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September 2020

Dear <<First Name>>,

Welcome to the latest edition of ForWood.

In this edition, we share news of research conducted to help prepare the industry for possible changes to Australian wood dust exposure level regulations, and provide an update on the latest initiatives and achievements of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life.

In addition, we are inviting your feedback on FWPA’s program priorities and performance to date. We also share details of the latest successes of the WoodSolutions initiative, including exciting plans for the program to become an internationally accredited provider of design and build education.

Preparing industry for potential changes to wood dust exposure regulations

New research is aimed at preparing the forest and wood products industry to best respond to potential revised regulations around wood dust exposure levels.

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Profile: National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life

Now in its fourth year of operation, the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life continues to make a positive impact on furthering research efforts in Australia. Professor Jeff Morrell, Director at the centre, shares the latest updates on the activities of the growing team.

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WoodSolutions webinar attendance hits impressive milestone, industry members give glowing reviews!

WoodSolutions’ successful series of webinar events continues to go from strength to strength; total attendances recently surpassed an impressive 11,000.

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Your feedback is wanted (and essential)!

FWPA aims to deliver on programs that benefit the largest number of stakeholders, including forest growers, domestic processors, timber importers and the government. To achieve this goal, we need your feedback about program priorities and our performance to date.

Listen in — boosting forestry knowledge amongst young online learners during COVID-19

The latest episode of WoodChat focuses on ForestLearning — a program of online learning options to educate children about the sustainable nature of forestry.

The program includes various resources developed to enable school children to engage with and understand the world of forestry. Students can even pay virtual visits to locations they wouldn’t normally have access to ... without ever leaving the classroom!

COVID-19 restrictions have meant that teachers, parents and schoolchildren are seeking new opportunities for remote learning. For that reason, ForestLearning has continued to investigate, develop and roll out new resources.

You can listen to WoodChat on SoundCloud, iTunes and Spotify.

Going global —WoodSolutions could become an internationally accredited provider of design and build education

Plans are afoot to expand the WoodSolutions offering and transform the program into an international provider of timber education.

The move is an attempt to leverage the strong domestic and international reputation the program has built over the past ten years.

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New video series shedding light on the many facets of forestry

In an effort to counter public misconceptions around forestry, a new WoodSolutions video series has been launched.

The InFocus series — comprising digestible videos between 8 and 13 minutes long — features industry representatives translating complex information about the various stages of the forestry, and design and build supply chain into plain language. The goal is to create genuine engagement by presenting information in a personal and relatable way.

Supporting young research talent in forestry

FWPA is once again sponsoring a category at the Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Run by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), the awards will see young agricultural researchers receive grants to support their projects. The Forest and Wood Products Award category is funded by FWPA, which will also be involved in the final selection process.

Get involved with The Ultimate Renewable™ and help reframe forestry in the eyes of the public!

FWPA thanks industry members for their continued support in sharing the message of The Ultimate Renewable™ brand, and encourages everyone to add their voices to help reframe forestry in the eyes of the public.

Mid-rise Advisory Program welcomes Jennifer Cunich

Former Australian Institute of Architects CEO Jennifer Cunich has taken up the role of Lead Program Development Manager, Mid-rise Construction, as part of FWPA’s WoodSolutions Mid-rise Advisory Program.

Listen in – Brock Commons: An 18 Storey Post and Plate System

A recent episode of the WoodSolutions TimberTalks podcast series focuses on a ground-breaking construction project built on-site at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

The Brock Commons Building represents a major lea0 in timber construction productivity, achieving a floor cycle time of just three days!

Listeners will hear from Karla Fraser, who managed the project, and will discuss the use of mock-ups and virtual modeling used to support the productivity of the project

Listen here

What's on

Check out some forthcoming Australian events relevant to the world of forestry:

FWPA 2019/20 Annual General Meeting

What: For the first time this year’s AGM will be conducted over Zoom. The event provides an opportunity for stakeholders to gain insights into our plans for the future and learn about our successes during the 2019/20 financial year.

Where: Zoom

When: Thursday 22 October

Find out more: A formal notice will be distributed in the coming days, with more information.

WoodSolutions Webinar | Using Cross Laminated Timber in residential construction

What: An informational session exploring how CLT is being utilised in residential construction projects.

Where: Zoom

When: Tuesday 22 September

Find out more: https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/calendar/%E2%96%BA-woodsolutions-webinar-using-cross-laminated-timber-residential-construction

WoodSolutions Webinar | Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Fire Resistance of Timber Connections

What: This presentation will discuss current fire test programs that have resulted in several methods to obtain DTS compliance for metal connectors protected by timber. Speakers will present on fire resistance solutions available for timber protected metal connectors, as well as methods to provide fire resistance to gaps that are often present in this connection type.

Where: Zoom

When: Tuesday 29 September

Find out more: https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/calendar/%E2%96%BAwoodsolutions-webinar-deemed-satisfy-dts-fire-resistance-timber-connections