Posted 19/10/2026

Australia’s growing reliance on imported engineered timber is bringing renewed attention to the importance of establishing where building materials actually come from.

In its latest report, Wood Central revealed that Australian imports of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) have risen 160% over three years, with China now supplying 80% of imports. The figures, presented by IndustryEdge Managing Director and newly appointed The Precinct CEO Tim Woods, highlight the scale of Australia’s exposure to international timber supply chains.

The article draws on insights from the recent Source Certain and Wood Central Beyond the Paperwork webinar, where experts from industry, research and forensic science examined the challenges of identifying higher-risk timber in Australian supply chains.

Among the perspectives featured, Source Certain Founder and CTO Cameron Scadding discussed how advances in forensic origin verification are making it possible to independently establish the origin of timber within complex engineered products, including LVL.

As imported timber becomes an increasingly significant part of Australia’s construction market, the ability to verify sourcing claims independently of documentation provides businesses with stronger evidence to assess risk, make confident sourcing decisions and protect themselves from commercial exposure.

Read the full article on Wood Central.