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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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