Australia’s first Cross Laminated Timber manufacturing plant

Australia’s first Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) manufacturing plant will be built in the Albury Wodonga region, representing a $25 million investment and creating 54 local jobs.

Announced today, the high tech sustainable timber facility will produce 60,000m3 of CLT each year, which is enough to construct the equivalent of one Forte Melbourne – Australia’s greenest apartment building – every week.

CLT is a high tech alternative to concrete, made with sustainable plantation timber.

XLam has been manufacturing the innovative and versatile building material in New Zealand for five years and shipping it to Australia, in competition with European importers.

XLam has been assessing possible Australian sites for the facility over the last year, and has now selected the Albury Wodonga region, with a final site to be announced in the coming weeks.

Operational mid 2017, the new facility will be the sole manufacturer of CLT in Australia, and one of the most technologically advanced CLT plants worldwide.

XLam CEO Gary Caulfield said the investment would be a game-changer in the Australian market.

“For the first time Australian builders will be able to choose a CLT product that is designed and made in Australia from Australian timber, meeting a significant demand in the current market,” Mr Caulfield said.

“It’ll also mean the jobs and proceeds stay in Australia, rather than going back to Europe.

“By building this facility in Albury Wodonga we’ll be in easy reach of Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra via the road and rail networks, and from there Australia wide.

“We’re eager to work with the Albury Wodonga communities to build an incredible facility, and become an asset to the region.”

The announcement was made today at the Frame Australia Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne.