New timber research hub to transform sustainable construction

Assistant Minister for Education, Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm officially launched the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment (Advance Timber Hub) at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus today.

Led by the University of Queensland, the Advance Timber Hub aims to transform Australia’s timber and construction sectors by finding new methods to encourage growth in timber innovation and the uptake of timber use in buildings.

Assistant Minister Chisholm said the Advance Timber Hub, funded through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program, demonstrates the benefits of investing in publicly funded research in Australia.

“Australians want our country to be a nation that makes things through sustainable practices, but this can only be done when we back initiatives like the ARC’s Linkage Program, which promotes innovative national and international research collaboration and partnerships with global suppliers,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.

“The Advance Timber Hub will enable an advanced manufacturing transformation of Australia’s timber and construction industries, supporting resource diversification and creating new opportunities for regional development and employment.

“The Hub will help Australia’s timber and construction sectors transition to a circular and net-zero economy, supporting the Albanese Government’s commitment to increasing the use of sustainable timber in the built environment by 2030,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said. 

Acting ARC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Johnson congratulated Professor Keith Crews and his team for bringing together a range of universities and industry and other partners as part of this excellent research initiative. 

“The ARC Linkage Program is highly competitive and this Hub is one of only four to be funded in 2022 as part of a $17.7 million government investment in the Industrial Transformation Research scheme,” Dr Johnson said.

The ARC is providing funding support of $2.95 million over 5 years under its Industrial Transformation Research Hubs scheme, with a further $3.4 million in cash and $8.8 million through in-kind contributions.

You can find out more information about the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program here.

ENDS