Under the leadership of FWPA, industry academia and government institutions have partnered to create the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life. Designed to put Australia at the forefront of international best practice – and enable specifiers to confidently choose the most appropriate products for each application.
Launched by the Federal Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, the Centre will be based at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). Partners include the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). The State and Federal Government will also contribute funding along with FWPA and a group of other universities.
The Centre will create a world-leading predictive model to enable architects and building specifiers to guide them in selecting the most appropriate timber product depending on its application.
In addition, the Centre will provide an automated evidence-based tool to accurately predict the structural performance and design life of timber depending on where and how it is being used. The project has a five-year timeframe.
USC Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Roland De Marco said the establishment of this tripartite research partnership is an exciting development.
Professor De Marco believes that by connecting national and international leaders in forestry research through USC, UQ and Queensland DAF, the Centre will represent the pressing research needs of industry, as managed by FWPA, in the field of timber durability and design life.
“Through the appointment of a world-class, industry-engaged professor – together with the appointment of a significant number of supporting research associates and students – this centre will establish a critical mass of world-class expertise,” he said.
Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston said: “This, in turn, will enable the Australian industry to position itself at the leading edge of Innovation and research are essential to the future of the Australian timber industry.”
“It is even more essential now with timber’s resurgence as a renewable, carbon-positive and increasingly versatile construction material.”
“The Australian Government is very pleased to support the launch of the Centre through Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA).”
“FWPA received $3.8 million in Commonwealth matched funding in 2015-16, and the Government has further committed up to $4.6 million to match voluntary contributions made by industry to FWPA for eligible research and development.”
