The high-strength, locally grown plywood that can be specified with confidence
Written by
10 February 2026
•
4 min read
Anyone who has spent time in the Sunshine Coast hinterland or the Mary Valley will be familiar with the landscape: rolling hills, grazing fields and thousands upon thousands of plantation-grown pines stretching across the region. These sustainably managed plantations are where Austral Plywoods sources its Australian Araucaria (Hoop Pine).
“It's all processed by us. It comes from Queensland, and there’s absolutely no doubt as to traceability,” says Stuart Matthews, Joint Chief Executive Officer at Austral Plywoods. “You can rely on what we provide, because we know exactly where our timber comes from.”
Grown less than 200 kilometres from Austral Plywoods’ manufacturing facility in Brisbane, the supply chain is short, transparent and tightly controlled. For specifiers navigating increasing scrutiny around timber sourcing and compliance, there are no question marks when working with Austral, and it’s been this way for over 100 years.
You can rely on what we provide, because we know exactly where our timber comes from.
Introducing Austral AB22: High-strength appearance plywood
Austral AB22 evolved from the need for more strength and a plywood with beauty on either side.
“It’s an improvement on an existing product,” explains Stuart. “We were trying to cover all the bases in terms of what architects want in a really good plywood panel.”
In a single panel, AB22 delivers a refined AB-grade appearance with a super-strong F22 stress grade. Designed to replace Austral Exterior, AB22 delivers the same clean Hoop Pine face finish, now enhanced with superior strength, stiffness and durability.
“This was achieved through the high-quality timber species that we use, and also improvements in our manufacturing methods.”
For applications such as joinery, cabinets or shelves, the panel doesn’t need to be as thick because of the strength of AB22 plywood. The same applies for substrate flooring.
Shorter lead times with complete control over the process
To create more opportunities for collaboration and customisation, Austral Plywoods has recently brought its value-add services fully in-house. Custom CNC machining, staining and coating are now completed at its Brisbane manufacturing facility, providing end-to-end control over quality, scheduling and design outcomes.
“We really have complete control over the process, and we also have much shorter lead times as well,” says Stuart. “It also opens up potential for more custom and one-off jobs that people might want for special projects. We now have the capacity to do almost anything.”
This move to in-house only strengthens Austral’s long-established track record.
“We have been doing the same process for more than 10 years now, and even though we’re now doing it in-house, we’re doing it exactly the same way that it’s been done for the past decade.”
From perforations and intricate carving and detailing to staining, the factory-applied process isn’t something that can be replicated on site.
“Our panels are actually dipped into a bath,” explains Stuart. “Stains and coatings aren’t just being brushed on, it fully envelops the whole panel. You can’t coat the back of a sheet once it’s already installed, but it’s important to coat all sides of our products so that moisture doesn’t come in.”
Suitable for a wide range of interior and semi-exposed applications where both structural performance and visual quality are essential, Austral AB22 features a true multi-ply construction. Veneers are of consistent thickness throughout the panel, creating a clean, evenly banded edge that can be left exposed as a deliberate design feature that’s ideal for furniture, joinery, shelving and architectural detailing where the panel edge is visible.
Compliant with Australian Standards for both structural and exterior plywood, Austral AB22 offers architects, builders and designers confidence in specification, whether the panel is expressed or concealed within the build.
Explore more products from Austral Plywoods.