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A record-breaking summer that saw more than 1,000 wildfires has torched some 540,000 hectares of land across the European Union since mid-June, according to official data – an area more than twice the size of Luxembourg. Source: AFP France Multiple back-to-back heatwaves fuelled by climate change scorched Europe, causing more than 30,000 excess deaths, widespread drought and devastating wildfires that forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, particularly in Spain and France. Temperature records across the continent were smashed, triggering dangerous blazes even in normally cool, wet areas such as Belgium and Scotland. The total area affected by fire between June 18 and September 2 is well above the average for the previous 20 years, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). But it remains below the record set in 2025, when fires consumed more than 800,000 hectares between those dates. Four of the EU’s 15 largest fires of the last 10 years occurred this summer, according to EFFIS data. Fires that broke out between July 16 and 22 consumed nearly 190,000 hectares of forest, the most for that week-long period since at least 2006, according to harmonised weekly data from EFFIS. Three massive fires erupted in succession during this period: two in Spain and one in France. One in the Spanish province of Avila, near Madrid, broke out on July 22 and went on to destroy more than 42,000 hectares. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes, and the Spanish government said it considered the blaze the worst in the country’s modern history. Another fire in the Andalusia region of southern Spain in July led to more than a dozen deaths. Before the end of July, France had already broken its record for the total area burned in a single year since records began. Meanwhile, Spain has been hovering near its cumulative record for the same point in the year for weeks – briefly surpassing it in mid-August before dropping back below. Greece, Portugal and Italy are among the other southern EU nations that experienced an active fire season, a common summer phenomenon in the region. Further north, Belgium faced its worst wildfire in over a century in August, a blaze that consumed thousands of hectares in the east of the country. This single fire caused the country to break its record for the total area burned in a year since at least 2006. EFFIS figures only include fires covering a minimum of 30 hectares. The figures may differ from reported national data due to methodological differences, and the totals are subject to change as new satellite imagery becomes available.

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Kesla’s new grapple has been engineered to meet the needs of professional timber crane operators who require a robust attachment capable of efficient loading, unloading, and timber sorting in all working conditions. Source: Timberbiz As forestry operations continue to prioritise productivity, durability and efficient handling of increasingly larger timber assortments, the demand for robust and high-capacity grapples has grown. Developed in response to these market needs, the KESLA proG60 offers enhanced strength, wear resistance and ease of maintenance for intensive everyday use. At the heart of the KESLA proG60 is a wider and reinforced grapple frame, providing excellent durability and stability when handling large timber. The grapple also features a connector rod made from cut-to-shape steel, enhancing structural strength and ensuring long service life under heavy use. Durability has been further increased through the use of 20 mm thick wear-resistant Hardox steel grapple jaws. The strong jaw construction ensures reliable performance and resistance to wear, even in intensive daily operations. Ease of maintenance has also been a key design priority. The lubrication points are clearly visible and easily accessible when the grapple is in the closed position, helping operators carry out routine maintenance quickly and efficiently. The proG60’s carefully rounded grapple jaws are designed to penetrate wood stacks smoothly and efficiently, improving timber handling performance and making loading operations faster and more productive. “Today’s timber handling professionals need equipment that not only delivers high performance but also stands up to demanding conditions year after year. The KESLA proG60 has been designed to meet these expectations with a reinforced structure, premium wear-resistant materials and practical maintenance solutions,” said Jouni Kainulainen, Kesla’s Truck and Stationary Cranes Product Manager. Key Features of the KESLA proG60 Designed specifically for large logs and pulpwood Wider and reinforced grapple frame for increased durability Connector rod manufactured from cut-to-shape steel 20 mm thick wear-resistant Hardox grapple jaws Clearly visible lubrication points in closed position for easy maintenance Carefully rounded grapple jaws for efficient penetration into wood stacks.

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A lignin-derived phenolic resin provides wood with intrinsic flame retardancy while acting as a robust bio-based adhesive and coating. Source: Timberbiz Researchers have developed a phosphorus-free and formaldehyde-free lignin-derived phenolic resin that combines intrinsic flame retardancy, robust adhesion and effective fire protection when applied as a coating on wood. The material offers a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based phenolic resins. Conventional petroleum-derived phenolic resins face growing scrutiny due to sustainability concerns, inherent flammability and limited adhesion durability. In response, a recent study introduces a lignin-derived phenolic resin, designated SALG-PR, that is both phosphorus-free and formaldehyde-free. The material was synthesised through taurine grafting via Mannich chemistry combined with glyoxal-mediated cross-linking, delivering a fully bio-based network with multifunctional performance. The resin exhibits notable intrinsic flame retardancy, reaching a UL-94 V-0 rating and a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 62.4 %, values comparable to established petroleum-based resins and to previously reported bio-based flame-retardant materials. Direct exposure to a butane torch for 300 s did not lead to burn-through, and infrared thermography confirmed effective localisation of heat within the flame-impinged region, indicating a strong barrier effect. Beyond flame retardancy, SALG-PR displayed robust adhesion to both wood and aluminium substrates, with bond strengths of 3.78 MPa and 3.42 MPa, respectively. The adhesive performance remained stable after exposure to extreme temperatures, organic solvents and acidic or alkaline environments. The authors also report potential for underwater repair applications, further extending the material’s application scope. When applied as a fire-safe coating on wood, SALG-PR increased the LOI of the treated substrate to 42.5 % and prevented burn-through during 300 s of direct torch exposure. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS) confirmed that SALG-PR releases only trace amounts of formaldehyde compared with commercial phenolic resins, addressing a persistent health and regulatory concern for indoor applications. The work outlines a lignin upcycling strategy for the development of high-performance bio-based adhesives, intrinsically flame-retardant materials and eco-friendly fire-safe coatings, with particular relevance for wood protection. Source: Tan, W. et al., Sustainable lignin upcycling into formaldehyde-free bio-based phenolic networks: intrinsic flame retardancy, robust adhesion and fire-safe coating performance. Green Chem. 28, 13894–13912 (2026).

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Established at Wilks Avenue Park on an open urban space on the eastern side of Willans Hill in Kooringal, the Tiny Forests are a small, densely packed patch of bushland that establishes 10 times quicker than a traditional forest. Source: Timberbiz The compact space encourages plant competition and accelerates the establishment of beneficial soil fungi which supports rapid plant growth. Council’s Natural Resource Management Officer Catherine Conroy said Tiny Forests help create cooler, greener urban spaces, with trees and vegetation reducing temperatures by providing shade and cooling benefits as much as 6°C on hot days. “The growth over the last year has been wonderful, especially after such a dry summer,” Ms Conroy said. “Even after experiencing several days above 40°C, the tube stock has grown four-to-five times their original height. “And because it’s been such a mild winter, the little bit of rain we’ve had over the last few weeks has seen around 25 per cent growth.” Just over 500 plants of 21 different native species were originally planted in the two garden beds, which are each around 500m2 in size. Ms Conroy said the forests had been well received by the local community. The Tiny Forest on the side of Willans Hill, where the original seedlings have grown four-fold over the last 12 months. “We placed a bench seat in the forest, and I’ve seen residents using it. It gives a great view over east Wagga. “When we held a working bee to do some weeding and mulching back in May, over 20 people turned up to help out for a couple of hours, and it was great hearing them talking about where they lived in relation to the forest and each other. “We have another working bee coming up on 12 September, mainly for some weeding and replacing some of the plants – about 5% of the total – that didn’t make it through the year. “We invite members of the community to visit the Tiny Forest, and while they enjoy the space, maybe take some water from the bucket provided and spend a few minutes watering a few of the plants.” It is hoped that after three years the forests will be self-sustaining. “We’d like to see more Tiny Forests, but we want to make them community-driven projects as happens in other cities like Canberra,” Ms Conroy said. Tiny Forests are a positive initiative that help address the objectives of both the Wagga Wagga Urban Cooling Strategy 2022-2052 and the Wagga Wagga Biodiversity Strategy 2030: Maldhangilanha.

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Recent Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao research has provided valuable insights into how forest soils absorb methane. Source: Timberbiz Run over two years, the research looked at the methane uptake of soils in three planted forests – Orton Bradley Park and McLeans Island in Canterbury and Kaingaroa (New Zealand’s largest commercial pine plantation, in the Bay of Plenty) – that represent ‘typical’ New Zealand forests. This is the first time methane uptake in soils has been measured at multiple sites with sampling spanning all four seasons. Supported by Lincoln University and funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the study aimed to help the agricultural sector addressing the continued challenge of reducing emissions. Planted forest soils are good habitats for the types of bacteria that absorb methane (CH4) as a source of carbon and energy. By quantifying how much methane is consumed by the bacteria at field sites, researchers can better understand the role planted forest soils play in New Zealand’s drive to meet emission-reduction goals. Methane flux chambers were installed at each site and samples were taken every month for a year to measure methane exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. Research lead Dr Kathryn Walker says the work is timely as New Zealand works toward meeting its emissions reductions targets. Monitoring showed soils absorbed 2.5 – 2.8kg CH4 per hectare each year, with uptake reaching up to 15g CH4 per hectare per day. There was variation in uptake rates across sites and seasons. “Considering New Zealand has 1.8 million hectares of planted forests, that’s a significant amount of methane being removed by forests each year,” Dr Walker says. “The research has helped us learn more about forestry’s capability to offset methane emissions and can be used to paint a more accurate picture of New Zealand’s total net carbon budget. For example, it shows the amount of methane uptake could offset almost all CO2 from all liquid fuels used for rail in New Zealand in 2022, or about 80 percent of CH4 emissions from natural gas production. “This study has provided a strong background to support future research,” she says. “We’ve shown New Zealand’s planted forest soils are significant methane sinks and are a promising resource that could be managed to help meet emissions reduction targets. However, there are still a lot of unknowns about methane cycling in our planted forests. There are other parts of the forest such as the tree litter on the forest floor, tree stems and needles that could influence or be involved in methane flux in the forest. “These other components need to be considered and measured before methane uptake by forest soils is included in national greenhouse gas budgeting.” The research team now has further funding from the Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF) to look at whether methane uptake in forests could be increased through nutrient addition or litter layer management. “There is little understanding of the role of the litter layer in methane cycling, yet it sits right on the soil-atmosphere interface where methane uptake is occurring,” Dr Walker says. “We want to find out whether there is potential to manage this to increase methane uptake.” Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 28–35 times stronger than CO₂ and responsible for about 30 percent of global warming. Its strong warming influence but short-lived nature means tackling methane emissions offers an immediate opportunity to slow climate change.

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The chairman of two forest companies at the centre of legal action related to slash on hillsides says they were meeting industry standards as they understood them but agrees that clean-ups are needed. Source: Stuff NZ Ngāti Porou Forests Ltd (NPFL) harvested the Awatere Forest, owned by Summit Forest NZ Ltd, and is one of the parties named in an application for an enforcement order from Gisborne District Council. The enforcement order, if granted by the Environment Court, would require the company and its directors to clean up the mess the council says was left on the land. NPFL also managed and harvested Tokararangi Forest for the Ministry for Primary Industries. That application also applies to NPFL and its directors, as well as the ministry. Another enforcement order application currently before the court relates to Harakeke Forest, which, like the other two, is also near Te Araroa, about 185km northeast of Gisborne. Harakeke Forest was a joint venture owned by Hansol NZ Ltd and Ngāti Porou Whanui Forests Ltd (NPWFL). That application also applies to NPFL and its directors, as well as the ministry. Another enforcement order application currently before the court relates to Harakeke Forest, which, like the other two, is also near Te Araroa, about 185km northeast of Gisborne. Harakeke Forest was a joint venture owned by Hansol NZ Ltd and Ngāti Porou Whanui Forests Ltd (NPWFL). The application lists the companies and their directors. Harakeke Forest sits on Harakeke Station, which is Māori freehold land with 317 owners. It’s a 256-hectare pine plantation that was planted after Cyclone Bola in 1988 in an attempt to prevent further erosion on steep hillsides. It was harvested between 2017 and 2020. The resource consent granted by the council for the harvesting required the joint venture to replant the areas that were harvested, but the council says this has never been done. Slash, debris and sediment has washed off the hillsides leading to “significant environmental effects”, according to the council which inspected the site after severe storms early this year. NPFL and NPWFL have the same directors, Selwyn Parata, Tina Porou, Hayden Swann and Teepa Wawatai. Whaimutu Dewes is chair of both companies, which are based in Ruatoria. He said he “could comment on behalf of both companies in terms of the roles we have”. “We have, from the start, been co-operating with the council and its enforcement people and also with the other parties, and we are committed to remediate the damage that has been done,” he said. “Whether we can stop it is a whole other story. “We’re owned by Ngāti Porou landowners so we’re committed to make sure we can do the best job we can.” He said the companies did not feel an enforcement order was necessary and “would have preferred an abatement notice”. An abatement notice is a compliance direction made by a council whereas an enforcement order is a formal directive issued by the Environment Court. “We’re not in favour of enforcement orders. We would have preferred a more co-operative approach,” he said. Dewes said the companies had been working to address issues in the forests, but weather and other events prevented teams from “going in and blitzing the thing”. He said the company had sought an extension of time to carry out the work, but in the council’s view it had taken too long already. He said the companies did not accept that required standards had not been met, as claimed by the council. “It’s not our understanding. We’ve got people who are council-qualified experts, etc. The thing we can’t control is weather events.” Dewes said the council was requiring “a level of clean-up of harvest land and drainage, etc, which is several steps further ahead, and more complex, than had been our understanding”. “Our people that were on the ground and supervising those crews were doing it to the standard as they understood it in industry practice. “If we had a clear idea that what we were doing wasn’t up to standard, then we would have done our best to do what was needed, if we could,” he said. “This is going to take a long time to address. It can’t be done in two or three months.” The remediation work would come at a cost to the companies “but we’ll do our best and carry on”. Dewes said the companies were likely to be involved in replanting the harvested forests. “Our approach has always been that old mantra ‘right tree, right place’… In some places, natives will be the best option. That is something we will talk with landowners about. The reason we planted pine trees was because it was farmland that was sliding out to sea. “Pine trees grow more quickly and give you better root mass and more canopy cover, which are all better for holding soil. “We’re going to be doing the best job we can to deliver on expectations that the land will be in a sustainable form for the next generations. That’s our driver,” he said. The three enforcement order applications will go to mediation, after which it will be determined if hearings are required. Stuff has approached Hansol NZ Ltd, an offshoot of Korea-based Hansol Homedeco Co Ltd, and its director, Juhyun Bang, for comment.

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A new peer-reviewed study analysing six decades of fire history across the entire public native forest of three regions, South west WA (WA), Victoria and NSW, has found that WA’s long-standing commitment to forest fuel reduction (prescribed burning) has delivered substantially better wildfire (bushfire) outcomes than the restricted area programs in Victoria and NSW. Sources: John N. Cameron, David R. Packham, Glen A. Kile & Neil D. Burrow The research, published in Australian Forestry, compared prescribed burning rates and wildfire losses in public native forests from 1965 to 2024. Over that period, WA treated an average of 9.2% of its forest estate with prescribed fire each year, compared with 1.9% in Victoria and 0.7% in NSW. The difference in outcomes was significant and greatest between WA and Victoria. Per capita wildfire deaths were 18 times higher, and houses burnt five times higher in Victoria than in WA. Across the 60-year study, wildfire burnt 60% of WA’s forest estate, compared with 112% in Victoria and 141% in NSW — with large areas of Victorian and NSW forest burnt up to four times in the past 25 years. WA’s higher prescribed burning program, reduces fuel loads, lowers fire intensity, and critically assists with the effectiveness and safety of wildfire suppression. The authors demonstrated similarity in fire proneness between the three regions for key wildfire conditions of fuel accumulation, drought, fire day relative humidity and fire day wind speed. In Victoria and NSW, where broad scale prescribed burning has been insufficient, localized fuel reduction has protected some towns and infrastructure, however, greater protection could have been delivered with more fuel reduction across the landscape to ensure more fuel reduced area close to ignition points. There was an inverse relationship between the proportion of the forest treated with prescribed fire and the proportion of the forest subsequently burnt by wildfire. For prescribed burning at least 8% of the forest each year as practised in WA this relationship was very strong, but there was no relationship below 4% of the forest as practised in Victoria and NSW. Why does this matter beyond the statistics? Because low-intensity, well-planned prescribed burning is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly tool to minimise loss of life, property and infrastructure and damage to forest health in fire prone forests. Wildfires that ignite in old, heavy fuel loads do not behave like the low, patchy burns our drier forests evolved with. They incinerate tree canopies, damage soils, cause erosion and stream siltation and can push fragile ecosystems into a more flammable dense shrubland (scrub) that primes the landscape for the next catastrophic fire. Initial attack on bushfires in such shrublands are twice as likely to fail as in the tall forests they replaced. By contrast, well executed frequent, cool and patchy prescribed burns are conducted under mild conditions with substantially lower carbon emissions and no long-term damage to the forest. These fires cause little tree canopy scorch, and they preserve the duff layer that protects soil and its store of carbon and leave refuges for wildlife. This is, a modern ‘analogue’ of the cultural burning practised by Aboriginal peoples for tens of thousands of years that kept the country “clean” and resilient, rather than allowing fuel to accumulate into a ‘fuel bomb’ waiting for an ignition source such as lightning. The findings support lifting prescribed burning rates to at least 5% as recommended by the 2010 Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission. ‘Rapid suppression’ has failed on extreme fire days particularly with multiple fire ignitions, as suppression resources are quickly overwhelmed, in spite of the advent of aerial suppression and best the efforts of firefighters. Suppression resources have been continually being overwhelmed in Victoria with devastating outcomes e.g. in 1983, 2003, 2006-7, 2009, 2019-20, 2026. None of this means prescribed burning is a silver bullet.  It needs to be well planned and strategic — targeted at property interfaces and high fire risk areas in the broader landscape to protect life, property and regional economies, and reduce wildfire suppression and recovery costs. And it needs to be integrated with good detection, suppression and community preparedness. After 60 years and three States’ worth of evidence, the pattern is hard to ignore: the region that has invested seriously in landscape-scale fuel management has suffered dramatically fewer deaths, less property losses and less economic loss than those that have not. This is in spite of the similar extreme fire weather and a long-term drying trend for south west Western Australia. If we are serious about protecting lives, homes and forests and reducing the risk to those who fight fires, we need more low intensity fire in the landscape to reduce the damage from catastrophic wildfires. Prescribed burning can reduce wildfire losses including under climatic scenarios resulting from climate action. John N. Cameron, David R. Packham, Glen A. Kile & Neil D. Burrows (31 Aug 2026): Contrasting regional prescribed burning regimes effects the extent and impact of forest wildfire, Australian Forestry, DOI: 10.1080/00049158.2026.2711913 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00049158.2026.2711913 Or download the complete article here.

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Forestry is deeply embedded in the economies of several New Zealand regions, with new NZIER research showing how strongly some regional economies depend on the sector and how widely a drop in activity can flow through jobs, wages, household spending and exports. Source: Timberbiz New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) chief executive Dr Elizabeth Heeg says the research shows how closely local jobs and businesses are tied to forestry in parts of the country. “Forestry contributes $NZ5.4 billion to New Zealand’s GDP, and in some regions, it makes up a big part of the local economy. In Tairāwhiti, it accounts for 7.9% of GDP, the highest share anywhere in the country. “In some regions it is also one of the biggest contributors among land-based industries. Forestry contributes more to the regional economy than beef cattle in Tairāwhiti and Nelson-Marlborough, and more than sheep farming in Northland and Nelson-Marlborough.” “Forestry keeps crews, contractors, truck drivers and mills working, along with processors, manufacturers and the local businesses that supply and support them. Those wages are spent locally, so the impact reaches well beyond the forest.” NZIER modelling in Tairāwhiti shows how lower forestry activity can spread through a regional economy. “NZIER found that a 10% drop in forestry output in Tairāwhiti would cut household spending by 1.4% and exports by 4.4%, with jobs and wages also falling,” Dr Heeg says. The research also shows that keeping forests operating has become more expensive. NZIER found regulatory costs have increased across most areas since national environmental standards came into force, with smaller growers carrying a greater share of the burden. “A small grower can pay almost as much to prepare a resource consent as an operator with a forest 100 times the size, and monitoring fees can add another 20% to 50% of the original consent cost in some regions,” Dr Heeg says. “For a small business, that’s a massive hit. Growers expect to meet high environmental standards, but costs also have to reflect the size of the forest and the risk involved. Otherwise, they start affecting decisions about whether people keep investing and replanting.” Those decisions also affect what environmental benefits forests provide. NZIER estimates production forests provide around $NZ1.6 billion a year in carbon capture and $NZ312 million in avoided soil erosion. The research also identifies benefits for water quality, biodiversity and recreation, including walking, mountain biking and hunting in production forests. “So, when we make decisions about where forestry belongs and how it is managed, we’re talking about jobs and businesses, but we’re also talking about what that forest is doing on the land.” Dr Heeg says forestry decisions made now will shape regional economies for decades. “A decision about whether a forest is planted or replanted affects future work for contractors, the wood available to processors, the businesses built around the sector and the investment that stays in a region. “We want forestry to keep providing long-term work and investment in regions where communities have built businesses around it, while continuing to improve how forests are managed and environmental risks are reduced.” Download the NZIER reports: Economic contribution of forestry Environmental contribution of forestry Forestry: Cost of compliance  

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PrefabAUS has launched a new standard form contract for prefabricated homes, designed for use across the industry and available to builders, manufacturers, customers and lenders – regardless of which lender provides the finance. Source: Timberbiz The contract, developed through sponsorship by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, addresses a key barrier to the growth of prefabricated housing: existing contracts are designed for traditional construction, not homes that are manufactured offsite. PrefabAUS Executive Chairman, Damien Crough, said the absence of a dedicated prefab construction contract that aligns payments and financing to factory-built timelines and recognises Modern Method of Construction’s (MMC) unique parameters has contributed to slowing the broader adoption of prefab housing in Australia. “For too long, prefabricated construction has been constrained by contracts designed for traditional, site-based delivery,” Mr Crough said. “This new standard form contract provides the clarity and structure needed to better support how these homes are delivered, helping unlock investment, improve productivity and scale the growth of the modern construction industry in Australia.” The new contract is designed to better reflect how prefab homes are built – in factories and delivered in weeks, rather than constructed on-site over many months. For home buyers, it helps: Provide greater clarity on how prefabricated homes are designed, manufactured offsite, transported and completed Make payments easier to understand, with defined stages that reflect how prefab homes are built Improve transparency around costs, inclusions, responsibilities and key consumer protection. For manufacturers and builders, it helps: Provide a clearer framework for factory-built delivery, from design and manufacturing through to placement and completion Align payments to prefab production milestones, supporting more predictable cash flow and project planning Reduce contract complexity and improve consistency across projects, customers and lenders.   Prefabricated housing currently represents a small share of the Australian market, but has significant growth potential, particularly as Australia looks to deliver 1.2 million new homes by 1 July 2029. Prefab homes can be built in as little as 8–12 weeks, compared with 12–24 months for traditional construction, highlighting their potential to help increase housing supply in a shorter time period. CommBank sponsored the development of the contract as part of its broader efforts to improve access to prefabricated housing. In addition to the contract sponsorship, CommBank was the first major lender in Australia to introduce a prefabricated housing policy that allows customers to access funding earlier in the construction process – reducing the need for large upfront payments and helping more Australians consider this type of build. “Modern methods of construction have the potential to help address Australia’s housing shortage by delivering homes faster and more efficiently,” CommBank Home Buying General Manager Rebecca Markwell said. “We’ve already introduced changes to our lending policy to better support prefabricated housing, including enabling progress payments during the offsite construction phase. “Working with the industry to support innovation in construction and remove barriers for adoption of modern methods of construction, including sponsoring the development of a standardised contract, is all part of how CommBank is supporting the delivery of more housing supply to the market.” The PrefabAUS Standard Form Contract for Class 1 Domestic Construction, such as residential single detached homes is now available to industry participants, with further work underway to digitise the contract and streamline its use across projects. The release of the contract directly supports key priorities outlined in the prefabAUS Industry Roadmap 2023–2033: Building the Future We Want, particularly: Embedding Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) into mainstream delivery Leveraging procurement and contracting reform to build industry scale Improving access to finance for MMC projects.

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The Housing Industry Association has welcomed the Federal Government’s $150 million investment in Australia’s forestry industry, saying secure timber supply is critical to building the homes Australia desperately needs. Source: Timberbiz Under the $150 million program, grants and initiatives will be delivered across five key streams focused on modernising the sector, supporting secure and well-paid jobs, strengthening innovation, securing sustainable fibre supply and increasing Australia’s sovereign capability. HIA Chief Executive Industry & Policy Simon Croft said the Forestry Growth Fund investment in plantations, timber processing, innovation and workforce capacity was a welcome recognition that housing targets must be backed by the materials needed to deliver them. “You can’t build 1.2 million homes without securing the materials needed to build them,” Mr Croft said. “Timber remains one of the most important building materials in Australian housing, with more than 70% of house frames constructed using timber. “The $15 million investment in plantation establishment is particularly welcome. The trees we plant today will determine the timber available to Australian builders in the decades ahead. “Equally important is the $115 million investment in modern processing and innovation to strengthen local manufacturing and get more value from Australia’s timber resources. “Recent supply chain disruptions demonstrated the consequences when critical building materials become scarce, costs rise, construction slows and ultimately builders and home buyers pay more. “Strengthening domestic timber production and processing will help reduce Australia’s exposure to international supply shocks while supporting manufacturing and regional jobs. “HIA has consistently called for a long-term national approach to timber and building material security. “The Government’s Forestry Growth Fund and Timber Fibre Strategy are positive steps towards that goal and HIA welcomes the strong focus on supporting Australia’s sovereign capability. “Australia has an enormous task ahead to build enough homes for a growing population. That means planning not just for the homes we need tomorrow, but the timber, trades and manufacturing capacity required to build them. This investment is a welcome step towards ensuring Australian builders have reliable access to Australian timber to get those homes built,” Mr Croft said.

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