Timber Construction and Building Height Planning Controls – The unintended consequences of the Planning System

For the property development industry, the benefits of using timber building systems can lower costs and produce faster build times. For sustainability-driven local governments, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage. So why isn’t it being encouraged?

A new report has found that mandatory height controls in the Victorian planning system have unintentionally penalised timber building systems, favouring the use of expensive, energy-intensive concrete and steel alternatives.

People familiar with the property sector will have noticed the growing popularity and visibility of timber in both the international and Australian markets. From innovative new mass timber systems such as cross laminated timber (CLT) to traditional stick framing, timber as a material is undergoing something of a renaissance, particularly in mid-rise developments (although it should be noted it’s often the much taller timber projects that seize the headlines).

A new report, Timber Construction and Building Height Planning Controls – The unintended consequences of the Planning System by Melbourne town planners, urban designers and landscape architects Tract, investigates the role of the Victorian planning system in determining the choice of materials used for construction projects. In the report, Tract conclude that predominant use of ‘metres’ rather than storeys in planning requirements is likely to constrain the uptake of timber in building construction. This is due to the additional height often required for the floor/ceiling system and the reluctance of developers to challenge the planning process.

Findings Report:
Timber_Construction_and_Building_Height_Planning_Controls_FINAL_270519.pdf

Economic potential for new plantation establishment in Australia

Australia’s commercial timber plantation estate is fundamental to the sustainability and competitiveness of the Australian forestry sector and growing the estate has been a key Australian Government policy objective for some time (National Forestry Policy Statement (1992) and Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision (1997)). However, after decades of substantial growth in Australia’s commercial timber plantation estate, the area of plantations declined from 2.02 million hectares in 2011–12 to 1.97 million hectares in 2015–16. This raises questions about the future availability of plantation logs and consequent impacts on the forestry sector.

Findings Report:
PlantationEstablishmentOutlook2050_v1.0.0.pdf

Tasmainia Socio-economic impacts of the forest industry

The forest industry in Australia contributes to jobs and economic activity in many communities. During the last decade, there has been little information on how the industry is changing in different regions, including change in the number of jobs generated, dependence of different communities on the economic activity generated by the industry, the type and quality of work generated in the industry, and how residents of forest-industry dependent communities view the industry and its effects. Forest and Wood Products Australia has invested in research to produce up-to-date information on the socio-economic impacts of the forest industry. This report presents findings for the forest industry in Tasmania, where the forest industry has experienced rapid change in the last decade, particularly in the native forest sector.

Final Report:
Socio_economic_impacts_of_the_forest_industry_TAS.pdf

Socio-economic impacts of the forest industry Victoria (exc. the Green Triangle)

The forest industry in Australia contributes to jobs and economic activity in many communities. During the last decade, there has been little information on how the industry is changing in different regions, including change in the number of jobs generated, dependence of different communities on the economic activity generated by the industry, the type and quality of work generated in the industry, and how residents of forest-industry dependent communities view the industry and its effects. Forest and Wood Products Australia has invested in research to produce up-to-date information on the socio-economic impacts of the forest industry.  This report presents findings for the forest industry in Victoria, excluding the ‘Green Triangle’ in south-west Victoria, which is examined in a separate report. For simplicity, this region is referred to as the ‘Victorian forest industry’ in this report; in all cases, this excludes plantation areas in the south-west. 

Report:
Vic_Report_FINAL.pdf