A new roadmap from the Bamboo Society of Australia, backed by Deloitte Access Economics, outlines a plan to supply engineered bamboo for 16,600 homes annually by 2035. That requires 250,000 cubic metres of bamboo a year from 20,000 hectares of new plantations, which do not exist yet. The modelling shows a potential cut of 430,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2035, mostly by replacing conventional timber products. The roadmap also flags regulatory hurdles. Engineered bamboo has no deemed-to-satisfy pathway in the National Construction Code, so early projects will rely on performance solutions using imported product and international test data. NABERS has only informally agreed to open a category in 2027, and the Clean Energy Regulator has questioned whether bamboo planting qualifies under the soil carbon method. The industry's own carbon method has been waiting with the climate change department since mid-2024. Despite these challenges, the industry sees a market gap: Australia imports up to 40% of its timber during peak periods, and domestic softwood supply will fall short of demand by 2050. The roadmap targets former sugarcane land in Queensland and northern New South Wales, with a 200-hectare pilot planned by 2028.
