Inside a new facility at Main Street and Terminal Avenue, wood fibre is moving through a production line and emerging, transformed, as a block of lightweight “wood foam.” For Dr. Feng Jiang, who first developed the material in his laboratory at the University of British Columbia, the moment is years in the making.

For Reg Ogen, president and CEO of Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership (YLP) and a leader of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, it signals a shift in the Canadian bioeconomy: a new economic relationship between Indigenous communities and the forests they have stewarded for generations.

Millions of tonnes of plastic foam packaging end up in landfills each year, where they can persist for more than 500 years. This new facility aims to change that. By transforming wood waste resulting from logging or forest fires—material that might otherwise be burned or discarded—into biodegradable packaging and insulation, the partnership is turning a costly liability for the forestry sector into a high-value, sustainable product.

Indigenous-led commercialisation

The pilot plant is operated by DicinFoam, a majority-owned subsidiary of YLP, the business arm of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. Dicin (pronounced DIH-chun), the Wet’suwet’en word for wood, reflects the company’s connection to both the forest and Wet’suwet’en culture. The underlying intellectual property is co-owned by UBC and YLP.

“This partnership is a blueprint for the future of the forestry industry,” said Ogen. “Today’s forestry industrialization models have extracted value from all forest dwellers, communities, and our Indigenous cultures.”

From lab to pilot-scale production

The plant converts softwoods such as spruce, pine and fir into a lightweight wood foam using heat, mechanical processing and minimal chemical additives. In packaging applications, the material is designed to break down in soil within months. The facility also produces insulation panels treated to meet building performance requirements, a market that currently relies heavily on imported wood-based products.

The technology originated in the lab of Dr. Jiang, a professor in UBC’s faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship whose research focuses on turning underused forest biomass into high-value bio-based materials. His lab continues to support DicinFoam’s scale-up, testing new feedstock combinations and expanding the range of applications as the company grows.

New Canadian research echoes themes explored by Australia’s System 600 while highlighting different approaches to industrialised housing.

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.

Shared questions, different starting points

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.

ARC Advance Timber Hub Project “An Open-Data Framework for Forest-to-Building Value Chain Mapping” is addressing a major challenge for Australia’s forest and wood products sector: how to better understand, visualise and coordinate data across the entire value chain – from forest resource through processing to buildings.

Project Leader, Associate Professor Joe Gattas, from The University of Queensland School of Civil Engineering, presented at the FWPA Webinar – Navigating a Changing Landscape: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovation in the Timber Industry, on the 21st April 2026. Below is a summary of the projects research outlined in the webinar presentation.

Why this research matters?

Research and data relevant to timber supply, processing and use are currently spread across many institutions, projects and datasets. This makes it difficult for industry, government and researchers to:

• See how domestic timber resources are really being used
• Identify inefficiencies and lost opportunities across the supply chain
• Test how changes in forestry, processing or building design affect outcomes such as resource efficiency, supply resilience and local manufacturing capability

This project responds by creating an open, integrated data framework that supports clearer communication, better decision‑making and more coordinated action across the sector.

What the project has achieved so far?

Measuring Timber Consumption

Early work has explored different ways to measure timber consumption in buildings.

• A geospatial “Timber Tracker” mapped timber volume per building across regions, helping separate housing density from timber use. While visually powerful, it offered limited insight for decision‑making.
• A “trees per building” material flow analysis followed timber from forest through sawmilling into a typical house, revealing the significant gap between the timber seen in a finished building and the processing effort required to produce it. This highlighted how grade recovery and product choices significantly affect resource efficiency.

Together, these early studies helped reframe timber use as a system‑wide issue, not just a building‑level metric.

More >>

Source & image credit: Arc Advance Timber Hub

The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, opened the Southern Hemisphere’s first off-site production line to use Cross Laminated Timber, CLT, as the structure.

The initiative is a collaboration between local industry leader Red Stag, German architecture firm NKBAK and Austria constructor Kaufmann Bausysteme. The initial launch stage is supported financially by MPI’s Primary Sector Growth Fund.

The project name, VoMo stands for ‘volumetric modular’, meaning whole room modules are completed on the production line.

“These factories are proving highly effective in Austria and Germany”, explains Red Stag group CEO Marty Verry. “They facilitate efficient installation of fit-out within the modules, using an Austrian technology backbone. The efficiency savings help cover the cost of running the factory and transporting the modules to building sites.”

“Poor labour productivity on construction sites has become a big impediment to building fast and efficiently in New Zealand, he adds. “Developers are looking for ways to compress construction times in half. CLT is an enabler to this; the strong, durable, yet lightweight engineered wood panels provide a rigid shell that can easily be transported to sites.

“Initial foundation work on site runs in parallel with work on the modules in the factory, rather than sequentially. Typically, this takes one-third to one-half out of the overall construction programme.

“The controlled factory environment also allows for less variations and contingencies, which is a big factor in developer’s feasibility models. Contingencies can reduce from 10 percent to 5 percent because what happens in the factory is totally locked down.

“The strength of CLT also means the modules can be stacked into very high building designs. Ten to twenty storeys are not out of the question, and we have worked with top local engineers to finalise module-to-module connections that also reduce any acoustic flanking.”

The facility is set to benefit sectors such as school classroom blocks, apartments, townhouses, cabins, hotels, student accommodation, offices and retirement care facilities.

“A lot of these sectors are very sensitive to construction noise, truck movements and disruption, making off-site volumetric modules an attractive option”, says Verry.

VoMo has projects secured for 150 modules over the next two years. The line will ultimately be able to produce up to 800 modules annually. In Europe, the partnering company supplies 4-5,000 modules annually from four factories.

“This is a great result for NZ-Inc too, adds Verry. “With CLT, we are substituting a sustainable locally produced material for what would otherwise be high-emission imported steel and cement.

“This is something we want politicians and bureaucrats to realise and adopt strategic procurement policy around. A dollar spent on heavy gauge steel does not come from Glenbrook or its electric arc furnace, it comes imported with high emissions. Likewise with concrete; only 60 percent coming from Golden Bay Cement and the rest imported. Any substitution with CLT therefore comes off imported cement volumes.

“On the other hand, a dollar spent on local CLT supports New Zealand businesses and jobs, reaching deep into rural New Zealand, often to iwi owned forests. It allows us to invest in greater capacity and efficiency, which in turn brings down construction costs and ensures domestic supply resilience.

“This extra scale allows New Zealand processors like us to have a better cost base to be able to compete in export markets.”

The industry is pushing three policies to achieve this:

• A Wood Option Policy (WOP) requiring an optimised wood design option taken through to the Preliminary Design stage for government projects. This ensures wood has a chance to compete and typically results in wood being selected at no additional cost. Too often wood is not considered because designers do what they find easiest for them. Most building types can be cost-equivalent in wood if the design is optimised early.
• Bringing Harvested Wood Products carbon storage into the ETS. This storage accounting is included in New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contributions, but not yet distributed to wood processors, despite the National and Act Parties promising a scheme that would do so at the last election. A Cabinet Paper is drafted and pending.
• Embodied Carbon reporting at the Building Consent stage for larger buildings that often use high-emission materials. Many European countries, and now New South Wales has adopted this. Plug-in software such as Nezo integrates with standard building design packages to facilitates this, so it’s basically a cost-free policy. It will encourage designers to think about their material selections and their impact on this 12 percent source of global CO2 emissions.

Source & image credit: Red Stag

ForestWorks to Investigate Skills Need in the Manufacturing of Engineered Wood Products. Australia’s forestry and timber sector has always evolved in response to changing markets, technologies and community needs. Today, engineered wood products (EWPs) are emerging as an increasingly important part of that story.

Products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), glue-laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) are creating new opportunities for timber manufacturing and construction. Around the world, these products are helping drive innovation in off-site manufacturing, prefabrication and sustainable building design, while creating new possibilities for how timber is used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.

In Australia, interest in engineered timber continues to grow, supported by national conversations around housing supply, advanced manufacturing, productivity and low-carbon construction. Government and industry initiatives have increasingly recognised the potential role of engineered wood products in supporting future housing and construction needs.

For the forest and wood products sector, this presents both opportunities and questions.

As manufacturing technologies evolve, so too do workforce requirements. New production systems, increased automation, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing processes require workers with specialised knowledge and skills. At the same time, businesses need practical and accessible training pathways that support both new entrants and existing workers to adapt to changing workplace requirements.

Questions are beginning to emerge across the industry:

• Do current training pathways adequately support engineered wood product manufacturing?
• Are there barriers preventing greater participation in vocational education and training?
• How can recognition of existing skills and experience be improved?
• What workforce capabilities will be needed as engineered wood products become more widely adopted?
• How can industry attract and develop the workforce needed for future growth?

These are important considerations for employers, workers, training providers and industry representatives alike.

The sector also faces broader workforce challenges. Like many industries, forestry and wood processing must attract the next generation of workers while retaining valuable experience and knowledge. There are opportunities to strengthen career pathways, increase workforce diversity and encourage greater participation in regional communities where many timber manufacturing businesses are located.

Understanding future skills requirements will be essential to ensuring that Australia’s forest and wood products sector is well positioned to support innovation, productivity and growth.

ForestWorks is interested in hearing from people and organisations working within the engineered wood products sector, including manufacturers, processors, designers, builders, researchers, training providers and industry organisations.

By sharing experiences and insights, industry can help build a clearer picture of current capabilities, emerging workforce needs and future opportunities across the engineered wood products value chain.

Have Your Say

Are you involved in engineered wood products? We would like to hear about:

• Current workforce and skills challenges
• Training and qualification needs
• Recognition of prior learning and workforce mobility
• Emerging technologies and manufacturing practices
• Future workforce demand and career pathways
• Examples of innovation and best practice

If you work in the engineered wood products sector and would like to share your experience or participate in future conversations, we encourage you to get in touch with the ForestWorks team.

More >>

Source: ForestWorks

Comact announced last week that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Checkmate Precision Cutting Tools, a manufacturer and service provider of bandsaws, circular saws, industrial knives, and complete saw shop solutions with operations across New Zealand and Australia.

Upon closing, the business will continue to operate as Checkmate. Stewart Martin will continue to lead the business, supported by the existing Checkmate team across all locations. David Harris, Checkmate’s owner, will remain with the business in an advisory role to support the transition.

“Checkmate is a significant expansion of our cutting solutions offering and a commitment to supporting Comact OEM offerings in the region.” said Dustin Norris, Vice President of Comact Cutting Solutions. “Their manufacturing, sharpening, and on-site service capabilities across New Zealand and Australia complement what we have built in North America and give customers in the region direct access to our full range of saws, disposable knives, guides, filing room equipment, and the expert service behind them. Checkmate has earned six decades of customer trust, and we intend to build on it.”

“Our customers have relied on Checkmate for generations, and protecting that was the most important factor in this decision,” said David Harris, owner of Checkmate. “Comact strengthens this company for the long term. Our customers will see the same people, the same locations, and the same service they know, now backed by the resources and reach of a global leader in wood processing. This secures Checkmate’s future and creates new opportunities for our team and the customers we serve.”

The acquisition builds on Comact’s growing cutting solutions platform, which combines saw, knife, and guide manufacturing with a network of service locations supporting wood processing operations across North America.

Checkmate extends that model to Australasia and complements Comact’s growing installed base in the region, bringing local manufacturing, technical expertise, and responsive service to customers in New Zealand and Australia. The acquisition also complements Comact’s existing partnership with Lakeland Steel, which will continue to play an important role in supporting customers across the region.

More >>

Source & image credit: Comact

In the COCOBIN project, coordinated by the University of Oulu, coating materials are being developed from suberin, a natural compound found for example in birch bark. In plants, suberin acts as a protective layer and prevents the loss of water. Up to 1500 meters of a bio-based coating material prototype have been produced at semi-pilot scale.

The material can be applied especially in fiber-based packaging materials such as paper or paperboard as a moisture barrier, as well as in other products requiring durable and functional surfaces. One key application area is food packaging, where the role of the coating is to prevent moisture from passing through the packaging material and to protect the product.

“The material can be applied especially in fiber-based packaging materials such as paper or paperboard as a moisture barrier, as well as in other products requiring durable and functional surfaces,” says professor Henrikki Liimatainen from the University of Oulu.

“Suberin-based coatings can be used as a water vapor barrier in food packaging applications. Current coating materials are typically fossil-based and can present challenges for recycling. Suberin-based coatings can offer an alternative while achieving comparable performance,” adds Rajesh Koppolu, Senior Scientist at VTT.

Toward more sustainable materials

The development of the coating has progressed step by step toward practical applications. The starting point was birch bark, from which suberin was extracted at semi-pilot scale. The extracted suberin was received as a moist material, then dried and further processed into a fine powder. This enabled it to be mixed into a uniform coating formulation.

From this powder, a water-based coating was prepared, where suberin particles are evenly distributed in the liquid. Additional components were included to help the coating spread evenly and to achieve the desired functional properties. The formulation is based on approximately one and a half years of research and development work. The work demonstrates the feasibility of the concept at semi-pilot scale.

The coating was produced and tested using semi-pilot-scale equipment that represents industrial production at a smaller scale. This allowed the team to observe how the material behaves under conditions similar to real manufacturing.

More >>

Source & image credit: University of Oulu

WorkSafe New Zealand has provided practical safety guidance to hundreds of wood manufacturing businesses, as part of a significant proactive focus on one of the country’s most dangerous sectors.  WorkSafe’s health and safety inspectors visited 657 businesses between January and March – from toy makers to joiners and wood processors – sharing education and guidance material with 83% of them.

“Many businesses were committed to improving safety and welcomed the chance to talk through their health and safety practices,” says WorkSafe’s project lead Savio Valladares. “These visits are about helping businesses get it right, not catching them out.”

However, the assessments also revealed persistent safety gaps. About half the businesses visited were required to make prompt changes to help prevent harm. The most common issues were inadequate machine guarding, missing or out-of-date hazardous substances inventories, and workers exposed to wood dust without effective controls such as ventilation and protective equipment.

“Manufacturing workers deserve to go home healthy and safe at the end of every day. These visits are about helping businesses and workers understand what good looks like – and most were receptive to that. While we can see progress is being made, too many are still missing safety essentials,” says Savio Valladares.

The findings reinforce why the sector is a priority focus for WorkSafe. Manufacturing has the highest rate and number of injuries resulting in more than a week off work of any sector – around 200 machinery-related injuries occur each year. An average of four to five manufacturing workers are killed at work each year – roughly two thirds of fatalities occur in food, wood, and metal product manufacturing.

WorkSafe will continue proactive visits to manufacturing businesses. From July to September, the focus shifts to food manufacturing.

WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses and workers to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe.

Read WorkSafe’s guidance on managing manufacturing risks

Source & image credit: WorkSafe NZ

Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) have confirmed the next phase of industry investment in timber durability and performance-in-use research, following consideration of the 2026 Mid-Term Review of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (NCTDDL).

The FWPA Board has decided to continue funding the Centre through to 30 June 2028, in line with the current agreement, while not extending the existing Centre funding model beyond that date. This provides time for a structured transition, allowing current projects, including commitments to PhD students, to be completed. a.

FWPA said the decision reflects a positive and forward-looking outcome for industry, recognising the substantial contribution the Centre has made since 2017 while creating a pathway for new, innovative and more industry-led approaches to future investment.

Timber durability and performance-in-use remain high priorities for FWPA and the broader forest and wood products sector. Future investment will build on the knowledge, relationships and capability developed through the NCTDDL, with greater emphasis on industry leadership, collaboration, extension and adoption.

FWPA Head of Research, Development & Extension, Ian Blanden said “the Centre has helped strengthen the sector’s understanding of timber durability and created a valuable foundation for the next stage of research, development and practical application.”

“The work undertaken through the NCTDDL has advanced knowledge, supported collaboration and helped build capability across important areas of timber durability and performance. FWPA sincerely thanks the Centre’s leadership, researchers, students, industry participants, university partners and all contributors for their dedication and expertise.”

Mr Blanden said the transition period would allow FWPA and industry partners to shape future arrangements that respond directly to industry priorities and emerging opportunities.  “This is about building on the Centre’s achievements and forging the way forward with a model that is even more closely aligned to industry needs,” Mr Blanden said.

The NCTDDL has been supported by FWPA in partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Queensland, with the Centre taking a national and international approach to timber durability research. FWPA will continue to consult with industry stakeholders, research partners and advisory groups as future arrangements are developed.

FWPA said the decision marks an important milestone in a long-term investment journey, ensuring the industry can recognise the Centre’s achievements while moving confidently towards future programs shaped by sector priorities, adoption pathways and practical impact.

Source & image credit: FWPA

The Innovatek WoodTECH 2026 conference series, held in Rotorua, New Zealand (18–19 June) and Brisbane, Australia (23–24 June), explored the transition towards automated sawmilling and lumber manufacturing technologies for the forest and wood processing sectors.

More than 25 international speakers from Europe and North America presented practical case studies to sellout audiences, demonstrating how AI, automation and advanced manufacturing technologies are being adopted across the Southern Hemisphere’s sawmilling industry. The pace of investment was highlighted by Niagara Sawmilling’s recent announcement of a NZ$115 million sawmill development at Invercargill, incorporating some of the latest wood processing technologies available.

A powerhouse of global expertise

The exhibition floor was a major drawcard at both events, featuring a record number of specialist wood technology suppliers. Close to 500 delegates attended the conference series, with the comprehensive expo giving mill managers and operations leaders the opportunity to compare firsthand the latest advancements from companies including Finnos, Comact, HewSaw, DO2 and SiCam Systems. The presence of more than 25 international speakers helped bridge the gap between global innovation and local operational reality.

From human-led to data-driven

The 2026 programme was themed ‘Automation, AI & Action’, reflecting the industry’s rapid transformation. Sessions focused on the transition towards increasingly autonomous manufacturing, with technologies designed to maximise production, improve recovery and reduce manual intervention through advanced scanning, robotics, AI and integrated control systems.

Key technology presenters & sessions

World-first autonomous wood manufacturing operation: Tony Johnston, Executive Director of Wood Engineering Technology (WET), outlined his company’s journey from concept to commercial production of optimised engineered lumber. His team has developed and patented a world-first manufacturing system, now operating at its largely autonomous production facility in Gisborne.

Global wood manufacturing perspectives: Representatives from European technology leaders LINCK and Springer demonstrated how modern sawmills are achieving higher throughput with fewer operators, highlighting the evolution towards the “one operator, maximum output” model.

Engineering tomorrow’s timber resource: Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) outlined strategies to strengthen timber’s position within the built environment, highlighting the important role engineered wood products will play in reducing construction emissions. This was complemented by Griffith University research demonstrating how younger plantation-grown blue gum—traditionally destined for pulp production—can instead be converted into high-performance laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and glued laminated timber (GLT), expanding the future structural timber resource.

Operational excellence: François Barton shared practical insights into maintaining safety, engagement and operational performance as manufacturing environments become increasingly automated. Drawing on a case study from ASX-listed drilling contractor Mitchell Services, he explained the company’s “4-Ds” framework—Dumb, Difficult, Dangerous and Different—which empowers frontline workers and leaders to identify operational risks before incidents occur.

Precision timber recovery & AI: Nick Barrett, President of SiCam Systems, and Jyri Smagin, CEO of Finnos Oy, presented case studies showing how AI-powered scanning, optimisation and closed-loop size control are reducing waste, improving recovery and lowering maintenance costs. Nick’s extensive experience with quality control systems continues to make his presentations a popular feature of Innovatek’s events in both New Zealand and Australia.

Robotics: Patrick Sasseville, CEO of DO2, showcased the latest developments in robotic systems that combine advanced vision technology with intelligent control systems for planer mills. His company’s solutions are being adopted by wood manufacturers around the world to improve productivity and consistency.

Workforce resilience: Lance Burdett provided practical strategies for maintaining focus, resilience and decision-making in increasingly complex manufacturing environments. A former lead crisis negotiator with the New Zealand Police, Lance drew on more than two decades of frontline experience to explain how understanding the brain’s response to stress can help individuals better manage conflict and improve workplace performance.

Applied technologies based on local log conditions: Nik Moore (Tui Technology) and Brian Russell (Contempo Lab) presented local case studies demonstrating how AI solutions can be validated against experienced timber graders using real production data. Their presentation highlighted the importance of combining artificial intelligence with decades of human expertise to ensure automated quality assessments accurately reflect the characteristics of local species such as radiata pine.

Biochar production: Melissa Rebbeck, Business Development Manager at Metamorf Engineering, presented Australian case studies demonstrating how wood manufacturers are turning wood waste into value through pyrolysis technology. By producing biochar, renewable energy and carbon removal credits from manufacturing residues, these systems generated significant interest among sawmillers looking to improve both sustainability and profitability.

Government support: The conference concluded with a workshop hosted by Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and the Bioeconomy Science Institute, providing processors with practical guidance on innovation funding pathways and commercialising new technologies. The session, led by Joe Murray Cullen alongside Henri Bailleres from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, highlighted opportunities to accelerate investment and industry collaboration.

Looking ahead

Across both countries, WoodTECH 2026 reinforced that the timber industry is entering a new phase of digital transformation. While machinery continues to advance, the greatest opportunities now lie in integrating data, automation and engineering expertise to create smarter, more resilient manufacturing operations.

For delegates, the message was clear: future competitiveness will increasingly depend not only on investing in new equipment, but also on developing intelligent, connected mills capable of improving recovery, optimising production and consistently delivering higher performance.

The biennial WoodTECH conference series was organised and delivered by the Innovatek team, publishers of Friday Offcuts, Australasia’s leading weekly forest and wood industry news service.

A timber building that kept itself centred through major shaking has aced a full‑scale earthquake test with no damage, with more than 60 industry professionals looking on.

At the University of Auckland’s Structures Test Hall, engineers have carried out one of the country’s most demanding full‑scale earthquake tests to understand how modular timber buildings behave under real‑world shaking.

The team, led by Dr Ashkan Hashemi and Professor Pierre Quenneville, along with PhD student Rajnil Lal, tested a two‑storey structure made from cross‑laminated timber (CLT).

CLT is becoming increasingly common in modern construction thanks to its low-carbon profile and fast assembly. But despite growing interest in timber buildings, there is limited full-scale evidence of how they perform during major earthquakes.

To address that challenge, the engineers developed a novel system that includes prefabricated building modules with a resilient seismic connection between floors and walls. The system allows the structure to move in a controlled way during an earthquake, reducing the forces that typically cause damage before returning the building to its original position.

“This has the potential to become groundbreaking research,” says Dr Hashemi. “The future of the construction industry is modular buildings, with modules fabricated off-site and assembled on-site… New Zealand’s high earthquake demands have made this less feasible, but this research provides a novel solution.”

The test was carried out on a two-storey timber building, with the weight of a third storey simulated on top – a set up reflecting the medium-density townhouses and apartments now common across New Zealand. Testing took place at the University’s Structures Test Hall in Newmarket, one of the few facilities capable of shaking a full‑size building using realistic earthquake motions.

Over several weeks, the team ran the structure through simulations based on real earthquake records, including both horizontal shaking and twisting motions to capture the complex forces buildings experience during major seismic events.

The building remained stable throughout the tests, with no damage found in the main timber elements. Many attendees were struck by the building’s low damage performance and the fact it withstood 100 strong shakes without structural harm.

“They were surprised because they’re not used to seeing a building sustain even one major earthquake, let alone a hundred,” says Dr Hashemi. The technology could support modular housing, mid-rise commercial buildings, schools, healthcare facilities and rapid-build projects in the future, all while reducing carbon and construction waste, he says.

“This test proves that sustainable, fast-to-build timber structures can stand up to major earthquakes, and signals more seismically resilient construction is ahead.”

The research was supported by the Wood Industry Development and Education (WIDE) Trust and Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE, along with sponsors from the timber construction sector. WIDE Trust funds a range of timber design, architecture and sustainable forestry projects at the University of Auckland.

More >>

Source & image credit: University of Auckland

The peak state body for the Queensland forest and timber industry has highlighted the significant role plantations play in supporting housing and construction activity while at the same time supporting local jobs, regional economies and carbon capture and removal.

Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said “Queensland has a well-established plantation base with over 190,000 hectares of high-quality softwood resources for timber manufacturing feeding directly into housing construction. The plantation resource supporting Queensland homes today is the result of investment decisions made decades ago using commercially suitable softwood species.”

“As Queensland’s population grows, maintaining a strong pipeline of timber supply will require the same long-term commitment. If we want the same outcome for future Queenslanders, we need to continue investing in plantation expansion today,” Mr Stephens said.

“Queensland’s plantations support timber production jobs, ancillary businesses and local communities across the state, including in such regional areas as Moreton Bay, Caboolture, Beerburrum, Maryborough, Gympie, Hervey Bay and Mareeba.”

Plantations also deliver significant carbon benefits. In 2024-25, around 80 per cent of Queensland’s new detached houses used renewable softwood framing, removing almost 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, equivalent to over 2.3 million one-way flights from Brisbane to Sydney.

Continuing to use timber to build our homes in place of more emissions‑intensive materials like concrete and steel can reduce building emissions by up to 30 to 40 per cent, making it one of the most practical ways to decarbonise new housing.

“Queensland has set an ambitious target of building one million new homes by 2044. Meeting that challenge will require long-term planning not only for housing, but also for the resources need to build those homes. Plantation expansion will play a pivotal role in the new timber plan announced by the Crisafulli Government in November 2025, with the softwood sector already making a significant contribution to the state’s nearly $4 billion timber industry which supports over 23,000 jobs,” Mr Stephens said.

“Providing the right incentives and removing barriers to investment will help achieve the goal of an additional 25,000 hectares of new plantation by 2050. The new timber plan presents an opportunity to align future housing demand with future timber supply. Timber Queensland looks forward to working with the Government on co-designing plantation growth and timber manufacturing initiatives under the plan.”

Key measures being advocated to lift softwood supply include:

• continuation of the Australian Governments’ Support Plantation Establishment Program (SPEP), which provides upfront support for new plantations;
• improvements to carbon methods including addressing anomalies in plantation wood product accounting and generation of ACCUs in the FullCam model, particularly for North Queensland;
• identifying public and private land available and suitable for plantation development;
• prioritising plantations as a preferred land use activity in the Land Restoration Fund, given their significant carbon benefits and broader economic, environmental and social co-benefits;
• facilitating sustainable investment models for landholders and investors that reduces risk and provides for public and private partnerships and other collective funding vehicles;
• support for greater resource recovery in downstream processing and innovation in timber building design solutions;
• genetic improvements and applied plantation management to lift productivity; and
• a world class private forestry extension program that can provide information and expertise for landowners to capture the benefits of plantations and related agroforestry activities.

Source: Timber Queensland

Europe’s largest 3D-printed apartment building has been completed in France. Containing 12 social housing apartments spread across three floors, the project’s printing process was carried out in just 34 days.

ViliaSprint² was created by developer Plurial Novilia, with designer HOBO Architecture, and printed by PERI 3D Construction using a COBOD BOD2 3D printer, which is the same type used in the previously covered 3D-printed data center and earthquake-resistant house. It’s positioned next to another very similar building by the same developer, which was constructed using traditional techniques and took three months longer to complete.

According to COBOD, ViliaSprint² is the first building in France in which both the load-bearing structure and all walls were printed directly on-site. The COBOD BOD2 printer extruded a cement-like mixture supplied by Holcim in layers to build up the basic shell. This printing was originally planned to last 50 days but took just 34 days in all, with three human operators overseeing the work.

The possible closure of two timber mills in Kaitāia has put around 200 jobs at risk and raised concerns about the future of manufacturing in regional New Zealand. Locals fear the loss would ripple through the wider community, affecting families, businesses and the local economy. Some worry it could push more people to leave for bigger cities or even Australia in search of work.

It’s not the only recent manufacturing loss. Heinz Wattie’s confirmed the closure of several of its sites in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin in March. There were also several closures in the industry in 2025, including Carter Holt Harvey shutting its operations in Tokoroa & Tasman and Oji Fibre Solutions ceasing manufacturing at Kinleith Mill.

Associated Kiln Driers (known as AKD) is committed to modernising its Tumut timber mill in the NSW Snowy Mountains by investing in new technology to improve productivity and maximise timber recovery from smaller diameter sawlogs.

As part of a recent AFPA visit to the innovative sawmill, AKD showcased its new Horizontal Shaping Saw (HSS), an advanced saw line designed to process small and medium sawlogs more efficiently while delivering higher yields and more consistent throughput.

The investment comes as the large-scale timber business continues to respond to the long-term impacts of the devastating 2020 bushfires, which affected a significant portion of the plantation estate that traditionally supplied the mill.

With timber volumes expected to remain low while plantations regenerate, Australian-owned AKD is focused on improving reliability, lifting drying capability and strengthening infeed and sorting systems to ensure the operation remains internationally competitive.

Over the past decade, the Tumut mill has processed an average of around 525,000 cubic metres of sawlogs annually, producing structural timber and value-added products used on building and construction sites across NSW.

The changing supply environment has also created opportunities to source timber from outside traditional harvesting regions, with AKD using the broader Tumut-Gilmore network to maintain customer supply and adapt product lines to available fibre resources.

AKD’s Gilmore facility – located about 10km from Tumut – has played an important role in supporting distribution and value-adding activities, helping AKD to continue servicing major retail demand while the main Tumut operation adapts to post-fire market conditions.

Importantly, the Tumut mill remains a major employer in the region, directly employing around 160 permanent skilled workers, alongside contractors supporting maintenance, specialist projects and mill operations.

“Our people are our lifeblood, and we have generations of staff who worked with us over many decades – it’s a real family- based company,” said Tumut Site Manager Rab Green.

Across Australia, AKD employs more than 1100 workers as part of its integrated forestry and timber processing operations in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. AKD says maintaining sustainable regional employment is a priority, with ongoing investment in training, apprenticeships and workforce development helping secure long-term career opportunities in timber manufacturing.

The company has also focused on improving day-to-day operations through safer work practices, reduced manual handling, stronger quality control processes and improved operational reliability to minimise costly disruptions.

Beyond the mill gates, AKD continues to support the wider regional community through local sporting sponsorships, school and training partnerships, emergency services support, local procurement and bushfire recovery initiatives.

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Source & imgae credit: AFPA

What started as a project developing biofuels for ships, has evolved into an environmentally friendly method for wood preservation. The path to new inventions is rarely straight or predictable, and this has certainly been the case for University of Copenhagen researchers Emil Thybring and Sune Tjalfe Thomsen. For several years, they have been working on a new, sustainable way to impregnate wood without harming the environment.

Today, the wood industry treats timber with heavy metals such as copper to extend its lifespan when used as a construction material. In the pressure treatment process, water with dissolved preservation chemicals is forced into the wood. The problem is that a large proportion of these substances is later leached out when the wood is exposed to rain, ultimately ending up in soil, marine environments and drinking water.

“The toxic substances we introduce into the wood using water to make it last longer also leave the wood with water and end up in nature. It is a serious problem, and one we aim to solve with our technology,” says Emil Thybring, associate professor at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.

The wood’s own ‘glue’ – in hyperconcentrated form

The researchers’ method is based on lignin, a natural binding agent in wood that stiffens the material and holds its cells together. Lignin is available in vast quantities as a residual product from the paper industry, where it is separated out and typically burned because it gives paper a brownish colour rather than the desired white. According to the researchers, just 15 percent of the EU’s lignin production could replace the environmentally harmful substances used across the entire EU production of pressure-treated timber.

“It makes perfect sense to take a global industrial by-product and use it as an environmentally friendly alternative to the most widely used – and environmentally damaging – wood protection methods we rely on today,” says Sune Tjalfe Thomsen, associate professor at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.

More >>

Source & image credit: University of Copenhagen

The ARC Advance Timber Hub Project “Role of Moisture in the Long-Term Performance of Mass Timber Building Elements” is addressing the issue of how moisture affects the durability, mould risk and long‑term performance of timber building elements under Australian conditions.

This project is supported by PhD Candidate, Paulo Silvares, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, whose research is focused on “Integrated Assessment of Hygroscopic Behaviour and Mould Growth in Construction Timber”, under the supervision of Project Leader – Professor Tripti Singh and Project Chief Investigator – Dr Zidi Yan. Paulo updated ARC Advance Timber Hub Stakeholders on the research via a webinar presentation on the 19th May 2026.

Why this research matters

Timber products such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), Glue Laminated Timber (GLT/Glulam) and solid timber elements are often exposed to rain, humidity and temperature fluctuations during transport, storage and construction. Even temporary exposure can result in:

• Cracking, warping and dimensional instability
• Increased risk of surface mould growth
• Aesthetic, health and indoor environment concerns
• Costly delays, remediation and reputational impacts

These risks are particularly significant in Australian climatic conditions, which are highly favourable for fungal growth.

Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has released a new industry standard designed to strengthen confidence in timber construction by improving how mechanical fasteners and connection systems are tested and characterised across Australia’s timber sector.

The new FWPA Standard (T01) establishes a nationally  consistent approach for testing mechanical fasteners and connectors used in timber structures, supporting more reliable structural design, stronger product confidence and greater innovation in modern timber construction.

Developed through an FWPA-funded research project managed  by the Engineered  Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA) and undertaken by the ARC Advance  Timber Hub at the University of Queensland, the Standard responds to an important industry need for contemporary, robust and practical testing methodologies.

As timber construction systems continue to evolve, including greater use of engineered wood products such  as glue-laminated timber (GLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and cross- laminated timber (CLT), the performance of connection systems is increasingly critical to structural reliability and market confidence.

FWPA Standard T01 provides a clear pathway for manufacturers, testing laboratories, engineers, universities and certifiers to generate stronger and more consistent performance data for timber joints and fastener systems.

Why the new Standard matters

FWPA Standard T01 establishes standardised methods  to determine key connection performance characteristics, including:

• Strength, stiffness, ductility and slip performance of timber joints
• Testing methods  across sawn timber and engineered wood products, including GLT, LVL, CLT and plywood
• Procedures for both lateral and axial loading scenarios, including identification of governing failure modes
• Standardised testing of individual fasteners and complete connection assemblies
• Generation of characteristic design values suitable for structural design under AS 1720.1

Importantly, the Standard is intended to support industry as an alternative to AS 1649 (2025) for determining characteristic capacities of commonly used timber connection types until that standard undergoes further comprehensive revision.

Rather than replacing existing Australian Standards, FWPA Standard T01 is designed to complement them; helping improve consistency, reduce uncertainty  and support more efficient timber connection design.

Supporting innovation in modern  timber systems

Connection systems are fundamental to the performance and scalability of timber buildings, particularly as Australia  sees  growing interest in prefabrication, mass timber construction and higher-value  engineered wood applications.

By improving the way connection performance is characterised, FWPA Standard T01 will help industry generate clearer,  more robust design data, enabling greater confidence in timber connection systems and supporting innovation across the built environment.

The Standard is expected  to be particularly valuable  for timber manufacturers, product developers, testing laboratories, researchers, structural engineers and certifiers seeking dependable performance data to support product development and compliant structural design.

“As timber systems become more advanced, confidence in connection performance becomes increasingly important. FWPA Standard  T01 provides industry with a practical and consistent framework to generate robust design data and support innovation in timber construction.” Boris Iskra –

“This Standard  reflects extensive technical review and industry collaboration, providing a stronger foundation for testing and characterising timber connection systems used across both traditional and engineered wood products.” ARC Advance Timber Hub

Swisslog, a global leader in warehouse automation and intralogistics solutions, has successfully delivered New Zealand’s first retail AutoStore Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for IKEA at its Sylvia Park store, marking a significant advancement in automated fulfilment capabilities in the region.

The installation represents a milestone for both companies, bringing high-density robotic storage and picking technology into a live retail environment for the first time in New Zealand. Designed, integrated, and implemented by Swisslog, the solution enables faster, more accurate and scalable order fulfilment to support growing e-commerce demand.

Retail fulfilment reimagined for the in-store environment

At IKEA Sylvia Park, the AutoStore system has been purpose-built to support fast, accurate fulfilment of online and click-and-collect orders within a live retail setting. Located in the IKEA Sylvia Park store’s back-of-house warehouse area, the solution removes the need for co-workers to manually pick items from the Market Hall floor, instead using robots to retrieve products and deliver them directly to ergonomic picking stations.

The system stores approximately 3,000 high-demand products across 10,000 bins within a compact grid, maximising space utilisation while ensuring rapid access to inventory. When an order is placed, robots navigate the grid to locate the required bins and present them to operators, who pick and consolidate items for dispatch or customer collection.

This goods-to-person approach significantly reduces walking time, improves picking accuracy, and enhances workplace safety, while enabling seamless integration between automated and conventional picking processes. Orders that include items outside the system are efficiently merged before final fulfilment, ensuring a smooth end-to-end customer experience.

The same AutoStore technology is available in Australia, where it has been adopted for fast-moving consumer goods, retail, and e-commerce environments, as part of more than 400 proven Swisslog installations worldwide.

“This project demonstrates how advanced automation can be seamlessly integrated into a retail environment to transform fulfilment performance. By combining AutoStore technology with Swisslog’s integration expertise, IKEA is now equipped with a highly efficient, scalable solution that supports both current demand and future growth,” says Steve Dimitrovski, Sales Director, Swisslog Australia and New Zealand.

Tenfold improvement in picking speed

With 12 robots operating at any one time, the system can pick up to 200 items per hour, a tenfold increase on conventional manual picking, which averages around 20 items per hour. The solution is designed to scale to more than 500 orders per day, well above the current trend of around 210 orders daily.

Around half of all parcel orders will now be picked and completed within the automated system before being dispatched on last-mile delivery vehicles. The remaining orders are combined with items picked from conventional racking, ensuring efficient fulfilment across a broad product range.

“AutoStore is a huge leap forward in how we serve customers across Aotearoa. Since opening, we’ve seen incredibly strong demand for online shopping, and this technology allows us to fulfil orders faster, more accurately and more sustainably. By bringing products directly to our co-workers, we’re removing one of the most repetitive parts of the job and creating a safer, more efficient process that ultimately gets IKEA orders out to New Zealand customers sooner,” says Johanna Cederlöf, Market Manager, IKEA New Zealand.

This AutoStore implementation was delivered jointly by IKEA and Swisslog, following successful automation projects for pallets and light goods handling globally. It is the first in-store AutoStore application for IKEA in the Australia and New Zealand region.

“As retailers across Australia and New Zealand continue to invest in omnichannel capabilities, projects like this highlight the increasing importance of flexible, high-density automation in meeting evolving customer expectations,” concludes Dimitrovski.

With over 40 international technology leaders now confirmed to exhibit, WoodTECH 2026 is set to be one of the largest showcases of wood processing for the Southern Hemisphere. It also highlights a massive regional push toward autonomous, “zero light” manufacturing.

The sheer scale of the upcoming series, which takes place in Rotorua (18-19 June) and Brisbane (23-24 June), underscores a pivotal moment for the sector. As mills across Australia and New Zealand face rising costs and fluctuating markets, the focus has shifted from incremental improvements to a total technological overhaul.

The event has moved beyond its traditional role as a conference; it has become a southern hub where the world’s most advanced AI, robotics, and scanning companies are landing to demonstrate how ‘digital twins’ and autonomous systems are performing in real-world mill environments.

A powerhouse of global expertise

The exhibition floor is a major drawcard this year, featuring a record number of confirmed product and service suppliers. This massive assembly allows mill managers and operations leaders to compare, first-hand, the latest advancements from companies like Finnos, DO2, and SiCam Systems. The presence of over 25 international speakers further bridges the gap between global innovation and local operational reality.

From human-led to data-driven

The 2026 programme, themed “Automation, AI & Action,” reflects a sector-wide transition. The sessions are specifically designed to address the move toward “zero light” manufacturing—autonomous production lines capable of operating at maximum output with minimal manual oversight.

Strategic focal points for the series include:

• Autonomous Operations: In Rotorua, Tony Johnston (WET) will detail the path to optimized engineered lumber, while Thomas Schaefer (LINCK) explores the “one operator, maximum output” model.
• Value-Added Transitions: Brisbane sessions will see Ian Blanden (FWPA) and Prof. Benoit Gilbert examining the high-value potential of Bluegum as it moves from pulpwood to glulam.
• Precision Recovery: Nick Barrett (SiCam Systems) and Jyri Smagin (Finnos) will break down how AI-powered scanning and closed-loop size control are drastically reducing waste and maintenance costs.
• Workforce Resilience: Acknowledging the human element, Lance Burdett will provide a roadmap for maintaining focus and operational safety in a high-tech, high-change environment.

Securing the Future

By bringing together a record-breaking number of exhibitors and world-class specialists, WoodTECH 2026 serves as the definitive staging ground for the next decade of wood processing in the Southern Hemisphere. Detailed programme information and the full exhibitor directory can be found at woodtech.events.

Source: FIEA

Niagara Sawmilling Company Ltd has recently commenced a $115 million expansion of its timber processing operations, marking the most significant growth phase in the company’s 91-year history.

The expansion includes a new state-of-the-art sawmill at Niagara’s Kennington site on the outskirts of Invercargill, which is currently under construction in Canada and scheduled to be operational in late 2027. Coinciding with this, Niagara has also expanded its remanufacturing operations into the North Island through the recent acquisition of Ōtorohanga Timber Company (OTC), a 94-year-old timber processor based in the Waikato. 

Managing Director of Niagara, Ross Richardson, says the expansion presents an exciting opportunity for the business. “These investments support Niagara’s long-term strategy of growing and strengthening our remanufacturing business. Once the new sawmill is operational, Niagara will be able to more than double its current output, increasing log intake to over 500,000 tonnes per annum. This will enable us to remanufacture more premium timber products in Southland and add value to logs locally, rather than seeing them exported and processed overseas.” 

Over the past decade, Niagara has invested heavily in its operations to establish world-class remanufacturing facilities in Kennington, earning a reputation as New Zealand’s leading timber remanufacturer.

Jamie Barton, Group Sales Manager for Niagara, says the growth of the remanufacturing business will further strengthen Niagara’s market position in both New Zealand and Australia. “Niagara and OTC are two of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected timber remanufacturers, and with OTC’s product mix complementing that of Niagara’s, we are now able to offer an even wider range of quality timber products to both our domestic and export customers.” 

Niagara’s investment is not only good news for the company but also a positive news story for the Southland region.

“This investment is allowing us to further process more logs here in Southland rather than seeing them exported to other countries. We employ nearly 400 people, and we expect the increased production capacity to support further growth, resulting in secure employment opportunities for our people. Niagara has long-standing roots in Southland and has an ongoing commitment to the region and its workforce,” says Ross Richardson.

Source & image credit: Niagara Sawmilling Company

Comact, a global leader in high-performance OEM wood-processing technologies, announces its new generation Miller Planer. Building on decades of proven performance, this redesign introduces targeted improvements to support product quality, operational reliability, and maintenance.

Engineered for high-speed production, the new generation Miller Planer transforms rough lumber into market-ready products with consistent dimensional accuracy and a uniform surface finish. The updated design preserves the core principles of the Miller concept while integrating enhancements aligned with current planer mill requirements.

“At Comact, we continuously work to ensure our equipment meets the highest performance standards in the industry,” said Simon Potvin, CEO of Comact. “This new generation Miller Planer reflects that commitment, building on a proven design while raising the bar for reliability, consistency, and maintainability.”

The new generation Miller Planer is available for new installations and as retrofit solutions for existing equipment, allowing mills to modernize critical systems and extend equipment life without full replacement.

As the wood processing sector enters a new era of automation and digital integration, the long-running WoodTECH series continues to serve as a key platform for mill innovation and operational improvement. Recognised as the Southern Hemisphere’s leading event for sawmilling and wood processing technology, WoodTECH 2026 will be held in Rotorua, New Zealand (18–19 June 2026) and Brisbane, Australia (23–24 June 2026).

Industry insight with regional focus

The 2026 series, themed “Sawmilling & Wood Processing Innovations: Improving Productivity & Advancing Operations,” will showcase the latest developments in AI, robotics, automation, and digital mill optimisation. With a strong focus on the Australasian sector, the programme addresses the operational realities facing regional mills, delivering practical strategies to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability across operations of all sizes.

Expert speakers & industry networking

Following the release of the full 2026 programme, WoodTECH will feature more than 25 international specialists and local industry leaders.

• In Rotorua, Tony Johnston of Wood Engineering Technology will present on “zero light” manufacturing and optimised engineered lumber production.
• In Brisbane, Ian Blanden of Forest & Wood Products Australia will lead a session examining the high-value transition of Bluegum into glulam products.

Practical technology & business outcomes

Alongside the conference programme, WoodTECH 2026 will feature live technology demonstrations and practical sessions focused on modern equipment and software solutions. These sessions provide mill managers, engineers, and operations leaders with the opportunity to explore new technologies first-hand and assess process improvements that support smarter capital investment and long-term operational performance.

Registration & industry participation

Registrations are now open, with early bird rates and group discounts available for companies looking to upskill their teams. With more than 30 international exhibitors and solution providers confirmed, the event also provides valuable opportunities for industry networking and collaboration.

Further details, including the full programme and registration information, are available on the event website.

Volatility in global LNG markets and renewed instability across the Middle East are driving sharp increases in international fuel prices and raising real concerns about New Zealand’s future energy costs for business. With LNG spot prices spiking and shipping routes facing disruption, New Zealand’s reliance on imported fuels is becoming an increasingly expensive strategic risk.

Brian Cox executive officer of the Bioenergy Associations says, “the solution is already in our backyard: wood energy, a proven, renewable fuel that is significantly cheaper and far more stable in price than imported gas”.

Wood Energy: Lower Cost, Lower Risk

New Zealand’s wood fuel sector—built on forestry residues, processing offcuts, and sustainably managed plantations—now delivers some of the lowest cost heat energy in the country. Across industrial users, wood energy typically sits well below the predicted cost of LNG, and unlike global fuels, wood energy pricing is local, predictable, and insulated from geopolitical shocks.

Key advantages include:

• Lower delivered energy cost — wood fuels consistently undercut LNG on a $/GJ basis, at around $16/Gj, even before carbon pricing. LNG is likely to cost $40-$80/GJ retail.
• Price stability — Because wood energy is from residues of the existing wood industry domestic biomass supply chains avoid the extreme volatility seen in global gas markets.
• No new infrastructure needs to be built – the infrastructure for growing and recovery the biomass resource is already provided by the forestry and wood processing activities.
• NZ Energy security — wood energy production is local, renewable, and not exposed to international conflict or shipping disruption. Every region can provide biomass.
• Regional economic value — revenue and jobs stay in New Zealand’s, wood manufacturing, engineering, forestry and transport sectors.

A Strategic Hedge in an Uncertain World

With LNG markets tightening and Middle East tensions escalating, New Zealand faces rising exposure to global energy shocks. Wood energy offers a practical, scalable “made in NZ” hedge—providing firm, 24×7 dispatchable heat for industry at a materially lower cost than imported fuels.

The sector is ready to expand. With targeted investment and clear policy settings, New Zealand can accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to domestic bioenergy, strengthening both economic resilience and climate performance.

A Call for Action

As global instability grows, New Zealand must prioritise energy options that are affordable, reliable, and under our control. Wood energy meets all three tests. It is time to recognise it not just as a renewable fuel, but as a strategic economic advantage.

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Source: Bioenergy Association of New Zealand

For many smaller mills, the question is no longer how to grow, but rather, whether they will survive. Rising costs, labor shortages, and unstable supply chains are forcing operators to rethink long-standing production models. In this context, the Sawbox, developed by Springer, is not just a conventional upgrade but a response to a fundamental industry challenge.

Instead of expanding traditional mill layouts, the Sawbox integrates the entire log-to-lumber process into a compact system. Debarking, scanning, optimization, cutting, sorting, and stacking are combined into a continuous flow within a footprint of roughly 1,000–1,500 square meters. Achieving this required more than miniaturization; it demanded a complete rethinking of process interaction and system architecture.

One of the central development challenges was maintaining cutting precision under high levels of automation. The system relies on real-time coordination between 3D log scanning, optimization software, and cutting units, such as chipper heads, band saw, and rip saws. These components execute decisions in a single pass. Without the buffer of multiple process stages, every component must perform consistently, even when handling mixed log qualities and diameters.

This level of integration places particular emphasis on the reliability of automation. With the concept designed around centralized control, a single operator can oversee the entire process. For developers, this meant ensuring stable performance across all process steps, from infeed to robotic stacking, under real-world variability.

This complexity is reflected in the development approach. The Sawbox was designed, manufactured, and tested in-house before being delivered to the first customer, which allowed engineers to refine the system’s behavior under controlled conditions. Early results indicate yields of around 70–75%, suggesting that tightly integrated optimization can directly improve resource efficiency.

The Sawbox’s relevance becomes clearer when viewed through the lens of its intended users. Sawmills, lumber construction companies, wood processing businesses, forest cooperatives, and forest enterprises alike face a similar challenge: how to remain competitive without exceeding practical limits. In one early case, a customer was faced with a difficult decision: either close a small, long-established sawmill or invest in a new technology for the next generation. The Sawbox offered a third option: retaining local production while transitioning to a more automated, space-efficient model.

Importantly, the concept is not designed to replace high-capacity industrial sawmills but rather to complement them in a different operational niche. By enabling companies to process their own logs, the Sawbox reduces their dependence on external suppliers and supports more localized, resilient production strategies.

Thus, the Sawbox shifts the central question for the industry from how large a sawmill needs to be to how intelligently it can operate.

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Source & image credit: Springer

One of Kaitāia’s biggest employers could be shut down with the loss of hundreds of jobs if a buyer can’t be found by the mills’ Japanese owners. Juken New Zealand owns two timber mills in the Far North town, one producing sawn timber, the other a Triboard product used in construction.

High costs – power especially – have long cast a shadow over the future of the two mills, but Juken NZ has now signalled its intention to exit the Far North town of about 6000 people.

The news has been greeted with dismay in Kaitāia, a town with few other employment options.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said news of the mills’ possible sale or closure would be concerning for employees, their whānau and the wider Kaitāia community. “Given the scale of the potential economic impact, we’ll be advocating strongly for government involvement. Councils can’t advocate for this alone, we need all partners at the table.”

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Source: RNZ

Follow up: Potential buyer emerges to save 200 jobs

The future of Kaitāia looks “hopeful and encouraging” after it was announced a buyer may have been found for two timber mills under threat of closure. The Far North mills face uncertain times after Japanese-owned Juken New Zealand (JNL) recently said it was looking to sell up and was engaging potential opportunities.

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Source: NZ Herald

Related: JNL business update

Statement from Mr Hisayuki Tsuboi, Managing Director, Juken New Zealand Ltd.

“Juken New Zealand has today begun a formal consultation process regarding the future of its Northland Mill and Triboard Mill in Kaitaia. This reflects a combination of ongoing structural and market pressures affecting these operations, including declining demand in key export markets and increasing operating costs.

We have been working over several years to improve financial performance at these sites, including increasing production and exploring new markets. Despite these efforts, we have not been able to return the mills to a sustainable footing under their current operating model.

As part of this process, we are exploring whether the mills can continue operating under a different structure, including a potential sale or joint venture. We are taking the mills to market to assess whether there is interest from potential buyers.

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Source & image credit: JNL

Fenning Timber is synonymous within the timber Industry, and currently a fifth generation privately owned timber conversion centre located in Victoria’s East Gippsland region.

Fenning Timber are producers of quality Kiln Dried Hardwood sourced from Fenning Timbers private plantations, converting Victorian Ash timber into Kiln Dried Finger Jointed and Laminated products. Specialising in mostly F17 structural grade timber and also some furniture grade timber.

Having been part of the timber industry for over 70 years, Principal Leonard Fenning, is well known within the industry as a progressive staff-orientated leader, who excels in the field of technology, quality control and Occupational Health and Safety.

The Fenning Sawmill site in Bairnsdale has been a work in progress over the past 25 years. The site has been continually updated with leading edge technology along with modern, cost-effective plant and equipment. This is due to ongoing machinery upgrades for their dry mill as customer demand increases. The team also wanted to create a better place to work for staff, whilst removing all the mundane and heavy manual labour tasks with new automated technology. The changes have proven to be successful amongst the team as they enjoy working with the new technology. 

The team at AE Gibson & Sons have had a long business relationship with the team at Fenning since they commenced operation during early settlement in Kendall (Northern NSW) in the early 1900’s.

After various site visits, investigations and project planning with the team at Fenning Timber, the engineering team at AE Gibson & Sons were able to develop an overall Robotic Timber Stacking solution. They introduced and installed innovative robotic sawmill technology and machinery customised to fit within their current sawmill production process and applications, to assist with heavy timber stacking.

The AE Gibson team successfully installed conveyor systems and robotic timber stacking machinery. It integrates well with the existing machinery Fennings had onsite to depalletise and stack the timber, remove manual labour, increase reliability and production as well as improve safety for their team.

Overall Fenning Timber is an excellent innovative operation that is based upon professionalism, efficiency and sustainability. The management team at Fenning Timber have invested heavily in the business to build a successful, sustainable, and safe operation that their entire team are extremely proud to be associated with.

The team at AE Gibson & Sons continues to support the team at Fenning Timber and appreciates being part of their journey in the sawmilling industry for so many years, as well as being able to assist them with their sawmill machinery needs.

Watch our latest video on Fenning Timber

Hyne Timber’s world-class operations at its Tumbarumba sawmill, in southwest NSW, are being driven by innovation and cutting-edge robotics. During a recent AFPA visit to the state-of-the-art sawmill, Hyne’s impressive, fully-automated timber sorting and packing production unit – using sawmill robotics – was showcased.

As part of an industry world first, the sorting and stacking process of graded timber is done by optical recognition and robotics of on-the-fly grading markings, featured on individual pieces of timber.

As explained during the AFPA tour by Hyne’s Tumbarumba site lead Kristina Kaminski, the main objective of this ground-breaking project was “safety-first” and to eliminate injuries to human staff from manual handling, sorting and stacking timber.

“We want to put our people’s safety first and this was a wonderful way of achieving this,” Ms Kaminski said.

In 2001, Hyne purchased the mill on the western side of the Snowy Mountains, which marked the company’s single biggest investment, and a key decision to move into the southern markets. Following a number of upgrades in recent years, the high-tech mill processes more than 500,000 cubic metres of log a year, or the equivalent of about 16,600 timber-framed homes.

Similar to Hyne’s Tuan Mill in Queensland, there is no log waste at its Tumbarumba mill. With a circular economy focus, all by-products generated are either used as biofuel to heat the mill’s heat plant, and sold to local customers, such as Visy’s operation in nearby Tumut.

Following a series of devastating bushfires, in 2024 Hyne opened a new 4700 square metre storage facility at the site to protect timber from extreme weather.

The facility was supported with funding by the Australian and NSW Governments, as part of a commitment to building stronger, more resilient regional economies. The large-scale storage facility can store up to 4000 cubic metres of timber, known as ‘Rough Sawn, Kiln Dried’ (RSKD) material.

Hyne also has a strong commitment to supporting local communities. The company established the Hyne Community Trust, which is unique to the Tumbarumba region and to date, has contributed almost one million dollars. The trust supports community projects, individually valued at over $10,000 and has provided local infrastructure upgrades, as well as life-saving equipment to the local SES and fire services.

AFPA sincerely thanks Hyne for hosting our group tour earlier this year, which provided invaluable insights into the company’s operations, investments and innovations.

Source: APFA
Image credit: Hyne Timber

Researchers at the University of Oulu have developed new high-performance bio-based resins that can replace conventional oil-based materials in composite products — without compromising strength, cost, or industrial scalability.

As composite materials continue to play a critical role in renewable energy, transportation, marine industries and construction, biobased resins may become a driver of sustainable industrial production.

The new epoxy and polyester resins, produced from biomass-derived platform chemicals, match or even outperform their fossil-based counterparts. The raw materials are sourced from abundant forestry and agricultural side streams such as sawdust and straw — transforming what was once waste into advanced materials for demanding applications.

Polyester resins are widely used in fiberglass composite structures such as boats and caravans. Epoxy resins, meanwhile, are essential in adhesives and high-performance composites found in sports equipment and industrial components.

According to Doctoral Researcher Mikko Salonen, the results are striking: “The biomass-based polyester resin we developed shows up to 76% higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin.” The findings demonstrate that bio-based thermoset resins can achieve technical performance equal to or exceeding today’s materials.

“Bio-based resins will not have a significant price difference compared to fossil resins,” says Senior Research Fellow Juha Heiskanen. “Once bio-based platform chemicals are produced, they can be processed using existing chemical industry production lines.”

Beyond performance and price, the new resins offer a critical sustainability advantage: chemical recyclability.

Unlike conventional composite materials — such as those used in wind turbine blades — which are notoriously difficult to recycle, the new materials can be chemically broken down and reused as raw materials. This opens a pathway toward circular composite manufacturing.

From forest and field sidestreams to high-value materials

The key building blocks — including hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural — are derived from cellulose and hemicellulose found in lignocellulosic biomass in forestry and agricultural side streams provide a plentiful and renewable feedstock in many countries.

While the forest industry has traditionally focused on pulp production, new technologies now enable broader utilisation of biomass components such as lignin. Integrating chemical industry processes with forest-based raw materials may create entirely new bioeconomy value chains.

“Upgrading bio-based raw materials into high-performance materials and products offers a significant opportunity to expand the bioeconomy,” says Heiskanen, who leads a seven-member research team developing biomass-based materials. Three patents have already been filed, and the team is currently seeking partners to move into pilot-scale production.

Furthermore, with less than two percent of global oil reserves located within the EU, expanding the use of bio-based materials is also strategically important for Europe. Biomass-based resins offer a way to strengthen material self-sufficiency while advancing climate and circular economy goals.

The epoxy resin results were published in February 2026 in the study Circular composite materials: Biomass-based furan epoxies with high-performance and closed-loop recyclability. The research involved collaborators from Italy and Sweden and was carried out under the Business Finland-funded FurBio flagship project

More >>

Source & image credit: University of Oulu

To celebrate 25 years of Hyne Timber Tumbarumba, the Hyne Group is pleased to launch the Hyne-Pine Gin. In partnership with Tumbarumba founded, Ladbroken Distillery, the Radiata Pine needle infused gin was officially launched with taste testing by Hyne’s local customers and suppliers.

Hyne Group Chair, Tom Bruce-Jones hosted the small launch which presented an opportunity to thank those in attendance for their support over the years, especially in light of recent bushfires and ongoing challenges. “It was great to meet some of our local customers, suppliers and builders, and share some current market insights as well as the journey over the years.

“Pine infused gin certainly presented some light-hearted fun while acknowledging the importance of supporting locally grown and manufactured timber for our housing construction. I would also like to thank Robbie and Neil Ladbrook, founders of the Ladbroken Distillery, for taking our idea and creating something special to mark this commemorative year.” Mr Bruce-Jones concluded.

All those who recall the Tumbarumba Mill site when Hyne purchased it 25 years ago, can attest to the significant investment and growth the Hyne Group has delivered over the years. The initial development of $180million transformed the site into a world-class sawmill with continued improvements to safety, efficiency, technology and quality.

Snowy Valleys Mayor, Councillor Julia Ham, acknowledged the contribution of the Hyne Group to the region. “25 years is a significant milestone and the economic value of the Mill to this region cannot be underestimated. From both direct and in-direct employment, manufacture of sustainable, quality products and the support for the community over the years, the contribution is tremendous, not only for Tumbarumba, but the whole of Snowy Valleys Council area and beyond.

“The Hyne Community Trust alone has contributed almost $1 million into the community and that doesn’t include all the other donations including timber for various community initiatives.” Councillor Ham said.

The commemorative Hyne pine infused gin is available while stocks last and pending demand for future batches. It can be purchased directly from the Ladbroken Distillery in Tumbarumba, 7 Albury Street, or ordered online.

Source & image credit: Hyne Timber

OneFortyOne has reached a significant milestone in its renewable energy investment at the Jubilee Sawmill in Mount Gambier, with phase 1 of its co-generation project completed and the new fuel handling system now successfully operational.

The fuel handling system was constructed and started up during the 2025/26 summer shutdown. It is now fully operational transporting waste wood fibre residue to the existing boiler in the steam plant.  This marks the first major step toward the broader A$88 million biomass powered cogeneration system that will enable the site to generate its own renewable electricity.

Jubilee Sawmill General Manager Nigel Boyd said the staged delivery model is central to ensuring reliability and long-term operational performance. “Phase 1 was all about getting the fuel handling system commissioned early so we can run it, test it, and refine it well before connecting it to the new boiler,” Nigel said.

“Breaking the project into stages avoids commissioning one large system at once. It means major components can be proven before integration, which reduces risk and delivers a more reliable outcome for the sawmill.”

OneFortyOne Engineering Manager Andrew White said the new system is a major upgrade of the sawmill’s ageing infrastructure. “We had our old conveyor for about 70 years, and it was approaching the end of its life. The new fuel handling system is safer, more efficient, and has the capacity to store and move significantly larger volumes of wood fibre,” Andrew said.

“We can produce fuel faster than we consume it; four days of production gives us seven days of fuel, so the new system essentially acts as a large, flexible storage solution that supports potential growth.”

Designed in‑house, the system has been built for the future. “We sized it for where the mill could be in the future, not just for our needs today,” Andrew said. “As log volumes increase, so does the energy required to dry and process them. This system creates a circular energy loop where increased log intake generates residue that becomes renewable fuel powering the sawmill.”

OneFortyOne Project Manager Mick Geraghty noted the importance of local businesses working together on the project. “A number of local contractors worked with us to deliver the installation, and they should be proud of the outcome,” Mick said, “It’s a significant piece of infrastructure and an example of the capability we have in the region.”

With Phase 1 complete, the project now moves into the main construction stage of the co‑generation plant. Civil works are well underway, including earthworks and site preparation. Major equipment installation will follow.

This project marks a major step toward OneFortyOne’s 2030 emissions reduction target, eliminating Scope 2 emissions across its Australian sawmill operations.

By converting waste fibre into renewable energy and moving Jubilee off the grid, OneFortyOne will cut emissions while creating a cleaner, self-sufficient site for the future.

Source & image credit: OneFortyOne

Wesbeam have reached an important milestone in our ongoing manufacturing transformation with the successful commissioning of two advanced processing technologies at our state-of-the-art Neerabup manufacturing facility in Western Australia.

Delivered with support from the Australian Government’s Accelerate Adoption of Wood Processing Innovation Grant, under which Wesbeam was awarded $4.486 million, these upgrades have enabled us to invest in advanced automation and smart manufacturing technologies that improve production efficiency, increase log recovery and enhance overall plant output.

Green Veneer Composer: Maximising Veneer Recovery

A key component of this upgrade program is the installation of our new Green Veneer Composer, supplied by Meinan. Positioned directly beneath the lathe, this fully automated, unmanned system recovers usable veneer segments from the tail ends of peeled ribbons and recomposes them into continuous whole veneer sheets.

By recovering and recomposing material that was previously lost in the peeling process, the Green Veneer Composer enables us to maximise log utilisation and efficiently process smaller-diameter logs. This improvement is expected to deliver up to an additional 5,000 cubic metres of veneer annually for downstream drying and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production, supporting both operational efficiency and sustainable resource use.

Log Conditioning Chamber: Improving Hardwood Processing Performance

Complementing the Green Veneer Composer is the newly commissioned Log Conditioning Chamber, a specialised pre-processing unit designed to soften hardwood logs before they enter the lathe.

Conditioning logs prior to peeling reduces mechanical challenges such as equipment wear, spinouts and core failures – issues traditionally associated with processing certain hardwood species. As a result, the Log Conditioning Chamber improves equipment reliability, reduces maintenance interruptions and extends asset life.

This upgrade is forecast to increase veneer yield from difficult-to-process hardwoods by up to 5 per cent, while also enabling us to successfully process a broader range of timber species, strengthening supply flexibility and resource resilience.

Supporting Growth in Local LVL Manufacturing

Together, the Green Veneer Composer and Log Conditioning Chamber form a key part of our broader strategy to enhance manufacturing capability and reinforce Wesbeam’s position as a world-class, world-scale LVL producer supporting the Australian construction industry.

“These strategic investments reinforce our commitment to manufacturing excellence and sustainable local production,” said Kathy Morris, General Manager of Manufacturing at Wesbeam. “By improving material utilisation and plant efficiency, we are expanding the capacity and resilience of Australia’s engineered timber supply chain.”

These upgrades build on earlier innovations introduced across our Neerabup facility and were made possible through the Accelerate Adoption of Wood Processing Innovation Grant program, which aims to strengthen productivity, sustainability and competitiveness across Australia’s wood processing sector.

More >>

Source: Wesbeam

As global industrial sectors face unprecedented shortages, the 2025 tungsten supply chain crisis highlights a critical vulnerability, caused by extreme production concentration and shifting geopolitical policies. This issue was recently highlighted by Stewart Martin, CEO of Checkmate, who said, “Everyone within our specific industry is currently navigating a ‘perfect storm’ in the raw materials market.” 

“For the past 12 months, our primary goal at Checkmate has been to insulate our customers from these escalating costs. We have absorbed significant impacts to maintain price stability for the sawmills and manufacturers who depend on us,” said Stewart.

Tungsten prices have skyrocketed by over 200%, due to tightening export controls and reduced mining quotas from major global suppliers. Simultaneously, the Cobalt market has transitioned from a surplus to a sharp deficit following significant supply-side interventions.

“However, over the last four months, the situation has elevated beyond any level that could have been predicted by historical market cycles,” said Stwart. 

The following article explores how recent export restrictions and skyrocketing prices are forcing Western nations to rapidly diversify their sourcing and invest in domestic mining to secure this irreplaceable metal.

A strategic overview

Ttungsten, the metal of extremes, is essential for everything, from aerospace applications to precision manufacturing. The supply crisis has become a geopolitical flashpoint that exposes fundamental vulnerabilities in Western industrial supply chains.

Defining the current market disruption

The tungsten market entered unprecedented territory in 2024-2025, characterised by dramatic price volatility and supply discontinuity. This price escalation reflects not merely market dynamics, but structural changes in global supply allocation mechanisms.

The magnitude of disruption becomes clear when examining licensing data. U.S. importers received zero tungsten export licenses from China throughout 2025, according to critical industry analysis. This represents a complete severance of the primary supply channel that historically provided the majority of tungsten imports to American manufacturers.

Critical infrastructure dependencies on tungsten

Modern industrial civilisation relies on tungsten across multiple mission-critical sectors that cannot easily substitute alternative materials. Defense contractors require tungsten for armour-piercing ammunition and aerospace components. Semiconductor manufacturers depend on tungsten interconnects for advanced chip architectures. Precision manufacturing relies on tungsten carbide tooling for automated production systems.

More >>

Key source: Discovery Alert, with additional commentary from Checkmate.
Image credit: Checkmate

Sawmills are pushing the limits of sawing systems to maximize production and recovery while trying to maintain acceptable sawing accuracy and uptime. There are a set of calculations based on bite per tooth, the sawdust carrying capacity of the gullets and cutting power that have been used for decades to ensure the tooth design is within a range that results in good sawing performance.

However, these calculations are too simple to account for several known factors, such as:

1. Double-arbor circular saws, particularly canter saws, are a challenge because the depth of cut needs to be determined for both saws. Also, fully buried saws require more power.
2. Cutting power increases as the bite per tooth decreases because more energy is required to reduce solid wood to sawdust. In the traditional formula, the power factor assumes a bite per tooth of about 0.035inches.
3. Wood strength, which determines cutting power, is significantly affected by wood temperature and moisture content.
4. The traditional design calculations only apply for a single saw, but with gang saws the feed speed may be limited by motor power or the holding capacity of the feed system, not the saw design. The feed tables on most machines allow for reducing the feed speed as the number of saws increases, but the feed values are usually determined by trial-and-error, which may be too conservative, leaving opportunities, or too aggressive, creating production problems.

To address the above shortcomings, the FPI Saw Design program has been updated to:

1. Include bite per tooth, wood moisture content and temperature in power calculations
2. Estimate the holding forces that the feed system can provide and the cutting forces on the wood. If the cutting forces exceed the holding capacity the feed speed is reduced. From this, a feed table based on the number of saws is produced.

A common finding in many saw design reviews is that feed speeds are too fast for large depths of cut but could be faster for small depths of cut. Since there are typically few deep cuts, adjusting the feed table can result in more production while avoiding saw reliability problems. The new program provides more realistic calculations to allow mills to maximize saw performance.

More >>

Source & image credit: FPInnovations

Rising energy efficiency standards have significantly increased insulation and airtightness in modern construction, fundamentally changing how moisture moves through buildings. While better-sealed building envelopes improve performance, they also reduce pathways for water vapour to dissipate, leading to a marked rise in moisture-related issues across Australian buildings. Condensation is therefore a major risk that must be considered early in the design process, regardless of construction material.

In response, WoodSolutions – an initiative of industry body Forest & Wood Products Australia, has released a new Technical Design Guide: Condensation Management in Timber Construction. The guide supports best practice for insulation and construction membranes specification to manage the flow of heat, air, and moisture to avoid surface and interstitial condensation in lightweight and mass timber construction.

The guide reinforces the fact that timber buildings are durable and high performing when moisture is properly managed. As condensation challenges are not exclusive to timber construction, these same principles apply to many different construction materials.

“Most condensation issues arise from design and detailing, rather than the material itself,” said WoodSolutions’ Head of Built Environment Programs, Kevin Peachey. “Effective condensation management relies on informed design, correct specification of insulation and membranes, and a clear understanding of regulatory requirements.”

“When done well, these activities support National Construction Code (NCC) compliance, reduces risk and liability across the supply chain, and builds confidence in timber, particularly for mid-rise and multi-residential projects.”

The guide explains condensation requirements under the NCC, outlining performance obligations and compliance pathways, including Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions and verification methods, while examining condensation risk across Australia’s four NCC climate zones. Critical contributing factors such as climate control of moisture during construction, the influence of temperature, and key junctions where moisture is likely to gather are also addressed in detail.

While condensation is often perceived as a minor issue, a nationwide survey by the Australian Building Codes Board found that more than 40 per cent of new buildings (across all manner of building materials) show evidence of condensation and mould. These moisture-related issues can contribute to mould growth, occupant health concerns and structural deterioration, as well as increased defects, rework and project risk, reinforcing the importance of informed design and appropriate specification for all building materials.

Available for free from the WoodSolutions website, this guide has been created to help architects, engineers, builders and specifiers design timber buildings that perform over the long term. By addressing one of the construction industry’s timber specification challenges, it supports confidence in specifying timber products for broad applications, and the delivery of healthier, more durable and resilient buildings.

Metsä Wood’s Kerto LVL has played a significant role in the Netherlands’ first large-scale modular construction project, where the load-bearing structure has been built entirely from LVL. The five-storey residential complex in Almere, delivers 103 homes using an industrialised modular construction system developed by housing corporation De Alliantie and constructor Koopmans Bouwgroep. The project demonstrates how modular LVL construction can accelerate building delivery and reduce environmental impact while addressing construction sector challenges including longer timelines, labour constraints and the need to reduce carbon emissions.

Industrial efficiency meets scalability
Xylino is constructed from 436 prefabricated wooden modules manufactured by geWOONhout, each arriving on site with integrated technical systems. Installation teams place eight to twelve modules per day, completing three to four apartments simultaneously, with an entire residential block reaching completion in approximately four weeks. The system’s scalability is enabled through digital design integration, where every component has a digital twin accessible via QR code, ensuring manufacturing consistency while allowing flexibility in layout and housing typologies.

Resource-efficiency and structural performance
Kerto LVL was selected for its superior strength-to-weight ratio and dimensional precision. The material is up to 50 percent more resource-efficient than comparable mass timber products while delivering equivalent performance, reducing transportation emissions and on-site material handling requirements. 

The project utilises different Kerto LVL products optimised for specific applications: Kerto LVL S-beams measuring 5.2 metres for floors and roofs, shorter 2.9-metre S-beams for studs and rim beams, and Kerto LVL Q-panels extending 5.05 metres for floor surfaces. Load-bearing stability walls employ 100-millimetre reglued Q-panels at 3.3 metres. CNC machining maintains tolerances within 0.5 millimetres, ensuring precision installation and minimising waste.

Kerto LVL’s listing in Category 1 of the Dutch National Environmental Database provides verified lifecycle assessment data that simplifies compliance with Dutch sustainable building regulations and supports transparent environmental reporting.

Performance, comfort and circularity
Xylino meets rigorous standards for acoustic comfort, fire safety and durability, achieving R120 protection and 120 minutes of structural fire resistance. Acoustic decoupling between modules and additional mass in floors deliver residential performance thresholds.
Environmental considerations extend across the building lifecycle. Lighter foundations reduce transportation impacts, and modules are designed for disassembly and material recovery. The completed buildings feature solar panels, high-performance insulation and rainwater harvesting systems, with low-carbon concrete deployed only where necessary.

Ready for replication
Xylino demonstrates that modular LVL construction can deliver affordable, high-quality housing at scale. Metsä Wood continues to expand Kerto LVL material supply and technical support across the Netherlands and Belgium to support the growing demand for industrialised timber construction. As Bas Broeke, Project Manager at Koopmans Bouwgroep, observed: “This system is ready to be repeated. The way it works here means we can apply it in many more places.”

Aafke Van der Werf, Director of geWOONhout, emphasises the project’s design ambitions: “The best thing about Xylino is that you can’t tell from the outside that it was built using industrialised methods. To me, that proves that architectural freedom and modular construction can go hand in hand.”

A groundbreaking pilot project to reuse vineyard trellis posts has been launched in South Australia, marking a significant step towards advancing a circular economy for treated timber.

Together with Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and Wine Australia, the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (NCTDDL) launched its Vineyard Post Reuse Pilot as part of the Timber Circularity Project in McLaren Vale on Monday 17 February.

The pilot is a practical trial testing how end-of-life treated vineyard posts can be recovered, processed and reused in a commercially and environmentally viable way.

The launch marks an important milestone in the ongoing collaboration between key partners Wine Australia, Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Professor Tripti Singh, Director of the NCTDDL, emphasised the importance of collaboration. “Together with our partners in both the forestry and viticulture sectors, we are developing practical pathways for the reuse of treated posts and other end-of-life timber products, demonstrating what collaboration across sectors, in research, industry and government can achieve,” Professor Singh said.

“There will not be one single recovery solution for posts. A diverse range of options from small mobile solutions to large scale technologies will be required to ensure a shift towards a net positive future,” Professor Singh added.

The pilot builds on extensive groundwork undertaken through the Timber Circularity Project, including mapping the volume and condition of unused wood resources, assessing national regulations and logistics challenges, and evaluating potential recovery solutions.

Seeking solutions for problematic waste

With additional funding from the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions, as part of the South Australian Wine Recovery Program, the FABAL Group will undertake the pilot which features a mobile processing unit that removes fasteners such as clips, staples, and nails, then cuts the posts to size using a guillotine. This process avoids hazardous sawdust and prepares the posts for reuse as agricultural fencing or landscape timber.

Ashley Keegan, CEO of the FABAL Group, highlighted the practical benefits of the pilot. “Our goal is to convert a problematic vineyard waste stream into a product that others are willing to confidently use,” Mr. Keegan said.

The bigger picture

Preservative-treated timber and engineered wood products play a critical role in storing carbon and supporting a renewable construction future. Ensuring these products have clear and viable end-of-life pathways is essential to strengthening timber circularity. The re-use of CCA treated vineyard posts also has the potential to save the wine industry up to $3000 per hectare in disposal costs.

Professor Singh highlighted the extensive groundwork that has enabled the pilot to move forward and the importance of testing practical solutions. The pilot is one of several being planned to test other options in locations around Australia.

More >>

Source & image credit: FWPA

More than nine out of 10 Australians want improved Country of Origin labelling on timber products, according to a new national survey, conducted by Choice.

The Choice survey found nearly all of the 7,200 people surveyed said labelling information would sway their buying behaviour, reinforcing AFPA’s calls to introduce Country of Origin Labelling to ensure consumers can easily identify and purchase Australian-grown timber.

AFPA Chief Executive Officer Diana Hallam said: “We welcome and applaud the latest Choice findings on timber labelling, as this compelling evidence supports and endorses what we hear every day from the building and construction sector, as well as everyday Australians.

“Country of Origin labelling is an important reform that allows consumers to choose to buy Australian timber and better understand the potential environmental and sourcing implications of imported wood. With a growing amount of dubious, imported timber products flooding the Australian marketplace, including from China, it’s critical consumers can compare and consider the origins of timber products.”

As part of AFPA’s Federal election platform last year, AFPA called on the Federal Government to introduce Country of Origin Labelling to allow consumers to choose locally-grown timber.

“By providing easy-to-understand Country of Origin labelling, consumers can choose climate-friendly, sustainably produced and Australian-grown timber,” Ms Hallam said. “Importantly, a number of Australia’s softwood manufacturers are voluntarily labelling their products to show it is Australian, meets Australian Standards and has been manufactured in Australia.

“This is vital, as a 2025 report from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), showed while examples of Australian-grown timber were correctly labelled, 63 per cent of import samples carried private certifications.”

Around 50 per cent of Australia’s imported timber also failed traceability testing, according to the Source Certain report, produced for DAFF. Other statistics show Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) imports totalled 205,343 cubic metres for the year-ended October 2025, up 63% on the prior year.

Source: Australian Forest Products Association

The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) have officially unveiled the full programmes for WoodTECH 2026, the Southern Hemisphere’s premier event for sawmilling and wood processing innovation. With the release of two distinct agendas tailored for the New Zealand and Australian markets, registrations are now live for the biennial conference series.

Themed “Sawmilling & Wood Processing Innovations: Improving Productivity & Advancing Operations,” WoodTECH 2026 will return to the region in June 2026:

• Rotorua, New Zealand: 18-19 June 2026, Distinction Hotel
• Brisbane, Australia: 23-24 June 2026, voco Brisbane City Centre

Two Countries, Two Focused Agendas

Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in the event’s planning, with the release of two comprehensive programmes featuring international technology providers and local industry pioneers.

In New Zealand (18-19 June 2026), the programme leads with a keynote from Tony Johnston, Executive Director of Wood Engineering Technology (WET), focusing on optimized engineered lumber. The agenda highlights operational excellence, closed-loop size control, and the “zero light” manufacturing concept from global leaders like LINCK and Springer.

In Australia (23-24 June 2026), the focus shifts to industry-wide progress with a keynote from Ian Blanden, Head of R&D at Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA). A major highlight for the Australian event is the session “Splinters to Structures,” featuring Tim Woods (Industry Edge) and Prof. Benoit Gilbert (Griffith University), discussing the breakthrough transition of Bluegum from pulpwood to high-value Glulam.

Technology at the Forefront

Both programmes showcase a heavy emphasis on the “next wave” of wood processing, including:

• AI and Robotics: Presentations from Finnos Oy (Finland) and DO2 (Canada) on AI-powered scanning and robotic planer mill applications.
• Advanced Sawing: Cutting-edge bandsaw guidance systems from EWD (Germany).
• Mill Optimisation: Insights into the hidden ROI of technology decision-making and secure wood residual storage.

“WoodTECH 2026 is about more than just looking at new machines; it’s about the integration of research and smart operating practices into daily operations,” says John Stulen, Director of Innovatek. “With registrations now open and the full programmes available, companies can now plan their attendance to ensure their production and engineering teams stay ahead of the curve.”

Registrations Now Live

Early bird registrations and group booking discounts are now available via the event website. Given the record attendance at previous in-person WoodTECH events, industry members—including mill managers, saw-doctors, and technology suppliers—are encouraged to secure their spots early.

For more information, to view the full programmes, or to register, visit www.woodtech.events.

Researchers at the University’s Structural Timber Innovation Laboratory are breaking ground with durability programmes to open new applications for low carbon cross-laminated timber in demanding outdoor environments.

The novel product, which is made by stacking layers of thick solid wood boards crosswise and gluing them together, is increasingly used as a low-carbon option for walls, floors and roofs in buildings. However, its use is largely limited to indoor environments, and has only rarely been used in applications such as bridges, facades, outdoor pavilions, and other infrastructure

“Our research aims to change that,” says Dr Gary Raftery, a research director in the University’s Circular Innovations Research Centre. The team is conducting a series of long-term exposure trials using both outdoor and lab experiments that simulate extreme conditions.

They will then analyse the product using advanced tools, including a high-powered microscope that can reveal information in relation to the deterioration and a tool that can read ‘chemical fingerprints’. This allows the engineers to identify the composition of the material and track how its chemical structure could change over time.

Raftery says cross-laminated timber is known for its strength and architectural versatility, but unprotected exposure to the elements can lead to biological degradation like rot and mold, dimensional instability, and structural compromise.

Working with industry partners, the team is meticulously assessing adhesive and preservative systems to augment the performance of cross-laminated timber, while keeping sustainability front-of-mind.

“We want to ensure that solutions align with circular economy principles, so cross-laminated timber elements can be reused, repurposed, or recycled at the end of their service life,” he says. “This data will give designers the confidence to adopt more sustainable construction practices and further support a transition to low-carbon construction.”

Life-cycle analysis on end-of-life applications is also being conducted to assess environmental impacts. Early findings are already informing design engineers and may contribute to future updates to building standards.

Source & image credit: University of Auckland

The Australian company 5North, a specialist in innovative construction solutions, and KUKA, one of the world’s leading providers of intelligent automation solutions, announce their collaboration. Together, they are building a state-of-the-art, fully automated production facility for 2D panels at the new manufacturing site in Adelaide.

The fully automated production facility for 2D panels use cutting-edge robotics and conveyor technology to efficiently feed raw materials such as timber. The materials are then precisely cut, milled, and drilled. Robots also handle the accurate placement of components as well as bonding and screwing operations. This creates a fully automated manufacturing process, from material feeding to the finished panel.

In the new facility, the production process is elevated to a new level using the latest robotic technology. The plant will be able to produce a finished 2D panel every ten minutes. These 2D building elements are prefabricated, flat components that play a central role in modern timber construction. They are made from wood-based materials such as radiated pine, cross-laminated timber or solid wood and serve as walls, floors, ceilings, or roof components.

The term “2D” refers to the fact that these elements are manufactured in two dimensions, length and width. Thanks to automated production, the panels are dimensionally accurate and ready for immediate use. On-site, the elements only need to be positioned and connected, significantly reducing construction time.

At 5North, we believe everyone deserves an address and have a significant focus on Social and Attainable homes, delivered with sustainable and healthy materials. 5North is not the builder but with our new plant, we are setting new standards in the construction industry for our developer and construction clients.

Working with KUKA allows us to use technology and advances manufacturing to offer maximum precision, consistent quality, and an unprecedented production speed,” says Wayne Hughes, Founder and CEO of 5North.

The production of the 2D panels is scheduled to start in mid of 2026. With this new technology, it will be possible to respond flexibly and quickly to different customer requirements. The highly automated manufacturing process ensures not only consistent quality but also reliable scheduling of orders, offering a major advantage for construction companies and end customers.

By combining digital planning with automated production, 2D panels are created that are perfectly tailored to the requirements of each project. This makes homebuilding efficient, sustainable, and future-proof.

“This is a milestone for Adelaide as a manufacturing site and will strengthen the competitiveness of the Australian construction industry,” adds Timo Heil, CEO of KUKA Systems EMEA.

Source & image credit: KUKA

The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association says the industry needs to seize efficiency opportunities to reduce energy costs and fuel use.

“A lot of our sector’s emissions come from energy, as well as a large proportion of ongoing operational costs. We’re increasingly seeing businesses taking steps to use less energy because it’s a win–win; lower bills and lower emissions,” says Mark Ross, WPMA Chief Executive.

EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) says there’s never been a more important time for businesses to consider their energy use, with costs rising and growing uncertainty about the security of supply.

“The easiest and most cost-effective first step businesses can take is to see how they can operate more efficiently. Many businesses can save 10-30% off their energy bills by doing simple adjustments like boiler tuning or fixing leaky valves,” says Paul Bull, Manager Regional and Sector Partnerships, EECA.

One of the country’s leading packaging manufacturers, Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS), has slashed nearly a fifth of its LPG use at its Christchurch box plant.

After installing a data-driven platform to analyse and collect data to help fine tune its operation, OjiFS found it was losing a large amount of heat through the plant’s corrugating preheating rollers. Through a process of ongoing tuning the plant has been able to send automated decisions to its boiler and reduce LPG fuel use by 18%.

Andrew Bavis, National Operations Improvement Manager, OjiFS Packaging, said the process has supported a learning culture at the plant, enabling the team to continue refining operations.

“It’s really important to us that we’re leaving the environment in as good if not better state than we found it and that’s a really important part of what we do. We always have a focus on how we can do more with the same or less input,” Andrew says.

The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association says it’s a clear example of what progress is possible in the industry.

Ongoing challenges in the Australian residential construction sector, particularly rising material and labour costs, supply chain disruptions, and capacity constraints, have shifted household activity away from new builds towards alterations and additions (A&A).

Renovating and extending existing homes has become a more attractive option for many households, allowing them to improve or expand their living spaces without the higher costs, delays, and risks associated with new construction.

• The value of A&A work increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic after a long period of relatively stable growth from 2004 to 2019. In key states, Western Australia recorded the strongest growth between 2020 and 2025, with annual growth of 13.4%, and total value rising from $570 million in 2020 to $1.1 billion in 2025.
• South Australia and Queensland followed, with annual growth rates of 12.0% (from $469 million to $822 million) and 11.6% (from $1.9 billion to $3.3 billion), respectively.
• New South Wales and Victoria remained the two largest states by total A&A value. In NSW, activity grew by 10.2% per year from 2020 to 2025, increasing from $2.9 billion to $4.7 billion. In Victoria, values rose by 7.4% per year, from $2.9 billion to $4.1 billion over the same period.

Overall, the rapid growth in alterations and additions reflects a structural shift in the housing market, where upgrading existing homes has become a more cost-effective and practical response to affordability pressures in new housing construction (Figure 1).

At the national level, the value of alterations and additions (A&A) increased strongly between 2020 and 2025, growing at an average annual rate of 9.7% %, from $9.1 billion to $14.5 billion. As mentioned above, this surge reflected shifting household preferences toward renovating existing homes in response to higher construction costs, labour shortages, and supply chain disruptions.

Looking ahead, A&A activity is expected to continue expanding, although at a more moderate pace. From 2025 to 2035, the value of A&A work is forecast to grow by around 3.7% per year, increasing from $14.5 billion in 2025 to $20.2 billion by 2035 (Figure 2).

While the rapid growth seen during the pandemic period is unlikely to be repeated, the long-term outlook remains positive. Alterations and additions are expected to remain a key segment of the residential construction market, supported by an ageing housing stock, population growth, and ongoing pressure on the affordability of new housing. Overall, A&A activity is becoming a structurally important part of the housing sector, providing steady demand for building materials and construction services over the coming decade.

Source: FWPA
Chart source: ABS. FWPA Data Dashboard

Radial Timber is a Victorian based company that grows, mills and distributes a range of unique and standard products from durable and sustainable Victorian Hardwoods. Their latest innovative Radial Saw technology is extremely unique and proudly developed in Gippsland Victoria.

The Radial Saw works by taking very small diameter hardwood sawlogs and cuts them up into wedges – like a pizza. Once the saw has cut the log into wedges, it then cuts those wedges into boards whilst maximising the recovery of sawn timber from smaller logs. As such, Radial Sawing has a range of both environmental and technical benefits. Where conventional sawing methods require large diameter logs, the Radial Saw helps make small hardwood logs more viable by maximising the yield of high value timber products.

20 years ago Radial Timber started with a prototype plant which was very manual labour intensive, and very low in productivity. Over the years the team at Radial kept refining and developing their ideas and concepts. They realised if they were ever going move forward they had to scale up to a fully commercial plant.

As the demand for their Radial sawn commercial timber increased, the team made plans to improve production as well as their processing methods. The team at Radial Timber started early discussions with engineering company – AE Gibson & Sons, to discuss their concepts and ideas. They wanted to get a reputable engineering business in Australia to produce the sawmill equipment and help them to develop and improve on the sawmill machinery they already had on site.

Once Radial Timber had the IP in place for the unique process, they knew they were onto a winner. The engineering team at AE Gibson & Sons took it in their stride to engineer a fully customised unique machine. The Gibson team understood the brief provided by Radial and came back with an implementation plan to engineer a suitable solution.

Prior to the Gibson machine design, the initial Rail Saw was difficult to load and position the log accurately. It was also time consuming to extract the wedges from the cut zone. With the newly designed Radial Saw the log is positioned and dogged automatically, and the saw cut pattern is PLC controlled. As each saw cut is completed, the log rotates 45 degrees resulting in 8 cuts per log. This greatly increases the machine production outputted and it’s all controlled by an operator located safely in a control cabin.

The timber wedges move from the log saw to a transfer deck and then the Resaw, where each wedge is cut into multiple boards. With eight timber wedges and up to five or six boards out of each wedge, this results in 35 or more long timber boards coming out of every small log.

Radial Timber owner and Managing Director – Chris McEvoy said “It helps to predict exactly what you’re recovering from each log, if it’s a six metre timber log most of the boards are six metres long”.

This was so important to the team at Radial Timber, since they could see the log size coming from forests were getting smaller, and the increased need to recover more from the small logs. This helped them make the decision to invest in improving their overall process with Gibson machinery and technology.

Radial Timber have also invested in plantation forests, with 1,000 hectares of plantations that have been planted over the last 20 years with 1,000 hectares more to go.

The important thing about the Radial technology is that it’s ideally suited to plantation timber.  With plantation timber you can grow a tree to a certain size and a certain height.  This enables the Radial production to plan and predict exactly what they are going to get out of every piece of timber. The more uniform the timber product, the higher the recovery with less wastage and the more profitability there will be.

The team at AE Gibson and Sons are proud to be part of this exciting and unique project with Radial Timber.

The opening of the State Government’s Tonsley Technical College marks a major milestone for South Australia’s forest and timber industries, which have proudly grown, manufactured and supplied much of the mass-timber material used in this state-of-the-art educational facility.

Purpose-built to train the next generation of technicians, tradespeople and innovators, the College is also a practical learning tool for South Australia’s builders, architects and developers.

While mass engineered timber has featured in high-profile local projects such as the Adelaide Oval Hotel and an apartment development in Kent Town, it is still not widely adopted across South Australian construction. The contemporary design of Tonsley, designed by DAS and delivered by Sarah Constructions, demonstrates how mass timber can be used at scale in high-performance buildings.

Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Forest Products Association, Nathan Paine, said the project highlights timber’s role in decarbonising the built environment while supporting domestic manufacturing.

“Tonsley shows how local architects, builders and developers can deliver future-focused buildings that support South Australian manufacturing and help decarbonise the economy by storing carbon within the structure,” Mr Paine said.

“The College demonstrates the practical use of engineered mass-timber products, including cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufactured in Tarpeena, South Australia by NexTimber by Timberlink, and glue-laminated timber (GLT) supplied by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods from Heyfield in Victoria.

“By choosing locally manufactured timber over more carbon-intensive materials, the project supports forest growers, timber manufacturers and regional jobs, while reducing embodied emissions and locking away carbon for decades.”

According to the Association, the CLT and GLT used in the project are estimated to store more than 900,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent. When combined with local steel and concrete, the building’s total embodied carbon is 3,792,548 kilograms of CO₂-e, a 40 per cent reduction compared with a traditional build.

The project also reflects a renewed focus on South Australia’s sovereign capability to manufacture essential building materials locally. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the risks of relying on imported products and reinforced the importance of domestic manufacturing for economic resilience and national security.

As South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis recently said, “If we can’t make key building products ourselves and are entirely reliant on imports, in a changing and dangerous world that makes Australia incredibly vulnerable. COVID showed us the importance of having our own sovereign capability.”

Using South Australian timber in State Government projects is a practical expression of that principle.

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Source: South Australia Forest Products Association
Image credit: DAS Studio

FIEA has officially launched the Call for Speakers for the highly anticipated WoodTECH 2026 conference series. The 2026 event series, themed “Sawmilling & Wood Processing Innovations: Improving Productivity & Advancing Operations,” will bring industry leaders, technical specialists, and technology innovators together across two key locations, 18-19 June 2026, Rotorua, New Zealand and23-24 June 2026, Brisbane, Australia.

WoodTECH 2026 is focused on extracting maximum value from advancing technologies and developing new ways to improve wood products across the industry. We are seeking proposals for presentations, case studies, and workshops that showcase practical, technology-led solutions to challenges in wood processing.

Presentation Focus Areas

The programme is being developed to cover a wide array of technical and operational advancements, including:

• Sawing technology developments and innovations
• Advances in wood treatment products and practices
• Options for kiln drying improvements
• New wood processing technologies and systems
• Integration of research, new technology, and smart operating practices

FIEA is particularly interested in hearing about recent industrial trials, the successful roll-out of new equipment, and practical lessons learned from integrating research into everyday operations.

Who Should Submit?

The conference audience consists of sSawmill site managers, production and engineering managers, saw-doctors, mill supervisors and maintenance staff, QC personnel, wood treatment managers, and technology suppliers. If you are a technical specialist, researcher, industry professional, or technology provider with a compelling, data-driven story to share, you are encouraged to submit a proposal.

Submission Guidelines

To be considered for a presentation slot at WoodTECH 2026, please send us a presentation title for a case study, a solution-focused technical presentation, or an industry-wide issue, and a short abstract/outline (4–6 sentences) clearly describing your presentation’s content, innovation, and key takeaways for the audience. Please forward your details to john.stulen@fiea.org.nz.

In addition to presentation proposals, the organisers also welcome suggestions for other speakers or topics that could contribute significantly to the 2026 programme. 

Further information can be found on the WoodTECH website.

A groundbreaking national research project, backed by the Federal Government, has delivered a major manufacturing breakthrough, unlocking opportunities to create domestic value for hardwood plantation bluegum timber, laying the foundations for a new regional engineered wood products (EWP) market.

The Splinters to Structures project, a three-year-long research and commercialisation initiative supported by the Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) program, delivered in partnership with the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH) and Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has resulted in the delivery of a major feasibility toward building new manufacturing capability in the Green Triangle region.

The project successfully delivered a high-strength Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) from plantation-grown blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) – achieving Australian-standard certification at GL18 and GL21 levels and above – strength ratings comparable to steel. The study also showcased the viability of utilising bluegum exclusively, or a bluegum and softwood (Pinus Radiata) resource, in a hybrid Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) product, also for structural use.

“This is a breakthrough moment for the Green Triangle’s forest industries, demonstrating the power of collaboration and innovation. These new plantation-based prototypes are not only strong and sustainable, but they also provide a new domestic supply chain pathway, delivering new regional industry opportunities,” GTFIH chair Cam MacDonald said.

“With the closure of native hardwood harvesting in several states, the ability to produce certified, high-strength engineered timber from local plantation resources is essential for Australia’s construction needs.”

The multi-phase project involved converting over 180 plantation logs, grown in the Green Triangle, into engineered product prototypes. Extensive testing confirmed blue gum sawn boards and peeled veneers exhibited exceptional structural performance, with high stiffness and load-bearing capacity ideal for use in internal framing, floor systems, and prefabricated applications.

Key research outcomes included:

• Australian-first certification of GL18+ GLT from 100% plantation grown bluegum hardwood.
• Commercial viability proven with GLT real-world installations in homes and commercial buildings nationwide.
• Demonstrating the capability to produce a bluegum or hybrid LVL EWP reducing reliance on imported high strength timber products.
• Foundation laid for a new regional manufacturing industry, with a Victorian Government–backed feasibility study to support a pathway for establishment of a Hardwood Timber Manufacturing Hub in the Glenelg Shire.

Australia currently imports more than half of its LVL and high-grade GLT requirements. The Splinters to Structures program not only demonstrated local capability but also proved the potential to build export-ready products for international markets like Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

FWPA CEO Andrew Leighton, said the project was a powerful example of what’s possible when government and industry come together to invest in applied research, “delivering real-world impact”.

“By aligning national priorities with industry need, the project delivered not just a technical breakthrough, but a scalable pathway to strengthen Australia’s engineered wood manufacturing capability and support the transition to more sustainable construction materials produced locally in the Green Triangle, Mr Leighton said.”

The Splinters to Structures research was delivered by IndustryEdge, supported by project partners WTIBeams, Whiteheads Timber Sales, Australian Bluegum Plantations, OneFortyOne, Timber Training Creswick and the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries Salisbury Research Facility.

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Source & image credit: Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub

When Eric Fritch rebuilt his family’s Washington state sawmill after a devastating 1996 fire, he faced a critical decision about the operation’s future. “We don’t have the opportunity of being large,” Eric admits. “Instead, we have to be more creative in sourcing our raw material, how we go to market, and what we produce.”

That mindset has defined Fritch Sawmill’s success. The 32-employee operation now fills a valuable niche, handling orders that larger mills cannot. “Often, when people call, we can help them find something unusual, a tight specification they need, or a very tight schedule to meet,” Eric explains.

The mill processes Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Western red cedar, and cottonwood from within a 50-mile radius. With everything pre-sold before leaving the facility, Eric maintains a substantial log inventory while keeping finished lumber stocks to a minimum.

When the COVID pandemic created unprecedented demand for fencing materials, Eric saw an opportunity to expand capabilities. Working with Wood-Mizer representatives, they designed a customized production line to efficiently handle both large timber and smaller fencing components.

The system features a Wood-Mizer WM4500 head rig paired with an EG400 two-saw edger. A WM1000 wide cut sawmill, handles logs up to 67” in diameter and now primarily processes cedar for fencing operations. Eric’s engineering background proved valuable in configuring equipment that could flexibly adapt to different product demands without requiring a cookie-cutter approach.

Logs pass through a ring debarker and metal detector before sorting. The resaw operation makes multiple passes until achieving finished dimensions, with lumber graded and trimmed in 2’ increments up to 26’. Products are then sorted into as many as 64 different categories across the yard.

At Fritch Mills, lumber drying is a precise, well-engineered process powered by two identical side-loading kilns. Fired with natural gas and heated with hot water instead of steam, they deliver consistent results without the need for high-pressure steam systems or additional regulation.

Each kiln measures 33’ wide, 24’ deep, and 17’ high, holding about 60,000 board feet of lumber when loaded with 2” material. Capacity adjusts slightly depending on thickness, less for 4/4 stock, more for thicker timbers and beams. Certified by the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) for heat treatment compliance with ISPM 15 standards, the kilns can reach a maximum internal temperature of up to 170°F.

The operation embodies advice Eric’s father shared years ago: “Pay your bills and keep your word”. In an industry where handshakes still matter, that philosophy has kept Fritch Sawmill competitive for 74 years and counting.

Associated Kiln Driers (AKD), Australia’s largest softwood producer, announced this week the closure of its Yarram sawmill in Gippsland. The decision, which impacts 73 employees, comes amid challenging market conditions and the prolonged slowdown in housing construction across the country.

The Yarram sawmill produces lower-grade fibre products for landscaping and pallet and packaging manufacture.

AKD CEO Shane Vicary said that following an organisational review, the company determined that the current market conditions and near term forecast demand alongside increasing operating costs, meant Yarram’s operations had become unsustainable.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision to arrive at – but a necessary one to take – when we consider all the external factors at play and priories what’s best for AKD’s long-term future,” Mr Vicary said.

“To remain a sustainable and competitive Australian business in this sector, we are adapting to market conditions, simplifying our operations and strengthening the core business at our four major sawmilling sites – which continue to produce the full suite of structural softwood products.”

AKD, which employs 1000 people nationally, will consolidate production across its four larger sites in Colac, Caboolture, Tumut and Oberon. The closure of Yarram will not impact AKD’s ability to deliver products to its customers.

Affected employees at Yarram are being supported by an Employee Assistance Program and learning about redeployment options at other AKD sites.

Mr Vicary acknowledged the impact that the sawmill closure will have on the local community of Yarram. “Having operated in regional communises for 70 years, the significance of our departure from Yarram is not lost on us. We understand how important our operations have been to the fabric of this region, and we are committed to working with local stakeholders in Gippsland to reduce the impact of the closure where reasonably possible.”

“We’re grateful to each and every individual at the site for their hard work, care and dedication through their time with AKD.”

Source & image credit: Associated Kiln Driers (AKD)

The Wood Processing and Manufacturing Association’s (WPMA) 2024-25 financial year report documents a period of significant economic challenge for the New Zealand sector, balanced by strong advocacy and export growth.

The Domestic Challenge

The domestic market for timber sales was profoundly flat, with some commentators branding it the worst market seen in years. The sector faced major headwinds: building consents dropped by 25%, and government cancellations of construction and infrastructure projects further constrained demand in an effort to curb Crown debt.

Export markets provide momentum

In stark contrast, export markets offered momentum and opportunity. The sector’s global focus yielded strong results, as evidenced by Stats NZ reporting a significant 42% increase in exports of logs, wood, and wood articles for April 2025 compared to April 2024.

Policy and advocacy

In parallel with market activities, WPMA maintained intensive engagement with new policy initiatives on behalf of the sector. The association actively submitted to more than twenty legislative and regulatory proposals released by the government. This extensive advocacy covered critical industry issues, including new trade agreements, settings for migrant workers, energy policy, and resource consent reform.

WPMA’s core activities and further financial year highlights are detailed within the 2024-25 Annual Report.

Source & image credit: WPMA

Building on the insights from the recent “Let’s Level Up” report, All is for All have launched a new suite of practical resources for New Zealand employers committed to disability inclusion.

The manufacturing, engineering, and logistics sectors are among those hit hardest by skills shortages. Without immediate intervention, the number of vacancies is set to reach 156,000 by 2030. “Let’s Level Up” estimated that more than 268,000 disabled adults represent a ready and capable workforce that could help close that gap, generating a fiscal benefit of up to $1.45 billion if participation rates are equalised.

The research also highlighted cultural and systemic barriers to inclusion, with 63% of employers never having discussed disability in their workplace, and many disabled workers saying they feared disclosing their disability due to stigma or job insecurity.

Industry feedback highlighted a need for tools that demystify conversations and build confidence in attracting, hiring and retaining disabled professionals. These free resources have been developed to meet that need head-on, designed specifically for the complex manufacturing, engineering, and logistics sectors.

The initial release includes:

• A Podcast Series. With experts who explain legalities, personal stories and bust myths related to disability.
• A Comic Strip Series. Engaging visuals that highlight the tangible business benefits of inclusion. You can print these out and use them in your workplace to remind of the importance to enable non-verbal communication, how to start talking about disability, and more.
• Conversation Cards. Tools to facilitate dialogue and debunk myths in team settings. Sets of cards that you can print, or use digitally, that help you navigate disability confidently.

Access the full suite of resources here.

Source & image credit: Hanga-Aro-Rau