Burnt timber logs have become a precious commodity at Ironwood Australia's Pampoolah mill. So much so, the company is investing in the product.
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Following a research and development phase, the company has started production of cross laminated timber with reclaimed logs that were damaged in the 2019 bushfires.
Ironwood Australia general manager Ian Wingrove said the company will ensure the resourceful product doesn't go to waste.
"The fire came through with such intensity and the moisture put stress on those trees," Mr Wingrove explained.
"What we have discovered is when the logs go onto the saws, we get what we call springing.
"It means we don't get the long lengths of timber that we need but we can use that for the next stage of our research and development which is developing cross laminated hardwood shipping containers for disaster relief."
This is one measure the company's managing director Chris Swadling has backed with the sustainability and longevity of the timber industry in mind, Mr Wingrove said.
He also said the venture will upskill staff, help advance industry knowledge of using bushfire impacted wood and maintain employment.
The company received $684,307 from the NSW government's Bushfire Industry Recovery Supply Chain Support Grant program towards a project which will see the storage capacity for burnt timber increased onsite.
It means we don't get the long lengths of timber that we need but we can use that for the next stage of our research and development which is developing cross laminated hardwood shipping containers for disaster relief.
- Ian Wingrove, Ironwood Australia general manager
Upgrades include 30 log stacks and two new storage sheds for milled timber.
Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said the project will help clear bushfire impacted wood from public forests which will ultimately boost safety for hikers and mountain bikers and reduce fire risks.
"This is really good for business, jobs and the environment," Mr Bromhead said.
Mr Wingrove took Mr Bromhead for a tour of the mill and outlined the innovative projects taking place onsite.
The company has applied for a sector development grant which would be put towards infrastructure, machinery and saws to cut the burnt timber, build the shipping containers and new products.
Mr Bromhead also saw firsthand the blooming fields of trees at the Future Forests Sustainable Replanting Scheme plantation, situated on the grounds of the timber mill.
Mr Wingrove said the company plants a tree for every one used in production.
There are currently nine different species of Australian hardwoods in the plantation that are regularly assessed by horticulturalists.
Mr Bromhead visited the site two years ago when the first trees were planted. He had initial doubts the project would be successful.
"This was really rough looking country and when we were planting them I was worried about the future viability of the seedlings," Mr Bromhead said.
"They've grown brilliantly in two years."
During the height of the bushfires, the company worked around the clock to protect the plantation.
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