Australia’s Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley, Tasmanian Minister for Environment Roger Jaensch and Member for Bass Bridget Archer MP announced a Grant to support Timberlink to build Tasmania’s first Bio Composites plant. The grant was awarded from the Tasmanian Recycling Modernisation Fund (Plastics) Grants Program (RMF).
The Bio Composite plant will produce Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) products that will upcycle plastic waste and plantation timber mill residues, producing decking and screening for commercial and residential applications. This technology will enable Timberlink to manufacture a wide range of WPC products over time.
The Timberlink Wood Plastic Composite Plant intends to source the recycled HDPE (a type of Plastic) for the core of the product from Tasmania; utilising existing industry capability and ensuring that the feedstock for this plant where possible is a Tasmanian on-island solution. This will significantly enhance the circular economy in Tasmania and generate economic value to Tasmania as these products will be sold in Tasmania and the mainland.
At full production, the project will divert HDPE plastic from landfill at an equivalent to an approximate 83% increase over current HDPE recycled in Tasmania based on FY19 levels said David Oliver, Timberlink’s EGM Sales, Marketing & Corporate Affairs.
The project capital cost is AU$12m and the Federal and State Government have co invested in this project with an AU$5.8M grant to create this new industry in Tasmania. The project is shovel ready and will commence immediately. Timberlink intends to have the project completed and in production by December 2022.
The energy to power the plant will be sourced from Tasmanian Hydro Power and a solar farm located on the roof of the new facility. Rainwater tanks will be installed to harvest rainwater which will be used for cooling in the manufacturing process. This is a first for Tasmania and Australia. We are excited that Bell Bay will be the location for such a new and exciting investment for Australian Manufacturing.
Photo: Timberlink EGM Sales, Marketing and Corporate Affairs with Member for Bass Bridget Archer MP and Tasmanian Minister for Environment Roger Jaensch and announcing the project and joint federal and state government grant at Timberlink Bell Bay on 2 July 2021
About Timberlink Australia/New Zealand
Timberlink is a leading Australasian timber products manufacturing business. The business has two sawmills at Bell Bay (Tasmania) and Tarpeena (South Australia) that manufacture plantation structural pine products. Timberlink has sales and distribution teams based in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne and sales teams based at the Bell Bay and Blenheim sawmills. Timberlink is owned by investment funds managed by New Forest
