This is good news for Australia’s construction industry, which annually contributes $156 billion to the economy and is under pressure to build houses faster to meet demand.

FWPA is a not-for-profit industry services company — sometimes referred to as an RDC (rural research and development corporation) — funded by the Federal Government, member levies and research grants.

Working with wood

FWPA commissioned More Houses Sooner, a landmark report that revealed almost 2.5 million new dwellings are needed by 2034 to achieve affordability. This equates to around 225,400 new dwellings per year to keep pace with Australia’s growing population (forecast to reach 31 million) and address historic unmet demand.

One of the fastest ways to rectify the current imbalance of supply and demand, says FWPA’s head of Built Environment Programs, Kevin Peachey, is to increase prefabricated timber use in both stand-alone housing and multi-residential construction.

“There are opportunities and challenges for the industry,” Peachey says. “Leveraging prefabrication systems and factory-based manufacturing offers reduced costs and construction times compared to conventional methods.

“Systemic change is required. Australia will benefit from more efficient use of timber in the built environment, as this will help meet one of society’s most important and pressing needs of building more houses sooner.”

Being lightweight, but also strong and easy to work with, timber enables faster construction times. When components are prefabricated — such as walls, floors, frames and roof trusses — builders can work with even greater speed and precision, reducing site delays and labour costs, adding to the economic benefits of using wood products.

Timber also uses less energy than other building materials. Steel, for instance, relies on coal as part of an energy-intensive manufacturing process that contributes up to 9 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions internationally.

By contrast, timber can be produced with a much lower reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in a much smaller carbon footprint. Versatile and renewable, trees can also be regrown and replanted for continuous supply.

Housing products a natural carbon sink

Best of all is the way trees naturally sequester and store carbon as they begin to grow, which means the wood products they later become also continue to store that carbon — it doesn’t suddenly escape into the atmosphere once it becomes a table, for example.

“Timber house frames, furniture and flooring all hold that carbon for decades, so choosing timber over more carbon-intensive materials is one of the fastest ways to reduce emissions,” notes Downey. “It makes sense to include more timber when building as it’s an easy gain in terms of carbon storage.”

The natural insulation properties of timber can help reduce energy bills for heating and cooling, too, which not only saves dollars but also further reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

So, how do we know the timber products are certified sustainable? “If it’s stamped FSC or PEFC, you know it’s passed strict checks for forest regeneration, wildlife protection and ethical supply chains,” explains Downey.

Adds Peachey: “Supporting renewable wood means supporting an Australian supply chain that values stewardship, land regeneration and innovation in low-emissions construction. More Australians can realise the dream of owning a home if builders utilise more wood.”