Darren Chester Brian Felham and Larry Sengstock from Latrobe City Council.
An exciting milestone was reached at the Latrobe Creative Precinct as the last of the 10 feature “trees” were installed. The 10 “trees” – up to 8.5m high – have been created in conjunction with Australian Sustainable Hardwoods’ technical partner TGA Engineering to be a feature of the precinct’s stunning light-filled foyer in Traralgon. Source: Timberbiz
The Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the trees were a fantastic addition to the new centre.
“The installation of the feature trees brings this project one step closer to completion and the community enjoying all that it has to offer,” Mr Chester said.
“The 8.5 metre trees will be a focal point of the venue’s foyer and showcase the exceptional work of the Gippsland timber industry.”
ASH Managing Director Vince Hurley said the “trees” had been created using a specialised machine made by Hundegger.
The machine uses a digital 3D model of the project and translates the actions required to the machine, which automatically selects the correct tools to complete the work.
Each “tree” took about 16 hours to create. It was then sanded, polished, joined together and capped with timber plugs.
“We’ve selected Victorian Ash. It’s a sustainable regrowth hardwood that’s been sourced through our mill,’’ Mr Hurley said.
“All of the work for this project has been undertaken locally in Heyfield and it’s quite special to know that our work will be installed at a new landmark building not too far away.”
Timber is a feature throughout the Latrobe Creative Precinct, which includes a 750-seat theatre, multi-purpose studio, meeting rooms, a café and two outdoor event spaces.
“It is fantastic to see such a large-scale project investing in our local businesses and featuring one of Gippsland major industries,” Mr Chester said.
“Once complete, this will be an exceptional facility for locals to utilise but also a drawcard for larger professional companies and performances to visit Gippsland.
“I look forward to seeing the structure continue to take shape and the opportunities it will be able to offer for the region once complete.”
Mr Chester secured $10 million for the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre. The State Government is contributing $10 million and Latrobe City Council is contributing $18.5 million.
Construction is due to be complete in the second half of this year.
