Victorian Forest Products Association

15/10/2026

🌱 VFPA Newsflash: Australia's Next Manufacturing Opportunity Discussed at The Precinct Investor Symposium

Co-hosted by The Precinct and VFPA, The Precinct Investor Symposium brought together 120 industry leaders, policymakers, and investors in Melbourne yesterday to hear from an expert speaker lineup on current trends, challenges and opportunities for engineered wood products and prefabricated construction.

New Forests founder and plantation investment leader Dr David Brand, Raute engineered wood products specialist Roumiana Vassileva, and Professor Dan Hill, Director of the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne, were amongst the speakers to unpack the market opportunity in Australia's timber-based building systems.

The Precinct proposition presents a significant opportunity to advance our sovereign manufacturing capability, displace import reliance and create regional jobs, and the investment window is now.

Also announced at the Symposium, Tim Woods will spearhead The Precinct project as the initial CEO, with Timberlink Australia & New Zealand joining as the most recent industry partner.

Thank you to all the symposium speakers and to Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI), the Victorian Government and industry partners for supporting The Precinct project.

14/10/2026

The Precinct is a critical timber manufacturing project for Western Victoria. Read more below 👇🏻

A proposed southwest Victorian timber manufacturing precinct is seeking investors, with the potential to create 354 jobs and add more than $200m to the local economy.
>>> https://shorturl.at/sSgC0

05/10/2026

🌱 VFPA Election Update: Industry Calls for Political Backing

VFPA members have joined forces and are advocating for all political parties to commit to developing a refreshed, future-focused vision for our industry if they form government.

The wood fibre industry is calling for all political parties to back Australia's #1 plantation state this election by:

🌳 Committing to a new Timber Strategy and 10-year Action Plan - to unlock regional projects and support sovereign timber manufacturing
🌳 Appoint a designated ‘Minister for Plantation Industries and Wood Fibre’ - with clear responsibility for industry across government

Thank you to VFPA's members for amplifying this important message.


HVP Plantations

28/09/2026

🌲 VFPA Newsflash: Timber Can Reduce Embodied Impact

Producing timber generally uses less energy than making many alternative structural materials. That helps reduce embodied carbon, or the emissions generated during the production of building materials.

A building's environmental impact begins long before occupancy - choosing timber framing can give you a positive head start.

Together with FTMA Australia and WoodSolutions, we're equipping the built environment with simple, credible talking points about timber.

Help put timber back in the conversation by sharing this post.

21/09/2026

🔦 VFPA Member Spotlight: ASH Appointed Supplier for Albert Park Pit Building Redevelopment

It's so exciting to see VFPA member Australian Sustainable Hardwoods appointed as the mass engineered timber supplier for the Albert Park Pit Building redevelopment.

Development Victoria is delivering the redevelopment on behalf of DJSIR to meet the contemporary requirements of hosting the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and to maximise its use by the community.

ASH will provide its MASSLAM glue-laminated timber, manufactured from Plantation Oak to meet the structural and sustainability demands of the Albert Park project.

It's amazing to see VFPA members continue to showcase how mass timber enables faster project delivery and reduced embodied carbon in the built environment. 👏

Learn more about the project here: https://www.development.vic.gov.au/projects/albert-park?page=overview

21/09/2026

🌲 VFPA Newsflash: Timber is Fast and Flexible

The ability to adapt can be just as important as the original plan. Timber's versatility allows it to be cut, shaped and modified using familiar tools, helping builders adapt quickly when last-minute changes are required onsite to keep projects moving.

For frame and truss manufacturers, this flexibility is a real point of difference to raise with builders: timber frames and trusses can be adjusted on site with standard tools and minimal specialist equipment, so unexpected changes don't mean costly delays or re-engineering from scratch. It's a practical reason for builders to choose timber over less forgiving materials, and one your team can speak to with confidence.

Together with FTMA Australia and WoodSolutions, we're putting timber back in the conversation.

Reshare this post or visit the WoodSolutions website for more timber framing conversation starters. https://loom.ly/mSJSRMU

18/09/2026

🌱 VFPA Newsflash: Global Experts to Headline 'The Precinct' Investor Symposium

The future of Australia’s housing will rely on advanced manufacturing, driving prefabrication solutions, anchored in timber-based building systems, especially engineered wood products produced from the nation’s plantation resources.

That future will be the centrepiece of The Precinct Investor Symposium in Melbourne on 14 October 2026, where three internationally recognised leaders in plantation market analysis, engineered wood manufacturing and architectural design will outline how Australia can build a domestic value chain linking plantations, products and prefabrication.

IndustryEdge Managing Director Woods, Raute engineered wood products specialist Vassileva, and Melbourne School of Design Director Professor Hill will deliver a keynote program examining the changing face of Australia’s plantation industry and the opportunity to connect this established resource with the way homes will be designed and built in the future.

“Australia imports enormous amounts of engineered wood products and other building materials. We have to turn that around, reduce our wood fibre exports and rapidly increase our sovereign manufacturing to increase national resilience in housing,” Mr Woods said.

The Precinct Investor Symposium will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 14 October 2026.

To learn more visit: www.theprecinctportland.com.au

Read the full press release here: https://loom.ly/aYzRl2Y

17/09/2026

🌱 VFPA Newsflash: Industry Roundtable with the Nationals

Big thank you to Emma Kealy MP, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Victoria, for taking the time to meet with Victorian Forest Products Association members yesterday for an industry roundtable in Hamilton.

It was a valuable opportunity for industry leaders to discuss the major priorities and opportunities facing Victoria’s plantation and wood fibre sector ahead.

Our discussion covered a wide range of issues, including the urgent need for development of a new timber strategy & action plan for Victoria, plantation establishment and investment, environmental approvals and the importance of strong representation for our wood fibre industries across government.

Thank you to Emma for the very constructive discussions and to our members who contributed their perspectives and experience. 👏

16/09/2026

🌲 2026 Victorian Election: The emergence of the wood fibre bioeconomy

Wood fibre presents a real opportunity to support our sovereign fuel production as a 'value-add', without requiring any additional land clearing or land set aside.

Unlike other industries, the residues wood fibre already produces (bark, sawdust, offcuts, biomass) can be utilised as a feedstock to power mills and be processed into low carbon liquid fuels (LCLF).

The current bioeconomy and cleaner fuels conversation is driving real interest, with the federal consultation on Securing Australia’s Cleaner Fuels Industry closing this week.

We must continue to make sure wood fibre is securely in that conversation.

We need a 10-year wood fibre action plan to realise regional potential, support bio-based innovation and drive advanced manufacturing in Victoria. From sawlogs to biofuel, Victoria needs a plan to unlock its sovereign capability.

Sign up to receive election updates straight to your inbox: https://loom.ly/m_FTHTg

15/09/2026

📣VFPA Newsflash: Register for The Precinct Industry Briefing Webinar

VFPA strategic partner The Precinct is holding a free industry briefing webinar to share exclusive insight into The Precinct's development and milestone achievements.

From plantations to products to prefabrication, attendees will hear up-to-date market intelligence and learn how global-scale plantations and world-leading technology could reshape Australia’s timber-based housing value chain.

Hosted by Russ Hughes, Chair of The Precinct and former CEO of Australian Bluegum Plantations Pty Ltd, the webinar will feature Head of The Precinct, Tim Woods and guest speaker Roumiana Vassileva, Raute Corporation’s international engineered wood products specialist.

Join the innovation conversation online, 15 October, 3:30pm-4:30pm.

Register for the webinar here: https://loom.ly/_XKBUbc

An industry-exclusive webinar, updating key achievements and ongoing work of The Precinct.