THE Queensland Fire and Emergency Services North Coast Region Headquarters and Maryborough Fire and Rescue Station is a ground-breaking project, being the Australia’s first-ever mass timber fire station.
It is a story of innovation, collaboration, restoration, and carbon sequestration and a feat only made possible through the partnering of two iconic Queensland families in the construction industry – Hyne Timber and Hutchinson Builders, with the support of the Queensland Government.
The new design restored the 1951 heritage-valued brick bones of the original station, with the remainder of the building constructed from Hyne Timber’s very own Glue laminated Timber (GLT) and sister-company, XLam’s Cross Laminated Timber (CLT).
In total the project used approximately 500m3 of locally grown plantation pine, which translated to 1,742 tonnes less carbon being used throughout construction than if it were built with conventional building materials.
The new facility not only serves as the regional outpost for QFES, but also accommodates the Rural Fire Service (RFS), State Emergency Service (SES), while providing a stateof-the-art engine garage for multiple service vehicles. The design of the building showcases robust timber structures with extensive use of GLT and CLT throughout.
Building in mass timber is increasingly popular. The Maryborough project lends itself to mass timber construction provided as it offers faster construction timelines due to the prefabrication of components like CLT and GLT.
This precision and off-site fabrication lead to accurate fits, reducing on-site modifications and waste. Additionally, mass timber is a sustainable choice, sourced from renewable plantations with lower carbon emissions than conventional materials.
■ ARCHITECT
Baber Studios
■ STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Bligh Tanner
■ BUILDER
Hutchinson Builders
■ CLIENT
Department of Energy & Public Works
■ PRODUCT
• GLT Beams, Hyne Timber
• CLT Billets, XLam
The construction of the fire station mass timber approach minimised on-site disruption, which is ideal for urban or sensitive environments. The prefabricated nature of mass timber reduces noise, dust, and construction-related disturbances. It also enhances site safety as the lighter weight of timber components lowers the risks associated with heavy lifting and handling. Moreover, mass timber undergoes fire safety testing and exhibits inherent fire resistance properties, ensuring the safety of occupants… which is naturally very important to the building’s occupants.
The mass timber brings aesthetic appeal with its natural and warm appearance. Exposed timber surfaces create a welcoming environment and add character to architectural designs. Additionally, building with timber provides excellent thermal insulation, reducing the need for additional insulation materials and improving energy efficiency.
Issue 5 – Volume 33
Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman. Established 1977.
News 3-9
Finance 10
Flooring 12-13
Associations 17-19
FRONT Cover:
Timber flooring offers a range of options to suit different preferences and budgets. Whether it’s the timeless elegance of solid timber, or the ecofriendliness of engineered flooring, there is a timber flooring solution to meet various needs.
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South Australia tops the HIA Housing Scorecard, supported by state policies that aim to increase the supply of housing.
The HIA Housing Scorecard report presents analysis which ranks each of the eight states and territories based on the performance of 13 key residential building indicators against their decade average, covering detached and multi-unit building activity, renovations, housing finance and rates of overseas and interstate migration.
“South Australia has topped the list with strength across a number of leading indicators of building activity, including approvals of new work, expenditure on renovations and activity on the ground,” HIA’s Chief Economist Tim Reardon said.
“This strong performance will be supported by policy changes announced in this year’s State Budget which included a reduction in stamp duty, the release of 25,000 blocks of land and an investment in public housing stock.”
Mr Reardon said conditions for the residential building industry were undergoing a rebalancing as the market transitioned from a record boom to the deepest trough in over a decade in 2024. As the
industry progressed through this cycle, building activity in each region was starting to diverge.
“Queensland has maintained second place on this Scorecard on the back of strong renovations and multiunits activity,” Mr Reardon said.
“Queensland is continuing to attract a large number of interstate and international migrants which are supporting home building. Despite this level of migration, building activity in Queensland remains constrained by a shortage of skilled labour.”
The Australian Capital Territory took out third place in the Scorecard, supported by its multi-units and renovations sectors, along with the remarkable return of overseas migrants and students.
Western Australia’s home building industry has faced significant capacity constraints. While it ranks fifth in this Scorecard report, the continued inflow of people
from interstate and overseas provides its home building industry strong potential moving forward.
“New South Wales and Victoria have fallen down the list as the rise in the cash rate has adversely impacted these markets more significantly given their higher land costs,” Mr Reardon said.
“This will see activity in these regions slow more than the rest of Australia.
“Supporting new home building in these markets by reducing costs, attracting more investment and improving capacity are essential to ensure that an adequate supply of new homes commence construction,” he said.
THE long term damage caused by the State Government in Victoria’s decision to close the native timber industryprematurely or otherwise - is rapidly becoming obvious.
New Forest & Wood Communities Australia executive officer Mick Harrington points out that every time we use Australian sustainable native timber, we are also choosing not to support catastrophic illegal logging overseas.
According to Interpol Illegal logging contributes between 15 and 30% of the world wood trade every year – and is believed by United Nations experts to range from US$30 to US$100 Billion a year.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) believes illegal logging directly contributes to funding many criminal groups. Acting in the best interest of the sustainable Australian native timber industry has flow on effects to our own workforce and timber reliant industries, domestic fire safety and to humanitarian and environmental outcomes internationally. He says that the choice is very clear when it comes to
hardwood timber supply –we must choose a well-regulated sustainable industry here in Australia – with the rigorous oversights that a stable democracy and ingrained institutions afford, with the added benefit of sustaining our communities and enabling home grown manufacturing success stories. Luckily, he says, there is a groundswell of everyday Australians that can see the unbridled hypocrisy on display and are choosing for all the right reasons to use Australian sustainable native timber at every given opportunity. Failing that Mick says we are choosing to support the chaotic wanderings of semi-
functioning foreign governments and their resident criminal and terrorist groups where illegal logging funds some of history’s most heinous crimes against both humanity and the environment.
Unfortunately, he says, this seems not to register with Victorian State Labor government and the activist class, where votes and purported virtue are more important than environmental and humanitarian outcomes. In fact, it probably didn’t even cross their collective minds.
THE finalists for the NZ Timber Design Awards 2023 have been announced with a record number of entries this year.
The awards were last presented in 2020 in an online event however this year they will be celebrated with a gala dinner at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland on November 2.
“The breadth of innovative thinking and really clever use of timber, combined with other materials demonstrated in the 2023 Awards entries is just extraordinary,” Timber Design Centre Director Robert Finch said.
“I congratulate all the entrants and finalists on the wonderful showcase of what is possible with timber in our built environment”
The judges for this year’s programme included New Zealand Institute of Architects president Judith Taylor,
New Zealand Timber Design Society past president David Carradine, sustainable architect at Scion Andrea Stocchero, and Structural Engineer Jan Stanway, from WSP.
As with previous years, the task for the judges is no easy feat; with all entries showing
innovation, aesthetic appeal, creativity and practicality made possible through the use of timber; ranging in projects from furniture, to multistorey buildings.
The entries made it obvious that the architecture, manufacturing and engineer-
ing sectors in New Zealand are ready to embrace the challenges of creating low carbon timber solutions by incorporating state-of-the-art technology with innovative applications of timber and a variety of engineered wood products.
“It was really impressive to see different parts of the building industry coming together and working collaboratively to develop such innovative solutions using timber,” the judges said.
“The combinations of materials, forms and technological advances will pave the way for the future of sustainable and resilient buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand. Structural systems, interior finishes and exterior applications have all been considered as opportunities for showcasing the unique and beneficial applications of timber.”
To see the finalists go to https://timberdesigncentre. co.nz/2023-timber-designawards-finalists
COLIN Taranto, NTHA Trainer and a seasoned professional with 38 years’ experience in the timber industry, has been awarded the prestigious title of Vocational Education Training (VET) Trainer of the Year in the NSW Training Awards - North Coast and Mid North Coast Region.
The awards, hosted by the NSW Government, acknowledge outstanding achievements in the vocational education and training sector. Mr Taranto’s exceptional skills and dedication have earned him the opportunity to now compete at the state level.
CEO of the National Timber and Hardware Association (NTHA), David Little expressed his pride about Mr Taranto’s well-deserved recognition
“It is fantastic to see Colin receive this award after years of hard work and commitment to the craft of training,” he saids.
“This recognition highlights the knowledge and impact he has had as a trainer, not just within our organisation but also in the industry as a whole.”
The NSW Training Awards, conducted annually by Training Services NSW within the NSW Department of Education, aim to honour and reward exceptional achievements in the vocational education and training sector. The NSW VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year Award specifically recognises trainers and teachers who demonstrate innovation and excellence in providing nationally recognised training to stu-
dents at a registered training organisation (RTO), or in collaboration with an RTO.
Mr Taranto has made a significant impact on the industry delivering certifications in Timber Frame or Truss Manufacturing, Timber Systems Design at both the Certificate III and Certificate IV levels. Taranto possesses a wealth of practical knowledge, including 25 years in Frame and Truss and 13 years in Technical Market development/Sales with timber manufacturers and wholesalers.
“I wanted to give back to an industry that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Mr Taranto said.
“By encouraging and developing local talent, I aim to address the significant skills shortage our industry is facing. Sharing my practical expertise and experiences allows trainees to gain a broader understanding of the industry and the people within it.”
Mr Taranto finds great satisfaction in his role as a trainer, particularly in helping those who genuinely desire to learn. He appreciates the interactive nature of training and the progressive skill development it fosters among trainees.
Mr Taranto’s achievement in winning the VET Trainer of the Year award highlights his unwavering commitment to vocational education and training. NTHA extends its warmest congratulations to Colin and wishes him the best as he competes at the state level.
SKILLS Insight has begun work as a Jobs and Skills Council (JSC), contributing to an ambitious new program to strengthen Australia’s VET system.
The JSC program strives for a holistic approach, with collaboration across all ten JSCs and all parts of the skills sys-
tem, broadening and deepening the reach from the previous program.
Skills Insight’s role as a JSC is to support strategic industry leadership and undertake research activities looking at skills and workforce challenges, with a specific focus on improving the VET system and industry participation in it.
Together with partner organisations, ForestWorks and MINTRAC, Skills Insight will work with stakeholders to take a wide view of skills issues and potential solutions to improve outcomes for industry, learners, trainers and employers.
Skills Insight’s industry coverage includes primary production, plants and animals, forestry and timber, textiles, clothing, footwear and furnishing, and emerging industries around natural resource security and environmental management. Skills Insight said, ‘they are proud to be able to work with a group of industries that are crucial to Australia’s society, ecosystems and prosperity and actively recognise the diversity of all stakeholders, including small and niche industries and those based in rural, regional and remote communities, First Nations people, people with a disability, migrants, and women in non-traditional trades.’
Organisations can be involved in finding potential solutions to national skills and training challenges by becoming a Skills Insight Member. Membership is free and provides an opportunity to
be an active part of industry networks, contributing to the direction of projects and activities that will impact industry.
A key focus of their initial work as a JSC is to develop a Workforce Plan to describe workforce challenges and opportunities across the industries and develop appropriate strategies and advice to address these challenges.
The Workforce Plan will be the centre piece of Skills Insight’s work and pave the way for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relation’s approval of projects. It will inform all Skills Insight’s projects, activities and operations. The first yearly Workforce Plan is currently being developed and will be available for feedback soon.
Skills Insight was created by Skills Impact, after a submission to move into the role of a Jobs and Skills Council was backed by over 200 letters of support from a broad range of industry stakeholders.
More information about Skills Insight’s collaborative process, membership, workforce plan, and to subscribe for newsletters, can be found on the Skills Insight website.
CONSTRUCTION and equipment installation is running to the original schedule at the NeXTimber manufacturing facility in Tarpeena in the Green Triangle and is expected to begin supply in October.
The site has been buzzing with activity and both CLT and GLT presses now moved into place as well as internal building construction commencing.
The first full-time NeXTimber Tarpeena team began work in April and it is expected the team will continue to grow and at full capacity will involve up to 50 positions.
Throughout June, the team continued to tick off equipment installation milestones, including two cranes, completion of the CNC line and installation of the weighbridge.
It will be Australia’s first combined Radiata Pine Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing facility.
These products provide the biophilic and environmental benefits of traditional timber but with the strength to sup-
port taller and more complex structures.
The NeXTimber range offers timber building solutions for commercial, residential, and public projects; used on their own or in conjunction with traditional building materials.
The NeXTimber CLT range will include:
• Roof panels
• Floor panels
• Wall panels
• Lintels & other framing
The GLT range will include:
• Beams
• Columns
• Frame & truss members
The first pieces of Kallesoe Machinery A/S was lifted into place in August last year and construction of the steel structure began in October.
Timberlink is committed to product and service excellence and has partnered with world leading equipment
and software providers as part of the project including Kallesoe Machinery A/S for plant design, manufacturing equipment and installation as well as Hans Hundegger AG who will supply the PBAIndustry panel processing machine with the latest CNC machining technology. This equipment will be supported by a fully integrated end-to end software platform provided by hsbcad.
“This world leading technology provides the latest ca-
pabilities in CLT GLT production and will place Timberlink at the forefront of supply capability in the Australian and Oceania region” Timberlink
Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ian Tyson
Infeed stock for the NeXTimber range will come from local plantations in the Green Triangle region and is supported through Timberlink’s vertically integrated supply chain. The majority of log supply to Timberlink’s manufacturing facilities is dual certified to both FSC® and PEFC/ Responsible Wood.
Over the last three years, Timberlink has invested over $200M into upgrades at the Tarpeena Bell Bay sites, demonstrating their commitment to the forestry industry and regional communities. Upgrades include the construction of the NeXTimber facility created by a $63m investment by Timberlink, as well as a state of-the-art Light Organic Solvent Preservative (LOSP) treatment plant, a new green mill in Tarpeena and vision scanning system in Bell Bay.
The Visy Pulp and Paper Tumut mill has won the National Energy Council’s best industrial energy management project for its lime kiln project.
The Tumut pulp mill team developed and implemented advanced process controls, which helped to significantly reduce natural gas consumption in the mill’s lime kilns.
The lime kilns consume natural gas and are always online. Implementing an automated process allowed the team to optimize the kiln’s energy use.
Tom Rickerby has been appointed Wesbeam’s Technical Manager.
With 15 years’ experience as a qualified structural engineer, Tom has specialised in the design and specification of timber and engineered wood products.
As Technical Manager, Tom will lead Wesbeam’s highly skilled engineering and design teams and has responsibility for all product manufacturing specifications.
After 25 years with Visy Pulp and Paper, Kenneth Epp, who was with the Tumut mill from its establishment in 2001, has retired.
Mr Epp played a major role in the development of the plantation-based forestry industries and in particular the establishment of the Visy enterprise near Tumut.
Australia’s forest products sector has backed the Queensland Government’s plan for a climate positive Olympic Games in 2032, including through the use of climate friendly timber and wood products in Olympic venues and infrastructure.
Timber Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mick Stephens said the Government’s intentions were an excellent first step.
Mr Stephens said that the sector and the Government now need to work together early with relevant Olympic planning forums to deliver the best outcomes for effective timber supply and venue design, construction and jobs.
I, along with many in the timber merchant sector, am still reeling from the recent shock announcement by the Andrews Victorian Government to prematurely end native forest production in Victoria within six months – by 1st January 2024.
The decision is reprehensible and irresponsible and is an absolute slap in the face to regional Victorian communities, businesses, and all Victorian consumers. Rather than ‘delivering certainty for timber workers’ as the Andrews Government proclaims, this totally politically driven decision instead delivers massive uncertainty to Victoria’s already stressed regional communities and the building product and construction industry supply chain.
This decision was made completely out of the blue, with no consultation at all, and will have a hugely negative impact on Victorian home construction material supply, and costs to builders and consumers – and obviously an even more massive negative impact on already struggling regional Victorian forest and sawmill workers, their communities, and the downstream companies they supply to.
These Victorian native forests provide the beautiful local sustainable and renewable hardwood products Victorians have used in their homes for over 180 years and that Bowens have been supplying for just on 130 years.
Originally all Victorian home framing construction was hardwood. In the last few decades, with the advent of seasoned softwood plantation framing, sawn hardwood is now utilised and valued for its exquisite appearance, high strength, hardness, and durability attributes, in a multitude of finished building products.
Consumers love hardwood furniture, feature flooring, staircases, cabinetry, joinery, mouldings, windows, doors, linings, durable building claddings and decking, screens, high strength structural members, as well as in fencing, and landscaping products. The current demand for Australian hardwood products has never been higher.
I was uncomfortable with the government’s previous decision in Nov 2019 as they proposed in their Victorian Forestry Plan, to transition from native forests to plantations by 2030, – ten years really just didn’t seem to be enough time. But this highly political decision to shut things down within six months is a clear breach of promise.
In the view of Forestry Australia, the peak professional scientific body, the Victorian Government’s decision to end native forest harvesting is flawed and rather than being based on science, it is a decision motivated by ideology. In a recent interview, President of Forestry Australia, Dr Michelle Freeman noted that this was a big step backwards for sustainability. “There are very few production systems on the globe that offer stronger sustainability credentials than well managed native forests. In fact, we know that well managed native forests can actually provide superior biodiversity, fire, and climate outcomes”.
Dr Freeman further noted that “timber-producing native forests are managed primarily for high quality sawn timber and wood panel products on much longer rotation cycles than plantations. The products sourced from native forests are not interchangeable with what is currently available from our plantation estate”. This refutes the oftenquoted untruth by anti-forest activists and academics that ‘the community doesn’t need native forest production –there’s more than enough plantation timber to fill the gap.’ This is simply categorically untrue.
The question for the Andrews Government is “where will our future timber come from?” Clearly from 2024, native timbers will have to come from somewhere else. To replace Victoria’s externally durable Victorian hardwood species (whose harvest and regeneration is highly regulated and independently certified) this imported timber will have to come from tropical African, Asian, or pacific hardwood rainforests, many completely devoid of any environmental regulations or standards. The notion that imported tropical hardwood products are a better solution than locally grown and manufactured products is just perversely wrong.
Additionally, one has to ask the simple question ‘has the Andrews Government learnt nothing from COVID about the need for self-sufficiency and the support of local primary resource management, local industry, and local manufacture?’.
reserves, including Victoria’s most environmentally important forest area and endangered animals. It is a fact, that 94% of Victoria’s natural forest is not available at all for production operations. So, the assertion from the anti-forestry activist groups that harvesting causes all the forestry woes are simply total mistruths.
By far the biggest threat to Victoria’s forests is uncontrolled wildfire, not timber production. It is true that recent uncontrolled wildfires have impacted the forest estate, but this is no justification for total forest production closure. In fact, proper active and adaptive forest management practices, can and do, provide both sustainable and renewable timber products, and good forest ecological and biodiversity outcomes – they are not mutually exclusive, ‘The Victorian community can have its cake and eat it too’.
The Victorian public expects its State Government, whatever political persuasion, to manage its public forest resource for all its people, and for all its values: social economic and environmental –not just lock it up on a political whim to secure urban innercity green voting support. No Victorian government has ever taken away from its people a public resource, which the people own, utilize widely, and continue to desire and purchase – until this decision on native forest hardwood production.
Victoria has about eight million hectares of public land. More than 4.2 million hectares of Victoria’s total public land are dedicated conservation areas in the form of national parks and other conservation
All Victorian builders and consumers should join with the building product supply chain companies and organisations, to express their condemnation of this political decision to take away in just six short months access to local, sustainable, renewable independently certified Victorian hardwood products.
As Victorian voters and consumers, we should insist on an independent Parliamentary Enquiry. This needs to clearly examine the true social, economic, and environmental impact of the Andrews Government’s reprehensible, non-consultative, reneging on its previous promise for a logical, fair and manageable transition for Victoria’s sustainable hardwood timber products industry out to 2030.
THE National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life is entering the next and exciting stage of its evolution with the appointment of new Director, Professor Tripti Singh.
With more than 20 years of experience in managing collaborative, multi-milliondollar research programmes, Professor Singh is one of the leading names in wood protection research.
The centre is a Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) supported initiative. It launched in 2016 with the goal of returning Australia to the forefront of international best practice and underpinning consumer confidence in timber product performance.
“We are delighted to welcome such a well-respected and widely recognised name
from the international wood science community to the Director role,” said Craig Taylor, FWPA Chair.
“The centre has enjoyed an outstanding launch and evolved to become a valuable resource for the entire industry. We look forward to
its continued success and expansion under Tripti’s leadership,” Mr Taylor said.
Over the past six years the centre has made important inroads. It has collaborated with the sector to ensure Australia has access to the world’s leading research while building strong links between industry, academia and customers.
It has overseen critical research projects that have delivered significant value to the sector and helped to educate the next generation of durability scientists, boosting Australian research capacity. Today it is home to 20 associated researchers and students.
“Tripti has a proven ability to innovate, build teams, and develop strong relationships with stakeholders including industry members, funding bodies and academics, mak-
ing her the perfect fit for this role,” said Professor Ross Young, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Professor Singh is currently a senior scientist at New Zealand’s Scion, a government-owned company that conducts research to drive innovation and growth from the nation’s forestry, wood products and wood-derived materials. She is also highly familiar with the work of the centre having acted as an international advisory committee member since 2017.
“Taking over the leadership of such a vital centre for research into timber durability is a privilege, particularly during a time where so many opportunities exist for expanding timber use in Australia,” said Professor Singh.
Industry has also applaud-
ed the centre’s work and the new appointment.
“The centre strives to deliver practical solutions to existing industry challenges and sustains an ongoing focus reflective of the needs of our sector and its future development,” said industry representative Marina Milic, Wood Technologist at AKD.
“Under Tripti’s leadership, having access to skilled and applied researchers locally through the centre will continue to offer a greater understanding of wood science and timber properties to industry members throughout Australia.”
Professor Singh, who starts in mid-August, will be supported into her role by the outgoing Director Jeff Morell over the next 18 months as the centre continues to develop.
PLANNED Government infrastructure spending, supply chain issues pushing up asset prices, and fixed rates will help prime commercial asset finance lenders to be among the most resilient lenders in Australia.
An industry CEO says lenders in this category are well positioned to weather any drops in consumer or business confidence – and has the reasons to back it.
Phillip Crossman is the CEO of equipment and car lender Metro Finance (metrofin.com.au), one of Australia’s leading providers of asset finance and, more recently, a provider of consumer car loans and novated leases.
Since Phillip founded Metro in 2011, Metro has accumulated around 50,000 customers and a loan portfolio of $3 billion.
It attracts borrowers through a network of 3700 brokers nationally and settles an average of $150 million per month. Last month, Metro closed a $500 million debt funding deal which attracted investors from Europe, Asia and Australia.
Why asset lenders will perform well even with continued slow economic growth
“I expect our industry to withstand further interest rate increases and, if it arises, an economic downturn better than lenders that fund discretionary assets,” Mr Crossman said.
“The assets we finance are intrinsic to business operations: tradies need their utes to do their job, so they can be counted on to prioritise payments. The other favourable aspect of asset finance is that the interest rate is fixed for the life of the facility.”
CAFBA estimates that total receivables in the Australian equipment finance market are approximately $100 billion. AFIA estimated that total new equipment finance (including fleet leasing) was $36.6 billion as at 30 June 2022, compared with $34.0 billion at 30 June 2020.[1]
“Add in the infrastructure spending that our governments have committed to over the next 10 years and their commitment to more social housing, which will drive construction, and you have a good long-term environment for asset finance lenders,” Mr Crossman said.
A total of $255 billion in government expenditure has been allocated to infrastructure over the four years to FY2025-26 – a 2.7 per cent increase over the previous year’s allocations. [2] At Metro, 44 per cent of commercial settlements are for businesses in the construction and transport industries.
In addition, rather than creating credit issues for the asset finance industry, tighter supply chains have underpinned the value of existing cars and equipment. A price analysis of 900 new car models by Drive found listed prices rose by an average of 14 per cent between January 2019 and January 2023.[3]
Metro has seen a growing appetite for electric vehicle financing as a result of the Federal Government’s FBT concession. This is particularly in novated leasing volumes, with one in three car loans now being for EVs and PHEVs compared with one in 20 in the commercial channel.
Metro Finance has experienced consistently strong business appetite for financing, having achieved 30 per cent year-on-year growth over the past five years. It was recently awarded the 2022 CAFBA Financier of the Year, Credit Team of the Year and Settlement Team of the Year. “Primarily represented by CAFBA, the commercial broker industry in Australia offers borrowers an important alternative source of finance to traditional bank lending. In the small-ticket asset finance market, third-party introducers account for 50-60 per cent of all originations”, Phillip says.
Metro lends to prime SMEs and individual borrowers in stable industries that purchase auto and equipment assets. It avoids lending to industries that are prone to volatility or for assets that have poor resale value. Metro’s loan portfolio is highly diversified, with risk diversified across geographical regions, borrower industries and asset types.
Metro differentiates itself in the market through high levels of personalised service, advanced backoffice technology, and a user-friendly portal. Through this combination, it can take a tailored approach to its lending: brokers approach Metro to work through different scenarios for a customer. Metro can assess each case individually to determine how it can help the borrower achieve their goals.
“We don’t run an opaque credit score model to process applications. Instead, brokers have direct access to a range of Metro personnel to discuss and workshop deals with them,” Mr Crossman said.
“Alternatively, when an application is straightforward, we can use streamlined processes to complete it quickly. Technology is critical for delivering speed and cost-effectiveness – for instance, customer onboarding and risk assessments. We can do deals in under two hours.”
Metro Finance is continuing to experience very low arrears and defaults, and Mr Crossman expects any dip in demand will just be part of the economic cycle.
“Capital markets are already factoring in interest rate declines. When inflation looks like it’s tamed and if the economy experiences a downturn, we anticipate the Reserve Bank will reduce rates to soften the landing.”
[1] https://www.capital-markets-intelligence. com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AustraliaWLY.pdf
[2] https://infrastructure.org.au/australian-infrastructure-budget-monitor2022-23/#:~:text=A%20total%20of%20 %24255%20billion,increase%20over%20 last%20year%27s%20allocations.
[3] https://www.drive.com.au/news/newcars-beating-price-rises-and-hardest-hit/
SOLAR Dryers Australia (SDA) is the designer/ manufacturer of a range of unique Solar/Gas timber kilns and Heat Treatment Units.
SDA kilns have gained wide acceptance in the past 25 years with around 200 units sold in Australia and abroad.
Sizes range from 10m3 to 100m3 with kilns characterized by simplicity of operation and heating costs well under half that of other kilns.
The auxiliary heating system ensures that drying times are the same as any other kiln, regardless of climate. The external arrangement of the auxiliary heating system also ensures no hazardous fumes present safety issues inside the kilns.
Control is via a simple PLC offering manual or automatic schedules.
The smallest kilns in the range are the SG10 and SG 22, 10m3 and 22m3 respectively. These small kilns are based on 20’ or 40’ refrigerated shipping containers. These are ideal for the purpose as they are portable, well insulated and sealed, with all inside surfaces either stainless steel or aluminium.
Container kilns are loaded using a track and trolley system. The stainless-steel trolley is rolled out onto a fixed track outside the kiln where it is loaded by forklift and then pushed into the kiln.
The kilns are shipped to site with all the components packed inside the container. Re-assembly takes around a day and then the kilns are ready for operation.
Kilns can easily be moved to a different location later if necessary.
SDA’s larger kilns range from 50 to 100 m3. These kilns are designed to client requirements and manufactured in Bellingen, NSW, Australia. They are then shipped to site where assembly takes about two weeks.
The large kilns are sometimes combined in multiple units.
AST-Hurford at Kempsey, NSW, Australia, has 13 kilns of 50 to 75m3. Parkside Timbers in Queensland, Australia, runs nine kilns, each of around 100m3 capacity and is the largest solar timber drying operation in the world.
The heating system is the same in all models, but the number of solar panels varies according to kiln capacity. The array of solar hot water panels is mounted on the roof of the kiln or on an adjacent building. Water is pumped in a closed circuit between the
panels and the heat exchanger inside the kiln. Heat is extracted from the water, which then returns to the panel array for re-heating. An instantaneous gas water heater in the circuit heats the water if no solar is available.
Once a kiln temperature is selected at the control box the system automatically maintains this temperature using either solar or gas or a combination of both.
At Bellingen, Australia, Rose Gum Timbers operates two 50m3 solar/gas kilns drying mostly Blackbutt and Spotted Gum.
Initial heat up to 55˚C is usually overnight on gas and uses approximately 140 litres (LPG). Carefully monitored venting then allows temperature to be largely maintained by solar during the day, with 30 – 40 litres used to maintain temperature overnight.
So for a charge of 25mm air
dried hardwood, subsequent kiln drying to 12% MC takes about 10 days with a gas total of around 500 litres or $440 for 40 m3.
This equates to $11 per m3 or about 25% of the cost of conventionally heated kilns.
SDA also repurposes refrigerated shipping containers to build Heat Treatment Units for ISPM 15 treatment of export packaging. These 20’ & 40’ units can be operational on the day of arrival (HTU 20/ HTU 40).
Larger units are built to order, and are similar in design to our larger timber kilns.
All HTU’s features a simple automatic controller which enables documentation to be printed or stored.
This satisfies the ISPM 15 requirements, and with most accreditation bodies familiar with SDA units.
The manufacturing world we live in now post COVID-19 has seen international setbacks and problems with delays in importing and increases across the board in prices of goods. Australia has also seen a growing problem with shortages in labour, causing further delays in local manufacturing. This poses great challenges for the economy as a whole, but also for individual businesses. Producing economically while maintaining quality standards is becoming a real challenge for many businesses. One solution to this problem is to expand the automation of individual work processes or entire production lines.
The BeA Group, headquartered in Germany, with APAC headquarter in Sydney and warehouse in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, offers excellent automation solutions. BeA partners with local and world leading automation specialists in timber construction and wood processing, to provide tailored automation solutions across the entire production line in industries such as furniture, production of pallets, house frame and truss, and windows and doors and like manufacturing. With its „Autotec“ division, the BeA Group is one of the world‘s leading manufacturers of equipment for automated production. In this field, BeA cooperates with the world market leaders for wood processing equipment and is a reliable partner with over 100 years of competence and know-how in this field. Autotec equipment is available in a wide variety of versions and for almost any application. Should a very special solution be required, BeA can also offer special solutions with its internal engineering department.
Phone: 1300 232 287 or +61 438 841 708
Email: apac@bea-group.com
www.bea-group.com
BY choosing timber flooring from certified sustainable sources, such as Australian Timber Flooring Association-registered businesses, and considering factors such as durability, installation requirements, maintenance, and environmental impact, individuals can make a positive impact on the environment while enjoying the beauty and functionality of timber floors.
Regarding economic considerations, research conducted by ATFA in collaboration with real estate agents has revealed that timber flooring can add up to 3 per cent to the overall value of a property and are generally easier to sell, highlighting its longterm value and desirability in the real estate market.
Timber flooring offers a range of options to suit different preferences and budgets.
Whether it’s the timeless elegance of solid timber, the affordability and versatility of laminate, or the ecofriendliness of engineered flooring, there is a timber flooring solution to meet various needs.
When making a decision, consider factors such as durability, installation requirements, maintenance, and environmental impact. By carefully evaluating these aspects, individuals can select the ideal timber flooring
option that aligns with their aesthetic preferences, budget, and sustainability goals.
In today’s current climate, finding visually appealing and budget-friendly flooring solutions is a priority. While carpet may seem like a cheaper alternative, opting for solid timber flooring offers numerous long-term benefits. Not only can timber flooring last a lifetime, but it also contributes to a healthier indoor environment and is more environmentally friendly. For those who value durability, longevity, and aesthetics, solid structural strip timber flooring is an excellent choice. It is designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and daily wear and tear, making it reliable for high-traffic areas in residential and commercial spaces. With proper care and maintenance, solid structural strip timber flooring can last for decades, providing excellent value for what may initially seem like a significant investment. Its timeless beauty and natu-
ral warmth, showcased through rich grains, textures, and colors, create a luxurious and inviting atmosphere in any space. The ability to install it in various patterns makes it highly attractive to homeowners and designers who seek unique and customised flooring solutions.
For a less thick and non-structural alternative, solid overlay tongue and groove flooring is worth considering. Despite its thinner profile, it retains the inherent durability of hardwood. It can withstand daily wear and tear, including foot traffic, impact, and scratches, ensuring long-lasting performance. The tongue and groove installation system enhances floor stability by minimising movement and preventing gaps between the boards. This stability is particularly beneficial in areas with temperature and humidity fluctuations, reducing the risk of warping or buckling. The installation process of tongue and groove flooring
is suitable for professional installers and experienced Do-It-Yourself (DIY) enthusiasts alike. It is relatively easy to maintain and offers a practical and aesthetically pleasing flooring solution for various residential and commercial applications.
For versatility and eco-conscious individuals, engineered timber flooring is an excellent option. It features a real hardwood veneer layer on top of a structural sheet subfloor, providing the appearance of solid hardwood flooring with enhanced stability and moisture resistance. Engineered flooring is highly sought-after in environments with fluctuating moisture levels and areas with radiant heating systems. Its combination of aesthetic appeal, durability, and installation versatility makes it another popular in both residential and commercial spaces.
If convenience is a priority, pre-finished solid tongue and groove floor-
ing is a suitable choice. This option comes already finished and ready for installation.
Characterised by solid wood construction, tongue and groove edges, and a factory-applied protective finish, it eliminates the need for on-site sanding, staining, or finishing. The pre-finished surface is easy to maintain, simply requiring regular sweeping, vacuuming, and occasional damp mopping. Pre-finished solid tongue and groove flooring provides a particularly tempting, hassle-free solution for those seeking convenience or facing tight renovation deadlines and who also want to elevate the look of their premises.
Another option is parquetry, which is a technique that uses small wooden pieces or blocks to create intricate and decorative patterns. It adds elegance and artistic flair to floors, walls, and other surfaces. Parquetry contains two subcategories: block parquetry and mosaic parquetry. Both styles require skilful installation by experienced professionals, resulting in visually stunning and durable flooring surfaces that add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any space. Parquetry flooring is often associated with prestigious and luxury settings and is sought after for high-
end residences, premium commercial spaces, and historical or heritage sites.
For environmentally conscious individuals, cork flooring is a popular choice due to its sustainable and renewable nature. Harvested from the bark of cork oak trees without causing harm to the trees, cork flooring offers comfort, softness, thermal and acoustic insulation, resilience, and moisture resistance. It is suitable for areas prone to moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and helps maintain a comfortable indoor temperature while reducing noise transmission between floors.
For budget-friendly solutions, laminate flooring replicates the appearance of natural materials like hardwood, stone, or tile at a lower cost. It offers durability, moisture resistance, easy maintenance, versatile designs, and simple installation. While laminate flooring is affordable and durable, timber flooring still holds appeal for those seeking authenticity, natural beauty, and long-term value. In some cases, a complete flooring redo may be unnecessary. Homeowners or individuals with existing timber floors may opt for sanding and finishing to enhance their floors. This process involves sanding the wood to remove
imperfections and old finishes, followed by the application of a protective finish. Sanding and finishing can transform the appearance of aged hardwood floors, restore old furniture, repair damaged wooden surfaces, and customise wood finishes. Timber flooring solutions offer numerous environmental benefits compared to synthetic competitors such as carpet or tiling. Timber flooring is a renewable resource, supports responsible forestry practices, has a lower carbon footprint, and promotes better indoor
air quality. Unlike carpets or synthetic materials, timber flooring does not harbor dust mites, allergens, or harmful chemicals. This promotes a healthier living environment, particularly for individuals with respiratory sensitivities. Furthermore, timber flooring weighs less than tiles, and possesses a superior fire rating compared to carpet, providing increased safety. For more information, to become a member of ATFA, or any advice, please call ATFA on 1300 361 693 or visit www.floorchoices.com.au
ADAM DAWSON PRYDA TECHNICAL MANAGER
TESTING is one of several tools for verifying compliance with the NCC, and it’s certainly the most hands-on (and the most fun).
What follows is a peek behind the curtain at the process and how it produces results that can be relied on for the design life of the structures our connectors are used in. For nails, screws, nailplates, and brackets this process is outlined in the fasteners and connectors testing standard, AS1649.
The AS1649 authors understood that the formal testing protocols it requires would be the last step, not the first one. “The Standard presumes that before any of the described tests…are commenced some exploratory testing would be expected”.
There are some powerful analytical tools available to engineers these days which can provide useful insights into how a component will perform before it’s even made.
These mean you can (virtually) poke, prod, and experiment with a product in as many scenarios as you can
imagine and compare a range of design options before you even think about bending and cutting metal.
When it comes to the physical product, though, a range of other factors can impact its performance. Does it come out of the factory as per the drawing/model? Are the manufacturing tolerances the right balance between delivering a product that will perform consistently over time, and one that is practical to make? Can the assumptions I made in my computer model be replicated in the real world, repeatedly, by the end users when they install it?
This where getting into a lab (and often breaking things) comes into its own. The NCC lists a report by a “registered testing authority” as one of several ways to demonstrate compliance with the code. In Australia, “registered” means accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), who assess and certify labs to perform specific tests. This is important to note – NATA’s scope
is incredibly broad and being ‘NATA-certified’ is meaningless if that certification doesn’t cover the tests being performed. They may know everything about specialist medical equipment and nothing about structural engineering.
Achieving and maintaining NATA accreditation involves a thorough assessment of a lab’s management systems, staff, testing methods, quality control, equipment (including calibration), results recording and its operating environment. As much as we enjoy doing our own experimentation, the level of expertise, quality, and value that can be added by NATA-certified professionals is an important part of our overall testing and certification process.
When AS1649 was written, the statistical methods needed to convert raw testing data into a capacity value with a known degree of confidence were too time consuming to be standard practice. These days they’re a simple function in Microsoft Excel. A new industry committee has recently formed to explore how we can modernise testing and data analysis methods so that we can be faster, more agile, and more confident in our results.
This project was initiated by Swinburne University and is being broadly supported with sponsorship, products, and technical input from the industry to help ensure timber
• FEM (finite element modelling) is a great tool for examining and predicting physical product performance. In this example we see the deformed shape of the post anchor closely matches our theoretical model.
• Structural testing labs help us design custom testing arrangements and provide the confidence of correctly calibrated equipment, certified technicians, and formal reporting.
connections are designed as reliably and efficiently as possible.
Ultimately this process is all about supporting the success of timber as the build-
ing material of choice for lightweight framing. Testing helps us get the products right, get them used correctly, and ensure they deliver what they promise.
MANY of the things we buy are classified with star ratings, from fridges to even our most expensive investments – like our homes.
A home’s energy star rating is judged using tools like The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) alongside the mandatory energy efficiency requirements set out in the National Construction Code (NCC).
NatHERs uses software based on scientific research by the CSIRO. It analyses house plans to identify how much energy will be needed
for heating and cooling to determine a home’s energy star rating. The more stars a home has, the more can potentially be saved on energy bills, the higher the home’s potential resale value, and of course by reducing energy needs there’s a benefit to the environment (Dept. Industry, Science and Resources, 2017).
Builders use NatHERs to show new homes or renovations meet minimum energy requirements. In 2022 the NCC updated requirements, and now states all new home building shells must have a
minimum energy efficiency of 7-stars.
This is a big deal, as in 2019 research from RMIT revealed that 80% of new housing in Australia was only built to the minimum standard (at the time 6-stars), and less than 1.5% were built to the optimal environmental and economic performance of 7.5-stars (RMIT, 2019).
This is where timber framing comes in.
In timber framed homes actual energy performance is often higher than when using other materials. Many builders have reported
that by using timber framing, they have been able to achieve home energy star ratings above 7.5-stars. Additionally, market leaders and many informed homeowners are already reportedly aiming for homes that are 8-stars and above (Sustainability Victoria, 2023).
Studies by the CSIRO and Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) both found that when assessing building materials for thermal bridging, timber framing conducts heat at a much lower rate, and that steel frames required greater in-
sulation to perform on par (FWPA, 2021).
Thermal bridges give heat an easy pathway to escape, reducing the effectiveness of insulation and a building’s energy star rating. In an airtight and insulated home, thermal bridges can account for heat loss of 20- 30%. This directly impacts star ratings generated by NatHERS (Carbon Futures, 2022).
While thermal bridging occurs in both timber and steel frames, timber framing conducts heat at a much lower rate, adding resistance to heat loss from a home.
2020
THE Tasmanian forest products industry has formed a new peak body, the Tasmanian Forest Products Association (TFPA) to represent its interests and concerns to the community and with Local, State and Federal governments.
The TFPA’s membership includes all the major growers and processors who are part of Tasmania’s sustainable forest products industry, in native forestry and plantation, softwood and hardwood.
The TFPA will be led by an inaugural Chair, Mr Bryan Hayes.
The TFPA has now started a search for the right person to head the new body as its first Chief Executive Officer.
2017
HIA PRINCIPAL Economist
Tim Reardon believes the home renovations market will return to growth this year.
The July 2017 edition of the Housing Industry Association’s Renovations Roundup report (which provides a regular in-depth review of Australia’s $32 billion home renovations market) reveals the results of the latest home renovations survey and outlines forecasts for home renovations activity on a stateby-state basis.
2012
RECENT exciting research by Forestry Tasmania, with funding from the timber industry research and development body Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), shows that LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) produced from small-diameter or lowgrade eucalypt logs can be used to produce a range of structural end-sections and appearance-grade products such as flooring, furniture and framing.
This is a great outcome; however, what is the size of the market for such LVL products? What could they be used for and who is going to buy them? It’s important that an economically sustainable market exists that growers can commit to. And this is where the research gets even more exciting.
IN a notable visit to the Hurford Timber facility in Brisbane, Responsible Wood Sustainability Manager, Matt de Jongh, experienced firsthand the unwavering commitment of Hurford Timber to sustainability.
With responsibly and sustainably sourced Australian native engineered flooring, Hurford Timber sets a shining example of dedication to preserving our precious forests.
“It was inspiring to witness Hurford Timber’s steadfast commitment to sustainability,” Mr de Jongh said.
“Their Australian native engineered flooring is a testament to their efforts in promoting responsible sourcing practices. By supporting such initiatives, we can make a positive impact on the environment and ensure the longevity of our forests.”
Carmen Forsyth, Certification Manager, Hurford Timber, expressed the pride in being recognized for their
sustainable practices.
“Our responsibly and sustainably sourced Australian native engineered flooring reflects our dedication to preserving the environment and contributing to a greener future,” she said.
With the growing concern for environmental conservation, it is crucial for companies like Hurford Timber to lead the way in sustainable practices.
Their commitment to responsible sourcing not only reduces environmental impact but also ensures the availability of resources for future generations.
Hurford Timber’s Australian native engineered flooring is crafted with meticulous attention to detail and quality.
Each plank is manufactured using sustainably sourced timber, carefully harvested and processed to meet the highest environmental standards.
By utilizing innovative techniques, Hurford Timber
ensures minimal waste and optimal use of resources throughout the manufacturing process.
“At Hurford Timber, we believe that sustainable business practices are not just a responsibility but an opportunity to create a positive impact,” Carmen said.
“Our Australian native engineered flooring embodies our commitment to both quality and sustainability.”
The visit by Responsible Wood’s Matt de Jongh further strengthens the collaboration between Hurford Timber and Responsible Wood, two entities working hand in hand to promote responsible forestry practices. By supporting such collaborations, consumers can make informed choices and contribute to a sustainable future.
To explore Hurford Timber’s exceptional range of sustainable flooring solutions, as well as other environmentally conscious products, visit their website
at http://www.hurfords.com.
au/. From stunning aesthetics to eco-friendly attributes, their products provide a winning combination for those seeking both style and sustainability in their living spaces.
“Together, through partnerships and conscious choices, we can build a more sustainable future,” Matt said.
“Hurford Timber’s commitment to responsibly sourced Australian native engineered flooring sets the bar high for the industry, inspiring others to follow suit.”
Hurford Timber’s visit by Responsible Wood Sustainability Manager, Matt de Jongh, highlights the company’s dedication to sustainable practices and their invaluable contribution to environmental conservation. With their exceptional flooring solutions, Hurford Timber paves the way for a greener future, where quality and sustainability go hand in hand.
ON Tuesday 27 June, FTMA Australia hosted our first Western Australian State Seminar in Perth which was a resounding success with a new sense of collaboration amongst fabricators.
In WA offsite prefab and lightweight timber framing only makes up about 15% of the market share and our sector is still competing against the traditional double brick. The event was organised to bring the industry together so we can work collaboratively to lift our market share and explore innovative ways in which we can truly make a difference.
The seminar was opened by the WA Housing Minister, The Hon. John Carey MLA, who stated “that our sector, plays a critical role in housing, and don’t I know it”. Minister Carey said they needed as much housing as they could get and given offsite prefabrication resulted in fasting building times, our sector could help generate more social houses quicker.
The Minister’s department has programs such as the Timber Home Program and Prefab Panelised Program which aim to increase social housing whilst creating greener homes for the future, homes which will store carbon for life.
FTMA thanks the Minister for opening our seminar and taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to fabricators. In my opinion, the Minister was a breath of fresh air who had full support for our sector increasing our market share and helping to build more timber homes in WA and we look forward to working more closely with Minister Carey and his department in the future.
It may surprise many on the East Coast but WA has continued to defer their new Fall from Heights legislation which will not come in to effect until March 2025. To explain what this decision means to the construction sector, we were joined by Tony Poulton, Construction team Manager of the WorkSafe Division of Department of Mines, Industry Regulation & Safety.
Tony explained how the new WHS Falls Regulations would work, including the transitional period for high-risk construction work and the importance of understanding the Codes of Practices (Man-
KERSTEN GENTLE Executive Officer FTMA Australia
encourage you to sign up now.
We were joined by the impressive Jon Shanks, Director of TimberED Services and WoodSolutions WA Technical Representative who presented on the impact of the new NCC Changes. I have to say for an engineer, Jon was very entertaining and had everyone’s full attention as he whipped through his 41 slides!
Even though we were preaching to the converted we went through the benefits of prefabrication of stick built such as:
• Resource wise – prefab uses up to 25% less timber than stick built.
• Reduces waste.
• Superior quality control.
• Faster construction time.
• Improved scheduling.
• Improved jobsite safety.
FTMA is recognised as the trusted representative body and unified voice for all timber frame and truss manufacturers in Australia, whilst strengthening the connection with the broad supply chain.
FTMA thanks our dedicated partners and encourages you to support those who support your industry
aging the Risks of Falls & Falls in Housing Construction).
Falls from heights is an area where we can truly gain traction with the builders, and Clinton Wells and the team at Worldwide Truss & Frame presented on their new Trafficable Ceiling Battens, which is an innovative, and engineered tested solution to help with the fall from heights.
Initially when Clint informed FTMA of the new Trafficable Ceiling Battens, he wasn’t keen on sharing with the industry, but after talking with FTMA, he recognised that to lift the market share in WA, everyone needed to work collaboratively.
Clint, not only sat down with Nick Steens of Independent Timber Supplies but also allowed Kenny McGonnell of Pinelock Systems in Albany to trial the product and the three of them sat on a panel to discuss ways in which the Trafficable Ceiling Battens could help the sector address the new fall from heights.
It wouldn’t be an FTMA event without talking about ways in which members could find their Carbon Warrior voice, as we went through the amazing resources created by WoodSolutions The Ultimate Renewable and the Timber Framing Collectives resources which members could use for free at renewabletimberframing.com.au website. These resources have been created for fabricators to use and, if you haven’t already done so, we
• Cost savings.
• Durability ensuring the final products meets all the relevant standards.
We all know the benefits, but over west we truly need to generate more marketing around the benefits of prefab over traditional stick-built framing. Everyone agreed that we need a brochure outlining these benefits which they can all use as marketing, which FTMA will generate for members.
The final session was a facilitated discussion by Kay Gerard, CEO of the Food, Fibre & Timber Industry Training Council, who reports directly to the Minister on industry skill development needs.
Unfortunately for our sector, we do not have a recognised RTO who can offer subsidised training and Kay will work with a sub-committee to further outline our training needs and generate a report for the Minister in the hope of getting some traction with training in WA,
Following the seminar, we enjoyed some great networking over drinks and canapes before finishing the day with our networking dinner.
This was the first time in well over a decade that fabricators came together to focus on their industry and everyone left with new energy and were excited to begin working collaboratively across the sector in the hope of growing our market share.
For a full list of the conditions of membership and a downloadable application form visit: ftmanews.com
THE Fair Work Commission (FWC) recently announced an increase of 5.75% to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and all Minimum Modern Award wage rates effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2023.
The new national minimum wage is $882.80 per week for a 38 hour week, $23.23 per hour and $29.04 for a casual employee. The national minimum wage order applies to award/agreement free employees, but not award covered employees.
Businesses should ensure that employees who are paid in accordance with a modern award (e.g. Timber Industry Award) or the National Minimum wage, have received the appropriate pay increase by the first full period on or after 1 July 2023.
Businesses who do not pay in accordance with the award terms and pay over award, annualised salaries or flat rates should check that their rates of pay will still satisfy all their obligations under the relevant award/minimum wage once the increases apply.
TTIA further provided Members with a comprehensive summary of the Decision and thereafter provided Members with updated summary sheets as soon as the new rates were confirmed.
If you are not a Member of TTIA and require assistance with the new rates of pay, contact the Association for further information about membership on (02) 9264 0011.
Brian Beecroft
With the election of the federal Labor government a year ago, more changes to the government’s parental leave pay scheme commenced recently.
Specifically the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Improvements for Families and Gender Equality) Act 2023, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament on 6 March 2023, introduced changes to the government’s Parental Leave Pay (‘PLP’) scheme effective from 1 July 2023. The changes aim to provide better greater flexibility and eligibility to the scheme.
Under the PLP scheme prior to 1 July 2023, eligible individuals who were the primary carer for a child who was born or adopted received up to 18 weeks’ pay at the National Minimum Wage (‘NMW’).
The first 12 weeks of PLP instalments must have been received in one continuous period within 12 months of the birth or adoption of a child. The remaining 30 pay-
able days could be taken flexibly within 24 months of the birth or adoption of a child. This coincides with an employee’s rights under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (‘FW Act’) to return to work after parental leave and the ability to take a maximum of 30 days’ parental leave flexibly within 24 months of the child’s birth or adoption date.
Eligible fathers and other partners could receive up to two weeks’ payment (oneoff) at the NMW under the Dad and Partner Pay (DAPP) scheme.
Individuals had to claim PLP or DAPP through Centrelink as eligibility for the schemes is assessed by Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services) in which relevant work, income and other eligibility tests under the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 (Cth) (‘PPL Act’) must be met.
From 1 July 2023, PLP and DAPP has been combined into one scheme which will provide eligible parent couples or single parents up to 20 weeks of PLP at the NMW. DAPP will no longer exist as a separate scheme. Eligible parents must not be working during this time or must be on leave (paid or unpaid).
Additionally:
• the whole 20 weeks of PLP instalments can be received flexibly in multiple blocks within 24 months of the child’s birth or adoption date (removing the require-
ment of the 12 weeks of PLP instalments being received in one continuous period and the 30 days’ cap previously mentioned);
• parents will be able to access PLP even when on paid leave (e.g. employerfunded parental leave, annual leave or long service leave), and in between periods of paid work;
• birth mothers or first adoptive parents will have to give approval to share any PLP days, and if shared with a partner, parents will be able to access PLP at the same time;
• for PLP that is shared between a couple, at least two weeks will be reserved for each partner to use with any unused amount of PLP days lost if not used within 24 months of the child’s birth or adoption date;
• if a person does not meet the individual income limit of $156,647 (i.e. earns more than this amount), there will be a combined family income limit of $350,000 which will be applied instead (this limit will be used whether a person is single or partnered); and
• there will be special circumstance exceptions to the work test for individuals whose ability to work during the ‘work test period’ are impacted by family and domestic violence leave, a serious medical condition (for either you or an immediate family member you care for), or a natural disaster declared by the Commonwealth or a state or territory.
These changes apply to parents with a child born or adopted on or after 1 July 2023.
There are further proposed changes to PLP including increasing the total PLP to 26 weeks by 2026, however, this is subject to legislation passing at some point in the future.
At this stage, there are no changes to the rules for when an employee can take parental leave under the FW Act which means the 30-day cap on an employee’s ability to take their 12-month unpaid parental leave flexibly (up to 24 months from the birth or adoption date of a child) still applies.
In summary, the PLP and DAPP will be combined into one scheme which will provide eligible parent couples or single parents up to 20 weeks of PLP at the NMW. There are no changes to the rules for when an employee can take parental leave under the FW Act at this point in time.
In order to be compliant with the changes, it would be wise to review your current parental leave policy and payroll system are updated for the changes that were implemented from 1 July. For further information, click on the Service Australia link - https://www. servicesaustralia.gov.au/ about-paid-parental-leavescheme?context=23121
FREDERICK Richard
O’Connell was Executive Director of the Timber Merchants’ Association (Vic) in the 1950’s. He was passionate about the timber industry and education and in his will, he left a sum of money to be used for scholarships for the children of TMA members or children of their employees.
The intention of the scholarship was to promote industrial harmony in Australia and to improve relationships between employers and employees within the timber industry.
To date, the Frederick O’Connell scholarship programme has awarded over
1.5m to worthy recipients. The scholarship lessens the burden on students and may mean they don’t have to work as many hours at a part time
job, they could put the funds towards accommodation costs or pay for textbooks.
The Frederick O’Connell Scholarship Committee was impressed with this year’s strong candidate pool. Our recipients have recently been notified and they represented Dahlsens, Drouin West Timber and Truss, Davids Timber, Bayswood Timber, Lamcal Builders Supplies and Bendigo Truss Plant.
This scholarship is unique and with preference given to candidates who are children of either employees or directors/proprietors of companies who are members of the MGA TMA, it pays to be a member.
If you would like to learn more about the Frederick O’Connell scholarship and other benefits of MGA TMA membership, please contact us on (03) 9824 4111 to discuss.
TIMBER PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE COURSE
MGA TMA in association with Timber Training Creswick (RTOid #4168), have been offering members and industry friends, a timber product knowledge course for a number of years.
The 2-day course is designed for timber and wood product salespeople who need to provide comprehensive advice to customers on
the correct timber to use for their applications.
On successful completion of the course, participants receive a Statement of Attainment in FWPCOT3302 Access and Provide Timber and Wood Product Information.
Details are as follows:
22 & 23 August 2023 9am – 4:30pm (approx.) Day 1: Suite 5/1 Milton Parade, Malvern Victoria 3144 Day 2: A full day field trip (details provided closer to the date) Register via https://www. trybooking.com/CJLMP
Our 2022 courses were sold out. Register without delay to avoid missing out.
ONE of the most extensive uses of native Australian timber in an interior fitout, combining solid timber with timber veneer, is Tokonoma Lounge Bar in Sydney by architect Matt Darwon.
The design aimed to provide a contemporary feel with a Japanese-inspired interior, and its organic shapes and flowing curves were a defining feature of the interior.
The species used throughout was spotted gum, comprised of over 5 tonnes of solid timber and 250m2 of veneer. Fabricating the curved surfaces was quite a challenge according to the design architect.
For the 28m long bar timber planks were cut into 5mm thick ‘veneer’ leaves which were then sanded and pressed together in a curve with a radius of 2800mm..
Three of these shapes were then edge glued together to
form a quarter circle, taking into account springback and tension-altering effects.
The laminations of 5mm spotted gum gave the appearance of solid timber to the curved ends of the bar top, but achieving the required curve would have been extremely difficult with one piece of solid timber. The result was a furniture item with the strength and aesthetic qualities of solid timber that was, in fact, timber veneer.
More conventional timber veneers were used in other elements of the fitout, from wall panelling to waiters’ stations, banquette seating, kickboards and tabletops. These curved pieces required the manufacture of 1.5mm
‘bending ply’, made by laminating 3 layers of veneer together and bending them over a mould at the required radius.
Products, and veneers were pressed onto MDF by Processed Forest Products. Tokonoma Bar received an honourable mention when entered in the Australian Timber Design Awards.
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Veneer pressed to provide curved finishPETER LLEWELLYN Technical representative, Timber Veneer Association of Australia
