Locally grown and manufactured timber will provide the building blocks for South Australia’s new technical colleges at Tonsley and Mount Gambier, as announced by the State Government. Source: Timberbiz
“This announcement is great news for the timber manufacturing industry in South Australia, with the State Government leading by example and using mass engineered timber to build the technical colleges that will educate the next generation of our workforce,” said Mr Nathan Paine, Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA).
“We wholeheartedly congratulate Premier Peter Malinauskas, Minister for Forest Industries Clare Scriven and Minister for Education and Training Blair Boyer for choosing to build these two new technical colleges from locally grown and manufactured timber.
“This not only supports the State’s $3 billion forest industries, the over 21,300 people who directly and indirectly work in the State’s forest industries but will be reducing the carbon footprint of these buildings which will help South Australia achieve its net zero targets.”
Mr Paine added that NeXTimber’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Tarpeena will be supplying the Cross Laminated Timber for these projects with every cubic meter for finished softwood storing 718kg of CO2-e, the only building product that is carbon positive.
“We have an amazing opportunity here in South Australia to grow, process and build out of mass timber which will store carbon and deliver not just positive environmental benefits but buildings that provide healthier and happier spaces for people to live, work and play,” said Mr Paine.
“Timber bas been the ultimate renewable building material, as it locks and stores carbon reducing the environmental impact on the construction industry, whilst delivering a sustainable, cost-effective building that has a positive impact on the well-being of those around it.
“Mass timber building materials such as Cross Laminated Timber is the building material of the 21st Century and is a product being embraced by leading international architects, builders and designers to replace carbon-manufactured materials like concrete and steel.
“Forestry is the industry that builds our nation, and with the State Government using locally grown and locally manufactured timber to build local facilities these projects are a true tick of approval for South Australia’s forest and timber industries.”
