Introducing the FWPA SMAC Monthly Newsletter
Welcome to the first edition of the FWPA Softwood Manufacturers Advisory Committee (SMAC) monthly newsletter. This update has been curated specifically for Executive and Technical SMAC members and will be sent each month covering everything happening across FWPA: R&D, Statistics and Economics, Codes and Standards, and the Built Environment.
This initiative is designed to add further value to the services FWPA already provides. Feedback on content is always welcome.
Industry Health Check
Dr Erick Hansnata’s latest analysis highlights some key shifts in the market. The combined share of townhouses and low-to-midrise apartment approvals has risen by 30%, reflecting a broader change in how Australia builds. Analysis published in August 2025 unpacks the relationship between timber prices and dwelling construction, while the latest structural and packaging sales data and forecasts from July 2025 are also now available through the FWPA data dashboard.
SMAC Update
The 5th SMAC meeting was held in Bunbury, WA, focused on brainstorming strategy and priorities for the sector. Plans are underway for an externally facilitated CEO and Senior Executive meeting to finalise vision setting and R&D prioritisation, with Sarah Nolet from Tenacious engaged as facilitator following her work on the GRAC CEO+1 Priority Setting Session.
Research and Development
Several significant R&D initiatives are underway:
The “Building a Low-Carbon Future” project provides an emissions snapshot using 2023 as the baseline and maps out pathways for the sector to become a net sequester of carbon. It has recently undergone peer review by Fabiano Ximenes and is close to being finalised.
The on-farm greenhouse gas emissions gap analysis, led by Blair Freeman at Indufor and funded by DAFF, is being conducted across all agriculture via the Rural R&D Corporations, with the final report due December 2025.
FWPA has also joined an AI Alliance across all Rural Research and Development Corporations to explore opportunities for artificial intelligence across the sector, with seed funding planned for a 12-month period ahead of a more substantial investment proposal expected in March 2026.
Work is also underway to upload hundreds of research reports from the former National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) into an FWPA historical R&D library, aimed at minimising research duplication and enabling data mining of previously untapped findings.
The Future Framing Initiative continues to unite the full building ecosystem, from lightweight timber suppliers through to designers, fabricators, educators and installers, to create scalable, high-quality timber framing standards that drive competitiveness across the sector.
The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (NCTDDL) is a globally leading centre backed by FWPA, UniSC, UQ and QDPIF, tackling timber lifespan, durability and design innovation across 14 major projects. A Circular Economy Project has recently received a $75,000 grant from South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions for a “Co-Pilot Proof of Concept” on reusing vineyard posts, and a new LOSP quality assurance project will begin shortly.
AFWI Collaborations
The three AFWI Research Centres now have approved business plans. FWPA is working with AFWI to streamline R&D initiation, ensuring each project is industry-driven and efficient.
AFWI will host a dedicated ‘Path to 2035’ panel session at the Forestry Australia Conference in Adelaide (20-23 October 2025), and has partnered with FWPA on an inaugural Innovation Workshop focused on Bioproducts and Value-Added Opportunities from Forest Fibre and Residues (24 October 2025, Melbourne).
Important Dates
- 20-23 October 2025: Forestry Australia Conference, Adelaide
- 24 October 2025: Inaugural AFWI Innovation Workshop, Melbourne
- 19 November 2025 (3pm): FWPA AGM
