath, London, by Studio Hagen Hall Two-Family House, Newquay, by Rundell Associates Bay House, Devon, by McLean Quinlan Young’s Court Development at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, by Stanton Williams Paradise, London, by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Beech Court Pavilion, Abingdon, by David Morley Architects Farmer’s Arms Cold Food Store, Lake District, by Hayatsu Architects Chowdhury Walk, London, by Al Jawad Pike Mill House and Maker’s Workshop, Hampshire, by Cooke Fawcett Architects The Cowshed, Cotswold, by Design Storey Architects Roundhouse Works, London, by Patrick Dillon and Reed Watts Architects New Wave House, London, by Thomas-McBrien Architects.

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The International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC) has welcomed Weyerhaeuser, one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands and one of the largest manufacturers of wood products in North America, as its 23rd member company. Source: Timberbiz Weyerhaeuser owns or manages approximately 10.4 million acres of timberlands in the United States, as well as additional public timberlands managed under long-term licenses in Canada. The company has been an industry leader in sustainable forestry for more than a century and manages 100 percent of its timberlands on a fully sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized sustainable forestry standards. “The decision by one of the world’s largest forest and forest products companies to join the ISFC will help us scale our impact to new levels,” said Dr David Brand, Independent Chair of the ISFC. “Weyerhaeuser’s deep knowledge, expertise and long-term perspective will be invaluable as we work together to ensure the role of sustainable forest management is well-understood and continues to provide immense impact in the world.” Weyerhaeuser’s responsible stewardship includes managing its land for multiple uses, including natural climate solutions such as forest carbon, renewable energy, carbon capture and sequestration, conservation and more.

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The American Forest Foundation (AFF) announced that Netflix has committed to a 15-year contract to purchase verified carbon credits produced through AFF’s Fields & Forests project (F&F), an Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) carbon project that partners with family landowners to transition their underused fields to thriving, working forests. Source: Timberbiz Netflix’s investment will help launch the first 6,000 acres and expand the project across the US South, providing additional revenue streams to rural landowners while planting trees to combat climate change. “Netflix’s partnership shows what’s possible when business and nature come together. With the right investment and science, natural climate solutions can be both a powerful and credible tool to address our most pressing conservation challenges.” said John Ringer, Senior Director of Project Finance and Environmental Markets at AFF. “We’re grateful for Netflix’s leadership, and we invite other companies to follow their lead by investing in new approaches that support America’s rural communities and family-owned forests.” Netflix provided critical early-stage financing for F&F through an innovative financing approach: milestone prepayments. By tying upfront financial support to key milestones such as acres enrolled, milestone prepayments help F&F offer robust financial and technical resources to more landowners. F&F is designed for small-acreage landowners who have historically been locked out of the voluntary carbon market due to high upfront costs and programmatic complexity. To make the project accessible, AFF pays for and handles all site preparation and tree planting and provides landowners with ongoing technical support and annual payments throughout their 30-year contracts. To date, F&F has enrolled 2,500 acres of family-owned lands, set to plant 1.4 million new trees, and committed US$2 million to landowners in the form of direct payments. By 2032, F&F aims to enrol 75,000 acres, estimated to produce 4.8 million carbon credits and support family landowners across the US South, with aims to continue growing the program beyond that scale. “This land is my only connection to my grandma. And I want it to provide for my daughter as she grows up,” said Alisha Logue, a Georgia landowner enrolled in F&F. “Fields & Forests has given me a way to protect and ensure my family’s legacy.”

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Sustainable Timber Tasmania kicked off its bushfire preparedness work with the first of two Fire Refresher Days held in Deloraine on Thursday. Source: Pulse Tasmania The forestry agency is conducting critical training ahead of the approaching fire season, with a second refresher day scheduled for the southern region later this month. Minister Felix Ellis said STT has a crucial role in the state’s firefighting capabilities. “STT do a terrific job, they are out there managing our forests in a sustainable way to ensure we are on top of our fire readiness,” Mr Ellis said. “These refresher days complement that work nicely, giving STT firies and contractors a chance to refine their skills before they use them on the front line of our fire season.” Last year, STT contributed approximately 14,000 hours to firefighting efforts across its staff and contractors. The agency conducts strategic fuel reduction burns throughout the year to help protect communities and the environment by reducing potential fuel loads in Tasmania’s public production forests. Mr Ellis said as we come into fire season, it is important for Tasmanians to be aware of their surroundings. “Have a plan, pay attention to the conditions and stay engaged with key services like the Tasmanian Fire Service, PWS and STT this fire season,” he said.

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The Bioeconomy Science Institute, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest research organisation, launched its new look. The new visual identity was unveiled by Hon Shane Reti, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, during a visit to the Lincoln campus of the Bioeconomy Science Institute. Source: Timberbiz “This is an exciting step in sharing our new organisation with the outside world,” Mark Piper, Transition CEO said. “As we start our journey as Bioeconomy Science Institute it’s great to be able to share this new visual identity which speaks to the organisation that we are building, for the benefit of Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.” Minister Reti was at the Lincoln campus of the Bioeconomy Science Institute to learn more about commercialisation efforts. Before unveiling the new visual identify at the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s Tuhiraki head office, he also announced NZ$6.5 million of new industry funding to develop methods to reduce methane emissions from grazing livestock and witnessed the signing of a new licensing deal with Nelson-based Seaweave to commercialise aquaculture monitoring technology. People are at the centre of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, the organisation’s staff working with those in the science sector, industry and communities to deliver impact together. This network is reflected in the new logo, with collective effort radiating outwards to create a difference in the real world. The colours used in the visual identity are derived from those found in nature, the starting blocks for the Institute’s work. The Bioeconomy Science Institute brings together AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion into a single organisation, conducting research to advance innovation in agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, biotechnology and manufacturing; protect and enhance ecosystems from biosecurity threats and climate risks; and develop new bio-based technologies and products. The Bioeconomy Science Institute is a Crown Research Institute, owned by the New Zealand Government and governed by an independent Board of Directors.

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The proposed 1.2GW Forest Wind project, to be built within Australia’s largest exotic pine plantation between Gympie and Maryborough, has been canned. Source: Energy Source Citing community concerns, Queensland’s Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the LNP government would repeal legislation set by the former Labor Government that would allow that allowed the turbines to be built in state forests. He said the legislation was “creating fear and anxiety in local communities”. “The Crisafulli government is ending years of uncertainty for the local community by repealing the special purpose legislation introduced by Labor designed to steamroll the local community in their reckless rush for renewables,” he said. Wide Bay Residents Against the Forest Wind Farm Project said its members were “elated” that the proposal had been dumped. The proponents of the Forest Wind project said the location has been “carefully selected and designed to minimise impacts on the landscape, environment, and community”. The wind farm would have produce enough clean energy to power around 500,000 houses—one in four Queensland homes and remove 2.62 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. Criticising the government’s decision, Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman said, “Pine plantations are key areas we should look to build projects because the local biodiversity has already been severely impacted. “The Crisafulli Government’s move to prematurely axe Forest Wind is just another indication that they’re putting ideology over the practical need to build renewable energy to get down emissions and power bills.” It’s not over yet though. A Forest Wind Holdings spokesperson says the firm remains “committed to delivering great outcomes for Queensland aligned to LNP policy Forest Wind remains committed to deliver a landmark renewable energy project for Queensland, despite the State Government’s decision not to proceed under the current Exclusive Transaction process and to repeal the Forest Wind Farm Development Act 2020 (Qld)”. “Forest Wind was designed to complement Queensland’s energy mix with late-afternoon sea breezes that align perfectly with peak demand,” the spokesperson said. “Our proximity to South-East Queensland and Gladstone, direct access to the Powerlink network, and extensive forestry road infrastructure position us to deliver reliable, affordable, and low-impact renewable energy. “Forest Wind is actively assessing risk-mitigation strategies and intends to reapply under a similar State process in due course. The team remains dedicated to working collaboratively with government, Traditional Owners and the community to secure the project’s future.”  

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Both India and China markets have continued to improve through July and August with a very slow but steady climb upward trend in log prices in both destinations. The best news in all of this is we are not seeing major swings either way with the market fundamentals continuing to display a very settled trajectory. Source: Allan Laurie, Laurie Forestry All eyes are on the Nelson region with reports varying but likely around 7,000 hectares of wind damaged forests. The broad age class spread suggests mid to late rotation ages are impacted the most and therefore a high component of export likely. Unlike the recent Central North Island event, the Nelson region marketing plan will be very much constrained by Port Storage limitations and the ability to load 1 vessel at a time at each of Nelson and Picton ports. Thus, this wind damage recovery is unlikely to lead to an over-supply situation which would otherwise negatively impact the likely target market for the volume being China. The announcement of the closure of the Carter Holt Harvey Eaves Valley sawmill, whilst fully expected, is a major blow for the region. This will also ensure more logs have to head to China from the storm event. Meanwhile across the China Easten seaboard, daily usage has started to tick up again, as at mid-August heading north of 50,000 m3. Inventory has remained relatively stable with the supply and demand planets reasonably aligned despite record summer temperatures negatively impacting broader productivity outputs. And just when you started to believe the western media about China being in the deep financial doodoo reports, the Government have announced the largest project ever undertaken in human history is about to start in Tibet Whilst reports vary on the statistics, common numbers talk to 5 powers stations on the Yarlung Zangbo river which collectively, will be 3 times greater than the, up till now, biggest ever Three Gorges project. This latest one is expected to include four tunnels through mountains, each 50km long to connect rivers, in total costing US$167bil and requiring 3.5million employees. When completed the dams will generate 300bil kilowatt hours. A total of in excess of 2,000km of new roads to connect the dots will be required with 60 – 70% of that length comprising bridges and tunnels. And just when you thought that was amazing, the project is at 4,000 to 5,000 metres above sea level, much higher than Mt Cook (3,724m). My first enquiry has been around any positive impacts for your average Kiwi forest-owner. Unfortunately, even as your very fit crow flies, it is about 2,500km to the Eastern Seaboard so potentially not, given that will be 4,000km+ in your average logging truck. But such a scale project must surely have a trickle-down effect with the broader economic stimulus being enormous. India has remained boring by comparison, but the key here is prices and demand are continuing to improve, currently more so than China. Like China, India as a nation, know wood extremely well. Wood usage across the economic stratum has been significant for thousands of years. Dwindling availability of traditional hardwoods stands our wonderful Radiata pine in good stead. Match this to the likelihood of the current tariff regime, which negatively impacts NZ in isolation being removed, the future looks very bright in this increasingly important market. Our company has promoted and now secured a steady demand for pruned logs in India. This is longer term very good news given this lifts the broader Radiata pine quality message game significantly. India demand is good, domestic prices are stable at new higher levels than Q1 and inventory is the lowest is has been for some time. Expected vessel arrivals are steady at 7 to 8 per month of which 1 – 2 are from NZ. That will at least double if we can get the tariff removed. As at mid-August, daily hire rates for log vessels are pushing very slightly higher but ship owners are meeting significant resistance. This reflects good numbers of vessels opening on NZ and ships fuel (bunker) costs are stable. Right now, the charterers are the cat and the ship owners the mouse. This could change in a heartbeat depending on northern hemisphere trade and how resourcing conflicts ties up the supply chain. As always, please remember the thoroughly important message, “despite the challenges, it remains, as always, fundamentally important, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”.

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Carter Holt Harvey (CHH) announced yesterday it will close its Eves Valley sawmill in Brightwater, New Zealand, bringing an end to operations that have run since the 1980s and putting 142 people out of work. The closure is part of CHH’s plan to consolidate structural timber manufacturing at its Kawerau site in the Bay of Plenty. Source: Timberbiz E tū (union) delegate Maria Hemara says the announcement is devastating. “I’m feeling devastated, I feel like I’ve lost my whole family. We work together for 40 hours a week, we’ve built friendships, and it’s all being taken away. It’s like going to your own funeral,” she said. “I’ll be looking for jobs – I’ve tried supermarkets, and other mills around here. If not, I’ll have to go temping something. “I think it will be a burden for the whole community. They will share our grief. The loss of jobs and productivity in the region isn’t good for anyone.” E tū National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh says CHH’s move is a strategic decision that ignores the human cost. “This isn’t a company going broke – they’ve chosen to centralise operations in Kawerau. But we’re talking about people’s lives here, and it’s cold comfort for more than 140 workers who are now facing unemployment in a region already hit hard,” Ms Mackintosh said. “These workers, many of whom have put decades of their lives into the mill, are now caught in the crossfire of a corporate decision. E tū will do everything we can to support our members through this difficult time. We’re calling on CHH to do the same, and we also expect the Government to step up. “Instead of shrugging its shoulders at rising unemployment, the Government must be part of the solution, with targeted support for affected workers and communities.”  

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Leading design platform for mass timber, CLT Toolbox, has rebranded itself as SPEC Toolbox. The platform originally focused on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and has grown to include eight product categories, and the new brand reflects its expanded mission.Source: Timberbiz The product expansion now provides tooling for Glulam, LVL, light-frame construction, screws, hangers, and brackets, with an acoustics module to be released soon. This approach of eliminating technical barriers for specifiers is resonating within the industry, with the platform boasting over 5,000 user signups globally and partnerships with 30 major product suppliers. The company says the evolution to SPEC Toolbox is a key step forward for users and partners, broadening the scope of technical problems the platform is engineered to solve to provide digital tooling to the industry that makes it easier to specify modern, innovative products. “Our mission is simple: to make innovation easy to specify,” said Adam Jones, CEO of SPEC Toolbox. “Product manufacturers drive innovation for industry and passionate engineers every day are seeking solutions for their projects that challenge the norm. “CLT and the mass timber industry is an embodiment of this innovation, and I experienced this myself both as a supplier at XLam and a specifier at WSP. “Now, with SPEC Toolbox, we are giving designers the confidence to specify the materials of the future and enabling a much-needed shift towards more sustainable and cost-efficient construction and putting incredible manufacturer solutions right into the hands of engineers” For engineers, the platform eliminates the need to build significant spreadsheets that can take hundreds of hours or to rummage through disparate supply chain data found in PDFs. SPEC Toolbox removes the technical barriers to product specification, scaling engineering capacity and giving designers the confidence to specify the materials of the future. This directly addresses the challenge that innovation is often hard to specify, fulfilling the company’s mission to make it easy. The platform’s success has been driven by its diverse and talented founding team, including: Adam Jones (CEO), who previously felt the specification problems as a supplier at XLam and a specifier at WSP. Ringo Thomas Co-founder & CCO, who has poured his career full of experience in B2B sales to help drive the growth of a global customer footprint in a very short time Lelissie Bedada Co-founder & Head of Engineering, leads the engineering effort of 17 structural engineers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ikhsan Agustian Co-founder & CTO, who invented key technology the team leverages to build the world-class software & leads a team of 20 software developers in Semarang Indonesia. “If you’ve got any technical barriers to product specification, then SPEC Toolbox wants to help you,” Mr Jones said “Our goal is to eliminate all technical barriers to innovation, empowering the industry to build a more sustainable future.”

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This Labor government’s environmental policy doesn’t look like it’s being run by those in Macquarie Street, but maybe by rooftop protestors who contribute little to society and inner-city hypocrites who choose mining by consumption of the very products they campaign against. Source: Australian Rural & Regional News These high-end activists are screaming “koala crisis”, all the while happily living in high rise towers built from concrete and steel, wrapped in plastics, stuffed with furniture made from imported timber ripped from forests overseas with zero environmental standards. That’s not conservation. That’s hypocrisy. The latest rumour out of the timber industry is that the full 176,000 hectares will be locked up in the Great Koala National Park. Yet only days ago, Chris Minns himself said he wasn’t guaranteeing it. Which is it, Premier? We got a Labor government that is being bulldozed at every turn by Penny Sharpe and activists running the show. All the while being cheered on by inner city independents like Alex Greenwich, Jacqui Scruby and Michael Regan. Politicians who prefer the city benefits of their own ruined environment. It’s the same old Labor. Same chaos with the unions. Same favouritism for Western Sydney. And once again, its regional families paying the price. Timber is the most sustainable resource we have. It grows back, sequesters carbon while it grows, stores carbon as the product, breaks down naturally, can be recycled, and it even supports renewable energy and composting. Compare that to driving a car, using a phone, or wearing a watch, all of which rely on mining products that have far greater impact on the environment than forestry ever could. But responsible and well managed mining isn’t the enemy either. We need metals and minerals to drive our economy and our lifestyle. Labor’s own data paid for by the public tells a very different story from the activist fairytale. Dr Bradley Law, the lead scientist from the Department of Primary Industries, was gagged for years. His 7-year study across 224 sites with 25,000 hours of monitoring found that regulated timber harvesting in state forests had no effect on koala populations, nor did land tenure. The real dangers to koalas being wildfire, chlamydia, urban deforestation, vehicle strikes, and dog attacks. Forestry, which plants more trees than it takes, doesn’t even make the top five. And yet, instead of confronting those real threats, Labor wants to lock up the GKNP which will only proliferate pests and weeds through chronic underfunding. Improving technology gives us better counts, and the CSIRO estimating 287,830 – 628,010 koalas in Australia shows they may not be endangered anymore. Labor’s own high-tech drone survey backs it up with more than 12,000 koalas in the GKNP assessment area alone. Most in state forests, not national parks. The evidence is clear for Minns and yet he is still refusing to be transparent. Instead of trusting their own robust data, Labor relies on activist driven ideology and emotion. They’ve weaponised the koala as a political mascot for votes in Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. Worse still, the “Community Panel” designed to guide GKNP decisions was dominated by environmental NGOs, mostly from Sydney, not locals. Only recently did Penny Sharpe start calling it the Community and Environmental Panel. While Labor demonises our local timber, they’re opening the door to timber imports from countries that don’t hold a candle to our environmental standards. So, in trying to “save” the koala, they’re threatening to offshore thousands of Aussie jobs, and we already import $6.8B worth of timber from countries where deforestation is rampant and unregulated. State forests currently operate with modest Community Service Obligations, $20M in total, or $8.50 per hectare. National parks, by contrast, carry obligations of $850M, or $121 per hectare. These figures come from a 2019 report, and no updated analysis has been provided. That’s a 14-fold cost difference per hectare, and taxpayers deserve transparency about whether these numbers have shifted. The GKNP is nothing more than a glossy billboard for city votes, paid for with regional jobs. That’s the hallmark of Labor: the same old game playing dressed up as environmental conservation. If we’re serious about improving the environment, just look at the facts. NSW already has 7.6M hectares of national parks compared to just 2M hectares of state forests. At a cost of $121 per hectare, have national parks really delivered the outcomes we were promised? And what difference will locking-up another 0.176M hectares for a name change actually make, for the environment, or for koalas? Michael Kemp is the Member for Oxley (NSW) for the National Party.

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From forestry schools to wood physics as a scientific discipline: a review of historical milestones and future directions of wood science is a paper by Dick Sandberg of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Peter Niemz ETH Zurich published by Research Gate. Source: Timberbiz This overview traces the modern history of wood science and technology, particularly from the European perspective. It begins with the early forestry schools in 18th-century Germany, which influenced the founding of similar institutions worldwide. These schools introduced technical subjects, including wood physics, to meet industrial demand, especially from the mining sector. Before formal studies began, early research on wood properties, including moisture relations and strength, appeared in encyclopaedias. With the Industrial Revolution, interest in wood as a construction material grew, linking wood research to engineering and materials science. In the early 20th century, dedicated wood technology institutes marked the birth of wood science as a distinct discipline. Today, key research fields include wood-water relations, mechanical and rheological behaviour, wood modification, and structure-property modelling. The future of wood science lies in sustainability and the efficient use of resources. As interest in renewable, bio-based alternatives to steel and concrete grows, further research on wood functionalisation and modification will be vital. More information about this paper here  

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The new Log Max 20-inch class harvester head is the result of collaborative efforts by Log Max and Quadco and incorporates the Quadco Intermittent Disc Saw to reduce downtime and costs associated with chain saws. Source: Timberbiz The swing-out disc saw has a solid centre and a rotating ring, enabling the saw to instantly develop 600-700 rpm cutting speed. The result is high quality cuts at an impressive rate. This robust head is built for shift after shift production. It quickly cleans out underbrush without throwing chain or bending bars, clearing the way for a close-to- the-ground cut to increase the value of the first log. It is also ideal for delimbing and topping challenging trees. This modern state-of-the-art harvester-processor is designed for professional contractors. Its standout feature, the swing-out disc saw, has a cutting speed of 600-700 rpm, ensuring high-quality cuts and exceptional productivity. Combined with the Logmax Logmate 510 Control system, this package will ensure high-quality cuts and good productivity.

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Fukushima United Football Club has unveiled plans for Japan’s first all-wooden stadium. The club also claims that the new facility will be the world’s first fully recyclable wooden stadium. Source: The Stadium Business In an announcement on its website, the club stated: “In exploring sustainable architecture originating from Japan, inspiration is drawn from the traditional practice of Shikinen Sengu in which sacred Shinto shrines are periodically rebuilt, and their enshrined deities are transferred to other newly constructed buildings. “The stadium will be built using wood, with layers of lumber sourced from Fukushima Prefecture. Each component is designed to be disassembled and reused, promoting the recycling of local resources. In addition, we will call for club members and local residents to participate in the creation of building components in a festive, community-driven events. “Through reforestation and woodworking education, we also aim to pass on skills to the next generation, taking on the challenge of ensuring the sustainable recycling of resources, culture, and craftsmanship.” The club also pointed out that it intends to take advantage of Fukushima’s basin climate to effectively circulate natural energy required for its stadium. “Taking advantage of Fukushima’s basin climate, we introduce a passive design that maximises the use of natural energy. The shape of the roof is designed to block sunlight in summer and shield against cold winds in winter. Variations in the exterior wall shape allow prevailing winds to be captured in summer and blocked in winter. “Additionally, collected rainwater is filtered for reuse, and snow stored during winter is utilised for cooling in the summer. Through efforts to recycle natural energy, we aim to reduce energy consumption while storing the renewable energy generated on-site in a battery system, working toward energy self-sufficiency. “Ultimately, we will strive to achieve certification under the Living Building Challenge, one of the world’s most rigorous environmental standards for sustainability and regenerative design.” The stadium will seat 5000 and be the country’s first circular timber stadium. Architects are VUILD who say they will use timber from local forests and use six metre spans with hyperbolic paraboloid shells made from cross-section timber.

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A team of six students, named Six Degrees, from Deakin University Geelong has taken home the Autodesk Challenge Cup in 2025 for their architectural submission ‘Solace’ which uses prefabricated building methods to deliver high-quality homes that incorporate universal design principles and integrated assistive technologies. Source: Timberbiz Seven cross-disciplinary teams from Australian universities participated in the 2025 Autodesk Challenge Cup. “Smarter building for transitional living” required the students, Australia’s next generation of built design professionals, to create a mid-rise (3-6 storey) designed with universal design principles. The response needed to use prefabricated building methods to deliver high-quality homes appropriate and comfortable for people with disabilities and the elderly. The typology was mid-rise to acknowledge and respond to the need for increased densification due to the lack of available housing nationwide. Sthe Geelong team designed a six-storey transitional living facility to accommodate 41 diverse dwelling units for individuals and families. Using the Flexi-Build system, featuring CLT floor slabs, modular steel partition walls, and hydronic ceiling panels, the project enables high configurability. Sponsored by Autodesk and facilitated by peak body prefabAUS, the Challenge Cup is now into its sixth year and provides teams with an opportunity to demonstrate the value and versatility of prefabrication and modern methods of construction (or Smart Building) to find innovative solutions unmatched by traditional construction. prefabAUS Executive Chair Damien Crough said that prefabAUS was delighted to partner in a competition involving the next generation of Australia’s built environment professionals. “With an aging population and more understanding of the importance of universal design and access to the quality of life experienced by people living with disability, this Challenge has delivered a solution to a real-world problem. Using smart building techniques that combine digital design and advanced manufacturing techniques, mean time and waste savings and enhanced building performance are realized,” said Mr Crough. Autodesk’s Sumit Oberoi, Senior Manager, Construction Strategy, APAC, said that for industry to keep pace, it needed to build more projects in a faster and more sustainable way. “The answer is industrialised construction, being able to connect design and make from day one resulting in faster, high-quality projects with less waste. “The quality and level of innovation amongst teams has been incredible and we congratulate the finalists, Australia’s next generation of built design professionals, on their exceptional efforts and innovation,” said Mr Oberoi.

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The volume of detached houses approved for construction nationally increased by 0.6% in the month of July 2025 ahead of the 5% deposit guarantee announced last week. Source: Timberbiz The Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday released its monthly building approvals data for July 2025 for detached houses and multi-units covering all states and territories. “Strong population growth, tight labour markets and recovering household incomes helped improve confidence in an increasing number of markets over the last 18 months,” HIA Senior Economist Maurice Tapang said. “This cyclical improvement in new home commencements will be enhanced by supply side initiatives, such as the 5% deposit scheme announced last week,” he said. “Around a third of all new homes are built by first home buyers, and in the long-term, initiatives that reduce the cost of first home buyers entering the market will lead to an increase in new home commencements.” This month’s increase in detached house approvals was broad-based across most states and territories, except Queensland and South Australia, and brought the total volume of detached house approvals in Australia over the past 12 months up by 5.3% to 112,760. Mr Tapang said that with three interest rate cuts having been delivered this year, more households were expected to return to the market to purchase a home. “Strong demand for housing in the established market is expected to continue filtering through to the new home market, as building a new home becomes relatively more appealing,” he said. “Multi-unit approvals decreased by 18.8% in the month of July 2025. Approvals for this segment remains volatile and at very low levels. “The correlation between an apartment approval and commencement remains weak, as challenges with access to overseas financing, development costs, labour shortages and planning remain. “In order to build sufficient housing to meet existing and growing demand, apartment construction needs to double from current levels. “There remain upside risks to home building activity in Australia if policymakers help lower the cost of delivering new homes to market,” Mr Tapang said. The volume of detached house approvals in the month of July 2025 in seasonally adjusted terms increased in Western Australia by 3.6%, followed by New South Wales (+3.2%) and Victoria (+1.7%). South Australia recorded a 4.6% monthly decline in detached house approvals, while Queensland fell by 3.7%. In original Terms, Tasmania recorded a 48.4% increase in detached approvals, followed by the Northern Territory (+16.2%) and the Australian Capital Territory (+3.3%).

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A wasted opportunity is passing New Zealand by to make the most of damaging forest slash by failing to treat it as an energy solution, instead regarding it as a headache, says Bioenergy Association executive officer Brian Cox. Source: Timberbiz “While slash lays rotting in forests it costs communities in terms of flood damage, but as fuel it could slice household electricity bills,” he said. “It’s known that energy from forest residue sells at about NZ$16 a gigajoule (GJ), under half the cost of heat from electricity at NZ$36/GJ.” A gigajoule as a measure of heat energy and 1GJ is capable of heating 25-50 homes for a year. One house in NZ uses about 36 GJ a year. “Slash can keep boilers running and lights on without having to inflate power prices, reserving electricity for critical uses,” said Mr Cox. Pricing slash as an energy resource will help create incentives to clear debris before it wreaks havoc on communities. There are also projects underway including Scion’s Biowave marine biofuel project, to turn forest waste into fuels. “With some planning and pricing, biomass could supply 27% of the nation’s energy by 2050,” Mr Cox said. Removing more slash for income generation through power generation also provides upside for foresters’ operations. “It means planters have better access to sites, with a more easily improved stocked area and better forest regeneration is possible. “Minimising slash piles reduces fire risk and spontaneous combustion hazards on skid sites.” He says this winter has proven to be one of serious discontent within New Zealand’s energy industry as the nation digests news that its gas supplies are running perilously low. “We have the shortage resulting in Methanex and Ballance Agri having to reduce their business activity. That has a sharp impact upon the people they employ and the region they operate in. “Meantime, electricity prices continue to rise.” Bringing the two issues together provides a solution beneficial for all of New Zealand, both households and businesses. “Using forest biomass to produce energy can free up electricity and natural gas for other higher value uses. “Gas supply can also be boosted by using food waste to produce biogas, diversifying our sources and supply, as we have already seen being done by Ecogas in Reporoa.” Mr Cox said without a biogas strategy New Zealand risks seeing the worst of both worlds. “That is, even more business closures due to energy costs, and flooding damage continuing from forestry.”

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Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is expected to hit a record combined value of $101.6 billion in 2025-2026, according to the latest ABARES forecasts. Source: Timberbiz ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the new record value was mostly down to livestock. “We’ve seen high prices lately for both livestock and animal products, like beef, lamb and milk,” Dr Greenville said. “This has boosted the value of livestock production to $41.6 billion, helping to drive overall agriculture sector production value to a forecasted $94.7 billion, which would also be a record.” Dr Greenville said crop production value is forecast to fall slightly in this financial year. “Wheat production and value are set to fall as both global prices and Australian yields decline slightly from last financial year, although wheat production is still ticking along above the 10-year average,” he said. “Barley and pulse production are also on the rise, which with stable canola production, is forecast to see the 3rd largest winter crop on record.” Much of this increase is due to rainfall over July in many parts of South Australia and Victoria. Western Australia has also had above average rainfall, and overall is in a good position heading into spring. Southern New South Wales remains an area of concern, however, due to a slow start to the winter cropping season and relatively low soil moisture levels. Exports are also looking strong for the year ahead. “Agriculture exports are set to fall slightly but are still well above average – at $74.6 billion, these are the third-highest value on record,” Dr Greenville said. “Beef and sheep meat exports are due to fall, but horticulture exports are forecast to increase, and wheat exports will also rise as a result of high carry over from 24-25. “The global trading environment remains uncertain, but there is still strong international demand for Australian food and fibre from markets like China, Japan and the US.” The ABARES September Agricultural Outlook can be found here: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/agricultural-outlook/september-2025

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Ads from mining giant Alcoa praising its forest rehabilitation that were published in WA’s daily newspaper have been deemed “inaccurate and likely to mislead or deceive target customers” by the advertising watchdog Ad Standards. Sources: WAToday, Timberbiz The advertising watchdog found that the claims were not truthful and factual and likely to be misleading or deceptive to the targeted audience. It also found Alcoa did not have reasonable grounds to make the claims, and the claims were not clear, specific and failed to include important limitations. It also said that the environmental claims were overstated. Alcoa responded by stating that there were no plans to use the advertisement in the future. Ad Standards rejected a claim made by Alcoa that the printout did not meet the definition of advertising and was only a statement of public policy. “The Panel considered that such statements if published in a media release or on the advertiser’s website may constitute a statement of public policy, but when part of a paid media campaign this material does meet the definition of advertising under the Code,” the report said. The bauxite miner has cleared 280 square kilometres of the northern jarrah forest as part of its operations, which have been running in Western Australia for more than 60 years. The US-owned company launched a public relations blitz in 2023, following a series of investigative articles by this masthead (WA Today) detailing how it had not completed rehabilitation on a single hectare of the cleared land. Instead, it had been planting seeds and seedlings, and advertising areas as rehabilitated. The miner’s Here with the Facts campaign included an advertisement in The West Australian on May 24, 2025, which claimed it had rehabilitated 75% of the jarrah forest destroyed by its mining operations and that rehabilitation of jarrah forest was possible. “Is Jarrah Forest rehabilitation possible? We’re here with the facts … We’re proud to confirm, the answer is yes – It’s not only possible, it’s happening,” the ad read. “Studies have confirmed that the Jarrah Forest can, and does, recover after mining. “Since 1963, only 2% of WA’s Northern Jarrah Forrest has been cleared for mining, of which, 75 per cent has already been rehabilitated.”

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With Australia tipped to increase spending on defence, manufacturers are tooling up to supply projects nationally. Australian door manufacturer Specialty Doors is developing high performance acoustic and security door products to meet the growing demand. Source: Timberbiz Director of Specialty Doors, Marcus Bastiaan believes defence projects represent an opportunity for local manufacturers to develop category leading products. “Defence requires highly specified product, with a strong focus on performance. Manufacturers must test and prove their products, which leads to innovation with new materials and production processes,” he said. Specialty Doors is currently involved in supplying defence projects in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Each project requires a range of products to fulfil acoustic, security and fire rating standards, which according to Mr Bastiaan will provide ongoing benefit to manufacturing businesses and the construction industry. “Learning more about the practical strength and limitations of materials creates new knowledge, which in turn improves the product offering for the domestic construction industry,” Mr Bastiaan said. He highlights the link between an increase in global insecurity and a growing demand for greater security features in residential projects. “We have made more internal steel plate doors in the last twelve months, than we have made in the past 4 years. Demand is coming from defence and the residential sector.” Specialty Doors security grade doors are manufactured in accordance with SCEC requirements and can be designed to withstand bullets and blasts. While the doors internal construction is a mix of steel and dampening materials, the exterior is often timber or veneer. Marcus Bastiaan says this unassuming exterior lends itself to domestic settings. “Our customers want to know they are safe behind their front door, but they don’t necessarily want to tell the whole street about it,” Mr Bastiaan said. Secure entry systems are built to Australian standards governed by the Security Construction and Equipment Committee, which is a standing inter-departmental committee within the Australian Government. The standard provides a framework for materials and performance criteria required for products to qualify for tenders. Mr Bastiaan sees Australia’s high standard of building products as a competitive advantage for manufactures looking to export. “Australian products are recognise as class leaders, the more domestic manufactures innovate to meet standards the greater our chances of finding markets in the United States and Europe,” he said.

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The peak body for Queensland’s forest and timber industry is bringing together landholders, timber producers, builders and innovators this week for the Doing Timber Business in Queensland: From Paddock to Pre-Fab conference. Source: Timberbiz Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said the two-day forum, supported by Gold Sponsor Australian Retirement Trust, will explore how timber, carbon and cattle can work better together to boost resilience, productivity and profitability on Queensland farms, while delivering wood supply for future housing needs. “This is about connecting the full timber value chain – from the paddock through to prefabricated innovation,” Mr Stephens said. Attendees on Tuesday heard from industry leaders and experts including Chris Parker, Cattle Australia, presenting on deforestation rules from a beef industry perspective, Greg Leach, AgForce Queensland, discussing natural capital reporting tools for grazing and forestry and Dr Tyron Venn, University of Queensland examining the financial performance of farm forestry in detail. Mr Stephens spoke on the new Queensland Future Timber Plan, and the policy and farm extension opportunities to expand the native forest and plantation-based sectors to meet growing demand for timber construction materials. The day concluded with the Carving Out Connections: Steaks and Stumps industry dinner, sponsored by Rivers Insurance, which featured a presentation from Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett. Today’s sessions, themed Building Our Future in Timber, shifts the focus to construction and timber’s role in solving Australia’s housing and building challenges. Held at Aurecon’s 25 King St office – Australia’s tallest timber office building – the program includes sessions on mid-rise timber codes, mass timber social housing and modern construction methods. “Timber is not just a renewable resource – it’s a smart solution for housing supply, sustainability and regional jobs,” Mr Stephens said. “Presentations and site tours of hybrid prefabrication systems at SigmaBuild and a complex truss and frame system under construction at the Wat Thai Buddharam Temple will showcase how Queensland grown timber and prefabricated systems can deliver better outcomes for builders, occupants and the environment.” “These opportunities will be fully explored as part of our proactive agenda with government and industry partners,” Mr Stephens said  

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