Why It Matters
The Precinct delivers the system from plantation to products to prefabricated dwelling components in an integrated hub in the heart of the Green Triangle.
Australia is at a critical point in its housing and manufacturing journey
Demand for new homes continues to grow, while expectations around speed of delivery, affordability and carbon performance are rising.
At the same time, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen domestic manufacturing capability by making better use of Australia’s renewable timber resources and further supporting Australia’s transition to a lower carbon economy.
Foundations already in place
The Green Triangle, centred in Portland, already has many of the foundations in place.
It is one of Australia’s most productive plantation forestry regions, supported by a skilled workforce, with established transport links and proximity to the Port of Portland.
Yet much of the value from this resource is still realised elsewhere, with Australia increasingly reliant on imported timber products for housing construction.
$1 Billion
imported engineered wood products each year
Each year, Australia imports close to $1 billion of engineered wood products and wood panels used mainly in houses, townhouses and apartments.
These are core building materials The Precinct aims to manufacture locally from certified plantation timber grown in the Green Triangle.
Australia’s reliance on imports reflects long-standing fragmentation across supply chains and limited investment in domestic processing capacity, rather than a lack of resource or capability.
From Fragmentation to Value Creation
From Fragmentation to Integration
The Precinct concept and strategy and feasibility works are helping bridge that gap.
By bringing the full system, from plantation to products to prefabricated home components into an integrated advanced manufacturing facility in Portland, the Precinct is designed to capture value locally, supporting a more connected and highly efficient timber-based construction supply chain.
Transforming Fibre for Australian Homes
The Precinct will enable both hardwood (Eucalyptus Globlulus) and softwood (Pinus Radiata) plantation fibre - including material with no traditional domestic end use - to be transformed into high-value engineered wood products and building components made in Australia, for Australian homes.
These products and the entire Precinct will play an important role in Australia’s transition to a lower carbon economy. Increasing the use of engineered wood products supports emissions reduction objectives because timber is a long-term store of carbon.
Through a series of value cascades, spanning sawn timber, veneers, finger-jointed boards, packaging timbers, advanced engineered products and pre-fabrication, The Precinct is designed to use fibre resources with optimum efficiency.
