This piece was written and provided by FTMA Silver Sponsor, Timberlink.
The first sod was officially turned at Timberlink’s NeXTimber manufacturing facility at Tarpeena South Australia today, to mark the commencement of the $63 million construction project. Once completed, the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant will occupy a massive 15,000 square metres, large enough to house twelve Olympic sized swimming pools.
The project commencement follows a South Australian Government decision to award Timberlink a grant of $2 million towards the project for the construction of Australia’s first combined Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing plant, under the Strategic Business Round 2020 of the Government of South Australia’s Regional Growth Fund.
NeXTimber CLT & GLT products are set to replace imports and support faster adoption of carbon positive renewable mass timber construction, replacing steel and concrete in mid- and high-rise construction. The commencement of the project is noteworthy, just days after the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation announced $300 million in financing to encourage greater use of cross laminated timber, to make low carbon engineered wood products. The building material of choice to cut embodied carbon in building projects such as office and apartment towers.
Timberlink is committed to product and service excellence and is partnering with world leading equipment and software providers including Kallesoe Machinery A/S, Hans Hundegger AG and hsbcad to place NeXTimber at the forefront of supply capability in the Australian and Oceanic region.
The sub ground civils has been completed by GT Bobcats over the last 10 weeks and shortly we will commence piling with the building completing late this year.
Timberlink’s CEO Ian Tyson
Timberlink’s CEO Ian Tyson breaking ground with David Basham MP and Cr Shirley Little
Timberlink CEO Ian Tyson said “Timberlink has recently completed a major multi dimensioned investment at the Tarpeena mill which largely has completed our timber manufacturing modernisation, creating a world class timber manufacturing facility. The co-location of a CLT & GLT Plant on the same site makes this facility unique in Australia. Timber is The Ultimate Renewable™ and NeXTimber products provide carbon negative mass timber solutions for building components, that enables a reduction in the embodied carbon in a range of building types. However, you use NeXTimber, you won’t just be building a building. You’ll be creating a better future”.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said “the combined manufacturing plant will boost local timber production and provide an alternative for steel and concrete in mid and high-rise construction”.
“Timberlink’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Tarpeena will be a game-changer for South Australia’s timber industry and it’s very exciting to see construction now underway,” Minister Basham said.
Cr Shirley Little District Council of Grant said “It is wonderful to see this investment of $63M in our town of Tarpeena with a population of 414 people. Timberlink has created great confidence in the community and supporting ongoing employment”.
Production of the NeXTimber range is scheduled to begin in 2023 with the locally based technical support team ready now to assist customers with planning to use NeXTimber products for future projects. A total of 27 full-time permanent jobs will be created when the facility opens, rising to 50 at full output. A significant number of additional jobs are also being created during the construction phase.
For further information visit www.nextimber.com.au.
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