Nearly nine out of ten
Australians say they prefer to buy local. They fill their supermarket trolleys with goods bearing the Made in Australia logo, yet many never stop to think about where their building materials come from. Take a closer look at some of our proudly home-grown building materials, and the overseas materials threatening their existence.
Australian-Made Bricks
PGH, Boral, and Austral Bricks Australia are just a few of the local companies creating bricks in Australia. We also have a select number of boutique brickeries, including Geraldton Brick and Littlehampton Bricks, who handcraft specialty bricks.
While Australia produces quality bricks, the cost of laying them on site can often be twice the cost of the materials. So our
brick manufacturers are struggling to compete with offshore alternatives requiring less labour, such as texture-coated fibre-cement sheeting, precast concrete, and autoclaved masonry alternatives.
Australian Timber
In Australia, timber is most commonly used in residential construction. While Australia has its own timber industry, much of the timber used in local homes is grown in northern hemisphere forests and imported Down Under.
Timber is becoming more popular in high-rise construction in the northern hemisphere, but Australia has yet to catch on. This is disappointing, because without client demand Australia is unlikely to grow its timber industry. If you’d like to use Australian timber for your next commercial construction project,
contact TPM Builders to discuss how to make it happen.
Eco-Friendly Australian Materials
Australia is making its mark with the production of a number of
eco-friendly building materials. It was the first nation to create Thermacell or ICF blocks, a series of wall and corner blocks that can be assembled together to create walls. Australia has also pioneered the use of materials made from natural ingredients, including mudbrick and strawbale.
Timbercrete, made from sawdust and concrete, is another proudly Australian invention.
Choosing these superior construction materials made in our own backyard is an excellent way to boost the Australian economy. Consider where your building materials come from the next time you’re embarking on a construction project.
Image via
Flickr by hnnbz
