Building the Future with Hemp: Insights from the iHemp NSW Hempcrete Webinar

Australia’s hemp building sector continues to gain momentum, with designers, builders, manufacturers and homeowners increasingly embracing hempcrete as a low-carbon, high-performance building material.

In a recent iHemp NSW webinar, industry leaders and homeowners came together to share practical experience, research updates and real-world lessons from the growing hemp construction movement across Australia.

The webinar featured presentations from Kirsty Wolfe of Shelter Building Design, Clara Marazzigi of Australian Hemp Masonry Company, Harrison Marsh of Odetto, and Narara Ecovillage residents Megan and Donna, who shared their lived experience building and living in hemp homes.

Hemp Building Comes of Age in Australia

Kirsty Wulf opened the discussion with an overview of the evolution of hempcrete construction in Australia. Since the first hemp building projects emerged locally in the late 2000s, the industry has steadily progressed from owner-builder experiments to professionally delivered residential and commercial projects.

Shelter Building Design alone has now completed eight hempcrete projects, with many more under construction or progressing through council approval. Kirsty highlighted hempcrete’s suitability for Australian conditions, particularly in high bushfire-risk regions, where its fire performance and thermal qualities offer significant advantages.

The presentation also introduced the Hemp Building Directory, an important initiative helping connect homeowners, designers, suppliers and builders working within the hemp construction sector.

Research, Manufacturing and Supply Challenges

Klara Marosszeky shared the remarkable growth of the Australian Hemp Masonry Company, which has now contributed to more than 250 residential hemp builds and several commercial projects nationwide.

A major focus of Clara’s presentation was the importance of developing sovereign Australian supply chains for hemp construction materials. Current domestic processing capacity remains limited, meaning some projects still rely on imported hemp hurd from France.

While imported material performs well, Clara emphasised the need to support Australian-grown and processed hemp to strengthen local farming, manufacturing and regional employment opportunities.

Research undertaken on Australian hemp materials has demonstrated thermal and fire performance comparable to established European hempcrete systems. Clara also discussed ongoing development work into lower-carbon binders, as well as new hemp block and panel products expected to become commercially available later this year.

The Builder’s Perspective: Hemp Goes Mainstream

Builder Harrison Marsh co-founder of Otetto provided a practical perspective from the construction industry, explaining that while hemp building systems involve a learning curve, they are rapidly becoming more accessible and scalable.

Harrison discussed the wide range of emerging hemp construction systems now available in Australia, including:

• In-situ hempcrete
• Structural insulated panels (SIPs)
• Spray-applied hemp systems
• Hemp blocks
• Hemp batt insulation
• Hemp boards and sheet products

One standout project featured prefabricated hemp panels and roof cassettes that were installed in just four days, demonstrating the efficiency potential of panelised hemp systems.

Importantly, Harrison noted that Australian Standards are currently developing formal hempcrete standards that are expected to integrate into the National Construction Code in coming years — a major milestone for industry legitimacy and wider adoption.

He also stressed the importance of engaging builders, designers and suppliers early in the project planning process to achieve the best outcomes with hemp systems.

Living in a Hemp Home

One of the highlights of the webinar came from Narara Ecovillage residents Donna and Megan, who shared firsthand experiences living in hemp homes on the NSW Central Coast.

Donna described her 130-square-metre home featuring external hempcrete walls combined with a rammed earth spine, creating a naturally comfortable and thermally stable environment.

Megan discussed the creative flexibility of hemp construction, including curved hemp walls and integration with MudTech pressed earth bricks. Both homeowners spoke positively about the comfort, acoustic performance and natural feel of their homes.

Their experiences provided valuable insight into how hemp homes perform not only as sustainable buildings, but as enjoyable and healthy living environments.

Addressing Common Questions About Hempcrete

The webinar concluded with an extensive audience Q&A session covering some of the most common questions surrounding hemp construction.

Cracking in Render

Kirsty addressed concerns about render cracking, recommending the use of render mesh and careful detailing to minimise movement-related cracking in hempcrete walls.

Structural Performance

Questions about structural hemp blocks were addressed by Clara, who explained that load-bearing hemp block systems are emerging internationally and can achieve structural capability when combined with appropriate reinforcement and fixings.

Bathrooms and Wet Areas

Megan confirmed that hemp walls can successfully be used in bathrooms when paired with proper waterproofing systems and suitable render finishes.

Retrofitting and Renovation

The panel also discussed the use of hemp materials for renovation projects, including termite-damaged homes and retrofit applications such as shipping containers.

The Future of Hemp Construction in Australia

A clear message emerged throughout the webinar: hemp construction is transitioning from niche alternative building into a recognised and increasingly mainstream construction solution.

The industry still faces challenges around supply chain capacity, education and cost competitiveness, but momentum is building rapidly. Continued collaboration between growers, processors, researchers, designers, builders and homeowners will be essential to scaling the sector sustainably.

The webinar also reinforced the importance of supporting Australian-grown hemp and developing local manufacturing capability to ensure the environmental and economic benefits remain within Australia.

As awareness grows and standards evolve, hempcrete and hemp-based construction products are poised to play an important role in the future of low-carbon, healthy and resilient buildings across the country.