Work has officially commenced at Timberlink’s NeXTimber manufacturing facility in Tarpeena, South Australia. On completion, the purpose-built manufacturing plant, which is co-located with Timberlink’s state-of-the-art timber manufacturing facility, will occupy a massive 15,000 square metres of space, large enough to house twelve Olympic sized swimming pools.
The commencement of the $63 million construction project 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 and GLT products are set to reduce imports and support faster adoption of carbon positive renewable mass timber construction, replacing steel and concrete in mid- and high-rise construction. The project has commenced just days after the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation announced $300 million in funding 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.
Underlining their commitment to product and service excellence, Timberlink 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.
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 enable 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 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.
