Forest Products Industry

A Green Triangle forestry organisation has received a significant cash injection from the South Australian State Government to ensure their success now and into the future. Source: The SE Voice The State Government has announced a $300,000 funding contribution towards the implementation of the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub’s (GTIFH) new Workforce Development Program. The funding enables the GTIFH to increase its impact and effectiveness in its workforce development within the timber industry and recruit a workforce development officer, whose role will be to increase recruitment in the forest industry. The implementation of the GTFIH Workforce Development Program expands on its initial program that commenced in 2023. Minister for Forest Industries and Regional Development Claire Scriven said there have already been some positive outcomes from the existing program. “This funding will enable an extra two years of this program and that’s really important for the future of the forest industry,” she said. “We know the forest industry and the forest products industry are going to need far more staff going into the future from all sorts of roles from working in the mills, from being in the forest themselves to transport haulage to computer engineering and the list goes on. “It is really important that we do have the skills available and also that we do make sure we have the connections with employers. “The work of the Work Force Development Program through the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub is going to be really crucial in that. “I think initiatives like this in addition to the ‘This is Wood Work’ campaign has resulted in a lot more awareness of the opportunities.” GTIFH will be working in tandem with partners across the region including the Forestry Centre of Excellence, ForestWorks and the South Australian Forest Productions Association. The program will also capitalise on the development of the education training and research precinct in Mount Gambier featuring the Forestry Centre of Excellence, the UniSA Mount Gambier campus, the new Mount Gambier Technical College and the Mount Gambier TAFE. Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub general manager Tony Wright said the hub was “very grateful” for the funding and the investment in the forest industry from the State Government. “For us, it means we can continue the two-year program we have been running which has already produced really significant results in the region,” he said. “I think there is about 32,000 people of employment age in the Limestone Coast and about 7500 of them are either directly or indirectly employed (in the forest industry) so that is about one in five. “It is a significant employer in the region so this program will help us continue to get the message out to the community and the schools about the opportunities in forestry. “We are seeing some really strong interest and a part of that is through the work we are doing with schools as well where we are showing teachers and career educators and students the broad breadth of opportunities that can exist in the forest industry.” Independent Learning Centre students Declan Malinowski and Josh Potter are two of five new school-based trainees who have been working in the forest industry for around three weeks. The pair said they enjoy the variety of opportunities the forestry industry has to offer. “I had some sort of understanding, but I did not realise how much variety and opportunity there actually was once you got into it,” Mr Potter said. “I saw an application for a traineeship that was happening, and I was interested in the forestry side of things, and I decided that it would be a good opportunity to try and get into (the forestry industry). “I have had multiple family members and friends who have worked in the industry and have said it is a pretty good industry with lots of opportunities. “When you do an apprenticeship in most mills, they usually put you in one area of the mill … but because of the traineeship we have been offered and gotten, we have worked in probably about five/six different parts of the mill so far and it has only been our first three weeks into it.” “Because of how much we have been able to try out, we have been sort of able to figure out what part of the industry we like the most,” Mr Malinowski added. “We have been spending time with all of the departments at OneFortyOne at their site and getting trained up and ready to go on for the rest of the term.”

The Federal Government has announced $10.4 million in funding for 14 new plantation projects through Round 3 of the Support Plantation Establishment program. Source: Timberbiz The 14 projects will establish hardwood and softwood plantations ranging in size from 21 to 1928 hectares to a total of approximately 5500 hectares, in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. The projects will bolster Australia’s future timber supply while contributing to meeting Australia’s carbon emission targets. “Australia doesn’t have enough domestically grown timber,” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, said. “That’s why this program has enabled new softwood and hardwood plantations across Australia. “It’s part of a wider program of support for our forestry industry worth $300 million, which also includes the establishment of Australian Forest and Wood Innovations and funding to combat illegally logged timber products from entering Australia,” she said. “The Albanese Labor Government is dedicated to supporting jobs and industries in regional Australia, and this is another demonstration of our commitment.” The new projects are in addition to 27 existing plantation projects, with the program now providing $26.2 million in grant funding to support the establishment of over 13,750 hectares of new hardwood and softwood plantations across Australia. This is the first batch of funding through Round 3, with further funding is still open for applications until 5 November 2025 for private industry, First Nations businesses, farm foresters and state and territory government forestry bodies to establish new plantations. New projects must be delivered by June 2027. “While we have a surplus of building construction timber right now, we are actually forecasting shortages in the plantation timber that we’ll need in decades to come to build new homes and manufacture a range of essential everyday products,” Australian Forest Products Association CEO Diana Hallam said. “That’s why it’s important we get more timber production trees in the ground right now, to fend off those future shortages. “This announcement is the latest in a reform program agenda carried out by the Federal Government over the past three years to help Australia’s forestry sector and the supply chain. “In addition to funding for plantation expansion, further funding has been delivered during this term of government to enhance timber and wood-fibre manufacturing as well as establish the new Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) – all of which was advocated for by AFPA ahead of the 2022 Federal Election,” Ms Hallam said. “Getting more timber production trees in the ground is critical, which is why ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, AFPA is calling for a $200 million extension to the SPEP as part of our broader Australian Timber. Australia’s Future Platform to help our sector realise its potential. “AFPA again thanks the Albanese Government for today’s announcement and will continue to work with the Government and Opposition ahead of the Federal Election to secure the best national outcomes for Australia’s forestry and timber sector – that is important for local employment, products, forest management and fighting climate change,” she said. For more information, including a list of the successful projects and case studies on existing grantees, visit www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/forestry/industries/support-plantation-establishment-program

New polling conducted for the Australian Forest Products Association in the NSW federal electorate of Gilmore on the State’s south coast, shows voters overwhelmingly back the electorate’s critical native forestry industries, while also expressing strong support for the sector’s contribution to the economy and environment. Source: Timberbiz “These polling results fly in the face of disinformation being spread about Australia’s sustainable native forestry by activists who live far from the forestry underpinned communities in the seat of Gilmore and clearly show that the vast majority of voters in electorate regard local forestry and timber operations as critical to support the local economy, local communities and the environment on the NSW South Coast,” Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Diana Hallam said. Key findings from the UComms polling of 684 Gilmore residents conducted from February 17th to 20th, include: 95% of respondents either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that timber and timber products sold in Australia should be labelled with their country of origin, whether it’s Australian or from overseas. 8 in 10 respondents, including more than half of those who said they’d vote for the Greens this election, either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the NSW South Coast should maintain a sustainable native timber industry to produce world class products like home furnishings, furniture and decking. 3 in 4 respondents ‘strongly agreed’ that Australia should grow more timber production trees to fight climate change and secure Australia’s future national timber supply. More than 80% believed local forestry and timber industries were important for local jobs and Australia’s economy, while more than 64% said they’d be more likely to vote for a political party or candidate with strong policies to strengthen Australia’s forestry and timber industries. The polling also suggests that Liberal candidate Andrew Constance will win the electorate from Labor’s Fiona Phillips with a 52.8 (Liberal) to 47.2% (Labor) two party preferred result returned in the poll. “Gilmore is just one of many federal electorates where forestry and its supply chain is critical to the local economy and local forest management,” Ms Hallam said. “The residents who live in Gilmore understand the value of forestry and not only the good it’s doing for the economy, but also the environment. “They can see harvested areas regrowing and they can see that the practices are world leading. At this Federal Election its essential all sides of politics back local forestry. Not only is it what people want, it’s critical for the environment, jobs and the economy,” she said. “The fact that more than half of residents polled who said they’d vote for the Greens said they wanted a sustainable native industry to be maintained, should give the minor party some cause for thought about their strident opposition to the practice. “The overwhelmingly positive response to country of origin labelling also demonstrates the commonsense nature of such a reform that AFPA will continue to advocate for along with our broader Federal Election Platform Australian Timber. Australia’s Future, which outlines what our national forestry sector and supply chain requires to realise its potential for our national economy, consumers, jobs, the environment and fighting climate change,” Ms Hallam said.

Peak industry body Timber Queensland, in partnership with the Canopy Training and Careers Hub, has launched The Canopy Jobs Board, a free platform for connecting talent with opportunity in Queensland’s dynamic forest and timber industry. Source: Timberbiz Timber Queensland Strategic Relations & Communications Manager Clarissa Brandt said the new jobs board is a one-stop shop for all jobs related to the local plantation and native forest industry supply chains through to end-use markets for timber products. “Whether you’re a Queensland forest grower, harvester, sawmiller, merchant, manufacturer, architect, or timber specifier this is where you’ll find the skilled professionals you need to grow your business,” she said. Ms Brandt said the workforce development programs facilitated by the Canopy Hub including industry school tours, pre-employment, and work experience programs plus participation in career expos and school events, has steadily increased the number of enquiries received by Timber Queensland regarding finding a position in the industry. “Creating an industry specific jobs board, that’s free for everyone to use, was a solution to connecting these people to local employers both large and small,” Ms Brandt said. “In addition, it was a high priority action identified in the 2024 Wide Bay Forest and Timber Industry Workforce Development plan developed by Timber Queensland in partnership with Jobs Queensland. “Job seekers will be able to search for roles across all sectors from forest growing, harvest and haulage through to wood processing and secondary manufacturing, product transport, timber construction, wholesaling and merchandising and more. “They can also post their resumes, create a profile promoting their specific attributes to employers and create job alerts when new jobs match specific search criteria such as job category and location. “As well as advertising open roles, employers can search candidates resumes and profiles to find the best match for open positions and use screening questions and applicant tracking to zero in on candidates and keep track of who has applied to each job posting and categorise applicants by hiring status.” Ms Brandt said Timber Queensland would be implementing a campaign to promote the jobs board to job seekers and strongly encourages Queensland employers to create an account to utilise its benefits. “There’s no cost – just create an account and set up a company page to get matched with the right candidate sooner.” The jobs board is at: https://jobs.canopyhub.com.au/

New home sales increased by 4.1% in January 2025, offsetting weaker sales in November and December 2024. Source: Timberbiz The HIA New Home Sales report is a monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states and is a leading indicator of future detached home construction. “The monthly rise in new home sales occurred prior to the cash rate cut in February, which should further boost market confidence,” HIA Economist Maurice Tapang said. “Sales have been increasing off a very low base, consistent with stable economic conditions. Unemployment remains at very low levels, while there remains an acute shortage of housing stock. “The volume of new homes sold nationally in the three months to January 2025 were also 4.1% higher compared to the same period in the previous year,” he said. Mr Tapang said that poor sales volumes in New South Wales and Victoria had obscured an improvement in Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. “This likely reflects the relative affordability of these markets, with the cost of a new detached house in Sydney and Melbourne prohibitively expensive for a larger number of households,” he said. “The volume of detached house approvals in Australia has also picked up, with the 2024 calendar year seeing 6.8% more houses approved for construction compared to 2023. “The rise in new home sales and new detached house approvals in is consistent with expectations of an increase in the volume of homes commencing construction this year,” Mr Tapang said. New home sales in the three months to January 2025 increased by 70.5% in New South Wales compared to the same time in the previous year, off a very low base. This was followed by South Australia (+22.3%) and Queensland (+12.3%). New home sales were virtually unchanged in Victoria (-0.5%) over the same period, while Western Australia recorded a 26.1% decline but only due to capacity constraints, particularly with labour.  

A landmark report reveals 2.48 million new dwellings are needed by 2034 to achieve affordability in Australia. More Houses Sooner is the first and only in-depth study to project the total dwellings required by 2034 in order to reach equilibrium and affordability levels. Source: Timberbiz The research indicates Australia needs to deliver approximately 2.48 million new dwellings to keep pace with population growth and address historic unmet demand. This equates to roughly 225,400 new dwellings per year. The report commissioned by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), a not-for-profit organisation provides scenarios for filling the housing supply gap by increasing timber use in multi-residentials and encouraging builders to adopt more prefabricated home solutions. Population growth is a key driver of housing demand, with projections showing nearly 31 million people and a decline in household size to fewer than 2.4 people per household. FWPA Head of Built Environment Programs, Kevin Peachy, says increasing timber usage in construction can help address the current imbalance of supply and demand. “There are opportunities and challenges for the industry,” he said. “Leveraging prefabrication systems and factory-based manufacturing offers reduced costs and construction times compared to conventional methods. “Systemic change is required, all of Australia will benefit from more efficient use of timber in the built environment, as this will help meet one of society’s most important and pressing needs of building more houses sooner,” he said. Lead Researcher Tim Woods says the report was compiled using integrating historical trends in housing affordability, disposable income, and population data. “Other reports in the market focus on projecting ABS building activity data, such as dwelling approval, commencement, and completion, without involving other indicators relevant to housing issues,” Mr Woods said. “By using an integrated analytical approach, this report provides practical pathways to fill the housing supply gap.” Historically, Australia produced an average of 192,100 dwellings per annum over the decade to 2024. The More Homes Sooner analysis indicates that Australia can deliver the additional 2.48 million dwellings the nation requires over the coming decade to meet the demand. FWPA is confident that the forestry and wood products industry is uniquely placed to contribute to a future where more Australians can realise the dream of owning a home. The Executive Summary can be found here. The full report can be accessed at https://fwpa.com.au/report/more-houses-sooner

Hundreds timber and pulp and paper workers are expected to vote in a demerger ballot which will see them establish their own union, the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU). Source: Timberbiz The secret ballot run by the Australian Electoral Commission opened on Monday and will run to 14 April 2025. The new union will continue to represent workers in the Manufacturing Division’s coverage which includes floorcovering, cabinetry and joinery, glass and glazing, installation and shopfitting, timber and wood products, pulp and paper, furniture, bedding and mattress manufacturing and upholstery, textile, clothing, and footwear and building products and materials manufacturing. Currently Timber and Pulp & Paper Workers are members of the CFMEU Manufacturing Division, with that Division’s members now voting across the country to leave the CFMEU and get their own union. Ms Alison Rudman, Secretary of the NSW District of the CFMEU’s Manufacturing Division, said members in places like Tumut and Tumbarumba were tired of being associated with the CFMEU Construction Division that is always in the news for the wrong reasons. “They are looking forward to the TFTU having a laser focus on the issues that impact all our members like wood supply, recognition of their skills and protecting timber jobs in timber towns,” she said. “The right of timber workers to have a demerger vote was originally championed by Senator Jacqui Lambie and then taken up by the Albanese Government. The legislation that gave members this right to vote was supported by all MPs except the Greens,” Ms Rudman said. The Secretary of the Greater Green Triangle district of the CFMEU’s Manufacturing Division Brad Coates said he expected a high voter turnout and a big ‘YES’ vote to demerge from the CFMEU. “Timber and Pulp & Paper Workers in the South-East and all our members across the country do not want to be associated with a Union that is riddled with allegations of corruption and criminality,” said Mr Coates. “Members should know that they are able to exercise their democratic right to a vote because of the advocacy of Jacqui Lambie and legislation introduced by the Albanese Government and supported by all MPs except the Greens” Mr Coates said. The CFMEU Manufacturing Division would be the second Division to leave the CFMEU after the Mining and Energy Division left in 2023 to form the Mining and Energy Union. “This is an opportunity for our members to have their say on their future,” CFMEU Manufacturing Division National Secretary Mr Michael O’Connor said. “There is absolutely no benefit to our members of the Manufacturing Division remaining within the CFMEU “We are a union of honest, hardworking unionists who deserve better than being associated with the CFMEU Construction Division.”