Part of a CLT building under construction in Australia
NZ timber products manufacturer XLam has announced Albury-Wodonga as the location for its new cross laminated timber production facility in Australia.
The new plant will be one of the most technically advanced CLT plants in the world and will draw on research and development the NZ operation has been carrying out for the past five years.
Xlam NZ chief executive Gary Caulfield
Xlam NZ chief executive Gary Caulfield said the investment would be a game-changer in the Australian market. He said, “For the first time Australian builders will be able to choose a CLT product that is designed and made in Australia from Australian timber, meeting a significant demand in the current market.”
“It will also mean the jobs and proceeds stay in Australia, rather than going back to Europe. “By building this facility in Albury Wodonga we’ll be in easy reach of Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra via the road and rail networks, and from there Australia wide.”
The $25 million facility is expected to create up to 54 jobs and produce about 60,000 cubic metres of CLT a year – enough to supply 50 or more projects with a similar scale to Lendlease’s Forte Building.
Hyne Timber has invested in the venture, and softwood feedstock from Hyne’s Tumbarumba operation is to be used for the manufacture of a range of CLT products including master panels through to full bespoke prefabricated building elements, XLam Australia businesses development manager Robert De Brincat said.
XLam also plans to open a sales and technical office in Melbourne in the near future. Mr de Brincat said if mass timber construction hits the demand that is forecast, it could also be a driver for increased investment in plantations to supply it.
The construction of the plant, which is due to commence production in mid-2017, is believed to be the only production plant for CLT currently underway in Australia. Meanwhile Australian projects will continue to source CLT from XLam’s NZ operation.
Within the next month, CLT for two major projects will come up in Australia. They include a three-tower affordable housing project in MacArthur Gardens in Sydney, and the five-storey Verde development in Adelaide, a joint venture between developer FA Mamac and builder Morgan and Hansen.
Source: Wood Week
