Australian timber industry news

Forestry England has begun restoration work at the site of this summer’s large wildfire in the New Forest. Its team are protecting the most vulnerable areas as winter approaches and helping to reseed areas of heather.  Source: Timberbiz The New Forest wildfire in August destroyed more than 80 hectares including rare heathland and damaged an ancient woodland where trees have been standing for many hundreds of years. The fire also burnt a surface layer of peat in some of the boggy areas reducing their ability to store carbon. Since then, a specialist team from Forestry England have been assessing the damage and begun a long-term project to help nature return to the affected area. The blaze spread across the heathland removing all of the plants on the surface before travelling under the ground to destroy layers of roots and seed banks. Many areas were left with very little topsoil and stripped back to gravel. The team were concerned these would erode further in winter conditions and that new plants would struggle to germinate come spring. To help protect the area, heather full of seed has been harvested from nearby parts of the Forest and spread across the worst affected parts of the fire site. It is hoped this protective mat will help prevent further damage to the fragile ground during the winter and, as seeds from it drop down into the ground, it will encourage new plants to begin to grow. The same technique was used by Forestry England at part of the New Forest destroyed by a wildfire in 1989. Almost forty years later this area is now thriving and has been fully restored. The ancient beech and oak trees damaged by the fire are being surveyed and closely monitored. The fire exposed their root systems that would usually be mainly below ground, heightening the risk of damage and infection. Many trees also have large burnt sections within their trunks. The team are exploring ways to protect these vulnerable roots and will track the health of the trees in spring based on their ability to produce leaves and new growth. The boggy areas of the fire site were the least impacted by the fire and acted as a barrier helping to slow it moving more widely across the New Forest. These areas have been the quickest to naturally recover with molinia grasses and other plants already starting to return. Forestry England has been restoring wetlands across the New Forest over the last 15 years to ensure these areas can hold and store water during periods of drought. It plans to boost this work over the coming years to help the Forest as a whole become more resilient to wildfire and extreme weather. “The scene immediately after the fire had gone through this part of the forest is something I will never forget. Large areas were reduced to piles of charcoal, burnt soils and torched trees. At that time, it was difficult to imagine it would ever fully return to a place where nature could thrive,” Dave Morris, Open Habitats Manager at Forestry England said. “Undeterred, our specialist staff immediately got to work to see how we could help the area recover. We had to act quickly, cutting and laying heather this autumn whilst it still had seed and before the worsening weather really took hold. “The fire has reminded us that nature is remarkably resilient and in the boggy parts of the fire area we can already see plants and wildlife returning. The wildfire demonstrated just how important it is that we continue our work across the Forest to restore wetlands, ensuring they can store and hold more water. It is clearly one of the best ways to make the New Forest more resilient to droughts, wildfires and extreme weather. “It will take many decades for the area burnt by the fire to recover completely but with the right help, at the right time, we can give it the helping hand it needs.”  

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Stora Enso has concluded the strategic review of its Central European sawmills and building solutions operations, announced in November 2025. The review identified clear potential to improve profitability, and the company has decided to retain the business and initiate plans to streamline operations. Source: Timberbiz The planned measures may affect up to 250 employees in the business unit. The strategic review covered the business unit comprising seven sawmills in Austria, Czechia, Poland and Lithuania; three cross-laminated timber (CLT) mills; wood procurement; and international sales and distribution. After assessing different scenarios, the company has concluded that the business performance can be improved and the business will remain as part of Stora Enso. “Following a thorough review, we are confident that in the continued challenging market environment, this is the best solution for our customers, employees, shareholders and for the business. “We will continue with our own actions to improve profitability and strengthen the competitiveness of the business in the near term. “We need to adjust the size of our organisation in response to changing business needs and the current tough market conditions. While working with these improvements, we will remain committed to serve our global customers with our premium building solutions and sawn goods,” said Stora Enso’s President and CEO Hans Sohlström. As part of its profitability improvement actions, Stora Enso plans to close one production line at the Brand sawmill in Austria and make structural changes within the business unit in Central Europe. The planned measures would affect approximately 250 employees across the business unit. The small log line at the Brand mill, which would require significant investments, is planned to be closed by the end of Q1 2027. Wood procurement and the other production line would continue operations as usual, and customers of the small log line will be served by other mills. The planned changes are a response to slow market growth and rising costs. They form part of the company’s ongoing efforts to improve profitability and strengthen the business unit’s competitiveness. No decisions regarding the planned closure or employee impact will be made until consultations with relevant stakeholders according to local rules and regulations have been concluded.

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FSC takes concerns about the loss of forests with high conservation values in Sweden seriously. The issues raised by Greenpeace Nordic require scrutiny, credible evidence, and action. FSC is not complacent about the challenges in Sweden, and work to strengthen both the national standard and its implementation is already underway. Source: Timberbiz Responsible management of forests, and the protection of high conservation values are central to FSC’s mission. While FSC cannot speak for any certificate holder, it takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that potential non-conformities are investigated, that the certification system responds where requirements are not met, and that public claims about the evidence and the FSC system are accurate. Revision of the FSC National Forest Stewardship Standard for Sweden has been underway since March 2026. Developed through FSC’s three-chamber governance system, which balances environmental, social and economic interests, the standard sets requirements that go beyond national legislation to strengthen the protection of High Conservation Values and biodiversity. In April 2026, FSC also initiated work with Assurance Services International (ASI) to assess how consistently and effectively High Conservation Value requirements are interpreted and implemented by certificate holders and certification bodies and identify any areas for improvement. Since April 2026, certification bodies have independently terminated the FSC certificates of 18 certificate holders in Sweden. While the circumstances vary, these decisions show that FSC certification is subject to ongoing oversight and can be withdrawn when its requirements are not met. Against that record, Greenpeace’s allegations against FSC are not supported by facts. FSC certification cannot guarantee that breaches will never occur. It provides rules, independent assessment, and mechanisms to identify non-conformity, require corrective action, and impose consequences. The relevant test is whether concerns are investigated, and action follows when evidence substantiates them. In Sweden, that work is underway and consequences are already being applied. The Greenpeace report contains information that should be examined through the established independent processes. At the same time, its conclusions should accurately reflect the limits of the evidence presented. The report demonstrates movement of tracked logs through part of the supply chain. It does not, however, verify the full chain of custody claimed between the harvesting sites investigated and the specific products highlighted. Its downstream conclusions rely on a combination of tracker data and other indicators of potential commercial connections. These may warrant further investigation, but they are not the same as direct verification that timber from a specific harvesting site was used in a specific product. The report also relies on a mixture of classifications of continuity forest, including potential, probable, combined and partially classified areas. These classifications carry different levels of confidence and verification and should not be considered equivalent when assessing individual sites. While this does not diminish the need to examine the conservation values of the sites concerned, it does mean that site-specific conclusions should reflect the status and limitations of the underlying evidence. Where credible evidence indicates that FSC requirements may have been breached, it must be investigated. If non-conformities are substantiated, certification bodies require corrective action to prevent their reoccurrence and can suspend or terminate certificates. FSC can also block companies from the system and, in the most serious cases, disassociate from them. FSC expects certificate holders, certification bodies and Assurance Services International to assess relevant evidence rigorously and act where the facts warrant it. External scrutiny is essential to the credibility and improvement of FSC. But effective scrutiny requires a clear distinction between evidence, inference and advocacy. FSC will continue to engage with substantiated concerns and strengthen the system in Sweden. FSC will also challenge claims that overstate what the evidence proves or misrepresent how FSC certification and assurance work.

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Effective firefighting training is central to keeping Pan Pac’s forests and operations safe. With the hot, dry, windy conditions of El Niño looming large over this summer’s weather, Pan Pac Forests staff and contractors were out with specialised FENZ trainers in the Tangoio Forest (Mill Block) in October refreshing their skills in fire safety, dry firefighting techniques, and operating pumps and hoses. Source: Timberbiz This training takes place every year. “Fighting fires out in the forest is quite different from fighting a house fire. We ensure our teams and contractors are trained by Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) to keep themselves safe and to use the right tools in a forest fire environment,” said Richard Airey, Forestry Manager. Although FENZ take charge from the time a 111 call is lodged, it’s all hands to the pump in a fire situation – from logistics to equipment, including Pan Pac’s own fire trucks, to bringing in staff and contractors who double as firefighting volunteers. One of those volunteers is Conor Moorhead, a Pan Pac forester. He started out in rural firefighting in the Wairarapa and is now a member of the Heretaunga Remote Arduous Fire Team – similar to the Canterbury High Country Fire Team. Conor says he’s found the perfect life balance; he loves forestry, and he can continue to develop his skills in firefighting alongside his job. While collaboration is key, infrastructure is essential to ensure there’s water when it’s needed. ‘Rubber dams’ are placed strategically across the forest estate where there aren’t any ready sources of water for firefighting. Rainwater-fed, they supplement natural water points like streams or springs. Two more dams are under construction this year, large enough to supply firefighting helicopters.

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Forestry machines are designed to work where conditions are demanding, and access is often limited. In Australia, this capability is being used in a different way, with Komatsu forwarders equipped to support firefighting operations in remote forest areas. Source: Timberbiz The RL21 Firefighting Kit transforms a Komatsu forwarder into a mobile firefighting unit carrying 21,000 litres of water, including a dedicated emergency reserve. The system can be fitted or removed in less than two hours, allowing the forwarder to return to its regular work when the equipment is no longer needed. The combination of water capacity, terrain mobility and an experienced operator makes the unit particularly useful in areas that can be difficult for conventional firefighting vehicles to reach. It can support several types of work, including early response, back-burning, blacking-out operations and the establishment of control lines. The equipment has already been used during several fire events in Australia. Following a lightning strike in Bondi State Forest, an RL21-equipped forwarder and a bulldozer were quickly deployed and helped contain the fire before it developed into a larger incident. Contractor Dean Venturoni also used an RL21-equipped machine during the Walwa River Road fires. Over three weeks of operation, the machine supported firefighting work in an area that included extensive pine plantations. According to Mr Venuroni, the machine’s capabilities are not only defined by its water volume and delivery rate. Its mobility in difficult terrain and ability to move through blacked-out areas are equally important. He also highlights the role of the operator. “Just as important is having an experienced forwarder operator who understands how to use the machine effectively,” he said. The equipment has already been used during several fire events in Australia. Following a lightning strike in Bondi State Forest, an RL21-equipped forwarder and a bulldozer were quickly deployed and helped contain the fire before it developed into a larger incident.

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Across Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand a new generation of buildings is emerging that reflects the region’s confidence, ambition and commitment to sustainable development. From civic infrastructure and commercial redevelopment through to industrial workplace facilities, mass timber is helping shape a new built environment. Source: Timberbiz The mass timber supply for these buildings has all been delivered between 2025 and 2026, reflecting the rapid growth of mass timber construction across Hawke’s Bay and the region’s accelerating commitment to sustainable, locally sourced building solutions. Five projects in particular highlight this evolution: Te Aka, Napier’s landmark civic and cultural library facility. Heretaunga House, a major commercial office redevelopment in Hastings. Pan Pac Administration Building, a contemporary workplace supporting one of New Zealand’s leading forestry and wood products businesses. Woodford House Gatehouse, an educational facility showcasing the integration of CLT and glulam structural systems. Hawke’s Bay Airport Fire Station, demonstrating the application of mass timber in critical infrastructure and emergency services facilities.   While each project serves a different purpose, together they showcase the versatility of mass timber construction and the ability of New Zealand-grown timber products to deliver sophisticated, high-performance buildings across diverse sectors. Hawke’s Bay has always been closely connected to New Zealand’s forestry and timber industries. These projects demonstrate what is possible when that resource is transformed into advanced engineered timber systems. Collectively, the five developments incorporate: 6,405 m2 of CLT floor systems 3,880 m² of CLT roofing 114 m³ of glulam 444 m³ of LVL Feature CLT staircases Across these projects, Red Stag Timber supplied structural CLT, Glulam and LVL components ranging from highly engineered floor diaphragms, seismic walls, exposed architectural stair elements and primary structural frames. The result is a portfolio that demonstrates the scalability of engineered timber, from a 900 m² commercial workplace through to major civic infrastructure and multi-level commercial redevelopment. Together, Te Aka, Heretaunga House, Pan Pac Administration Building, Woodford House, and Hawke’s Bay Airport Fire Station represent far more than five individual projects. They demonstrate how engineered timber is becoming an integral part of Hawke’s Bay’s future, creating buildings that are resilient, sustainable and distinctly New Zealand. From civic spaces that bring communities together and educational facilities that inspire learning, to critical emergency infrastructure and workplaces that support business growth, these projects demonstrate mass timber’s ability to deliver exceptional outcomes across a wide range of sectors. They stand as a collective example of how innovation in mass timber construction can help shape the next generation of buildings across New Zealand.

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The Bioeconomy Science Institute in New Zealand has welcomed new benchmarking data showing that its legacy organisations continue to rank among the strongest performers in Australasia for research commercialisation and industry engagement. Source: Timberbiz The findings, published through the Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA) SCOPR 2025 Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research (SCOPR), demonstrate the significant economic impact generated by New Zealand’s public research organisations and reinforce the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s position as one of the leading commercialisation-focused science organisations in the Australia-New Zealand research ecosystem. In FY2025, the Institute’s four legacy organisations collectively generated around NZ$100 million in commercialisation income and secured over NZ$100 million in research contracts with for-profit companies. These figures reflect a strong balance of intellectual property commercialisation, licensing, industry partnerships and contract research activity. Plant & Food Research delivered particularly outstanding results, generating NZ$86.3 million in commercialisation income, placing it among the highest-performing research organisations in Australasia and making it the highest-ranked New Zealand institution in the SCOPR® commercialisation revenue benchmark. It’s commercialisation income equivalent to approximately 43% of its total research income is at a level rarely seen among public research organisations internationally. The Bioeconomy Science Institute’s legacy organisations also recorded very strong results for commercial research contracts with industry, placing them among the leading organisations in Australasia for commercial contract research and demonstrating strong demand from industry partners for its capability in agricultural innovation, food systems and biotechnology. Together, the results reinforce New Zealand’s ability to compete effectively with much larger Australian research institutions and highlight the strength of Institute’s combined innovation portfolio spanning food, agriculture, forestry, environmental science and the wider bioeconomy. The SCOPR® survey included 72 research organisations from Australia and New Zealand, including leading universities, medical research institutes and publicly funded research organisations such as CSIRO. The 2025 survey notes that New Zealand research organisations collectively generated NZ$189 million in commercialisation revenue and NZ$182 million in industry research contracts, with the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s legacy organisations contributing a substantial share of those outcomes. Matt Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, said the results demonstrate the value created by decades of investment in world-class science and commercialisation capability. “The Bioeconomy Science Institute begins its new journey from a position of considerable strength. These results reflect decades of successful science, innovation and commercialisation activity across our legacy organisations and demonstrate the value they have created for New Zealand through strong industry partnerships and the translation of research into real-world impact.” Wilson said the creation of the Institute creates a significant opportunity to build on that foundation. “The formation of the Bioeconomy Science Institute brings together complementary capabilities spanning food, agriculture, forestry, environmental science and advanced biotechnology. By combining our expertise, networks, infrastructure and commercial portfolios, we will be able to create larger opportunities, attract greater industry investment and deliver more integrated innovation solutions for New Zealand and international partners.” “Our ambition is not simply to combine four successful organisations. It is to create a globally recognised bioeconomy innovation platform that can accelerate the translation of science into economic, environmental and societal outcomes. The strength of these results gives us tremendous confidence in what we can achieve together in the years ahead. “While the commercial results are significant in their own right, the value of these outcomes extends beyond revenue generation. Income from licensing, industry partnerships and other commercial activities helps support future research and innovation, enabling the Bioeconomy Science Institute to invest in the science, capability and collaborations needed to address some of New Zealand’s most important opportunities and challenges across the bioeconomy.”

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Nillumbik Council in Victoria has adopted its Tree Protection and Management Policy, placing tree protection, retention and canopy enhancement at the centre of decisions about trees managed by council. There are more than 500,000 trees on Nillumbik reserves, roadsides and other council-owned or managed properties, such as parks and early learning centres. Source: Timberbiz The policy prioritises keeping trees wherever possible, with removal a last resort. It provides a clearer framework for considering alternatives to removal, managing community safety risks and protecting the ecological value of trees. Mayor Cr Naomi Joiner thanked the community for providing feedback during consultation. “Community feedback has helped shape the final policy, strengthening its focus on tree protection and making it clearer how decisions are made,” Cr Joiner said. “The policy also introduces additional ecological assessment requirements before major pruning or removal of significant indigenous trees.” The policy is built around three principles: protecting the benefits trees provide, minimising impacts on trees and offsetting necessary removals. Where tree loss is unavoidable, replacement planting and reinvestment in urban greening will help address the impact. A framework for valuing public trees as natural assets takes account of their species, appearance, location and condition. This supports tree protection and a consistent approach to recovering costs associated with tree damage or loss. The policy brings together and updates Council’s 2018 Tree Management Policy and Tree Management Guidelines. It also supports the Urban Tree Canopy Strategy 2024–2040 and Biodiversity Strategy 2024–2034, helping protect habitat, strengthen climate resilience and retain Nillumbik’s landscape character. Annual reporting will track tree removals, replacement planting and canopy gains and losses. An education and communication program will help Council staff, contractors and community members understand the value of trees and the importance of protecting them. There are more than 500,000 trees on Nillumbik reserves, roadsides and other council-owned or managed properties, such as parks and early learning centres.

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Versace Timbers in Virginia, Queensland celebrated its 70th birthday recently, bringing together customers, suppliers and staff to celebrate a business built on loyalty and quality. Source: Timberbiz Forty-five-year customers, staff with almost three decades of service, and $217,000 raised for charity. The milestone celebration highlighted what has kept this Queensland timber business going strong since 1956 – the people behind its success. The birthday brought customers, suppliers and staff together for lunch, drinks and games, with local builders dropping in throughout the afternoon to celebrate a business that has been part of their working lives for decades. For General Manager Graham Leddy, who has been with the business for more than 28 years, that loyalty comes down to family, service and quality. “I think the main reason people like working for us is because we are a family business. I have been here for over 28 years now,” Mr Leddy said. “Customer service is a very big thing for us, and it comes back to us in customer loyalty, with a lot of long-term customers sticking with us.” Local builder Tony Nolan has been a customer for 45 years, while Barry Marshall has traded with the business for more than 30 years. Neil Gardiner also has around three decades of history with the team. Retired customer Steve Homan was determined to be part of the celebrations. Worried the weather might prevent him attending, Mr Homan wrote a heartfelt letter reflecting on his experience with Versace Timbers,before turning up in person anyway. The loyalty extends to the team. Jenni Day has spent 24 years with the business, Richard Workman 28 years, while Chris Waugh and Kym Bouckaert are among other team members with more than a decade of service. In an industry where product knowledge and dependable service matter, that experience helps deliver the consistency customers value. Versace Timbers has continued to evolve while maintaining its focus on quality and competitive pricing. “We also provide quality at competitive pricing, but quality is a big thing for us because if you don’t have quality timber, trusses and frames, then you lose customers, because they need to be able to trust your product,” Mr Leddy said. The business entered roof truss manufacturing in 2004, starting with two employees in a small shed on Toombul Road, Northgate, initially producing for carports and small renovations. In 2005, it moved to Vauxhall Street, Virginia, bringing timber sales, truss manufacturing and wall frame production together. Further growth followed with the opening of its Brendale facility in 2016. After temporarily moving to Aspley during a major redevelopment, Versace Timbers returned to its refurbished Vauxhall Street site in 2024. Industry recognition has followed. The business received the Best Training Culture award at the Queensland Timber Awards in 2010 and won Best Building Materials Centre – Metro in 2012. More recently, it was named Trade Store of the Year at the 2025 Queensland Timber & Hardware Industry Awards and received the FTMA Community Award in its 70th anniversary year. Versace Timbers’ contribution extends beyond timber and building materials, with its charity golf days raising $217,000 for prostate cancer fundraising since the tradition began in 2011. The inaugural event raised $2,622. Since then, the business has continued fundraising through golf days, barbeques, the PCFA Goodwill Bridge Swing, PCFA Long Run and collecting bottles and cans, with proceeds supporting the cause. Its community contribution was recognised at the Lilley Australia Day Awards in 2018 and in the following years was named SME Philanthropist of the Year by the Queensland Community Foundation. Pre-Versace Timbers’ roots stretch back to the Whiston family, who were involved in sawmilling and manufacturing timber boxes during World War II, although the exact beginnings remain unclear. Ron and Rhonda Versace purchased the business in 1956, establishing the Versace Timbers name. Rhonda and three of her children attended last week’s celebrations. Peter and Kerry Leddy took over from Ron in 1983, beginning another chapter in the business’s history. Since then, Versace Timbers has expanded its operations, invested in its facilities and adapted to changing industry needs without losing sight of the relationships that underpin its success. Seventy years in business is a significant achievement. But the real story lies in the customers who have stayed for 30 or 45 years, the staff who have built careers with the business and the commitment to quality that keeps people coming back.

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UQ researchers and QFD firefighters are running live burn tests on timber compartments to explore how building design can influence fire behaviour.  Source: Timberbiz photo The University of Queensland Full-scale fire tests on specially designed-timber ceilings could help University of Queensland researchers pave the way for safer buildings that are less likely to collapse during a fire. UQ fire safety engineers and the Queensland Fire Department are running the test burns on mass produced timber compartments to see how construction methods could limit the spread and impact of fire in timber structures such as office blocks. The research team constructed 12-metre long cross-laminated timber (CLT) ceiling compartments and set them alight under the supervision of QFD firefighters at their training ground at the Port of Brisbane. UQ Associate Professor David Lange said each compartment was monitored from the inside using livestreaming cameras and heat and pressure-sensing instruments. “In each test we changed the design of the compartment slightly to reveal how design parameters – including ventilation, ceiling obstructions, and ceiling height changes – influenced fire behaviour,” Dr Lange said. “Learning how fire spreads in specific conditions means we can design buildings that better channel fire and give people more time to exit if needed.” The research is central to a PhD project led by UQ’s Josh Madden and part of a wider body of work at the ARC Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment – administered by UQ’s School of Civil Engineering – exploring barriers to the wider use of mass and engineered timber. Mass or engineered timber products are made by compressing, binding, gluing, or nailing layers of wood together and as an alternative to using steel and concrete. Mr Madden, working alongside Dr Lange and other international academics, said the use of manufactured engineered wood had increased rapidly in Australia as a sustainable, fast, and high-strength building material but many design methodologies were outdated and therefore potentially unsafe. “Current fire safety guidance was generally built around the assumption that structural materials don’t burn,” Mr Madden said. “Timber absolutely breaks that assumption. It’s a load-bearing material that is also combustible, acting as a fuel source, creating significantly different fire behaviour to that of steel or concrete. “Our research is about measuring how we might improve design methodologies in order for timber to play a larger role in the building and construction sector.” The tests continue a history of information sharing between UQ and the QFD dating back to 2014 and has helped fire and rescue services adapt firefighting skills to improve public safety. QFD fire engineer Mick Conway said understanding new materials and innovative design was crucial to improving building codes for safer timber structures. “The way we build buildings is prescribed by a set of rules that dictate certain methods for certain materials,” Mr Conway said. “But there is a lot more to understanding the material science as opposed to something written in a code. “By burning materials under experimental conditions our firefighters are learning things that they otherwise might have had to experience for the first time in a live scenario.” Results of the test burns are now being analysed and would be presented in Mr Madden’s final thesis.  

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US plywood imports were US$2.04 billion in January–August 2026, down 16% from US$2.44 billion in the same months of 2025, according to figures the United States reports to the UN Comtrade database. MDF imports fell 21% to US$711.5 million. Source: Timberbiz The fall came with a change in where the panels come from: Plywood from Vietnam, Indonesia and China totalled US$480.4 million, against US$953.8 million a year earlier (−50%). Plywood from Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand rose to US$484.4 million, from US$340.7 million (+42%). Malaysia was up 61%, Cambodia 38% and Thailand 28%. Canada became the largest plywood source, at US$295.9 million (+9%, a 14.5% share). In 2025 the largest was Vietnam, at US$696.4 million. Plywood from China was US$17.5 million, down 77%, 0.9% of the total. In MDF, Canada stayed the largest source at US$219.5 million (+1%, a 30.8% share). Chile supplied US$126.4 million (−23%) and Germany US$69.5 million (−38%).   The US Department of Commerce announced final determinations in its anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia and Vietnam on 16 July 2026, and the US International Trade Commission announced affirmative injury determinations on 19 August 2026. The trade figures cover all of HS 4412 (plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood, including LVL and blockboard), not only products within the scope of that case. For the full year 2025, US plywood imports were US$3.52 billion and MDF imports US$1.26 billion. Values are CIF, in US dollars, as reported by the United States to UN Comtrade and retrieved on 5 November 2026. Plywood is HS 4412; MDF is HS 4411.12–4411.14. Annual totals cover 2023 to 2025; the year-to-date comparison covers January to August, the latest month published. Source: UN Comtrade. Tables by country and a CSV file with values and net weights: https://cuzicn.com/us-plywood-mdf-imports-by-country/

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Myplant & Garden, Italy’s professional trade fair dedicated to the green sector, is launching the first trade fair initiative in Italy to bring together the entire forestry ecosystem, from sustainable forest management and urban forestry to agroforestry. Source: Timberbiz ‘Sistema Foresta’ (Forest System) is a new multidisciplinary platform designed to connect expertise, businesses and supply chains and develop new management, production and economic opportunities linked to Italy’s tree and forest heritage. The aim is to bring together expertise and professional skills in order to transform Italy’s tree and forest heritage into an increasingly well-known and effectively managed resource, capable of generating economic, environmental and territorial value. The initiative has already secured the endorsement of almost all organisations and institutions representing Italy’s forestry sector. Italy’s forests cover one third of the country’s territory, spanning more than 11 million hectares: an asset with significant economic potential that has yet to be fully tapped, according to the organisers. In fact, only 18–20% of forests have an active or currently valid forest management plan, while the area of forests certified as being under sustainable management stands at around 10%. The expansion of forested areas, largely due to the abandonment of agricultural and mountain areas and the reduction in silvicultural activities, has not been matched by a corresponding development in forest management. This situation opens up new prospects for timber supply chains, biomass, non-timber forest products, forest nurseries, technologies, professional services and land maintenance. Risk prevention, ecosystem protection and the production of renewable raw materials are increasingly interconnected with opportunities for economic development. The figures for Italy’s horticulture and nursery sector also give an indication of the economic significance of the green industry. In 2025, the value of production reached €3.52 billion, up 8.1% year on year and marking a new all-time high, according to ISTAT data processed and released in advance by Myplant & Garden last September. The floriculture segment, which includes flowers and potted plants, is worth €1.64 billion (+8.2%), while the nursery sector reaches €1.88 billion (+8.1%), confirming Italy’s position among Europe’s leading producers and as one of the main international suppliers of flowers and plants. The potential also extends to trees outside forests. In 2025, nearly 3.7 million trees were planted in Italy, 17% more than in 2024, across more than 5,300 hectares. According to the latest scientific research, these new plantings are capable of generating approximately €28 million per year in ecosystem services, for each year of life of the tree stock established. Another opportunity is represented by agroforestry, which integrates trees, crops and livestock into production systems. In Italy, it currently covers approximately 1.3 million hectares, equivalent to 11% of the utilised agricultural area, and can contribute to income diversification, soil protection and the resilience of agricultural businesses. It is against this backdrop that ‘Sistema Foresta’ (Forest System) is being launched, the new section of Myplant & Garden dedicated to sustainable forest management, urban forestry and agroforestry. The initiative will bring together forest nursery operators, technicians, arborists, agronomists, designers, researchers, businesses, public bodies and operators across the supply chains within a single trade fair setting.

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A US$2.8 million partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the US Forest Service will help Pacific Island landowners protect forests and prepare for wildfire, drought, and severe storms. Source: Timberbiz The Pacific Forest Resilience Program will fund five new Forest Service-affiliated junior extension agents through UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR). The positions will serve American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Applications for all five positions open November 9, 2026, with agents expected to begin working in their respective locations by May 2027. Funded by the US Forest Service and delivered through CTAHR, the program will support implementation of the participating jurisdictions’ Forest Action Plans. The five positions were developed with the Forest Service to support that work. “Many Pacific Islands face shared challenges, from wildfires and drought to severe storms,” said Ashley McGuigan, program lead and CTAHR extension specialist. “A regional approach brings forestry programs, agencies and communities together to learn from one another, share knowledge and resources, and support locally driven efforts to sustain forests and the communities that depend on them.” The program will bring together the US Forest Service, local forestry agencies, extension personnel, and communities to develop workshops, knowledge-sharing events, and educational resources supporting land stewardship practices such as agroforestry, reforestation, and pest management.  

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Amazon has signed a deal with Australia’s largest Christmas tree farm and will be delivering the festive foliage across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Source: News.com.au The deal means 1.8m radiata pine trees grown in country Victoria can be ordered and delivered to front doors in Australia’s three largest cities. The trees come from the Yeowarra Tree Farm, 120km southeast of Melbourne, and come via Amazon’s contracts with family-owned grocer Harris Farm Markets. Yeowarra farm manager Josh Sutherland will oversee the felling of 80,000 trees in the coming weeks. “I love Christmas, absolutely. I think it’s a great time of year. I think I was raised that way. Mum absolutely loves Christmas and it rubbed off on all of us in the family,” he said. “We do have a retail spot on farm, where people can come and grab their tree. “When you get to work out there and see all the families and the kids running around and how happy everyone is – it does help when you’ve got a job that brings smiles to people’s faces.” Yeowarra Tree Farm is the largest in the country, Mr Sutherland said, and 80,000 trees would be cut this year from an unirrigated 103ha patch. Elsewhere, they tend to beef cattle and grow berries. The farm has stayed in one family for 40 years, and the Amazon deal is not an exclusive offtake agreement. “We are consistently growing and then hopefully this Amazon deal can really help push that along,” Mr Sutherland said. Given the tree’s temporary life span, customers cannot pick their exact delivery date, but tress will be delivered from November 27 to December 13. The trees should last four to six weeks after they are cut but need to be watered and kept out of direct sun. Amazon Prime members will pay $199 including delivery, and non-members will pay $249. “I think the industry as a whole is growing as well, which is really important for us, and I think this Amazon deal will really open it up to a lot more customers.” The tree farmer describes the radiata as particularly hardy plants, which have been well watered with wet conditions of late after two particularly dry years. Bushfires tore through huge portions of the Victorian countryside earlier this year. “From October last year, the two years before that were very, very dry. I know there’s a lot of issues going through a lot of farms, really everywhere across southern and eastern (Australia). “That was a bit nerve-racking, especially for the younger trees. The older stuff’s pretty well established. “A lot of dairy farms and cattle farms had a very tough time. We’re quite lucky that we’re predominantly trees and they’re pretty hardy.” The coming El Nino effect over summer would make the harvest cutting and moving around the farm easier, he said.

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Kapitol Group’s Andrew Morrison told Offsite26 that Australia doesn’t have a modular construction problem; it has a certainty problem, drawing on a year of feasibility testing across $4 billion of potential projects to argue for accountable, contractor-led delivery. Source: Timberbiz Australia does not have a modular construction problem. It has a certainty problem. That was the argument Andrew Morrison, of Melbourne-based construction and engineering group Kapitol Group, put to delegates at Offsite26, drawing on 12 months of feasibility work across $4 billion in potential volumetric modular projects to make the case for a fundamentally different delivery model. Mr Morrison began by clarifying the title of his own talk, having already fielded some feedback on it. Tier one builders “owning” volumetric modular construction (VMC), he said, does not mean physically owning the manufacturing. Nor does it mean local manufacturers stop mattering. What he meant by ownership is accountability: one party holding the balance sheet, the project pipeline and the delivery capability needed to stand behind the outcome from design through to completion. “That’s really the idea behind the title,” he said, framing the rest of his talk as a sharing of lessons rather than a sales pitch. The pressure Mr Morrison described is structural. Australia is well behind the National Housing Accord’s target of 240,000 homes a year, construction costs are rising, and supply chains are under strain, particularly in Queensland. Meanwhile, major infrastructure projects are drawing trades away from residential work. Morrison pointed to Kapitol’s M3 data centre project, where 800 electricians are on site at once, against a Victorian licensed electrician pool numbering only a few thousand. Lead hands on data centre projects can earn around $300,000 a year, he said, a figure residential work simply cannot match. With the Brisbane Olympics and an expanding defence pipeline set to pull further on the same trade base, he questioned how governments intend to deliver on their housing promises at all. Part of the appeal Mr Morrison described is price stability across jurisdictions. Feasibility work in Queensland, where supply chain pressure is currently most acute, showed construction costs running at nearly double those in Victoria, whereas the price of a volumetric module itself does not vary depending on which state it is destined for. He pointed to Singapore, where around 47% to 48% of new homes are now built using MMC, as evidence that the approach is not new globally, only new to Australia at this scale. Kapitol’s own experience with modular construction at scale predates this residential push. Volumetric modules, including battery rooms, switch rooms and chillers, are now standard in the data centre sector, driven by labour constraints and program pressures rather than policy. The company’s first fully modular data centre, built for NEXTDC in Darwin from 17 modules, shaved three months off the program. Morrison’s pitch is that the same discipline now needs to be applied to housing, “the same problem, just at a much larger scale”. Rather than pitching modular on cost, Mr Morrison reframed the conversation around certainty of program, certainty of revenue commencement and certainty of delivery, the language institutional capital actually uses. Kapitol’s focus, he stressed, is not class one detached housing but higher-density asset classes: high-rise purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), build-to-rent and hotels, where long-term owner-operators care as much about quality and revenue timing as they do about cost. Institutional capital, he noted, is currently showing a stronger appetite for this model than government. That appetite prompted Kapitol to run feasibility studies across roughly $4 billion of potential projects over the past year, a figure Mr Morrison acknowledged was inflated by two large projects worth around $1 billion between them, but still substantial. The exercise involved trades, consultants, and building surveyors, and was tested to the point where Kapitol was prepared to sign contracts had clients chosen to proceed. Just as important, he said, was that the process proved modular is not the right answer for every project, a finding he considered as valuable as any positive result. The pattern across the studies was consistent. Program savings sat at 20% to 35%, once a single outlier project with heavy heritage constraints, which returned only 14%, was excluded. Construction cost savings were far more modest, ranging from cost-neutral to around 10 per cent in highly optimised cases, a point Morrison used to push back on the assumption that faster automatically means cheaper. The more significant finding, in his view, was that modules typically represent around half of a project’s overall capital cost. Once half the build moves off-site, modular construction stops being a subcontract package and becomes the project’s core procurement strategy, reshaping decisions on cranes, logistics, shipping and site sequencing. Kapitol’s clearest proof point was a live, parallel tender for a 43-storey PBSA tower at A’Beckett Street in Melbourne. Kapitol ran a traditional construction proposal alongside a self-funded modular alternative developed with its own consultant team, delivering a full volumetric modular solution within eight weeks of a six-week tender period. The results, Mr Morrison said, were striking: a seven-month program saving that would have moved practical completion from June, a poor point in the academic calendar for student accommodation, to November, capturing a full extra academic year of revenue. The modular scheme also delivered 10% more beds by replacing conventional column-and-blade-wall structures with a more efficient modular frame, which allowed an extra single-occupancy unit per level, alongside a 10 per cent reduction in construction cost, verified against a traditionally priced comparison. Despite an external project manager recommending the modular option, the project did not proceed at the board level. The combined novelty of a new delivery model, an unfamiliar funding profile and the fact that no 43-storey volumetric modular tower has yet been built in Australia proved too much to absorb at once. The exercise was not wasted, though. Kapitol has since entered early contractor involvement (ECI) arrangements with the same client, who Morrison said is now taking modular seriously as a feasible delivery pathway. Kapitol also uses the same feasibility discipline to […]

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Planning approval has been granted for a 15-storey mass-timber commercial building in Melbourne’s Cremorne, set to be the tallest mass-timber office building in Australia. The proposed development at 57–71 Stephenson Street, Cremorne, represents a significant advancement in sustainable commercial construction in Australia. Source: Timberbiz Designed to establish a new benchmark for environmentally responsible building, the 15-storey commercial office development will showcase the potential of mass timber construction in a major urban environment. Once completed, it is expected to become Australia’s tallest mass-timber office building. The project is being developed by Endor Development, with development management by Vettex and architectural design by Edition Office. The development has received planning approval from the Victorian Government, marking an important milestone for the project and for the wider adoption of mass timber construction in Australia. Occupying a site of approximately 1,616 square metres, the development will deliver approximately 21,671 square metres of gross floor area, including 13,145 square metres of net lettable office accommodation. The building will incorporate ground-floor retail and food and beverage opportunities, together with shared communal areas and facilities designed to support a contemporary workplace environment. Its location within Cremorne’s evolving commercial precinct provides access to Melbourne’s CBD, public transport, established businesses and the area’s growing creative and technology industries. The defining feature of the development is its extensive use of engineered timber as the primary structural material above ground. The building will utilise cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels supported by glue-laminated timber (glulam) columns and structural elements. This approach replaces much of the conventional steel and concrete structure typically associated with commercial buildings of this scale. Mass timber offers considerable environmental advantages. Timber is a renewable construction material that can store carbon absorbed during the growth of trees. Its use can also reduce the embodied carbon associated with manufacturing and transporting conventional structural materials. The project has been designed with low-carbon concrete largely restricted to the basement and ground-floor structure, allowing timber to form the principal structural system throughout the upper levels. This construction methodology is particularly significant given the building’s height. The design seeks to demonstrate that engineered timber can be successfully integrated into large-scale commercial developments while maintaining structural performance, occupant safety and architectural quality. One of the project’s most innovative aspects is its approach to fire safety. Conventional building regulations provide a relatively limited pathway for exposed structural timber in buildings exceeding eight storeys. To address this challenge, the project team has developed a performance-based fire engineering solution. The approach incorporates comprehensive sprinkler protection and specialist engineering designed to ensure the structural timber maintains its required integrity during a fire. The engineering strategy also considers the natural charring properties of mass timber, whereby the outer layer chars and helps protect the structural material beneath. This enables the architectural design to retain exposed timber surfaces rather than concealing the structure behind conventional fire-protective linings. The project demonstrates how innovative engineering, careful design and performance-based assessment can expand the possibilities for timber construction in Australia. Environmental performance is central to the development’s design philosophy. The project aims to significantly reduce embodied carbon compared with a conventional steel-and-concrete office building. Sustainability consultants Finding Infinity have estimated an embodied-carbon reduction of approximately 89 per cent against a typical commercial building, subject to the project’s assessment methodology and assumptions. The building will also incorporate extensive rooftop and façade solar photovoltaic systems, rainwater collection and reuse, energy-efficient building services and integrated landscaping. Its environmental ambitions include targeting Passivhaus certification, a six-star Green Star rating and a four-star NABERS Embodied Carbon rating. These initiatives are intended to reduce both the environmental impact of construction and the ongoing energy requirements of building operations. The project seeks to demonstrate that commercial buildings can move beyond simply reducing energy consumption towards becoming more efficient, environmentally responsible places of work. Designed by Edition Office, the building combines contemporary commercial architecture with a strong emphasis on natural materials, greenery and communal spaces. The design incorporates landscaped areas, planted perimeter zones and internal voids intended to bring natural light, vegetation and a greater sense of openness into the workplace. The ground floor has been conceived as an activated and publicly accessible space, rather than simply a conventional office entrance. Food and beverage facilities, communal areas and pedestrian connections will contribute to the surrounding streetscape and encourage greater interaction between building occupants and the wider Cremorne community. The project also proposes a substantial public benefit through the provision of space for community and not-for-profit uses. The development at 57–71 Stephenson Street is an important example of how mass timber can influence the future of commercial construction. By combining engineered timber, advanced fire engineering, renewable energy, integrated landscaping and contemporary workplace design, the project challenges traditional approaches to high-rise office development. Its planning approval, granted on 28 October 2026, represents a significant step towards delivering a landmark building that could influence future development across Melbourne and other Australian cities. Ultimately, the Stephenson Street development is more than an office building. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the environmental, structural and architectural potential of mass timber at scale, setting a new benchmark for sustainable commercial development and helping establish timber as a viable material for Australia’s next generation of urban buildings.

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Use of salvaged pine supplies following the Walwa-Mt Lawson bushfires in January this year is winding down as Hyne’s Jingellic Road mill ceases using the timber in its processing. Source: Tumut and Adelong Times The fire, which broke out west of Walwa on 5 January, burnt more than 100,000 hectares before it was fully contained in February. It also took with it about 10,500 ha, nearly 80% of the HVP pine plantations at Shelley south of Walwa. After assessment of the damage approximately half of the fire damaged plantation was of an age to be salvaged, much of which includes high-quality sawlog to be processed at the Hyne Timber sawmill in Tumbarumba, and the mill began taking delivery of the logs in February this year. At the time the salvage began, site manager Kristina Kaminski said the team at the mill were “ready to do their bit and salvage as much of this timber as possible over coming months”. The mill processed salvaged timber for several years following the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019/20 which decimated pine plantations in the Tumut and Tumbarumba forestry regions. “We have been here before and the team knows what to do. We are part of a whole of industry, as well as community, coordinated effort and we Will certainly be doing our bit here in Tumba,” she said. That salvage program has now run its course and will end entirely in coming weeks. ‘The salvaged logs for our structural framing manufacturing ended in September,” a Hyne spokesperson said. “We are still processing Some smaller logs from salvage for another month or so. “This supplies other customers such as pallet manufacturers. “There Will be no more salvage from the Victorian fires after that.” Although heavy vehicle movements will slow to the Hyne mill, salvaged logs will continue to be seen travelling through the region as they take supplies to other processors such as mills and Visy in Tumut.

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The National Timber and Hardware Association (NTHA) has appointed Paul Whitaker as its new Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than 25 years of experience across the hardware, timber and building supplies industry. Source: Timberbiz Mr Whitaker’s appointment comes as outgoing CEO David Little prepares to step down after almost eight years leading NTHA. Mr Whitaker began his career managing independent and co-operative supermarkets in the Riverina before joining the Donaldson family in 1999 as a Mitre 10 Store Manager. He went on to spend 14 years managing single and multi-site independent timber, steel and building supply businesses across NSW before joining Home Timber and Hardware Group as Trade Business Manager for NSW/ACT, supporting independent merchants to establish, grow and develop their trade businesses. For almost a decade, he served as general manager of the Hudson Mitre 10 Group’s 14 NSW/ACT sites, further strengthening his leadership, commercial and sector expertise across the timber and building supplies industry. His career has taken him across independent retail, trade development and multi-site operations, giving him extensive experience across the sector he will now lead. As Mr Little prepares to leave NTHA and embark on a new chapter in Hong Kong, he described leading the Association as one of the great privileges of his career. He thanked members and industry colleagues for their support and commitment, and expressed confidence in NTHA’s future, highlighting its experienced Board, capable management team and clear direction. The transition will be supported by Mr Little, NTHA President Peter Hutchison, the Board and the management team over the coming months, with the Association’s advocacy, member support, training and industry programs continuing as usual.

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Two of the fund manager’s (AAM) own mills, at Bathurst and Mount Gambier, would anchor the new business, with $100 million sought in equity and the rest in debt. Source: WoodCentral Australia’s family-run softwood sawmills have a new would-be buyer, with a $1 billion Brisbane agribusiness fund manager setting up a business to buy mills whose owners are planning for succession. That is according to the Australian Financial Review’s Street Talk column, which reported yesterday that AAM Investment Group has hired corporate adviser Tiger & Bear to raise $150 million for the business. “The divestment of multi-generational assets through succession planning” is one of the forces AAM has told investors are driving returns in agriculture, according to a 2023 disclosure for one of its funds. Managing director Garry Edwards, the son of a timber producer, is now banking on the successions playing out across timber’s mostly family-run operations, with AAM targeting businesses that need a capital partner to corporatise and scale, the Financial Review reveals. The Financial Review named two mills as the base of the new business, AAM Timber’s sawmill at Bathurst in central-west New South Wales and its Suttontown mill on the edge of Mount Gambier in South Australia, which unnamed sources told the paper have made strong returns. Both now sit in other AAM vehicles, the column said, with the Bathurst mill held in a Sustainable Softwood Trust that AAM says can process 92,000 cubic metres of sawlogs a year. Suttontown came to AAM in 2021, when Mount Gambier’s McDonnell family agreed to sell the mill nearly 80 years after founding NF McDonnell & Sons, in a sale the Australian Forest Products Association said marked “the end of an era” for the family. At the time, Edwards said that the mill, which employed 125 people and processed just over 400,000 tonnes of softwood logs each year, was “a core part of what is our expansion in regards to timber supply and timber processing”. Between them, the mills cut plantation pine into landscaping, fencing, and DIY products for major retailers, as well as softwood for the pallets and packaging used across the logistics sector. AAM Timber also trades under its own name at Compton and Yahl near Mount Gambier, and owns Perma-Log Timbers at Narangba, north of Brisbane, which treats plantation pine logs for piling, fencing, and landscaping. Investors have been told the new business will be a sector consolidator backing sustainable softwood rather than hardwood and native forest timber, The Financial Review said, although it named only the Bathurst and Mount Gambier mills as moving into it. AAM’s timber arm holds three plantations alongside its mills, according to the 2023 disclosure, under what AAM calls an “owner-operator” model.

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Kyogle timber mill closed its doors last week. This facility employed more than 60 people at its peak. Only a skeleton crew has been left to decommission the Summerland Way, New South Wales site. Source: Timberbiz “We are importing more timber from France and other countries while our local timber mills are being locked down,” Nationals Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said. Nationals Candidate for Lismore Dylan Butcher said the closure was a gut punch to Kyogle and has questioned how the local state Labor MP, who is also the Minister for the North Coast, could stand by while local jobs disappeared. “When it was running at full steam, this mill would have been one of the biggest private employers in Kyogle. Those are local jobs, local wages and local families,” Mr Butcher said. “When a mill closes in a town this size, it’s not just the workers who lose out. It’s the cafe they buy lunch from, the mechanic who services their ute, the footy club their kids play for and the school their kids go to. “These are skilled, specialised jobs. Labor’s answer is money to retrain, but people who’ve spent years in timber aren’t going to retrain and become baristas. Most will likely have to leave Kyogle to keep working in their trade, and they’ll take their families with them.” Mr Hogan said the closure also raised serious concerns about the long-term future of the local timber industry. “Once these mills close, they are very difficult to bring back. We risk losing local jobs, infrastructure and specialised skills that have been built up over generations,” Mr Hogan said. “The timber industry has been an important part of the Kyogle community for more than a century. These are highly specialised skills that we cannot afford to lose.”

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