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NewsAurecon commits to support Australia in increasing timber built environments by 2030

14 December 2023 | 2 min

As a leader in the design of mass-engineered timber structures, Aurecon commits to work with the Australian Government and industry to advance the use of timber in the built environment.

The Australian Government, along with 16 other countries, has committed to increase the use of timber from sustainably managed forests by 2030, in an effort to decrease carbon emissions.

Murdoch University Boola Katitjin, Western Australia’s first mass engineered timber building.

Aurecon's Brisbane office, 25 King is Australia’s tallest and largest engineered timber office building.

Nanyang Technological University Gaia, at 40,000 square metres, it is one of the largest timber buildings in Asia.

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Murdoch University Boola Katitjin, Western Australia’s first mass engineered timber building.

The commitment was announced by the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership Coalition on Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood at COP28 in Dubai.

Aurecon’s Managing Director, Built Environment, Tim Spies, said that timber played a vital role in reducing carbon emissions.

“Being a renewable building material, timber delivers sustainability and environmental benefits by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and helping to protect nature and biodiversity from deforestation,” Spies said.

“As timber lends itself to modular construction, building with timber is faster, quieter and safer, produces less waste and is able to be dismantled at end-of-life, creating the potential for circularity. It also lends itself to the use of robotics in construction, significantly increasing productivity and health and safety benefits.”

However, building with timber also presents some challenges.

“The supply of timber from sustainably managed forests in Australia is limited and comes at a cost premium. This is why the commitment from the Australian Government to support policies and approaches to incentivise the use of timber and decrease risk should significantly enhance its uptake,” Spies said.

“We look forward to working with the government and industry to support the use of timber from sustainably managed forests and contribute to reducing carbon emissions.”

Aurecon has an envious track record of designing and delivering mass engineered timber structures, including Murdoch University’s Boola Katitjin, which recently won the 2023 Engineers Australia Project of the Year; 25 King St, which is Australia’s tallest mass-engineered timber commercial building; and Gaia, one of the largest mass-engineered timber buildings in Asia.

Aurecon also contributes to mass-engineered timber research and advocacy as a partner of the Advance Timber Hub and the Materials Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance.