Timber facility linked to future

Timber facility linked to future

Construction of Australia’s first-ever combined cross laminated timber and glue laminated timber radiata pine processing facility is soon to start at Tarpeena.

Timberlink Australia is preparing to construct the new circa 15,000 square-metre facility, with The SE Voice learning earthworks are set to begin at the site in about a month.

The construction and installation phases of the build are set to employ up to 150 local jobs, with the total cost of the build set at $60m.

Timberlink Australia’s corporate affairs executive general manager David Oliver told The SE Voice the facility would increase the demand for timber and replace steel and concrete in construction.

He said each cubic metre of timber would store 631 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

“This is about using clever timber in the clever construction of high-rise buildings,” Timberlink Australia’s corporate affairs executive general manager David Oliver said.

The engineered wood products can be used in the entire construction of buildings and are becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry due to their energy efficiency and sustainability.

Once it opens in 2023 when construction is expected to be completed, the world-class plant will employ 27 people, rising to 50 at full output tasked with producing the next generation of timber products.

Mr Oliver said it was no exaggeration to say the new facility would become internationally renowned, attracting people from around the world to Tarpeena – a town with a population of around 400 people.

“This is the first combined CLT and GLT radiata plant in Australia and really creates a world-class facility,” he said.

“There are not too many new, combined sawmill manufacturing sites that are co-located with a CLT and GLT plant all on the one facility. It’s pretty special for South Australia.”

The news comes as Timberlink Australia prepares to open a new saw line that incorporates artificial intelligence and robotics to minimise wastage at the end of the year.

After touring the facility in June, The SE Voice learnt the $90m modernisation project at Timberlink’s Tarpeena softwood manufacturing facility was expected to run 120 metres of log per minute, which will prioritise domestic industry before export.

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