RDA SW Futures

The timber and forestry industry is under-rated as an economic contributor to the region and pointer towards a more sustainable future, growing, harvesting and then growing more trees to store carbon. Innovations range from replacing plastic packaging to building more energy efficient and affordable housing. Planet Ark is promoting a Wood Encouragement Policy, a call to lock up carbon and think of timber first as a building material.

A timber future also raises new opportunities in education and training, developing expertise not just in construction but architecture, design, technology and manufacturing. The aim will be to become a region of excellence and grow talent so that the South West can be an exporter of knowledge and innovation.

Integrated timber processing yard

An integrated processing facility would add value to the sector by utilising whole logs to maximum value and reducing costs through efficiency in processing by exploiting synergies within the industry cluster.

A full merchandising yard would also support an Advanced Timber Manufacturing Hub.

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Building in a new age

Technology has underpinned timber as a modern building product with laminated veneer lumber (LVL) as a mainstay building material and its big brother, cross laminated timber (CLT) as a future powerhouse. It may be too early for investment in the first full scale CLT plant in Western Australia but there are opportunities to finish products and seed a fledgling sector.

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Plantations and investment

The timber industry is a leading prospect for private sector investment. Creating the preconditions for investment in plantations at one end of the industry and high-end manufacturing at the other would set the sector on a solid course given the UN’s prediction that demand for timber products will treble by 2050.

Blue sky thinking establishes a path that leads to the development of a CLT or LVL plant and is underpinned by expansion of the Dardanup Timber Precinct to include an industry-leading processing yard serving a variety of related customers.

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Timber tower

Timber towers are growing in popularity since they can be built quickly and have a very low carbon footprint compared with traditional concrete buildings.

A significant multi-storey timber building would make a statement as Western Australia’s tallest timber tower and act as a catalyst for Bunbury’s second city status as well as providing a visual cornerstone to Casuarina Harbour among Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront investments.

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Decentralisation of government

The future could see the South West become the home to the Forest Products Commission team, placing expertise where the industry is located to forge greater links with private sector and investment. With the growing need to update ageing FPC offices in Perth, an opportunity exists to start afresh and unite FPC staff in Bunbury.

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Wanju, CLT and the future

A shortage of fill materials and challenging soil types on land at the future suburb of Wanju will require the construction of lightweight buildings. Since the customary building method of brick and concrete on raise pads will not be an option, the opportunity for alternatives comes to the fore.

Timber construction on raised frames is the future in a suburb already being promoted as one where environmental values will dominate. That opportunity points to affordable and energy efficient homes with a low carbon footprint.

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