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The Australian Forest Products Association is renewing calls for governments nationally to maintain more multiple-use public forests, better recognise their community amenity benefits and their critical provision for sustainably sourced timber and wood-fibre resources to build the nation. Source: Timberbiz “The NSW Parliament has been inquiring into access restrictions to public lands and waterways. This is a timely opportunity to remind policy and decision makers of the benefits multiple-use public forests provide for the community, through recreation and other uses and through sustainable forestry,” Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Richard Hyett said. “It’s also an opportunity to call out the worrying trend of more forest lockups and conversion to national parks.” NSW [1] has a very large conservation reserve network including a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve network encompassing more than 7.5 million hectares of national parks and reserves. In NSW alone over the past 30 years, more than 1.2 million hectares of state forests have been converted to national parks, meaning nearly 10% of NSW’s total area has become national park. At the same time, Australia’s total forest area grew by 2.8 million hectares from 2008 to 2021, while total multiple-use public native forest area, has more than halved since the mid-1990s, equating now to about three per cent of Australia’s total forest area. “This is miniscule compared with the European Union where 84% of the Native (Natural) forest is available for sustainable wood production and it needs to be considered in that context,” Mr Hyett said. “Despite this, activists continue to demand that well managed multiple-use public native forests be locked up instead of demanding that under resourced National Parks be better managed to deliver the appropriate protections for biodiversity and threatened species for which they were created.” Multiple-use public forests provide an enormous array of benefits, including: Sustainable timber and wood-fibre resources Recreational and educational opportunities for bush users An active management style that encourages carbon sequestration Flexibility to manage for fire, disease and other risks Often, better biodiversity and habitat outcomes “In many cases, the revenue generated from activities in these forests, helps contribute to their conservation and ongoing management. We should also remember and acknowledge that many of Australia’s private forestry estates are made available for recreational activities, broadening the benefits these forests provide to the community,” Mr Hyett said. Furthermore, the recently released Federal Government’s Timber Fibre Strategy points to the growing gap between domestic sawn timber demand, for activities like housing construction, and domestic supply capacity – already exacerbated by reduced access to sustainable native forest timber. “Sadly, multiple-use public forests have become a soft target for governments to satisfy misguided activists who irresponsibly demand that forests sit under lock and key,” Mr Hyett said. “It’s time for governments to better recognise the value of forests that are open for use, including sustainable forestry, and give them better consideration, rather than the lazy approach of lockups and conversion to national parks.” [1] https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/about/our-strategy

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Trade with China and Thailand will become easier following an agreement with the Federal Government to transition to paperless certification on agricultural goods. Source: Timberbiz The move will allow for faster processing at the border, while creating greater information security. China and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding during the Prime Minister Mr Albanese’s recent visit to China, which will see paper sanitary and phytosanitary certificates replaced with paperless eCertificate exchange. In 2023-24, exports of agriculture, fisheries and forestry products to China were valued at over $17 billion dollars, with this modernisation to simplify and help grow exports with our largest trading partner. This reflects the benefit of the Federal Government removing trade impediments with China, including lobster, wine, barley, coal, cotton, timber logs, oaten hay, copper ores and concentrates and red meat exports. The agreement with Thailand will initially extend to plant imports to both countries, with the new e-certification system to support future implementation of Australia and Thailand’s commitments to paperless trade, as part of broader trade cooperation. This includes under the Thailand Australia Free Trade Agreement, which has seen two-way trade more than double during its 20 years in force. The streamlined certification process will support Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry exports to Thailand, worth $1.5 billion in 2023-24, to grow. These two new paperless certification agreements are part of the Federal Government’s ongoing work to strengthen agricultural productivity, improve two-way trade, and to unlock more export opportunities for Australia’s farmers and producers.

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Timber Queensland has backed the release of the Prosper 2050 blueprint at the Ekka in Brisbane this week. “What we like about the blueprint is that growing the primary industries sector for both food and fibre also creates direct downstream benefits for the built environment,” Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens said. Source: Timberbiz “This is not only about producing the best clean, green food across the state, but also the best timber as a renewable and green building material for housing and infrastructure projects,” Mr Stephens said. Launching the blueprint at the Ekka, set to become the site of the Athletes’ Village and a major precinct upgrade for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, reinforced the case for Queensland timber as a cornerstone of iconic, sustainable infrastructure that delivers value well beyond 2032. “The launch of Prosper 2050 and the draft Queensland Future Timber Plan by the Primary Industries Minister during Ekka week is laying the groundwork for the timber industry to work collaboratively with the Government on long-term solutions to meet growing building demand,” Mr Stephens said. “The announcement on the transformation of the Brisbane showgrounds and development of the Athletes Village at the Bowen Hills site as part of the 2032 Olympics represents a significant opportunity for such collaboration. “Queensland has a long and rich heritage of using durable and sustainable local timber for its housing and public building needs. Incorporating this heritage into new iconic projects such as the Athletes Village and sporting venues can showcase both modern innovation with timber building systems and their biophilic health benefits for athletes and future occupants alike. “At the Paris Olympics for example, the Athletes Village and Aquatics Centre were both built using mass timber systems as part of a dedicated program for sustainability.” Mr Stephens said that procurement policies that preference sustainable construction materials such as timber could play an important role in delivering future infrastructure solutions in terms of sustainability, on-site workplace safety and total project cost-savings through prefabrication systems. “These opportunities will be fully explored as part of the proactive agenda with the Government for the forestry and timber construction industry,” he said. Industry trends and opportunities from farm forestry incorporating timber and beef production through to housing demand and modern methods of timber construction will be a focus of the Doing Timber Business in Queensland Conference to be held in Brisbane September 2-3, 2025. Watch the video here.

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The adversarial politics of the past can no longer exist. We need both sides to learn to reach across the aisle and look for the values they share, not the ones they disagree, writes Nick Steel. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Tasmania has once again elected a hung parliament. After the July election, with neither of the major parties reaching the 18 seats needed for a majority, who will lead the state, and how long this parliament will last is anyone’s guess. But that’s why this is a moment for genuine collaboration. In this parliament, governing will not be a solo sport. To make it work will require teamwork, negotiation, and a willingness to set aside political ego in favour of long-term outcomes. Both major parties need to step up, work with each other and the crossbench, and find the common ground that can drive our state forward. One place to start is with traditional industries – the backbone of regional Tasmania. Forestry, aquaculture, mining, energy and farming have long supported thousands of jobs and underpinned local economies. They are not relics of the past. When managed sustainably, these industries can generate the economic activity Tasmania desperately needs. The state’s finances are under strain. Net debt has tripled in three years and could reach $13 billion by 2027-28. In this environment, the choice is clear. We either build the industries that can carry their own weight and create jobs, or we resign ourselves to shrinking opportunity. Forestry can be both economically valuable and environmentally responsible. Collaboration could make it happen. The Liberals value economic growth. Labor recognises the importance of jobs in traditional sectors. Both parties have come out and supported traditional industries in this recent election. Together, they could agree on a sustainable forestry framework that protects jobs, supports regional communities, and encourages innovation in processing and value-adding. The alternative is political gridlock. The risk of policy inflexibility from both sides could stall decision-making and lead to yet another election. Tasmanians are tired of that cycle. We want stability, real action, and policies that deliver for all Tasmanians. The way forward is clear. The Liberals and Labor must put pragmatism ahead of posturing, work together, and build consensus on industries that matter. Supporting forestry and other traditional sectors is not just good politics, it is essential for Tasmania’s future. In this hung parliament, collaboration is not a luxury. It is the only way to get things done. Nick Steel is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Forest Products Association.

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