Wood treatment plant opened

By Shaun Inguanzo
A NEW timber treatment plant opened last week in Dandenong South as a response to emerging concerns over traditional arsenic-based treatment chemicals.
Davids Timber along Princes Highway, Dandenong South, last week launched its new timber treatment facility which will use the alternative chemical NatureWood ACQ (alkaline copper quarternary).
The new chemical is supplied by American-based company Osmose and is the leading timber treatment chemical in the United States, according to Osmose senior vice president John Taylor.
A swag of local timber businesses – clients of Davids Timber – were invited to the launch to gain a better understanding of the product which looks certain to replace the traditional chemical, copper chromium arsenate (CCA).
CCA has been used for decades to protect wood from termites, decay, fungi and other elements, but there has been emerging concern from governmental and chemical authorities over its long-term safety to people.
The move to ACQ follows the introduction of tougher Federal Government standards this month on timber treatment, Mr Taylor told the Star.
“(The industry) still uses CCA,” he said.
“But the changes (to standards) did restrict some uses of CCA.”
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) last year released a report on arsenic treated wood and recommended that the Federal Government crack-down on the implementation and handling of CCA-treated products after discovering the arsenic, if it leaches out, could one day be a potential hazard to people.
According to Mr Taylor, the Osmose’s product offers similar protection against long-term environmental elements to CCA, and combined with its flexibility of use compared to CCA, is becoming increasingly popular within the timber industry.
“It is the most widely used chemical today,” he said.
Football identity and new face of lamb advertisements Sam Kekovich was on hand to help launch Davids Timber’s new ACQ treatment plant, situated in just part of the company’s 7500 square metre warehouse which was built in 2004.
For David and Maurice Efron – owners of Davids Timber, and a father-son team – the unveiling of the ACQ plant was seen as the next logical step in the journey to the top of the industry.
Just last year the company won the Timber Merchant Association’s Wholesaler of the Year award, adding to a swag of other industry acclaims.
The new government standards, following the APVMA report, mean that as of this month, domestic decking, timber playground equipment, cubby houses, handrails and garden and picnic furniture must be treated with a CCA-alternative such as ACQ.