Design Life at the University of the Sunshine Coast

The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) is a leading Australian research centre focused on timber durability, resource recovery and circular economy solutions for timber products. Through collaboration with Wine Australia, forestry organisations and government agencies, the Centre is helping address one of the grape and wine sector's most significant waste management challenges: the end-of-life management of CCA-treated vineyard posts.

As part of the Timber Circularity Project, researchers from the Centre have investigated the volumes, distribution, condition and future management pathways for treated vineyard posts across Australian wine regions. The project has generated critical data on the scale of the challenge and identified opportunities to reuse, recycle and recover value from vineyard timber that would otherwise be stockpiled or sent to landfill.

Working closely with Wine Australia and industry partners, the Centre has assessed recovery technologies, transport logistics, regulatory barriers and commercial opportunities to support the development of a national circular economy approach for treated timber. This work has informed feasibility studies for regional aggregation sites, regulatory reviews and pilot programs that aim to create practical, environmentally responsible pathways for vineyard post recovery and reuse.

A key outcome of the project has been the development of demonstration and pilot activities to test how end-of-life vineyard posts can be collected, processed and repurposed into new products. The research recognises that multiple recovery pathways will be required, ranging from direct reuse through to advanced recycling technologies and other circular economy solutions.

By combining scientific research, industry collaboration and practical demonstration projects, the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life is helping the Australian grape and wine sector reduce waste, improve sustainability outcomes and create long-term solutions for the management of treated timber resources.