RESEARCH PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Wood Inovation

FPC is a partner in the Cooperative Research Centre for Wood Innovations (CRCWI) based at the University of Melbourne. The CRCWI commenced in July 2001 with funding over seven years of $16M from the Commonwealth Government and $49M cash and in-kind contributions from the partners.

The CRCWI brings together innovations that have the potential to revolutionise the wood products industry. FPCs involvement in the CRCWI will enable it to contribute directly to the CRCs effort in bending, drying, gluing and coating durability research and to evaluate the potential benefits to WA of new technologies first hand.

For further information contact Graeme Siemon.

Furniture design

FPC, along with members of the Furniture Industry Association of Australia (FIAA) and the Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR), is involved in the Furniture Design Research Centre (FDRC) based at the University of Western Australia.

With funding from the Native Timber Industry Support Scheme administered by DoIR, the FDRC brings together professional architects, furniture manufacturers, wood technologists and marketing professionals to create designer furniture pieces for export market development and import replacement.

A prototype launch is planned for May 2003, followed by exhibitions at the Furntex Show in Melbourne during July 2003 and at the Cologne Fair in January 2004. For more information, contact Terry Jones.

Carbon accounting

Under the Kyoto Protocol, a carbon accounting system is being developed as a potential means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The potential benefits of carbon trading to tree growers and land managers are significant, because carbon emitters could be encouraged to pay for the establishment of plantations on denuded land to offset the high cost of land rehabilitation. 

The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting (CRCGA) was established in 1999 in response to Australias need to improve its greenhouse accounting capabilities in the land-based sectors and has a $76M program of collaborative research that will run over years. The CRCGA research program comprises many projects and the FPC provides funding to CALM, which is a CRCGA partner. Ian Herford manages FPCs involvement in the CRCGA and he can be contacted for further information.

Biomass production

The Search project is part of Natural Heritage Trust Project No. 973849: Selection and development of multiple purpose species for large-scale revegetation, which is administered by CALM. 

The Project aims to identify native species with high biomass production potential as well as to identify commercial uses for that biomass, including energy, charcoal, panel products and solid timber. It is focused on products with sufficiently large domestic and/or export markets to support large-scale perennial plant industries.

 FPC's part role in the Search project involves collecting samples and testing selected woody species for their suitability for manufactured wood products. Only species native to the south-western agricultural area have been considered. For more information contact Ian Rotheram.

Plantations Research Partnerships

Silvicultural research involving nutrition, thinning and water relations is carried out by CALM's Tree Crops Research Group under a contract arrangement with the FPC.

Establishment research, which includes site preparation and weed management, is conducted by staff in the FPC. A collaborative with a weed management group at the University of Melbournes Creswick campus undertakes weed management research at a national level.

 A WA plantation industry collaborative associated with the CRC for Sustainable Forest Management addresses pest management (insects, fungi) issues although this focuses mainly on pests of eucalypts. Fee for service arrangements with CALM are in place to provide assistance with pest issues in pine and other plantation species.

For more information contact Ray Fremlin.