Delegates gathering for the hospitality hour at the close of the Timber Offsite Construction Conference in Melbourne on Tuesday were talking as one on the timely choice of the theme ‘Timber & Technology: A Zero Carbon Future’.
This was the right time, the right place and the right audience for Andrew Dunn and Kevin Ezard, driving forces behind the event, to focus on wood’s environmental solution … exciting also as the message was absorbed by building professionals who made up about 70% of the 200-plus audience.
Dr Alastair Woodard, a director of Technical Promotion and Consulting and general manager of Wood Products Victoria, observed: “A carbon future is red hot right now and designers, developers, and engineers, all mass timber enthusiasts, are bristling with solutions to incorporate embodied carbon in their designs.”
Case studies are always the highlight of the conference, and Alastair pointed to two outstanding examples – the Murdoch University building in Perth and the T3 project in Collingswood.
“These mass timber projects show Australia can really punch above its weight. When you look at our population and put it beside the buildings we are producing, well, it shows some fantastic examples.”.
“But we also need more sector players to be involved in the mainstream of these exciting initiatives, many of them built or under way,” Andrew said.
“The conference has always focused on the timber industry. But Andrew and Kevin have expanded this out to building professionals which is paying off big time.
“Delegates left the building a united group, determined to work together in a more collaborative way.
“At the same time, the conference still recognises the value of the critical residential market and the frame and truss components that have been the backbone of our industry and remain so.”
Wood Central continues to promote the carbon advantages of wood and supports the NSW Embodied Carbon Rules “that pave the way to net zero”.
From October 2023, NSW architects and developers must measure embodied carbon in their designs, part of the new Sustainable Buildings State Environment Policy, a shift from energy emissions to reducing embodied carbon.
Forests and the wood they produce remain one of the most reliable removers of carbon – to the tune of about 8 gigatons a year, according to a 2023 study.
And the world is on track to harvest 50% more wood by 2050.
Australia’s timber producers, processors and builders are ready and prepared for the challenge.
