The ACCC alleges the Meranti was not suitable for BAL-12.5 door frames, or for windows and external cladding less than 400mm from the ground, according to a report by Wood Central’s Jason Ross.
The importer has paid a $19,800 infringement penalty over allegedly false or misleading statements about the timber.
In October last year, the importer sent customers a price list claiming its Meranti had a density of 400 kilograms per cubic metre. It also marketed the timber for BAL-12.5 building work.
Australian Standard AS 3959 sets minimum density requirements for some timber uses in bushfire-prone areas. Wood Central reports that low-level frames at BAL-12.5 must be made from bushfire-resisting timber or a species with a density of at least 650 kilograms per cubic metre.
The Wood Central report said the ACCC also approached other timber suppliers during its investigation. According to the regulator, some suppliers removed potentially misleading bushfire attack level claims from their public material.
The ACCC says where a species is grown can affect its density, which may affect whether a product meets the minimum density requirement for a particular bushfire attack level.
ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said builders and homeowners need to be able to rely on the accuracy of claims about building products.
The ACCC has provided its findings to state and territory building regulators so they can assist homeowners and builders with concerns about particular projects.
The payment of the $19,800 infringement penalty is not an admission by the importer that it contravened the law.
In the report, the ACCC also noted that many areas of Australia are not bushfire-prone and therefore are not subject to these timber density requirements.