The first sod at South Australia’s Forestry Centre of Excellence was turned at UniSA’s Mt Gambier campus. “The driving force” for the Green Triangle, the research, education and training centre, is a 10-year collaborative project between the State, the University of South Australia (UniSA), and industry, which since December 2023 has operated from UniSA’s campus.
Designed by Russell and Yelland, the centre, slated to open next year, will showcase local timber and conduct long-term R&D for the Green Triangle’s forest industry, dubbed “a powerhouse of the Australian forestry industry.”
“This year marks 150 years of innovation and experience in growing and producing world-class forestry products in South Australia, and the work and research that will emerge from this advanced facility will ensure the industry is well placed for the next 150 years,” according to Claire Scriven, South Australia’s Minister for Primary Industries, Regional Development and Forest Industries, who was joined by FCoE Director Professor Jeff Morrell, UniSA Standing Acting Vice Chancellor Distinguished Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, and Nathan Paine, CEO of Australian Forest Products Association (SA branch) on site Thursday.
Professor Morrell, appointed FCoE Director earlier this year, said the new centre would be a “driving force” for the forestry industry: “It will advance research, strengthen economic development and – most importantly – build local expertise, ensuring that forestry in the Green Triangle remains a competitive and sustainable sector for the generation to come.”
According to Professor David Lloyd, UniSA was pleased to support an industry that contributed more than $860 million to the State’s economy each year: “Turning the first sod on the new Forestry Centre of Excellence also coincides with exciting new beginnings for South Australia’s university sector, with UniSA and the University of South Australia set to merge in January 2026 to form Adelaide University.”
“The Forestry Centre of Excellence will benefit enormously from the combined expertise and resources of Adelaide University, drawing on the skills of our researchers to develop innovative solutions and best practices to future-proof the state’s forestry sector for generations to come,” he said.
- To learn more about the Centre of Excellence and Professor Morrell’s involvement at the new centre, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from February 2025.
