CCA and creosote vineyard posts

About 84 million timber posts are installed in vineyards across Australia, of which 80% have been pre-treated with the preservative ‘CCA’.  Most of the other timber posts are treated with creosote.

It’s estimated that between 1.4 –-3.4 million CCA posts (11,000 – 27,000 tonnes) need to be replaced annually due to breakage.  These used posts are typically stockpiled on the vineyard as waste with some sent to landfill, sold or given away.  About 146,000 tonnes of CCA posts – collected over the past 20 years – are thought to be currently stockpiled on vineyards.  

In addition to these volumes, posts also enter the waste stream when vineyards are redeveloped or permanently removed.  This number is unknown.

What is CCA?

CCA is a timber preservative containing copper, chromium and arsenic.

It protects the timber from fungal and insect attack and it’s very effective, providing a working life of up to 40 years.

Future solutions for CCA-treated vineyard posts

Wine Australia is working with partners to create alternative, low-emissions solutions for end-of-life CCA posts.

Our goal is to divert CCA timber from landfill through technologies and solutions that work for regional communities. This is a significant challenge, and will only be achieved if the following three areas are successfully addressed:

1. Foundational data. How many posts (tonnes) and other CCA-treated timber exists at locations around Australia?  What’s the condition of the material?  What could it be used for? What are the logistics and cost involved with its transport to potential processors? Are there regulatory barriers to the recycling or processing of CCA-treated timber?
2. Recycling and processing technologies. Technologies or processes that claim to offer a solution for used CCA posts need to be evaluated and innovators may need financial support to develop a commercial prototype.  Do these technologies comply with regulatory requirements?  Are they economically viable for both a grower and the operator?
3. Stewardship/collection. Given the long lifespan of CCA timber, a post purchased today could still be in circulation in 2066. There is therefore a need to design and test a sustainable product stewardship model which simplifies the collection of discarded CCA-treated timber and considers alternative, circular solutions to landfill. 

This timeline shows the various investments Wine Australia and its partners have made across these three areas, and some of the outputs produced: 

Information for each initiative listed in the timeline

1. Wine Australia conducted a survey of vineyard owners across Australia in 2022 to determine their use of vineyard trellis posts and attitudes to recycling and disposal. The responses accounted for about two-thirds of wine grape plantings. The data informed the design and development of the Timber Circularity Project.
2. The goal of the Timber Circularity Project was to identify circular pathways for preservative treated timber (such as CCA-vineyard posts) and engineered wood products so that timber can be kept out of landfill. Design of the project commenced in 2022, with contracts signed in 2023 between the funding partners Forest and Wood Products Australia, Australian Forest Products Association, Frame & Truss Manufacturing Association, Koppers Performance Chemicals, Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia , Hexion, Azelis and Wine Australia.  The project was led by the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life at the University of the Sunshine Coast and concluded in July 2026. The Project produced several valuable outputs for the wine sector, including those described in (3) to (7) below. 
3. Timber Circularity Project output: Review of end-of-life processing technologies. A matrix of processes and potential technology solutions that may be suitable for recycling of treated timber and engineered wood products [report available soon].
4. Timber Circularity Project output: Levels of chromated copper arsenate in aged radiata vineyard posts. Provides results of chemical analysis of the CCA preservative remaining in posts aged 18 – 26 years from several vineyard regions. The report suggests the aged posts have enough remaining preservative to be reused in ground.
5. Timber Circularity Project output: Interactive online map of number and location of waste CCA vineyard posts. Also provides the location of landfills and the gate fee charged for disposal.
6. Timber Circularity Project output: A detailed best practice guide for stockpiling CCA posts and summary poster.
7. Timber Circularity Project output: Performance assessment of new and aged vineyard CCA treated timber posts. A small sample of old posts from a range of vineyards were subject to structural testing to determine their suitability for reuse. The report suggest that the posts are suitable for reuse in agricultural fencing.
8. Timber Circularity Project output: A  review of state-by-state regulations governing recycling, transport and storage of treated timber was undertaken. A report listing recommendations for practical actions designed to support improved circularity outcomes, reduce waste, and strengthen industry and regulatory authority confidence was produced.   
9. Timber Circularity Project output: In-vineyard pilot to determine the commercial and technical viability of safely converting old CCA posts to fence posts. The pilot was delivered by FABAL Vineyards Pty Ltd. This report documents the design, construction, and operational trial of a novel mobile vineyard post reprocessing unit, together with findings on market viability, logistics economics, and recommended future pathways for CCA treated timber post reuse in Australia. The pilot received co-funding from the South Australian Wine Recovery Program through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), following recommendations from the National Viticulture and Wine Sector Working Group.
10. At the request of the Treated Timber Product Stewardship Working Group, Wine Australia commissioned the Treated Timber Stewardship Scheme Design Prospectus. The Prospectus outlines the purpose, benefits, approach and estimated costs of designing and establishing a treated timber product stewardship scheme in Australia, with an initial focus on CCA posts. The Prospectus informed the funding and development of the national stewardship project announced by the South Australian government in March 2025.
11. A feasibility study was commissioned by Wine Australia to determine if regional collection points could be a simple, sustainable and cost-effective way to help vineyard owners manage the disposal of CCA posts. The project was co-funded by Green Industries SA and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA.
12. Wine Australia is a partner with Associate Professor Philip Kwong at the Adelaide University in an Australian Economic Accelerator Innovate grant to develop a ‘green’, biomass-based solvent to extract metals, including CCA. Wine Australia has also provided a PhD scholarship top-up to a student working on this project.
13. In 2026, the South Australian government provided funding to the South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA) to develop a national stewardship framework for the management of end‑of-life CCA‑treated timber posts. SAWIA has commissioned the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence to develop a scheme design, which will be delivered in late 2027. Wine Australia is a partner in the project.
14. In July 2026, Wine Australia conducted an open call, seeking expressions of interest from SMEs, technology providers, and researchers with (potential) circular solutions for discarded CCA-treated posts. Shortlisted candidates may receive up to $300,000 in funding to develop the commercial and technical maturity of their process.
15. Wine Australia is running a targeted campaign in two regions to raise awareness in the community of the risks associated with burning CCA-treated timber. The campaign will assess the effectiveness of the various communication paths used, before rolling it out to other regions.

Further information

For further information regarding disposal of treated timber posts in your region, contact your local council or state/territory environmental regulatory authority:

• WA: Contact us | EPA Western Australia
• SA: Get in touch with the EPA
• Vic: Contact us | Environment Protection Authority Victoria (epa.vic.gov.au)
• Tas: Contact Us | EPA Tasmania
• NSW: Contact us (nsw.gov.au)
• ACT: Contact Us - Access Canberra
• Qld: Contact us | Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI), Queensland

If you have any questions regarding the content of this page, contact research@wineaustralia.com.