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Entries have closed for the 2026 Timber Design Awards, and the judges have settled on their finalists – leading the way is Flooded Gums, a one-bedroom cabin designed by Marker Architecture for a farming property at Millers Forest, north-west of Newcastle. Source: Timberbiz In all, 36 projects share 45 finalist places across the 11 categories judged by the panel, with the People’s Choice and the Grand Prix completing the 13 awards to be presented in Sydney on Wednesday 21 October. With less than four weeks to go, more than 85% of tickets to the gala dinner have been sold. Flooded Gums sits on what was once a horse dressage area, on a plain bounded by the Hunter and Williams rivers, and Marker raised it on stilts and a formed-earth and gabion embankment to withstand a 100-year flood, with a timber bridge back to the main house. Its structure is recycled hardwood, left exposed as a grid against thermally treated cladding outside and spotted gum ply linings inside, for owners who asked for a building their family would still be using generations from now. Because the Grand Prix is drawn from the category winners, at least one project leaves the gala holding two awards every year, and Kylan Low, the Timber Development Association structural engineer who is organising this year’s program, says three would be a first in his memory. The People’s Choice adds one more award to the night, with more than 2,000 votes cast before the poll closed on 4 September and every project entered in the running, and its winner will be revealed alongside the category winners. Sustainability is the largest shortlist this year, with six finalists, including Putty Passiv, along-side five projects that are also finalists in another category. Joining them are some of the most celebrated timber projects of the past year, the Sydney Fish Market in Commercial Building, the Cutaway at Barangaroo in Fitout Commercial and Public, the West Gate Tunnel in Public Building and the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in Sports and Recreation, on a list that runs from a grain-matched record unit and a lamella chair to a harbourside market. The 2026 finalists EXCELLENCE IN TIMBER DESIGN Residential Class 1, New Building Enclave House, Flooded Gums, Gingkin, Leura Tree Haven Residential Class 1, Alterations and Additions Wilsons Cottage, Not Firewood, Princes Hill House Fitout, Residential Flooded Gums, Babylonia, Bank Street House Commercial Building Sydney Fish Market, Gosford Central, Optus O Pavilion, Grace Village ELC Public Building Hoskins Building, The Forest, Tonsley Technical College, West Gate Tunnel Fitout, Commercial and Public The Cutaway Barangaroo, 500 Bourke St, Aesop Canberra Centre, Bunjil Wellbeing Place Furniture and Joinery Curved Grainmatched Record Unit, ANZAC Park East Concierge Desks, Reclaim Mosaico, The Lamella Chair Sports and Recreation Dendy Beach Pavilion and Brighton SLC, Adelaide Aquatic Centre, John Paul College, Roleystone Community College   EXCELLENCE IN THE USE OF TIMBER PRODUCTS Recycled Timber Wilsons Cottage, Batten House, Aesop Canberra Centre, Birkenstock at the Maltstore, Flooded Gums Australian Certified Timber Ora House, Swift Walk Arcade, CIT Woden, The Foundation Tree Sustainability Hoskins Building, Ora House, Tonsley Technical College, The Forest, Enclave House, Putty Passiv

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Since 2023, teams from across the globe have competed in the US$11 million XPRIZE Wildfire Competition to transform how we detect and respond to wildfires through technological innovation. Source: Timberbiz As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity worldwide, XPRIZE Wildfire has incentivized innovation in firefighting technologies to help end destructive wildfires so humanity and beneficial wildfires can safely coexist. Teams competed across two complementary tracks, Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence and Autonomous Wildfire Response. Track A challenged teams to utilize space-based Earth Observation data synthesized with artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, characterize and report wildfires faster and more accurately across vast landscapes. XPRIZE awarded US$1.05 million across five Track A teams, recognizing meaningful advances in space-based wildfire detection and intelligence. Judges recognized progress in multi-sensor system integration, detection methodology, commercial readiness, operational capabilities, and innovative algorithms. The results also helped identify key technical gaps that must be addressed to enable reliable, real-time wildfire detection from space. Track A: Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence First Place _ System Integration Awardee, US$500,000: SIRIUS Wildfire Alliance demonstrated comprehensive end-to-end and system integration methodology, integrating SAR and optical data to support fire characterization and spread modelling. Second Place – Methodological Innovation Awardee, US$250,000: Team Snuffed developed a probabilistic data-fusion framework designed to provide transparent, auditable and uncertainty-aware wildfire detection, with strong firefighter-facing usability. Special Recognition, Commercial Viability, US$100,000: MyRadar As a commercially mature team, MyRadar utilized upstream satellite acquisition and demonstrated spatial precision. Special Recognition, Operational Deliverable, US$100,000: DeepFire demonstrated an operational fire-spread-alert capability designed to support wildfire detection and intelligence. Special Recognition, Innovative Algorithm Application, US$100,000: Mayday.AI applied an algorithm originally developed for volcanic-ash detection to identify wildfire smoke plumes through cloud cover.   Track B: Autonomous Wildfire Response In June 2026, Autonomous Wildfire Response competitors put their solutions to the test in the Alaskan wilderness. Teams were challenged to autonomously detect and completely suppress a high-risk fire within 10 minutes of ignition across 1,000 km² of challenging terrain, without disturbing nearby decoy fires. The XPRIZE Wildfire Judging Panel awarded US$2.5 million across three Track B Finalist teams, recognizing distinct breakthroughs across the autonomous wild-fire response cycle: First Place Awardee, US$1.2 Million: Anduril Industries. Anduril’s modular Lattice software platform provided a detection-to-suppression integrated pathway for cameras, sensors, and drones. Second Place Awardee, US$800,000: Dryad Networks. Dryad’s Silvanet, a 170-sensor persistent field network, combined with their Silvaguard drones, demonstrated end-to-end autonomy. Third Place Awardee, US$500,000: AURA Foresight. AURA successfully demonstrated autonomous and persistent detection, meeting the critical 10-minute detection gate. Lockheed Martin Accurate Detection & Intelligence Bonus Prize, $US1,000,000: Anduril Industries. Recognized for their rapid and precise multi-sensor detector performance.  

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Researchers at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, have tested a compact, flexible, and cost-effective floor slab system for multi-story timber buildings. The “UniversalTimberSlab” (one word) is scheduled to be installed soon at the “Zukunftsforum” in the German town of Oberkochen. Source: Timberbiz Reinforced concrete floor slabs account for about 40% of buildings’ embodied carbon emissions. However, until now, there has been no practical alternative for complex, multi-story buildings. Using a construction demonstrator, researchers at the University of Stuttgart have now shown for the first time how floor slabs can be built sustainably from an innovative timber-concrete composite system. The demonstrator, which was tested in June as part of the Future Cleantech Festival in Remscheid, showcases “UniversalTimberSlab” – the first point-supported timber-concrete composite flat slab for two-way long spans. “With the UniversalTimberSlab, we aim to make multi-story timber-concrete composite construction significantly more flexible, performative, and adaptable. The demonstrator is the result of several years of research at the University of Stuttgart and is based on innovative digital design and manufacturing methods,” said Professor Achim Menges, director of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) and spokesperson for the Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Transformative Architecture” (IntCDC). “UniversalTimberSlab” is as slender and performative as a reinforced concrete slab, but significantly more sustainable. This system largely relies on wood, a renewable resource, material-efficient construction, and circular design. Compared with conventional post-and-beam timber floor slab systems, which require deep beams for larger two-way spans, the compact “UniversalTimberSlab” reduces the structural height by 30 to 70 centimetres – a significant cost advantage: With the same floor-to-ceiling height, a building can accommodate more stories, and the fa-cade area is reduced by up to 20%. “UniversalTimberSlab” also sets entirely new standards for design possibilities in timber construction. The structural system is based on point supports, meaning that the building loads are transferred through columns that can be spaced relatively far apart. Load-bearing partition walls are not required; walls can be arranged freely as needed. In mixed-use buildings, this allows for flexible layouts tailored to retail, dining, offices, and residential spaces. In addition, floor plans can be easily reconfigured at a later date, if the building is to be repurposed. The novel floor slab could thus help promote the further spread of timber construction in inner-city areas. In timber construction, larger slabs are divided into individual prefabricated elements. While these elements and their supports previously had to be arranged along rigid grids for technical reasons, the “UniversalTimberSlab” system now makes it possible to also build regular and irregular floor slab geometries. The principle is based on a new, patent-pending segmentation method. Glued-laminated timber segments with straight laminations that are easy to prefabricate ensure cost efficiency. The fibres in the floor slab are arranged to follow the force flow to optimize the system’s load-bearing capacity. The project also developed new digital design methods for timber buildings: During the planning phase, AI-powered tools generate detailed models for numerous floor plan and building variations and assist with design optimization. For example, if a planner moves a column, the impact of that action on costs, slab height, and sustainability can be immediately shown. “What was particularly exciting for us was that the first load test wasn’t conducted in the lab, but in front of the approximately 200 visitors at the Future Cleantech Festival in Remscheid. This made it possible to verify the load-bearing capacity required for construction under real-world conditions,” said Professor Jan Knippers, director of the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE). For the structural test, the team built a 9 x 5 meters full-scale demonstrator of the floor slab with a two-way span of 8 x 4 meters in just three months. At just 36 cm, it was as thin as a reinforced concrete slab of equivalent load and span yet required about two-thirds less reinforced concrete. As a preliminary step, the researchers performed computer-aided calculations – so-called FEM simulations – to investigate how the floor slab structure deforms and vibrates under load. In the structural test, the demonstrator was loaded with a total of 20 metric tons in addition to its own weight. This made it possible to test the load-bearing capacity for a heavily used office building with finish loads of 1.4 kN/m² and a live load of 3.0 kN/m². The measurements confirmed the simulations, with a maximum deformation of only 12 mm. With a natural frequency of over 8 Hz – that is, eight oscillations per second – the floor slab met the requirements for multi-story buildings in terms of deflection and vibration. With the successful feasibility test, the researchers have reached a crucial milestone on the path to the widespread use of the “UniversalTimberSlab” in multi-story wood construction. “The system builds on the existing manufacturing expertise of the wood construction industry. This means it has the potential to be rapidly deployed in larger construction projects once further development work is successfully completed,” said Hans Jakob Wagner, group leader at the ICD and head of the EIC Pathfinder project The first pilot building is already in the works: The town of Oberkochen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is planning the “Zukunftsforum,” a three-story, 1,400 m² building constructed using the innovative “UniversalTimberSlab” method. The building is intended to house exhibitions, workspaces, makerspaces, workshops, and laboratories.

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Data, traceability, and digital tools were a central focus of discussions between FSC, certification bodies (CBs), training providers, and Assurance Services International (ASI) at the Annual FSC-CB Meeting, held in Cologne, Germany, from 15 to 17 September. Source: Timberbiz The event brought together around 200 professionals. Representatives of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee also attended, bringing Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives to discussions about applicable auditing practices. The Annual FSC-CB Meeting is an important forum for FSC, ASI, training providers, Indigenous Peoples, and certification bodies to align on evolving certification requirements, emerging assurance topics, and implementation challenges, as well as to exchange practical experience and gain insights into broader FSC developments and strategic direction. As the independent organizations responsible for assessing conformity with FSC requirements and making certification decisions, certification bodies are central to the credibility of the FSC system. “Data and digital tools give us new opportunities to strengthen assurance, but technology alone is not the answer. What matters is how we use these tools together with the expertise and experience of our assurance providers to identify risks and support credible certification outcomes,” said Elena Tveritinova, Head of Certification Integrity at FSC International. At the event, FSC outlined its direction towards a more data-centred approach to assurance and certification, including how data and digital tools could contribute to more effective auditing and identification of certification risks. Discussions also explored how this work relates to FSC’s evolving approach to traceability. “We need to continually refine the data-driven approach to make sure we are using data effectively and providing the best service to certificate holders and FSC stakeholders, while ensuring the system remains credible and auditable,” said Emily Blackwell, Head of Accreditation at Soil Association Certification. “One of the biggest expectations from the FSC system is to ensure that the traceability system is transparent, credible, and robust,” said Tigran Martirosyan, Senior Quality Manager at Preferred by Nature. Participants also discussed the ongoing normative changes in FSC certification and explored emerging trends and challenges with potential implications for certification credibility, stakeholder confidence, regulatory compliance, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in assurance activities alongside human auditors. “There is a big potential to make the certification process more efficient, but I’m convinced that we still need humans,” said Christian Kobel, Global Head of Forestry and Nature at SGS. “We need humans interviewing humans, and we can’t replace this by machines.” On the final day, discussions focused on forest management topics such as Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and its implementation in practice, geographic information system (GIS) mapping, Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs), and audit reporting tools. The discussions in Cologne will inform FSC’s continued work with its assurance partners as it responds to emerging risks and challenges and further develops its approach to assurance.

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Forestry Corporation is proud to support long-standing recreation partner, the Tenterfield Endurance Riding Club, through sponsorship of a major anniversary event in Girard State Forest. Source: Timberbiz The club will celebrate its 40th anniversary with its Ruby Ride on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday September 27, a milestone event expected to attract more than 100 horses, riders and spectators. The Tenterfield Endurance Riding Club has grown from a small group of local riders into a proud, community-focused organisation built on horsemanship and a shared love of the bush. The anniversary event will feature a 100km endurance ride and social and competitive activities. “What started as a handful of members sharing rides, knowledge and campfire stories has evolved into a welcoming endurance hub with a reputation for great tracks and good company,” Tenterfield Endurance Riding Club Ride Secretary Rachel Brown said. “Our club’s Ruby Ride is a special celebration of 40 years of endurance riding in Tenterfield and the support of Forestry Corporation helps make this event possible reflecting the strong partnership we’ve built around recreation and access to the forest.” Forestry Corporation has sponsored the Spirit Award trophy recognising participants, volunteers or supporters who embody the camaraderie and community spirit that define the club. “The Tenterfield Ruby Ride showcases the unique recreational opportunities that are offered in NSW State Forests and the club’s event is unique on the endurance riding circuit in that it is entirely held in an actively managed state forest, bringing together horse riders from all over to enjoy the Girard State Forest trails,” Forestry Corporation Partner-ships Leader Ryan Ellis said. For more information on the Ruby Ride visit www.terc.com.au

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The Victorian Tree of the Year competition celebrates the significant trees of the state – the towering icons, quiet companions, and local legends that shape our landscapes and communities. Source: Timberbiz This is your chance to shine a spotlight on a tree that matters, nominate your favourite significant tree for this year’s shortlist. The Tree of the Year contest isn’t just about the oldest, the largest, or the most beautiful tree, it celebrates the vital role trees play in enriching our lives; supporting biodiversity and wildlife; cooling the places where we live and providing cleaner air; boosting mental health and wellbeing.  Our trees hold stories, memories, and deep cultural significance. Here is the list of Victorian trees for which you an vote. Ginkgo Geelong Ginkgo biloba This female ginkgo tree started life as a seed planted in Geelong Botanic Garden in 1859. This example is the largest in Victoria and may be the largest in cultivation in Australia. Myrtle Beech Apollo Bay Nothofagus cunninghamii This is a particularly fine example of a native myrtle beech may be the result of two or three trees growing together, making it possible to wander through the complex living structure: a parallel to the web of life they support. Flooded Gum Carlton North Eucalyptus grandis This tree is a beautiful aberration. Flooded gums naturally grow north of Newcastle and are the dominant species in the rainforest edges around the Daintree, where rainfall is between 1000 and 3500mm per year. In their natural habitat, they grow straight and tall. Californian Redwoods Warburton Sequoia semperverens Although originally planted as a experimental plantation by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) the redwood forest has come to mean much more to visitors. Canary Island Pine Ballarat Central Pinus canariensis Planted by Jacob Bernstein (an active member of Ballarat’s Hebrew community) in 1867, this Canary Island Pine is a striking feature in the landscape of central Ballarat. Canary Island Pines are remarkable for their longevity and ability to survival climatic challenges: particularly relevant in our changing climate. Indian Bean Tree Castlemaine Catalpa bignonioides Native to central south eastern US, this Indian Bean Tree is the finest example of this species known in Victoria, and a lovely feature tree within the historic Castlemaine Botanical Gardens. The name Catalpa is derived from the Muscogee, the local native tribe, name for the plant, “kutuhipa” meaning winged head, likely relating to the form of the seeds. Smooth Barked Apple Myrtle Prahran Angphora costata Of State level significance, this enormous angophora is the largest known specimen in cultivation. Located in a highly urban area that is being developed for higher density living, the architects and landscape architects immediately recognised that retaining the tree was essential to the character of this new housing. Bunya Pine Maldon Araucaria bidwilii Widely planted in early Victorian gardens, this giant towers above it’s garden, creating a striking feature within the beautiful historic goldmining town of Maldon. Victorian gardeners likely appreciated the tree for it’s fascinating form and geometry, but there is another side to these native trees. Golden Wych Elm South Yarra Ulmus glabra ‘Lutescens’ Commonly known as the Golden Wych Elm, this tree is seen and appreciated by thousands of commuters every day. Voting is open and closes midnight Thursday 22 October 2026, the winner will be announced on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Vote at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TOTY26

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Carl James Peterson passed on 11 September 2026, following a period of illness, he was the founder of Peterson Sawmills and the creator of the first commercial portable swingblade sawmill in 1988. Source: Timberbiz From that breakthrough came the Peterson Sawmill brand, now recognised around the world for practical, innovative portable sawmills built for people who want to turn their own logs into valuable timber. Mr Peterson was far more than an inventor and entrepreneur. He was a creator, an adventurer, a determined problem-solver, and a man who lived a remarkably colourful life. His experiences and escapades were many, and his stories were as memorable as the first machines he designed. His ideas, energy and independent spirit shaped a business, a product category and a worldwide community of sawmill owners. His legacy will live on in the thousands of Peterson Sawmills operating across the world, and in the customers, distributors, staff, friends and family who knew him or benefited from his vision. His invention shaped the portable sawmill world, as his original technology continues to be utilised in various other subsequent swingblade brands and models as well. For more on Mr Peterson there is a YouTube video.

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Scientists are trialling satellite-enabled smart sensors on trees across the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area to provide an unprecedented picture of how Australia’s forests are responding to changing environmental conditions. Source: Timberbiz Using low-Earth-orbit satellites, the project will extend continuous environmental monitoring into remote forests beyond the reach of mobile networks including parts of western NSW. It will collect real-time data on how individual trees and ecosystems respond to drought, bushfire and climate change. Better information about how forests respond to environmental change will help governments, land managers and researchers make more informed decisions about biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, climate adaptation and natural hazard management such as bushfires and drought. Project lead Professor Brendan Choat from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University said Australia has relatively few intensively monitored forest plots capable of continuously measuring how trees and ecosystems respond to environmental change. “Australia’s forests are changing as our climate changes, but until now we’ve lacked the continuous monitoring needed to understand exactly how they respond,” Professor Choat said.“This project will give us an unprecedented picture of what happens before, during and after events such as drought and bushfire, helping us better protect these ecosystems into the future.” Led by researchers from Western Sydney University and UNSW Sydney, the Space-Enabled Smart Sensing for Forest Monitoring project is being funded through the NSW Smart Sensing Network’s (NSSN) Grand Challenge Fund. The project brings together Luxembourg-based satellite telecommunications company OQ Technology, Scenic World, the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute and the NSW Space Research Network to develop the next generation of environmental monitoring technologies. Unlike traditional monitoring, which relies on periodic field visits or sensors within mobile coverage, the project will provide continuous, real-time measurements from remote forests. The sensors will monitor how trees use water, grow and respond to environmental stress, while also measuring soil moisture, microclimate, wildlife activity and insect populations. Building on Western Sydney University’s Blue Mountains Hub for Ecology and Conservation, and long-term monitoring sites near Bourke established by UNSW ecologist Associate Professor Daniel Falster, the project will create a connected network spanning ecosystems from the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Blue Mountains to semi-arid woodlands near Bourke. The project also builds on lessons from the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires and WSU’s Dead Tree Detective citizen science project, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of Australia’s forests. Associate Professor Falster said the expanded monitoring network would provide unprecedented insights into Australia’s remote forests. “We are working at four locations east and west of Bourke, from Narran Lakes to Wanaring, in collaboration with Climate Friendly on properties where tree regeneration supports carbon projects,” A/Prof Falster said. “While the existing sites are within the outer limits of mobile coverage, many comparable forests across this vast region, including Sturt National Park, are not. Satellite-enabled sensing could allow us to extend continuous monitoring into these more remote areas and gain a much clearer picture of how Australia’s inland forests are changing.” Successful field validation could pave the way for wider adoption of the technology across forestry, biodiversity monitoring, carbon farming, agriculture, land rehabilitation and natural hazard management. OQ Technology Founder and CEO Omar Qaise said the project demonstrates the growing importance of satellite-enabled IoT infrastructure in supporting environmental monitoring in remote and climate-sensitive regions. “Australia is an ideal environment to showcase how satellite communications can support critical monitoring applications in remote and climate-sensitive regions,” Mr Qaise said. “The long-term opportunity is not only to monitor forests more effectively, but to build a model for resilient, standards-based connectivity that can support remote industries, public infrastructure and climate adaptation more broadly.” Scenic World Sustainability Coordinator Ben Allen said the project would establish a new rainforest monitoring site within Scenic World’s conservation estate. “At Scenic World, we feel deeply privileged to care for our historic site bordering the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park,” Mr Allen said. “This project will help us better understand and monitor the health of our rainforest over time, strengthening our efforts to protect and sustainably manage this remarkable environment for generations to come.” Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute CEO Joel Dalberger said the project would provide valuable real-time insights into ecosystem health while creating a model for environmental monitoring that could be applied well beyond the Blue Mountains. “The combination of satellite communications and continuous sensing will provide new opportunities to better understand and protect some of Australia’s most significant natural landscapes. “The NSW Space Research Network, a sister network to the NSSN, is also supporting the project. Business Development Manager – Industry Engagement Maurice Borer said it demonstrated how collaboration can accelerate the adoption of space-enabled technologies. “The project shows how research networks can build strategic partnerships, foster international collaboration and translate space-enabled technologies into practical outcomes aligned with Australia’s national science and civil space priorities,” Mr Borer said. Environment & Agriculture Theme Lead at the NSSN, Dr Tomonori Hu, said the project demonstrates how collaborative research can translate world-class science into practical solutions for climate resilience and environmental management. “By bringing together expertise in environmental science, satellite communications and smart sensing, this project has the potential to transform how Australia monitors forests and responds to future environmental challenges,” Dr Hu said.

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Keith Manufacturing has showcased its RX2 Drive Unit for the Australia and New Zealand wood-products market at Residues-2-Revenues 2026 in Brisbane. The RX2 is a two-cylinder Walking floor drive engineered to rapidly unload chips, sawdust, biomass and similar materials. Source: Timberbiz The RX2 uses a re-engineered hydraulic sequence to unload a 14.6-metre trailer in about four minutes. In mill operations where truck turnaround affects production flow, this faster discharge capability can support more loads per day and help reduce congestion at receiving areas. Designed with a two-cylinder configuration, the RX2 reduces drive weight while delivering the performance and durability required for wood-products applications. For wood-products fleets operating close to legal limits, the lighter system can create additional payload potential over thousands of loads. RX2 also features an 80% moving and 20% stationary slat configuration, designed to maximize push force while minimizing drag. The layout reduces hydraulic strain, improves energy efficiency and contributes to long-er floor life. Part of Keith’s RX Technology platform, its first major redesign in more than a decade, RX2 is built to address recurring performance and maintenance challenges, including corrosion, difficult component replacement, hydraulic heat and contaminated oil. Its adjustment-free design removes threaded rods and adjustable switching valves, helping promote consistent operation and reduce long-term maintenance demands. For easier serviceability, RX Technology uses cartridge-style check valves that can be ac-cessed and replaced quickly with a single wrench. This design helps simplify routine maintenance and minimize downtime. The platform also incorporates integrated heat sensors and automatic over-temperature switches. When oil temperature rises beyond a safe level, the system intervenes by shut-ting down until temperatures return to a safe operating range, helping protect critical components from heat-related wear, seal damage and efficiency loss. A high-flow filtration system helps keep hydraulic oil cleaner and reduce contamination in dusty lumber-mill environments. With fewer parts and potential leak points, the simplified hydraulic pathway can further reduce maintenance requirements and the time spent diagnosing issues. RX2 supports intuitive operation through an electric control interface. Single-action commands simplify training and help reduce operator error, giving drivers more predictable control during unloading. For chips, fines and sawdust, Keith recommends pairing RX2 with its CleenSweep tarp system. The CleenSweep system automatically draws a tarp across the trailer floor during un-loading, helping reduce leftover material, improve safety and reduce the time operators spend inside trailers.

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Sumitomo Forestry Australia has been revealed as Australia’s largest home building group in the 2025/26 HIA Housing 100. The HIA Housing 100 ranks Australia’s largest 100 residential builders based on the number of homes commenced each year. Source: Timberbiz Sumitomo Forestry Australia (Henley, Wisdom, Scott Park Group, Metricon) recorded 8,038 new home starts in 2025/26 across these four Australian home building businesses. The result follows Sumitomo Forestry’s acquisition of Metricon and brings together some of Australia’s largest and most established home building businesses within one group. “Metricon had held the number one position on the Housing 100 for the previous decade, making this a new name at the top of the list as the Housing 100 enters a new decade,” HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon said. “ABN Group was Australia’s second largest home builder with 3,764 starts, while NEX Building Group moved from fourth to third with 3,585 starts.” The consolidation of Metricon and Henley, two of the top ten builders last year, within Sumitomo Forestry Australia also saw Summit Homes enter the top ten for the first time, continuing its rise from 15th in 2023/24. There were also some significant movers further down the Housing 100. Homecorp Constructions moved from 31st to 13th, while Hutchies moved from 14th to eighth. Parkview Constructions was Australia’s largest multi-unit builder, commencing 2,735 homes. Meriton Apartments was second with 2,324 starts, followed by Hutchies with 1,907. “The largest apartment builders have moved down the overall rankings this year as detached housing led the increase in new home construction,” Mr Reardon said. In total, the Housing 100 commenced 70,553 homes in 2025/26, an increase of 9.4% from 64,481 in the previous year and the first time since 2021/22 that the total has exceeded 70,000 homes. Detached home starts increased by 11% to 52,058, semi-detached starts in-creased by 14% to 7,397, while multi-unit starts increased by just 1% to 11,098. The Housing 100 accounted for 35% of all new homes commenced in Australia in 2025/26. “These results show that Australia’s home builders responded to improving market conditions and increased the supply of new homes in 2025/26,” Mr Reardon said. “The concern is that the conditions which produced this increase have changed significantly during 2026. “New home sales strengthened through the second half of 2025 and into early 2026, providing builders with a pipeline of work that continued to translate into commencements throughout 2025/26. “Since then, the reversal of the 2025 interest rate cuts, weaker consumer confidence and changes to property investment taxation settings have seen new home sales fall,” he said. “There is always a lag between a new home sale and commencement of construction. This means the strong result recorded in this year’s Housing 100 reflects market condi-tions from earlier in the cycle, while the deterioration in sales during 2026 will increas-ingly weigh on commencements in 2027.” Mr Reardon said that underlying demand for housing remained exceptionally strong. Australia continued to have a shortage of homes, population growth remained strong and unemployment remained low. “The Housing 100 demonstrates that the industry has the capacity to increase the sup-ply of new homes when market conditions allow,” Mr Reardon said. “Australia cannot resolve the housing shortage unless governments lower the cost of delivering new homes and provide the stable investment and financing environment re-quired to sustain this increase in supply.” Key findings from the 2025/26 HIA Housing 100 include: The Housing 100 commenced 70,553 homes, up 9.4 % from 64,481 in 2024/25. Detached starts increased 11% to 52,058, semi-detached starts increased 14% to 7,397, and multi-unit starts increased 1% to 11,098. The Housing 100 accounted for 35% of Australia’s new home market. Sumitomo Forestry Australia ranked first with 8,038 starts, followed by ABN Group with 3,764 and NEX Building Group with 3,585. Parkview Constructions was the largest multi-unit builder with 2,735 starts. Homecorp Constructions recorded the largest move up the rankings, from 31st to 13th, while Hutchies moved from 14th to eighth.   To order copies of the full report please go to www.hia.com.au

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The Senate has made a political decision to allow the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) Method, which credits carbon for reducing or ending timber harvesting in native forests, to stand. The vote reflects the environmental ideologies that drive Australian politics. The decision does not settle the question of the Method’s integrity, nor does it verify that the maths adds up. For more than a year, Forestry Australia has raised detailed technical concerns through multiple channels about how the INFM Method calculates carbon abatement. We have the analysis that supports those concerns and have offered to work constructively with government and stakeholders to resolve the problems. Our members include some of Australia’s foremost forest carbon experts. Their independent analysis identified material accounting concerns. None were addressed in the Senate debate, and none have yet been fixed. The maths and integrity of the INFM Method should have formed the basis of the decision, but the long-standing and highly emotive debate about native forest harvesting ultimately prevailed. The problem is that a politically convenient outcome, such as ending native forest timber harvesting, does not automatically create a genuine carbon credit. Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) are the currency of climate policy. Businesses buy them to meet obligations or offset emissions. Governments rely on them to help meet Australia’s emissions targets. Landholders and investors make long-term decisions based on their value. If an ACCU says one tonne of carbon abatement has occurred, the system must be able to demonstrate that one tonne really has occurred. The Greens announced their support for INFM under the headline “Real pollution cuts, not accounting tricks,” while simultaneously announcing opposition to a Bill intended to strengthen the governance, transparency and integrity of the ACCU scheme and announcing an intention to disallow a private land method that has been transparently developed through many years of co-design involving scientists, agricultural organisations, carbon practitioners, conservation organisations, governments and land managers. At the same time, they have supported an INFM Method that has lacked transparent pro-cess, was not developed with forestry experts and has material technical issues that re-main unanswered. The irony is difficult to miss. Poor-quality credits have consequences. If an ACCU overstates the carbon benefit achieved in a forest, a real tonne of emissions elsewhere in the economy may be offset by something less than a real tonne of abatement. Further, large volumes of inexpensive, over-credited ACCUs can also suppress the car-bon price and make it harder for genuinely additional projects, including new plantations, environmental plantings, farm forestry and landscape restoration, to attract in-vestment. These are investments Australia desperately needs. We should be designing carbon markets that help put more forests and trees into the landscape, improve the condition and resilience of existing forests and support land-holders willing to undertake genuine additional action. For that to happen, investors need confidence that an ACCU means what it says. The Senate vote is over, but the Government still has an opportunity to fix the INFM method before significant volumes of credits enter the market. Ultimately this debate should not be about whether someone supports timber harvesting, national parks, farmers, fossil fuel companies or any particular political party. It should come down to the very simple principle that one ACCU represents one genuine tonne of carbon abatement, that carbon methods are designed transparently and with independent expert verification, and that they meet this expectation before projects start. On INFM, Australia has not yet demonstrated that it does. Dr Michelle Freeman, President, Forestry Australia

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Comact, a global leader in high-performance OEM wood processing technologies, has announced the launch of Comact Cutting Solutions, bringing together Smith Sawmill Service, Oleson Saw Technology, Checkmate Precision Cutting Tools, and the proprietary BLADE brand under a common organizational identity. Customers will continue to work with these established brands as they do today, with each maintaining its unique identity, expertise, products, and customer relationships.

Comact Cutting Solutions was created to reflect the collaboration that already exists across these businesses. While each brand will continue to operate under its own name, customers will benefit from access to a broader range of products, expertise, and resources backed by Comact’s OEM knowledge of the complete sawmill.

“Bringing these businesses together within Comact Cutting Solutions reflects how we work with our customers: as one team focused on the performance of their entire cutting operation,” said Dustin Norris, Vice President of Comact Cutting Solutions. “Our expertise goes beyond the cutting tools themselves. We work alongside customers to address operational challenges and improve cutting performance, backed by Comact’s deep understanding of mill operations.”

The Comact Cutting Solutions portfolio includes circular saws, bandsaws, knives, guides, filing room equipment, consumables, and related products. The organization also partners with ISELI, a global leader in precision machinery and technology for professional filing room operations, and serves as the exclusive ISELI dealer in the United States.

Customers will continue to work with the same brands, companies, and teams they know today, with Comact Cutting Solutions bringing together complementary expertise, products, and resources – all backed by Comact’s OEM expertise. For more information about Comact Cutting Solutions, visit ComactCuttingSolutions.com.

Dustin Norris, Vice President of Comact Cutting Solutions

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