The Future of Forestry in Victoria: What’s next for Radial Timber?

The Future of Forestry in Victoria: What’s next for Radial Timber?

With the closure of native hardwood timber harvesting in Victoria in January 2024, many in the timber and construction industry are asking “Where will our timber come from?”

It is a fair question ….

For decades, native hardwood timber harvesting has provided a large portion of hardwood supply for decking, flooring, weatherboards, architectural cladding and linings to name a few.  The closure of hardwood forests in Victoria has created real gaps in supply, understanding and confidence in the future of Victorian forestry.

The good news is that there is Timber and it is Sustainable ….

At Radial Timber, we have always believed in planning for the future.  Since 2004, we have been laying the groundwork for a truly sustainable business by establishing our own hardwood plantations.  This long term approach ensures that our timber is not only renewable but responsibly sourced, helping to create a self sufficient supply that benefits both the environment and our customers.

As a business our goal is to work towards operating a truly circular hardwood plantation based sawmilling system that’s:

• Sustainable: All timber is sourced from regrowth or plantations under strict environmental controls.
• Efficient: Our patented radial sawing method maximises recovery from smaller logs, reduces waste and makes better use of plantation grown timber.
• Future ready: We can use younger, smaller diameter plantation or regrowth logs thinned during early forest management, a resource many overlook.

We aim to highlight the importance of plantation grown hardwood in Victoria and show how, when processed smartly and efficiently, it can deliver real value across the industry.

Our Plans at Radial Timber

We have learnt a lot since establishing our plantations in 2004.  Today, our hardwood model is more diverse and resilient than ever, evolving from four species to six.  All carefully selected for their durability, ecological suitability and long term market value.  Our updated specie mix includes: Yellow Stringybark, Silvertop Ash, Spotted Gum, Coastal Grey Box, Red Ironbark and Southern Mahogany expanding the range of high durability timbers available to our customers.

Radial Timbers adaptive, experience based approach to sustainable forestry, particularly in response to recent changes across Victoria has already led to product innovation.  Our popular Board & Batten cladding is now produced using 100% plantation grown Southern Gippsland Blue Gum, a renewable resource aligned with our long term commitment to responsible timber production with goals to incorporate more species as they become mature for harvest.

We have recently installed a pilot pyrolysis plant which converts waste wood and saw dust into two valuable by-products, biochar and bioenergy.  This innovative technology enables us to turn timber waste into biochar which is then returned to our plantations to help improve soil health.  At the same time, the system generates clean heat and energy to help power our mill operations reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and significantly reducing our carbon foot print.

As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainability, Radial Timber is actively enhancing our mills capacity to produce engineered wood products through the commissioning of an LVL mill. This will give us the opportunity to turn often overlooked and undervalued, thinning rotation logs from our plantations into viable engineered wood products for the market. These advancements support our broader strategy to ensure the longevity, adaptability and environmental performance of our operations.

As the resource landscape changes, one thing remains the same Radial Timber will continue to supply the products builders, architects and designers trust. Our full range of cladding, screening, decking and lining boards will remain core to our operations. These products are central to our identity and will continue to be manufactured to the same high standards of durability, performance and aesthetic appeal. As our plantations mature and our technologies advance, our focus is on ensuring reliable supply, improved efficiency and the same natural beauty that the market has come to expect from Radial Timber.

Our transition to plantation-grown hardwoods is not about changing what we produce, it’s about securing it for the future.

We are and always will be ‘sustainable by design’.