Research

CSAW is developing and maintaining a Harvesting Electronic Template (HET) Data Transfer System for Forest and Forest Industries Council (FFIC). This on-landing system will be equipped to handle all harvesting production data electronically.

CSAW is developing and maintaining a Harvesting Electronic Template (HET) Data Transfer System for the Forests & Forest Industries Council. This on-landing system will be equipped to handle all harvesting production data electronically.

The proposed system can be broken down into four major components:

• The System Backbone
• Handheld Modules
• TFITB connection and database adaptation.
• Maintenance

System Backbone

Work to prepare the system backbone includes:

• Server Configuration and Setup: the initial setup of the “translation server” including installing any additional software, securing the server and allowing remote access.
• Reference File Development: working with the EDocket developers to create a Reference File that can be downloaded by each Pocket PC.
• Pocket PC to Translation Server: the transferring of files from the Pocket PC’s to the Translation Server.
• Databases and Web Management Interface: the development of a database on the Translation Server that is used for the XML archive, Contractors and Principals contact information as well as the Translation and Export logs.
• Email of PDF’s: developing software to identify recipients and email them with the appropriate attachments.
• Initial Loading the modules: Pocket PC’s already in field operation will need to have modules installed

Module Development

Developing each module will include:

• Refining the module operation
• Creating data structures
• Designing modules
• Testing modules
• Field testing modules
• Providing training documentation

TFITB Development

Adapting the system to suit the TFITB system will include:

• TFITB System / Internet Modification: This includes modifying the computer that hosts the TFITB database as well as giving the Translation Server access to the computer.
• XML to Database Translation: This includes translating the XML data from the TFITB Employee Register module and exporting it into the TFITB database table.

Maintenance

Once commissioned, the system will require occasional programming maintenance and minor upgrades.

Development of the FFIC funded iButton and Harvesting Electronic Template (HET) Data Transfer Systems and available training funding provides an opportunity for the Tasmanian Forest Industry Training Board (TFITB) to upgrade their qualification record systems.

Development of the FFIC-funded iButton and Harvesting Electronic Template (HET) Data Transfer Systems and available training funding provides an opportunity for the Tasmanian Forest Industry Training Board (TFITB) to upgrade their qualification record systems and for forest harvesting contractors to more efficiently meet their statutory training and OHS requirements.

This proposal is to develop an Internet-based TFITB Qualifications Management System.

System Structure

The major systems components include:

• Additional PDA modules
• TFITB Qualifications Database
• User interface to the TFITB Database

Additional PDA modules

Two additional modules will be required for the HET systems already prepared for contractor's personal digital assistants (PDAs). These are:

• Staff directory module: This allows the contractor to enter details of the employees and contractors working on the coupe including their qualification details, such as their ticket number and competencies. Any new staff member entered into this module would trigger a downloaded report.
• General staff report module. This allows the contractor to report the employees and contractors working on the coupe at regular intervals. Completion of this module would trigger a downloaded report.

Other modules will be modified to use the new staff directory module. When information from the PDA is downloaded,

• The general staff report will be converted into a HET form and emailed to the contractor.
• The new staff and general staff reports will be delivered to the TFITB Qualifications Database.

TFITB Qualifications Database

The TFITB's existing MS Access database will be transferred to an internet mounted database. The current information structure will be modified to improved responsiveness and remove the potential for conflicting records. The database will hold:

• Licence-holder information; including name, address, contact information, licence number and accredited competencies; In this context, a licence-holder can be an operator, and accredited trainer of operators or both;
• Employer information as required to manage the licence-holder information; and
• Password and other protection mechanisms.

The database mechanism will allow automatic receipt of new staff and general staff reports, checking and validation of these reports against the qualifications and records held in the database, and generation of an email to the employers, either:

• Confirming the qualifications of any new staff members, or
• Notifying them of inconsistencies or problems in the qualifications, such as lapsed licenses.

User interface to the TFITB Database

The TFITB Qualifications Database will be accessed and managed through a password protected, internet-based interface. While this will limit some current work practices, purpose-designed entry forms should simplify input and management tasks. It will also make the database accessible with the relevant passwords from any internet-connected computer.

The interface will allow:

• Management of licence-holder and employer information, including the manual entry of new users and training results;
• Selection of data groups, such as licensees due for renewal, and export of the selected data for merging into bulk mailing or the generation of notification emails; and
• Generation of a range of standard reports.

An online resource for the use of Tasmanian Timber Species. The site contains technical data and specification information, available species products and their application potential, and suppliers' information and contact details.

• Tastimber website

This review explored government policy, regulations and guidelines, excluding established building codes and standards that affect the use and markets for wood products in the built environment within Australia.

Undertaken by Gregory Nolan from Timber Research Unit, Robert Eastment from IndustryEdge Pty Ltd and Catherine Nicholson Consulting, it included the:

• Auditing of key policy, regulations and guidelines operating at local, State and Federal level relating to the procurement and use of wood products within the built environment; and
• Identification of the technical or other sources used to develop or support these policies.

Governments generally develop and implement policies to address particular perceived needs or deliver identified benefits to society. For building materials government policy is generally implemented by:

• Applying constraints or conditions on items purchased;
• Imposing regulations on applications under their jurisdiction; and
• Distributing guidelines designed to influence the decisions of others.

The major area of policy development affecting the built environment is in policy supporting ecologically sustainable development (ESD). The ESD issues relevant to the use and markets for wood products in the built environment include:

• The environmental impact of timber construction;
• The environmental impact of using particular timbers;
• The use of preservative treated timber;
• The disposal of timber waste;
• Formaldehyde and other emissions from engineered and composite wood products; and
• Green procurement processes.

Policy development and adoption, especially policy concerning ESD, affects all major building material and most construction methods. It also affects different wood products in different ways. A regulation or policy that restricts the use of one wood product may reinforce the market for another.

Traditionally, the timber industry has not sought to involve itself in policy formation except where developments directly influence specific wood product markets, or until after an adverse policy outcome, such as the implementation of Five Star thermal performance requirements in Victoria.

The study cites that industry inaction is one of the reasons why requirements in public ESD regulations often conflict with the timber industry's interests.

In the future, the key ESD issues mentioned above will remain the major factors confronting timber's position as a sustainable material.

Independent building surveyors and councils will have a major influence on the use of timber in building and they will continue to rely on environmental non-government organisations for advice and standards unless the industry becomes more proactive.

The study recommends that the timber industry adopts the following approaches to tackle these concerns:

• Th development of a communication strategy to inform and improve organisation and government policy makers;
• Encouraging the Australian Forestry Standard Ltd to become active in marketing AFS certification and establish chain of custody and other procedures to support explicit sustainability indicators; and
• Revision of general use marketing terminology to ensure the source and production processes are clear.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation (FWPRDC).

Report (PDF 508.9KB).

There were two principal aims with this project: to understand why moisture gradients occur in Australian hardwoods during drying and the effects of this on timber product performance; and to investigate possible technologies/processes to economically reduce this moisture content (MC) variability during drying.

Researchers involved were Adam Redman (Queensland Forestry Research Institute) and Trevor Innes (Timber Research Unit, University of Tasmania).

Originally a two-year project, it was terminated after one year due to the unexpected nature of the results obtained. Research covered during the twelve months involved an intensive case study by QFRI at Hurfords Building Supplies Pty. Ltd. (NSW) to identify the cause of MC variation and its effect on the performance of timber in service. Additionally, dry stock appraisal studies were performed at Clennett Timber, Hume and Kerrison, Hurfords Building Supplies, Hyne & Son and J. Notaras & Sons mills.

The case study at Hurfords Building Supplies examined the appropriate variables of regrowth spotted gum (E. maculata) from the harvest site to the final dried product in order to identify any moisture variation problems, and examine which of the variables were contributing to its occurrence. These variables included:

• coupe location;
• board location within a log;
• moisture content (MC) of boards before and after pre-drying
• location of a board within a stack;
• kiln airflow and temperature distribution during drying;
• board length; and
• sawn (growth ring) orientation.

Each variable was considered a potential cause of the MC problem. They were measured with the premise of determining if a correlation exists between any of the variables, and the final MC of problematic material selected at the end of the trial.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

The Australian Hardwood Drying Manual provides ‘best practice guidance’ in hardwood drying operations outlining economic and feasible technologies for increasing recovery and reducing avoidable loss during processing from the log to the finished board. It also introduces strategies that allow production value to be optimised in mills of disparate size.

Key Researchers for this project were Greg Nolan and Trevor Innes (Timber Research Unit, University of Tasmania) and Adam Redman and Rob McGavin (Queensland Forestry Research Institute).

Australian hardwoods are natural materials with variable properties. The timber from Australia's hardwoods must be dried from its original unseasoned condition to a moisture content suitable for its intended use if it is to remain stable; If the timber is subject to significant adverse conditions at any time as it dries, it may be damaged and lose value. To address this, the drying process must be managed and conducted effectively and efficiently by everyone involved in the process to recover the maximum volume and value of dry material. This requires that a 'best practice' approach be used.

'Best practice' in hardwood drying is a set of operations established and conducted to achieve high grade results in product quality and recovery ,flexibility, innovation, cost, and competitiveness, through the cooperation of management and employees in all key aspects of the process.

Designed as an industry tool, the manual provides modules that generally match the major work areas of the hardwood drying process such as the log yard and air drying. Each module contains discrete parts describing management and operational process and with accompanying checklists and avoidable loss examples.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

Manual Part One PN01.1307 (PDF 2.5MB).

Manual Part Two PN01.1307 (PDF 3.5MB).

This research updated the KilnSched drying model to allow more accurate modeling of the drying behaviour of regrowth blackbutt, jarrah, messmate, spotted gum and Victorian ash. It also examined the effect of high temperature drying and humidity treatments on spotted gum and the economics of various drying methods on spotted gum and blackbutt.

Key researchers involved in this project were Trevor Innes from the University of Tasmania (TRU) and Adam Redman from the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

Drying of regrowth native hardwoods to satisfactory moisture levels is a significant challenge for the processing industry. Dried quality is becoming increasingly important as sawn hardwood continues to move away from structural markets into appearance applications, but more difficult to achieve as the resource mix being processed becomes younger. An accurate predictive drying model is a powerful tool in schedule development, decreasing the reliance on expensive repetitive drying trials.

Outputs for this project included:

• The development of five computer models for free industry distribution.
• Useful improvements were made to the original KilnSched model, meaning model predictions now more accurately match measurements.

Findings indicated that the biggest improvements to drying quality of the collapse prone species studied would be by finding means to avoid collapse degrade, either by identifying and segregating collapse prone material or through the control of the drying process to avoid collapse and internal checking.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

Report PN01.1302 (PDF 1.8MB).

The presentation of a coherent set of resources on timber used in internal applications to Australia's building design and construction professionals and undergraduates was the key outcome for this project.

Timber has been used as internal lining, finishes, floors and furniture since the first buildings and these uses remain a major market for the full range of timber products, especially for solid hardwood timber and veneers. The researcher was Greg Nolan (CSAW, University of Tasmania).

While an established use, the importance of the market, the development of new products, and the increased complexity of applications (and building environments) requires that cohesive and up to date information be available for Australia's building design and construction professionals and those training in these fields.

This project addressed this and informed on the following topics:

ESD imperatives and buildings

• Timber in sustainable building design
• Timber as a sustainable building material
• ESD, Forests and Forestry

Timber in Internal Application

• Materials Basics
• Visual Palette
• Timber Flooring
• Internal Lining and Paneling
• Furniture and Joinery
• Windows and Stairs
• Architectural Structures

The following resources are now available on the Timber Building in Australia:

• An ordered set of articles to an agreed framework on timber in internal applications;
• Teaching resources matching these articles in downloadable teacher and student packages.

These are also available on the NTEP's Internet portal, and in the education area of this site.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

This project involved the preparation and presentation of representative case studies of recent exemplary and predominantly Australian design with timber in internal fit out projects. These have been made available design professions online in a highly graphic way.

Principal researchers were Greg Nolan (CSAW) and Dr.Catriona McLeod from the School of Architecture & Design, University of Tasmania.

After an initial selection process, exemplary internal timber projects from around Australia were researched - with architects relevant to the design process interviewed and high resolution images of the buildings sourced.

A highly graphical brochure of each selected project - containing information on the building location and function, design and construction details, and types of timber species used - was then developed.

These brochures are now available on the Web. Complimenting CD-ROM’s may also be available upon request. They are also available in the education area of this site.

This was a Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism (CRCST) - funded project.

The focus of this research is on major areas of flooring failure and performance issues encountered from Western Australia through to Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland. The key objective is to provide results, through testing, that will translate directly into documented practices that will be available to installers through updates to current FWPRDC electronic publications.

Key researchers are Ross Farrell and Sam Gadient (CSAW).

Market at Risk

In 2000 a flooring production survey undertaken by the NTDC and with support from FWPRDC estimated Australian manufactured timber flooring production to be in the order of 6.5 million square meters with a wholesale value of $207 million. Since that time the cost of flooring has increased significantly and both production and demand have remained high. Currently the average cost to install, sand and polished a timber floor is $135 per square meter and based on 6 million square meters the installed value would be $ 810 million. The size of the flooring market where there is potential risk associated with the areas to be investigated by the project is estimated to be at least 50% of installations. It should also be recognised that the cost to replace a floor is higher at about $175 per square meter.

Significance

Timber flooring is a major market sector for many of Australia’s timber producers, especially hardwood producers. It is also a major area in internal appearance applications. The research areas cover concerns being experienced throughout Australia and each area is being addressed where the problems are more prominent, and where the experience and expertise is located. Timber floors can fail due to poor installation practices however in each of these areas either the practices are not well documented, not consistent or the interactions are not well understood. Unless addressed through research the associated problems in these areas can be expected to continue, solely through a lack of knowledge and understanding. Timber flooring provides a highly valued product for the timber industry and such work is necessary to keep pace with the continual changes that are occurring with products associated with the installation and finishing of floors.

Benefit

Addressing technical problems as they first appear supports the market for timber flooring. Disputes and litigation prevail where problems are occurring in timber flooring. Improved understanding of the performance issues, well documented installation and test methodologies and more realistic performance expectations should therefore significantly reduce marketplace issues where it is not uncommon for costs from dispute and the associated rectification to far exceed the initial cost of a floor.

This is a Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation - funded project.

This project set out to determine the effect of age (or tree size) on sawing, drying and solid wood quality properties of regrowth Tasmanian messmate, Western Australian jarrah, Queensland spotted gum and Victorian silvertop ash.

Key researchers for this project were Trevor Innes (Timber Research Unit, University of Tasmania) Matt Armstrong (Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) and Graeme Siemon (Forest Products Commission).

Younger and faster grown regrowth eucalypt forests are an increasingly important source of hardwood in Australia. The wood quality of this resource is largely unknown. To establish the effect of age (or tree size) on sawing, drying and solid wood quality properties of the selected species, three size batches (by log diameter) of jarrah, spotted gum and silvertop ash logs and four age batches of messmate logs were each processed together following best commercial practice in sawing, drying and milling. They were evaluated during and after processing.

Processing was carried out in the source state except in the case of silvertop ash. This was sent to Tasmania for drying and further processing following sawing in Victoria.

This project demonstrated that for regrowth messmate;

• the only significant differences between age groups were a decrease in Select grade recovery from younger logs, higher variability in some properties and significant internal checking.
• Smaller spotted gum logs produced a lower yield of Select grade boards.
• There were no substantial differences between timber cut from the three log sizes of jarrah.
• The smallest log size of silvertop ash had significantly higher heartwood proportion and produced timber with higher initial moisture content and lower basic density than that from the largest log size.
• Dried quality of silvertop ash was very poor, particularly that cut from the middle log size.

This general uniformity across age or size classes was not a result expected by industry. Results indicated overall that;

• Sawing volume recovery and wide board recovery will generally be lower from smaller logs given a similar sawing pattern (due to simple geometry);
• Recovery of higher grades may be lower in some species due to natural defect such as gum vein; and
• Batching technologies may be required to reduce variability;

but it appeared likely that small regrowth logs of most species can still be processed profitably.

This project was funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

Report PN03.1316 (PDF 1.6MB).

A comprehensive review which explored the influences and impediments that impact on the Australian solid wood products industry's ability to operate sustainably. For this study, solid wood products included natural rounds, sawn timber and veneer products but excluded products reconstituted from wood chips or fibre.

Australia does not currently have a solid wood products industry that profitably processes plantation eucalypts. Australia's hardwood product industry is a mature industry that depends on harvesting native forest for its resource. It generates considerable regional economic activity and employment, with around 32,500 people directly employed nationally in hardwood forest management, harvesting, sawmilling and timber processing.

This review assessed the current status of Australia's plantations, their suitability for solid wood product and industry's capacity to use them. It found that:

• The vast majority of the current hardwood plantation estate will not produce logs suitable for a profitable solid wood products industry;
• it is highly likely that a solid wood products industry can profitably process and sell material from a future plantation hardwood resource if that resource includes a high proportion of high quality logs with significant clear wood;
• this industry's production strategy will likely focus on supplying a high quality and high value appearance hardwood market. Structural and other products will likely supply niche markets only;
• the general parameters of growing and processing suitable logs are known but there is considerable uncertainty in the sensitivities of the boundaries of practice;
• unless more plantations managed for hardwood sawlogs are established in the near future, Australia will have to meet its demand for high quality hardwood appearance timber for building and furniture with increased imports.

This research produced a series of recommendations for further research. These research areas include:

• determining the growing cost and value of logs grown specifically for high value solid wood products;
• improving the understanding of market structures, the impact of particular wood characteristics on product value and related economic aspect;
• improving log availability modelling from the plantation and native forest estate;
• increasing the value from the current hardwood plantation resource by optimizing processing to minimise degrade, especially during drying;
• exploring the mechanisms and control of growth stress and tension wood effects;
• refining understanding of the interactions of site, species and silviculture; and;
• the improvement of log output and quality through tree breeding.

This was a Forest and Wood Products Research and Development funded project.

Review PN04.3002 (PDF 3.6MB).

This project will determine whether Acoustic wave velocity (AWV) can be successfully used to batch plantation grown Eucalyptus nitens logs for improvement of structural grade out-turn. It will also gauge suitable AWV cut-off values for such batching.

Key researchers involved in this project are Trevor Innes of Forest Enterprises Australia and Greg Nolan and Ross Farrell (CSAW), University of Tasmania.

Acoustic wave velocity (AWV) is one of a suite of non-destructive evaluation tools now available to the Australian sawn hardwood industry. Taken with wood density, AWV provides a direct measure of timber stiffness. It has been shown to be a good indicator of dry wood stiffness and has been successful in segregation of softwoods for structural timber production.

Sawn plantation Eucalyptus nitens displays significant variation in stiffness and strength. Diversion of low-strength material to non-structural timber production and separation of high strength material for high value structural applications will improve resource utilisation and enterprise profitability. Benefits from AWV-assisted batching for structural applications can potentially extend to other eucalypt species grown in Australian plantations including Corymbia spp., E. dunnii, E. globulus, E. grandis and E. pilularis.

Plantation-grown E. nitens will comprise an increasing proportion of the future sawlogs produced in Tasmania, for both structural and appearance products. AWV therefore has potential to improve log allocation to appropriate processing streams for hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of sawlogs per year in Tasmania alone. AWV measurement is low-cost, so effective segregation to appropriate end use would be highly cost-effective.

To date, project outputs include the following:

• selection of sites from FEA’s plantation estate, four sites from North-east Tasmania and one from North-west.
• harvesting and debarking of selected trees. Sawlogs were cut to a minimum of 5.55 m long and stems merchandised to maximise sawlog recovery.
• delivery of logs to FEA’s Bell Bay sawmill where each was trimmed, and a 25 mm disk recovered to leave a 5.4m sawlog. Small and large end diameters of each log were then measured. The acoustic wave velocity was assessed with the Director HM200 AWV tool.
• grading and green and basic density measurement;
• allocation of logs to diameter batches on FEA’s scanner before operational milling to a pattern including 90x35 mm boards.
• racking and drying of boards.

This project has been funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

This research will enhance marketing strategies for Australian-grown hardwood products from regrowth and plantation resources by providing detailed physical and appearance properties of the heartwood and sapwood when ready for sale.

The key researchers for this project is Greg Nolan and Ross Farrell (CSAW).

The resource from public and private forests has changed considerably in the last decade and will continue to change in volume and character over the coming decades. Increases to Australia's native forest reserves system have reduced the supply of native forest sawlogs from public forests. Smaller diameter regrowth, regenerated and plantation sawlogs are being substituted to make up this shortfall.

The characteristics of the heart wood and sapwood of the timber from these small diameter logs are likely to be different from each other and from the characteristics currently accepted for the particular species in the market.

The characteristics of interest in the marketplace include:

• mechanical properties, such as strength and density, and
• appearance properties, such as colour, finishing quality and the ability to take a stain and a coating.
• increased volumes of sapwood are also present in small logs and this can have a strong influence on recovery and processing economics for solid and veneer material, especially in lyctus susceptible species.

The project will:

• collect existing test results, including an assessment of typical sapwood bands on the target species;
• conduct a program of comparative testing; and
• develop a desktop calculation of likely net value of retaining the sapwood.

This is Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation funded project.

Gaining better understanding and quantification of the thermal performance of lightweight timber construction, especially forms of construction regularly used in the Australian residential sector is the objective of this project. It specifically aims to validate the performance of the AccuRate house energy rating (HER) software for these types of construction.

Key researchers involved in this project are Professor Roger Fay and Greg Nolan with Post Graduate Students Mark Dewsbury, Phil McLeod and Detlev Geard.

The project has three components:

The No Bills and Best Five Star Houses

The No Bills and Best Five Star Houses component was the planned construction and monitoring of three test buildings at Mornington in Hobart.

These were to be built by a local developer and sold after an initial monitoring period. Although the houses were designed and fully documented, economic constraints prohibited their construction.

Thermal Performance Test Cells

When construction of the No Bills and Best Five Star Houses became unlikely, approval was given for the construction and monitoring of three thermal performance test cells. With considerable assistance from industry, the cells were built on the University's Newnham Campus at Launceston between March and July 2006.

The Five Star Thermal Performance Houses

The Five Star Thermal Performance Houses component of the project is the construction and monitoring of three compact two-bedroom houses to an identical plan and orientation on a sloping site at Kingston in southern Tasmania. The three houses are:

• A Five Star Timber Floored House. This has an enclosed perimeter timber sub floor and an external fabric adjusted so that the building rated as close as possible to Five Stars when assessed with the AccuRate HER software.
• A Five Star Concrete Slab House. This has a concrete slab floor on compacted fill and has an external fabric above the floor plate that is identical to the Five Star timber floored house.
• A Four Star Timber Floored House. This has an enclosed perimeter timber sub floor and an external fabric adjusted so that the building rated as close as possible to 4 Stars.

To date, the project team has had the following outputs:

• Continued improvement in the monitoring and performance of the test cells;
• In association with Wilson Homes, an incorporation of the project requirements into the houses designed for Auburn Rd in Kingston;
• Participation in the construction of the houses and installation and commissioning of the house's monitoring equipment. The houses are now in free-running monitoring;
• Beginnings of a data management system to store the collected monitoring data and assist data analysis; and
• The sourcing of two additional postgraduate students to work on aspects of the project. This brings the number to three. A fourth is due to start later in the year.

This project has been Funded by the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation, the Australian Greenhouse Office as well as receiving sponsorship and collaboration from government and industry.

Comprising several Australian and New Zealand case studies and a detailed report, this project worked towards improving understanding of rural and regional tourism precincts by:

• providing a useful working definition of a precinct;
• identifying the major issues of precinct development and maintenance;
• summarising the theoretical and practical state of knowledge of these issues and identify 'gaps' in both knowledge and practice; and recommending areas of future action on precincts and precinct planning.

Dr Catriona McLeod and Margaret Bartholomew (School of Architecture and Design) and Gregory Nolan (CSAW) were key researchers for this project.

The successful development of new precincts and efficient maintenance of existing ones requires the appreciation and implementation of a complex range of skills applied to a wide variety of interconnected issues. These include community dynamics, tangible physical infrastructure, the intangible characteristics and values of place, and understandings of sustainability.

For this project, the research approach comprised a review of available literature, including academic texts, precinct development reports and case studies, tourism strategy documents and other documents from Australia and overseas.

An assessment of current practice knowledge by initially conducted through interviews with Australian precinct managers This provided a means by which to assess appropriate terminology, gaps in the knowledge base and confirmed the direction of research. An examination of the literature and practice information provided data for an interim technical report. This was distributed to industry for comment and followed up by interviews with industry representatives. Focused interviews were also held with tourism precinct managers and planners to test the interim findings and to corroborate the perceived gaps in knowledge and practice.

To provide a practical foundation to the report, four regional tourism precincts in Australia and New Zealand were selected and were presented as case studies.

This project was funded by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, an Australian Government initiative.