First sod turned on Hyne Timber's Glulam expansion

First sod turned on Hyne Timber's Glulam expansion

By David Rowlinson  January 17th, 2019

Hyne Timber were joined by the Acting Queensland Premier and Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, the Honourable Cameron Dick, local member, Bruce Saunders MP and Mayor, George Seymour on 17th January to officially turn the first sod ahead of construction of their new Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) production plant.

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First sod turned on Hyne Timber’s Glulam expansion

Hyne Timber were joined by the Acting Queensland Premier and Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, the Honourable Cameron Dick, local member, Bruce Saunders MP and Mayor, George Seymour on 17thJanuary to officially turn the first sod ahead of construction of their new Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) production plant.

News of the massive capability expansion in Maryborough was announced last October after the company secured a grant through the Queensland Government Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.

During the sod turning ceremony, Hyne Timber’s CEO, Jon Kleinschmidt said the new building will be constructed using the company’s own products. “The new building will be constructed using our own GLT, manufactured at our existing plant in Maryborough to further showcase capability and over 40 years of GLT manufacturing experience.

“Further, Hyne Timber remains committed to using Queensland products and services throughout delivery of this construction project with a priority on Fraser Coast businesses where possible.

“Every part of this development will celebrate and showcase Queensland businesses and skills as so many businesses and people have supported us over our 137 years of operations.” Mr Kleinschmidt said.

With construction due to commence within the next few weeks, up to 80 jobs will be created in what has been labelled by local service providers as one of Maryborough’s largest developments in recent history.

Hyne Timber’s GLT Sales Manager, John Hesse said the company has been experiencing an increase in both enquiries and demand in GLT as consumers search for sustainable building solutions. “There is little doubt that responsibly sourced timber is experiencing a renaissance for a range of reasons but predominantly for its environmental credentials.

“In addition to the standard residential housing market where GLT is usually covered up, we are seeing more and more GLT designed and specified in projects such as, schools, offices, healthcare and public spaces where the GLT is used for the key structural components while also providing a beautiful natural aesthetic.

“There is currently a lack of Australian supply options so the commissioning of the new, additional plant towards the end of the year presents a game changer for construction. This new, highly automated plant will increase volumes, improve the speed of delivery while broadening our product capability to capitalise on new growth opportunities,” Mr Hesse said.

Feedstock to meet the increase in capacity is secured from Hyne Timber’s own sawmill, also located near Maryborough.

In an age where climate change and environmental credentials are important community values, Hyne Timber is proud to produce products from certified, sustainable, locally grown plantation softwood.

It’s renewable, recyclable, waste efficient, biodegradable, non-toxic and it locks away carbon. In fact, up to 50 per cent of the dry weight of timber is carbon that the growing tree has removed from the atmosphere. Once harvested, all trees are replanted so the cycle can commence once again, generating more oxygen while removing more carbon and securing local jobs into the future.

Embodied carbon emissions in the construction sector account for over 23 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. The production and processing of timber uses much less energy than most other, more carbon intensive building materials such as steel and concrete. As a general rule, if we can replace a cubic metre of concrete with a cubic metre of timber, about a tonne (1000 kilograms) of CO2 emissions will be avoided.

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By David Rowlinson

Make it Wood Program Manager

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