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The official opening of Timberlink’s NeXTimber in Tarpeena expands options for the construction industry’s cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber market.
Timberlink’s new cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (GLT) manufacturing plant in Tarpeena, South Australia, has been officially opened by the Premier of South Australia. The NeXTimber facility is set to bolster the state’s $1.4 billion forest industries. (main pic: (left to right): South Australian Premier the Hon. Peter Malinauskas MP, Minister for Primary Industries, Regional Development and Forest Industries the Hon. Clare Scriven MLC, Timberlink CEO Paul O’Keefe, SAFPA Chair Tammy Auld, Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell MP, Timberlink Chief Sales, Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer David Oliver, SAFPA CEO Nathan Paine inside the NeXTimber facility.)
The opening ceremony, held on February 29, was attended by over 300 guests, including the Hon. Peter Malinauskas MP, Premier of South Australia, and the Hon. Clare Scriven, MLC, Minister for Primary Industries, Regional Development and Forest Industries.
Timberlink first announced the development of their new mass timber manufacturing plant in 2019, and since that date, Timberlink has invested over $90 million. This investment included the installation of new machinery and the creation of over 200 jobs during the construction phase.
In Premier Malinauskas’s opening speech, he highlighted the facility’s potential to contribute to the construction of taller and more complex timber buildings, stating, “This unique facility in South Australia’s Limestone Coast presents tremendous opportunities for value adding, product diversification and market expansion for the state’s $1.4 billion forest industries.”
The NeXTimber facility is Australia’s only combined CLT and GLT radiata pine mass timber facility, integrated with a structural timber manufacturing plant. Capable of producing CLT panels up to 16 metres long and 3.5 metres wide, and GLT beams up to 12 metres long, Timberlink has positioned the facility to offer a clear and sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials.
Prior to the opening of the manufacturing plant, during the last three years, NeXTimber has embarked on a pre-sales and educational program to raise awareness and generate pre-orders for their new facility.
The project was also supported by a $2 million grant from the South Australian government under the Strategic Business Round 2020 of the Regional Growth Fund.
Minister Clare Scriven praised the facility’s role in continuing South Australia’s tradition of innovation in the forest industries. “This new facility at Tarpeena continues that tradition of innovation, both by showcasing some of the world’s best new innovations and supporting greener, secure and modern employment opportunities,” she said.
David Oliver, Timberlink’s Chief Sales, Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer, emphasised the importance of the Tarpeena green mill upgrade in supporting the local economy and jobs in the Limestone Coast region. Timberlink CEO Paul O’Keefe also highlighted the company’s alignment with the Australian government’s COP28 commitment to increase the use of timber in the built environment by 2030.”
