An Australian researcher is looking to turn “low-value” pulp trees into tomorrow’s structural timber. Louise Wallis, deputy director of the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture, is now leading a team of the country’s best researchers investigating whether plantation blue gums—which see more than 80% go to woodchip—can be engineered into cross-laminated timber, glulam beams and high-value sawn boards.
In partnership with WA’s Wespine mill, her team is refining sawing profiles, adhesive systems, and drying protocols to maximise yield, strength, and durability—and tackle Australia’s looming timber shortage in the 2030s.
Australia’s plantation estate is at its smallest in more than 20 years, forcing builders to import over 75 per cent of framing timber for new homes. “We have plenty of blue gum,” Wallis explains, “yet most is destined for pulp. Our goal is to repurpose it into engineered products that meet strict structural standards.” Success could stabilise domestic supply, dampen price volatility and cut the carbon footprint of housing construction.
Next month at Timber Construct, Wallis will chair Innovation in Wood – High-Performance Timber Products for Modern Construction. Highlights include:
• Point-Supported Mass Timber Building Systems: Dr Richard Nero (University of Melbourne) will reveal how point-supported mass timber can replace continuous bearing walls, covering structural analysis, connection detailing, span optimisation and deflection control through mid-rise case studies.
• Rock Wool Research: Andy Russell (Proctor Australia/DTech) and Jeremy Church (NeXTimber) will showcase stone wool’s triple-performance advantage—fire resistance, thermal insulation and acoustic control—backed by testing data, installation techniques and high-rise project examples.
• Innovation Marketplace: Rapid-fire briefs from Sebastian Jaimes (Rothoblass) on advanced connectors and Gareth Connell (Integrain – Cabot’s) on intumescent timber coatings.
Tickets for October 13–14 are now on sale, with early-bird pricing available until September 26. “TimberConstruct is more than a conference—it’s our moment to reclaim the frame and reimagine Australia’s housing future,” says organiser Andrew Dunn.
