Rechtub timber has been a big part of my familys life.
Dad with his father cut timber for a living and as a side line made timber fences in the post ans slab way.
Born in an area that to have a job ment timber cutting or the mills I gained some insights.
Even now those who work in my home village are involved mostly with timber.
I had a thread, about using by products such as my post above, few know we export this now, but can not use it here.
Not just the greens but politicians on both sides do not understand our timber industry and forests.
Believe me, we do not need to bother about thinning out our forests, we constantly in NSW at the least threaten the future of our Forrest with clear felling.
Abbott plans to grow trees,my side laughs at the pospect of growing them ten high to get the numbers he promises.
But if he gets more trees planted and makes it work we will be all the bettor for it.
Greens in my mind taint the thoughts of us all and this vital issue is damaged by their shadow, we need open debate free of greens demands, if we get that we will use timber and produce it far better.

What type of timber are you suggesting, our native trees are not designed for streight timber. Does that mean our fauna further gets pushed back into pockets of eucalypt.

Timbers used for housing can be impregnated with fire retardant chemicals. It is paints and plastics that cause fire hazards. Lamination and reconstitution increases the strength of timber and is more flexible than steel; and does not use as much carbon in its production.

Mud requires a carbon furnace for creating bricks or cement; or straw which is insect prone nor weight bearing and builds at ground floor only.

Although I'm a great fan of mud as a building material, I live in a timber house that was built some 90 years ago as a war service home, so naturally it's a bit 'no frills'.

The frame is all local hardwood as is the floor and outside covering, which is machined weatherboard on the front and 'off the saw' boards back and sides. The roof is corrugated iron.
The whole place is recyclable and the only problem would be that any fixing of the frame or the outside boards requires drilling as it is almost impossible to drive a nail because of the hardness of the wood.

Suse,
Like you I have lived in cyclone prone areas such as Darwin and others.
The majority of houses in existence before Tracy were very lightly built and not in the same league as the engineered timber house I now live in.
Engineering and design is what it is all about.
SD

Suseonline, "I didn't vote for the Greens"

Maybe you should. You talk the same talk and walk the same walk.

578, "What type of timber are you suggesting, our native trees are not designed for straight timber"

Plenty of straight timber there. There is a commercial building in Brisbane that is the tallest timber framed building in the Southern hemisphere. Also look at wharves where long, large sectioned Australian hardwoods have endured for many years and are being recycled for new developments.

578, "Does that mean our fauna further gets pushed back into pockets of eucalypt"

Felling has to be sensitive to environmental needs.

BTW, you can thank the 'original people' the Aborigine for the advance of the eucalyptus scrub and the loss of the previous rainforest, only patches of which remain. Aborigines destroyed the rainforest by centuries of fires to kill and maim animals to collect for food. As well, their dogs from SEAsian fisherman killed off the Mainland Tiger.