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Opal says it is driving large performance gains with its Manufacturing Excellence (MEx) program, a system that empowers frontline operators to define their own performance goals and outline how to achieve them. Source: Timberbiz Traditional improvement methods rely on a top-down approach where targets are set by leadership and cascaded down the organisation. Opal’s MEx program shifts this dynamic by entrusting those on the frontline to identify performance improvements. “Our frontline teams possess deep operational knowledge and a direct line of sight to daily challenges and opportunities,” said Jacob Chretien, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Opal. “By empowering our people to set their own targets in consultation with the business, we unlock higher employee engagement, faster problem resolution, and more resilient gains.” This approach is already yielding impressive results across sites in Australia and New Zealand. A prime example is Opal Regency Park in South Australia which has embraced MEx principles to drive significant operational and cultural transformation. At Opal’s site in Regency Park, South Australia, MEx contributed to a major turnaround in performance, starting from an on time, in full delivery score of 58% to more than 99% within a nine-month period. Site Manager Matt Mcarthur attributes these results to a deliberate focus on hiring staff with a strong track record of accountability rather than purely technical skills. “Operators take a lead role in continuous improvement including ways to minimise planned downtime, communicate site performance, and drive preventative maintenance strategies to increase the run time of our assets,” Mr Mcarthur said. “It has supported seamless product transfers from other sites, driven material efficiencies, and helped maximise floor space”. Regency Park also engaged local suppliers to secure cost reductions and supply chain improvements, generating substantial savings and strengthening local partnerships. For example, waste ink disposal costs fell by more than 70% with addition savings generated through smarter supply arrangements. By moving from top-down directives to a model based on enablement and ownership, Regency Park has not only improved its operational performance, but it has also strengthened engagement across its workforce. In a market where expectations around operational agility and cost-effectiveness are increasing, Opal’s MEx system empowers those closest to the business to choose the opportunities worth pursuing, delivering stronger returns, fuelling customer growth, and upholding best-in-class safety. Since the phased rollout began in 2024, plants running MEx have lifted overall equipment effectiveness by an average 13 percentage points, cut unplanned downtime by 27%, and reduced material waste by 15%. Daily huddles led by operators turn live production data into 24-hour improvement targets, while a digital action board feeds real-time issues to engineering and supply-chain teams. The result is faster decision-making, shorter change-over times, and a self-funding pipeline of machine-level enhancements. While the sector races toward advanced manufacturing, Opal is also leveraging its MEx program to pinpoint opportunities in artificial intelligence, steer automation projects, and lift the effectiveness of the assets they run. By embedding ownership and continuous improvement at ground level, Opal is setting a new benchmark for manufacturing excellence, one that puts people at the centre while unlocking the full potential of smart technologies on the production floor.

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The peak state body for the forest and timber industry in Queensland has welcomed the release of the draft Queensland Future Timber Plan which has received preliminary input from the Timber Supply Chain Ministerial Roundtable comprising industry, First Nation, forest science and building sector representatives. Source: Timberbiz “This draft plan provides clear recognition of the vital contribution this industry makes to the state economy as well as the social and environmental benefits from sustainably managed forests. For too long this sector has been neglected at the expense of rural and regional jobs, green building outcomes and housing affordability,” Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said. “The Government listened to our call at the last election for a comprehensive plan to remove productivity barriers and has put the forest and timber industry back at the forefront of strategic economic development. “We support the plan’s key focus areas of securing future supply, delivering an internationally competitive supply chain, better regulation, workforce development and greater innovation and extension. “These focus areas will help deliver the additional resources, processing capacity and skilled jobs to meet the rising demand for timber building materials. “An important next step will be to identify and implement key actions to support the 25-year plan.” A number of areas that Queensland Timber is focusing on for key priority actions in the first 5-year period include: a targeted planting program of additional plantations to complement existing resources and downstream processing putting in place long term crown resource contracts for the native hardwood industry (noting most existing contracts expire at the end of 2026) a world class industry led private forest grower and landholder forestry extension service, including partnerships with indigenous communities lifting the international competitiveness of local growing and processing supply chains through investment in infrastructure, resource recovery and value added technologies. smoothing cyclical market fluctuations through long-term public procurement and leveraging major projects such as the Brisbane Olympics; removing sovereign risk through a long-term right to harvest in sustainably managed private native forests; and removing policy and financial barriers to investment in plantations and farm forestry such as existing impediments in the Land Restoration Fund. “We look forward to working with the Government on the co-designed strategy and actions to ensure a thriving and sustainable forest and timber industry into the future,” Mr Stephens said.

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The Queensland Crisafulli Government says it is delivering a fresh start for the forestry industry, launching the draft Queensland Future Timber Plan for wide-ranging public consultation. Source: Timberbiz This landmark initiative sets out how the Crisafulli Government will drive policy settings to secure the sustainable timber supply needed to build one million homes by 2044 all while supporting a sustainable resource, creating new jobs, and backing regional economies. The government says the plan will deliver a 25-year strategy for the forestry and timber industry, supported by a detailed 5-year action plan to guide the initial steps. It is a key component of the Government’s broader Primary Industries Prosper 2050 blueprint, which aims to boost Queensland’s primary production output to $30 billion by 2030. The Queensland Government said that over a decade, successive Labor governments made hollow promises, including action plans that were announced but never written, hundreds of millions of non-existent funding pledged, and a two-year supply study that was never delivered. Two industry roundtables have been held focused on meeting the growing construction demand while fostering sustainability and innovation across the supply chain. Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said successive Labor governments had failed Queenslanders and caused shortfalls in timber supply. “This plan is about securing a reliable and sustainable timber supply to meet Queensland’s growing housing, construction, and infrastructure needs, all while protecting jobs and building regional economies,” Minister Perrett said. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Queensland’s forestry and timber industries and ensure there is renewable Queensland timber to build homes and deliver on our infrastructure needs. “The plan has been shaped by key industry leaders and now we want to hear from everyone — from timber producers, small and family businesses, manufacturers to environmental groups and regional communities.”

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In a world competing for impact and positive attention, we’re told to always promote your product’s positives and try not to make yourself look good by denigrating the competition and highlighting their weaknesses. The digital world though loves creating click bait and appealing to people’s concerns as opposed to their affirmations. Timber has taken the higher ground for years in terms of some real emotive negative lenses portrayed and promoted by competing materials. So, let’s set the record straight here… Timber is more fire predictable than steel – it doesn’t buckle in fire which happens quicker than charring of timber sections Timber is more thermally efficient than steel Timber is quieter than steel – it doesn’t go creak in the night with expansion and contraction due to temperature changes in the building Timber with H2F hazard class is termite resistant – a steel home is just as vulnerable as a timber home to overall termite damage throughout the fitout of the house such that the BCA requirements are no different Timber is forgiving in terms of onsite rectifications – trades know this, and they know that steel framing isn’t and that’s why they prefer installing timber frames and trusses Timber doesn’t corrode, buckle or creak in the night. And, whilst we’re setting the record straight, even though this opinion piece will probably be read by either already converted and the stalwart pro-timber ambassadors, The Block is claiming a meaningful focus on sustainability in its design and construction, and this is questionable in my opinion. The biggest ongoing positive impact that The Block could make if it was truly committed to sustainability over profit (from audience ratings) would be to insist that the five new builds this year were done with structural timber. The unbelievable sustainability focus that the show claims is besides the fact that every builder I speak with doesn’t respect or like the show in terms of how it portrays major renovations, or new home build projects. It shows unrealistic construction timelines, which translate to unreasonable pressure on trades, and an unhealthy client/builder relationship. Building a new home is such a big investment, emotionally and financially, and good reliable builders deal with this fact in their client journeys every day, so they don’t need the sensationalised drama of a “reality” show. However, along with the biggest emotional and financial investment, it’s also the biggest investment for positive climate change that a homeowner can make in their lives to insist on structural timber. I estimate that over the past 21 seasons of The Block, the show has constructed conservatively about 100 new home equivalents, as this is based on the fact that some years, the renovation was an existing apartment block structure and the detached house renovations were much larger than the average Aussie home footprint. Christine Briggs is the principal, Chris Briggs Consulting

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