New Koppers pine processing plant launched

Timber products and chemical maker Koppers Wood Products has launched its upgraded Longford pine processing plant, backed by the Tasmanian government’s On-Island Processing Program.

According to a statement from industry minister Eric Abetz, the state’s timber is being “pushed to the fore in public infrastructure and construction” and represents an industry supporting over 5,000 Tasmanian households while creating over $1.2 billion in value.

The government grant was worth $250,000 and supported upgrades reducing waste and increasing the efficiency and output of “treated pine post-production processing”.

“Whether it is the use of wood for industrial purposes like Koppers power poles or for efficient and aesthetically-pleasing design and construction uses, we are right behind our forestry and wood processing industry,” said Abetz in a statement on Wednesday.

“It’s also why we have updated and enhanced the Tasmanian Wood Encouragement Policy to drive the innovative use of wood to achieve maximum value for the state and lock-in a wide range of new opportunities for the use of Tasmanian timber.

“Our iconic timbers and timber products are increasingly being showcased in cutting-edge developments like the University of Tasmania Northern Transformation Project and the MyState Bank Arena redevelopment, among many others.

“I look forward to seeing more high value innovative products being created and used by architects, builders and developers, spurred on by our On-Island Processing Program and our Tasmanian Wood Encouragement Policy.”

According to its website, Koppers manufactures and distributes “carbon materials and chemicals, treated wood poles, engineering and piling timbers and landscaping and viticulture products” and has sites in NSW, and has six locations across NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.

It is a subsidiary of US-based Koppers, as well as the lone supplier in Australia of carbon pitch for the aluminium smelting industry.

Picture: credit Koppers Australia