F&T Time with Kersten Gentle

In this episode of FTMA’s F&T Time Podcast, we sit down with three generations of the Harvey family, Jeff, Steve, and Alyssa. whose combined passion and dedication have helped shape the timber industry through their work with Bowens and Timbertruss. Jeff, fondly known as the “timber man,” reflects on a remarkable 60-plus year career driven by a deep respect for timber as a sustainable, living resource. His story is one of commitment, knowledge, and an enduring belief in the vital role tim...

Welcome back to the F&T Time podcast for 2025! For the first episode of the new season, we are joined by Dr. Alastair Woodard, a renowned expert in sustainable building practices and author of the ground-breaking report Steps Towards a Greener Future. We dive into critical findings from the report, which outlines a roadmap for reducing embodied carbon in construction while meeting Australia’s urgent housing goals under the National Housing Accord. Dr. Woodard shares his expert insig...

In this episode of the F&T Time Podcast, we catch up with Christopher Dean, CEO of FTMA Supporting Partner, Choice Energy, to discuss the intricacies of energy management in today's challenging economic environment. With rising energy costs and a shifting market, we delve into effective strategies that FTMA members can utilise to not only manage their energy consumption but also to achieve significant savings. Chris shares insights on innovative solutions and successful initiatives that e...

In this episode of F&T Time, we are joined by Robert Pradolin, Founding Director of Housing All Australians, who reminds us that the fight against homelessness and the quest for affordable housing in Australia, isn't confined to policymakers or builders alone. It's a mission that belongs to all of us. Every one of us has a role to play, whether through advocacy, investment, or by simply spreading the word. We take a closer look at how timber prefabrication is being leveraged to no...

In this enlightening episode of F&T Time, we sit down with Hamish White, a Founding Builder of the Sustainable Builders Alliance (SBA). Hamish's dedication to a more sustainable construction industry is truly inspiring, and we delve into the transformative work the SBA is doing to reduce emissions and carbon footprint in construction. Born out of Builders Declare Australia, the SBA is driven to revolutionise construction practices for the betterment of our planet. FTMA proudly alig...

Today, we’re looking into the importance of education and training for the timber, frame and truss sector - a topic that is particularly important for us at FTMA, given our drive and pursuits to deliver courses, to help address the under employment that we are all experiencing, and encourage skilled people into our wonderful industry. We are joined by NTHA Senior Trainer and Assessor, Colin Taranto - an inspiring and dedicated man, who has contributed greatly by paving the way for those...

The Paris Olympics in 2024 are aiming to be the most sustainable games in Olympic Games history. One way they are achieving their sustainability goals, which align with the Paris Agreement, is using timber in construction. To ensure the Brisbane Olympic Games achieve similar environmental milestones to Paris, several strategies must be implemented. We need to prioritise the use of timber in our construction projects. This involves not only the games' facilities but also surrounding infrastru...

This episode focuses on two passionate timber engineers and educators, Jon Shanks, and Lisa Ottenhaus. If you’ve ever met Jon or Lisa, you would know that they’re passionate about mountain biking, trail running, and really all things outdoors. What you probably didn’t know is that Lisa has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for over 13 years. Lisa doesn’t tend to make a big deal of it, because generally, things were ‘fine’... until they weren’t. In early 2022, Jon got a phone got call from L...

In a male dominated industry, it’s critical to talk about the issues impacting so many men and look at what can be done to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Too many times, men shy away from conversations about their mental, physical and social health but it’s time we put a stop to it. Next week from 12 – 18 June, it’s Men’s Health Week. This event is celebrated every year around the world, and in Australia it is organised by the Centre for Male Health at Western Sydney Univer...

With the increase in the number of builders collapsing, such as Porter Davis, and the real possibility that frames and trusses, could potentially be uncovered and left in the weather for months, we thought it was a good time to talk about Best Practices for Caring for Your Timber Products. Today we are joined by three nail plate engineers to discuss what can frame and truss manufacturers, builders and homeowners do to care for their quality timber products. Episode guests: Tim Rossite...

Welcome back for season two of F&T Time! To kick off this season of F&T Time, we are joined once again by Tim Woods of IndustryEdge to talk about what we expect to see with timber supply and the housing markets for 2023. It seems everyone has a viewpoint on where the market is headed, but not all are on the same page. Some say the boom will continue, as we welcome an expected 200,000 migrants who will need to be housed, whilst others say, the housing market is headed for a bust...

Stress is a natural part of being human, short term, it gives you energy and promotes action. Unfortunately, being too stress for too long kills motivation, ruins focus and decreases performance. What if we could harness the awesome power of stress and get rid of the bad stuff. Well that's what today's guest, Luke Mathers, is going to talk about - becoming Stress Teflon. FTMA Members may recognise the name, as Luke was our Keynote Speaker earlier this year at the FTMA National Conference an...

October is National Safe Work Month—a time to commit to building a safe and healthy workplace. As FTMA honours National Safe Work Month, we are joined by AKD’s National Health & Safety Manager, Toni Kirkup, who’s passion for safety saw her receive the 2021 National Forests industries Innovation Health and Safety Award. Toni explains how safety doesn’t just start or finish at the gate and, how we all have a collective and individual responsibility to create a safe work environment, so w...