With over 70 years of manufacturing in Papua New Guinea, PNG Forest Products has long been an industry leader in Engineered Wood Products across the South Pacific, Australasia, and South East Asia.

Their extensive range of products and services for the domestic and export markets includes pressure-treated pine timber and plywood; kit homes and prefabricated buildings; modular bridges and bridge decking; and project construction and infrastructure development.

In fact, PNGFP is the largest supplier of timber housing and infrastructure projects in the South Pacific, having delivered more than 10,000 buildings.

PNGFP supplies PNG's only kit-set buildings engineered to both PNG and Australian building codes, preservative pressure-treated to provide full protection from termites and rot.

The construction division, NiuBuild, has built well over 2,000 buildings in PNG, including numerous mining and exploration camps, over 1,000 school buildings, and supplied hundreds of educational and health facilities throughout the country.

Innovation is at the core of the company’s success, as reflected by PNGFP’s Managing Director, Tony Honey: “We are producing and exporting some truly innovative and interesting engineered wood products that add value to an otherwise basic piece of plywood.”

“Modular bridges and decking into Australia and New Zealand; specialised railway bridge re-decking in Sydney; sound barriers along Australian highways and rail corridors; scarf-jointed bus and train floors for Australia, NZ and Malaysia—the list goes on.”

The company’s origins date back to the early 1920s, when Bulolo Gold Dredging Limited (BGD) was developing extensive alluvial mining operations in the Bulolo Valley.

To facilitate this large-scale operation, they needed sufficient housing in the valley for hundreds of workers and their families. BGD secured timber permits, established sawmill and joinery facilities, and set about building a town complete with a school and hospital.

As the operation grew, so did the town and the need for more timber. In the 1940s, the Forestry Department established a pine nursery and reforestation programme, planting 60,000 young pine trees in December 1948 and continuing each year thereafter.

When the mining operation scaled down, BGD formed Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Ltd and constructed the largest plywood factory in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1954, plywood production and the export of product overseas commenced, signalling the birth of a new industry.

Today, PNG Forest Products employs over 1,500 Papua New Guineans and is committed to building a better future through sustainable manufacturing practices. All timber is sourced from renewable pine plantations managed by the PNG Forest Services. Sawdust and wood-chip waste from the mills are utilised to power biomass boilers for the veneer driers and kilns.

PNGFP also works in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Conservation to ensure that best environmental practices are maintained. PNG Forest Products is the only company in PNG to have achieved PEFC Chain of Custody accreditation based on 100% controlled wood.

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international organisation that promotes sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. PNGFP’s Chain of Custody certification demonstrates a commitment to sustainable forest management that is unique in this country.

Further emphasising sustainability, the company’s manufacturing facilities in Bulolo are powered by their own hydro power stations, in which they continue to invest heavily.

In 2023, PNGFP Hydro commissioned their fourth power station at Baime, feeding 11.6MW into PPL’s Ramu grid and raising their capacity to supply PPL to a total of 22MW.

The combination of a renewable timber resource, processed with sustainable hydro power and biomass heat energy, makes PNGFP’s engineered wood products truly and uniquely green.

From mining camps, to health and education facilities, to retail and commercial fit outs, PNGFP’s NiuBuild provides complete project solutions throughout PNG and the South Pacific. In fact, you might be surprised to know that PNG Forest Products is the largest supplier of timber housing & infrastructure projects in the South Pacific. Having delivered more than 10,000 buildings, PNGFP supply PNG's only preservative pressure treated kit-set buildings, engineered to PNG and Australian building codes, that are fully protected from termites and rotting. 

NiuBuild’s team of Designers, Draftsmen, Engineers and QA Managers provide solutions that are cost effective, user friendly and serviceable even in the remotest areas. Having built in excess of 2,000 buildings in PNG including numerous Mining and Exploration Camps, PNGFP has supplied over 1,000 School Buildings and hundreds of Education and Health Facilities throughout the country. Their prefabricated, transportable and modular buildings are designed for permanent large-scale infrastructure developments as well as temporary mining and exploration camps. The prefabricated system means ease of construction and allows for the involvement of local stakeholders in the camp construction stage.

NiuBuild has also developed an innovative range of transportable, modular solutions for mining, gas and petroleum camps that provide instant accommodation without the need for on-site construction. Each unit in the range is affixed to a steel chassis skid frame with lifting eyes for easy craning onto trucks for transport to site. The range includes a transportable duplex with ensuites; 4-Man duplex; 3-Storey stackable duplex and transportable ablution blocks. 

Employing over 1,300 Papua New Guineans, PNGFP is committed to building a better future through sustainable manufacturing practices. All timber is sourced from renewable PNG pine plantations while the processing plants are powered by PNGFP’s own sustainable Hydro Power stations in Bulolo.

So when you invest in PNGFP products and services, you are not only investing in the best value, highest quality engineered wood products in PNG, you are also investing in 1,200 local jobs and supporting the economy whilst also supporting the environment… and that’s an investment in PNG’s future! For more information contact the NiuBuild team on 478 8111 or email buildingsales@pngfp.com

Photo: Transportable duplex with ensuites

PNG Forest Products has produced an innovative range of transportable, modular solutions for mining, gas and petroleum camps that provide instant accommodation without the need for on-site construction. Each unit in the range is affixed to a steel chassis skid frame with lifting eyes for easy craning onto trucks for transport to site.

Projects Maintenance Superintendent at K92 Mine Site, Reis Colley, explains why these modular units are a real game changer for mining camps.

“As K92 Mine is growing and expanding we were considering different accommodation options when PNGFP proposed a transportable 2-bedroom individual ensuite unit with a verandah. I presented this to the Management team as a quicker option than the traditional timber long houses we have been installing.”

“We initially purchased 18 of these units and installed them near existing accommodation units, which allowed us to use established infrastructure and minimise disruption to current camp rooms.  When the first units were installed and inspected it was agreed to continue with the purchase and installation of these units as they provided 2 ensuite rooms with a verandah on a footprint about the same size as a 20ft Container.”

“As the modular unit is built in the PNGFP factory offsite, once delivered it only had to be lifted onto the footings and connected to the plumbing and electrical services, so we could have rooms available quickly. This also allowed for us to hand over completed sections and continue with more footing and infrastructure installation for the next deliveries.”

The Transportable Duplex with Ensuite provides comfortable accommodation for two with each unit containing a bathroom, hot water heater, air conditioning and all internal plumbing and electrical fixtures & fittings. Including verandahs, this duplex is priced from K69,000.

There is also a Transportable 4-Man Duplex without ensuite, which accommodates two persons per unit and is priced from only K62,425. Supplementing these are Transportable Ablution Blocks which come in a number of configurations including: Male/Female with three toilets each side; a six-toilet unit; a six-shower unit; or a three-toilet/three-shower unit, all with four handwash basins.

Priced from K64,600, these ablution blocks are also ideal for rural schools, health clinics and aid posts around the country, and come with the option of a septic tank kit.  For situations where space is an issue, PNGFP have designed a 3-Storey stackable duplex with ensuites, priced from K295,000.  All prices quoted are ex-Lae and ex-GST.

As with all PNGFP Engineered Wood Products, the timber and plywood components are produced from durable, lightweight, pressure treated PNG plantation pine, manufactured to Australian and NZ standards.

PNGFP’s unique preservative pressure treatment method ensures full protection from rotting and termites, so you know these units are built to last. For more information contact the NiuBuild team on 478 8111 or 478 8100 or email buildingsales@pngfp.com.