The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life has officially launched the Vineyard Post Reuse Pilot in South Australia, marking a significant step forward in advancing timber circularity.
Turning investment into practical industry solutions
The pilot forms part of the industry-funded Timber Circularity Project, led by the National Centre in collaboration with Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), the Australian Forest Products Association and Wine Australia.
Through this investment, FWPA is supporting the development of practical, commercially viable end-of-life pathways for treated timber and engineered wood products, helping strengthen sustainability outcomes and unlock new value across the supply chain and potentially saving the industry up to $3000 per hectare in disposal costs.
Delivering real-world benefits
The project has already mapped unused wood resources, assessed regulatory and logistical barriers, and evaluated recovery solutions.
This pilot will now generate real-world data on processing requirements such as denailing and resizing, transport logistics, market opportunities and economic viability. Additional funding was also provided from the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions, as part of the South Australian Wine Recovery Program, and the FABAL Group has been engaged to process end-of-life vineyard posts for reuse, providing practical insight into scalable recovery models.
For industry, this means:
- Reduced waste and lower disposal costs
- New market opportunities for recovered timber
- Stronger circular economy credentials
- Enhanced environmental performance
Collaboration driving circular outcomes
Professor Tripti Singh said the pilot demonstrates the power of coordinated action:
“We are developing practical pathways for the reuse of CCA-treated vineyard posts and other end-of-life timber products, demonstrating what collaboration across research, industry and government can achieve.”
The Timber Circularity Project is funded by Forest and Wood Products Australia, Australian Forest Products Association, Wine Australia, Frame & Truss Manufacturing Association, Koppers Performance Chemicals, Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia, Hexion and Azelis.
