The first sod has been turned at Timberlink’s NeXTimber manufacturing facility in Tarpeena last week, officially marking the commencement of the $63m construction project.

The manufacturing plant will occupy 15,000 square metres and will be the first combined Cross Laminated Timber and Glue Laminated Timber manufacturing plant in Australia.

The state-of-the-art facility received $2m from the State Government’s Regional Growth Fund and is expected to create over 180 jobs during construction and going forward.

Twenty-seven full-time permanent jobs will be created when the facility opens, which will increase to 50 at full output.

The project is due to be completed in September next year and will be equivalent to the size of 54 tennis courts or 12 Olympic swimming pools.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said the combined manufacturing plant would boost local timber production and provide an alternative for steel and concrete in mid and high-rise construction.

Mr Basham said the manufacturing plant would be a “game-changer” for the South Australian timber industry and said the government was proud to support projects that stimulated regional economies and created local jobs.

“It’s projects like this which are helping South Australia’s strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic leading to us having the lowest unemployment rate in the state’s history,” he said.

“The new manufacturing plant will provide a commercially viable and carbon-friendly alternative to steel and concrete for construction which is a win-win for South Australia.”

The plant will reduce the need to import product from overseas, with NeXTimber CLT and GLT set to replace imports and support faster adoption of carbon positive renewable mass timber construction.

Timberlink chief executive Ian Tyson said the business had been working on the project for almost five years and it would be the first of its kind in Australia.

“What we have got to do is add value to our resource,” Mr Tyson said.

“That’s our responsibility, but not only that, we have got to provide dwellings and homes for people in Australia, and we want to do that from our material.”

Mr Tyson said the project would be close to a $70m investment once the infrastructure inside and around the facility was completed.

“Really, it opens up a whole new dimension of where timber is going and we’re not going to be reliant as a country on just importing it from somewhere else in the world, we’ll actually be able to make it ourselves,” he said.

Minister Basham said the development was fantastic for the region and for South Australia.

“I think this is a wonderful region, it has great opportunity, and the amount of timber grown here is certainly much more than is consumed in South Australia,” he said.

“This just gives an opportunity to actually really target that timber into the South Australian market and make sure we do deliver.”

Grant District Councillor Shirley Little said it was wonderful to see the $63m investment in Tarpeena.

“Timberlink has created great confidence in the community and supporting ongoing employment,” she said.