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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-03-07 Daily Xml
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Timberlink

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Forest Industries. Will the minister update the council about the recent opening of the Timberlink CLT GLT plant in Tarpeena?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:31): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the forest industry here in South Australia. I spoke earlier this week about the release last week of the South Australian Wood Fibre and Timber Industry Master Plan and the exciting projects that are underway in the industry.

I am pleased to advise that was not the only exciting event occurring in the forest industry last week. The long anticipated opening of Next Timber by Timberlink Manufacturing facility and upgraded green mill located in Tarpeena in the South-East took place last Thursday, with hundreds in attendance to celebrate this special day. This newly opened facility will be producing both cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (GLT). The new facility was opened by the Premier and also attended by two hardworking local South-East MPs, the member for Mount Gambier, Troy Bell, and the member for MacKillop, Nick McBride.

Cross-laminated timber is when layers of timber cut from a single log are glued together symmetrically, with the grain of each outer layer alternated at 90° angles. Once this process is complete, it gives CLT similar characteristics to concrete in terms of strength and can be used in buildings as high as 12 storeys. Indeed, there are buildings here in Australia that are over 10 storeys high and built solely with this timber product. Glue-laminated timber is when timber laminates are bonded and glued together. The process is done by layering each laminate with the grain, which results in producing larger and longer length members and is commonly used in structural beams or columns.

This state-of-the-art facility is Australia's only combined CLT and GLT radiata pine mass timber facility and the first in Australia to be integrated with a structural manufacturing plant. This facility will be able to produce CLT panels up to 16 metres long and 3½ metres wide. Mass timber products offer an exciting alternative to traditional construction materials and can help reduce the embodied carbon of a project.

I congratulate the Timberlink team and everyone involved in the realisation of this remarkable achievement and note the benefits that will flow to nearby regional towns as a result of this expansion. I understand close to 30 FTEs—I think it was 27 or 28—will be created because of this milestone and will have flow-on effects for our broader Limestone Coast community.

Our forest industries have a proud history of sustainably growing and utilising our local resources to address growing timber demands, both locally and globally. Innovation and investment have enabled the sector to grow, and this $70 million investment by Timberlink will certainly contribute to that growth. This investment contributes not only to our economy but also to our environment and social fabric.

I am proud that the state government contributed towards this modern manufacturing facility to expand their operations. I want to thank both David Oliver and Paul O'Keefe for their time in taking the Premier and I for a tour of the new facility and for an in-depth brief on the benefits of this exciting product.

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