Why Forests Matter
Economic Values
In 2003-2004, the value of turnover in forest product industries was $18 billion, whilst the value of primary forest production, such as logs delivered to the mill door, was $1.7 billion.
Photo: ForestrySA
Timber processing in sawmills and paper mills, and the production of engineered wood products, represents a significant and valuable component of Australia’s manufacturing industries. Around 25 million cubic metres of wood are harvested every year. Approximately 60% of this wood comes from plantation forests, which are planted and grown specifically for timber production, while the remaining wood is harvested from native forests.
Australia’s native forests cover 162.7 million hectares, or 21 per cent of Australia’s land area. Only around 11.4 million hectares – or 7 per cent of total native forest area – is available for timber production and less than 1 per cent is harvested each year. This small proportion is regenerated following harvesting so that a perpetual supply of native hardwood and softwood is available. An extensive reserve system also exists within these multiple use forests to protect their environmental, cultural and biodiversity values.
Photo: Forestry SA
Since the early 1990s, the forest sector, and in particular the plantation sector, has attracted about $6.5 billion dollars of investment from both national and international sources. This investment has occurred in all States and Territories and has resulted in new developments in forest management as well as wood processing technologies and facilities.
Forest managers and industry are also exploring a diverse, new range of products from Australian forests. This includes the development of new technologies to add value to harvested timber, as well as the sale of non-traditional forest products like biofuels, seeds and mushrooms, and even the sale of environmental services provided by forests, such as carbon credits. For more information on forest products go to the Forest Industries section.
The forest and timber industry provides more than 137,000 Australians with jobs. This includes forest workers as well as employees in the manufacturing sectors. Many small towns and communities in Australia were founded on the forest industry, and some still depend on timber harvesting and processing to survive. Forestry also provides employment in other areas including tourism, recreation, parks and land management, and apiculture.
Case Study: Forestry Town Takes a Modern Approach
Geeveston is a small township located in the Huon Valley in the southern most region of Tasmania. It was first settled in 1842 and has always been linked with forestry by having one of the biggest sawmills in the southern hemisphere and by providing jobs for hundreds of people. But in the 1980s this all changed when the pulp mill closed down and most of the timber-dependant community lost their jobs.
By the 1990s, a group of older community members decided that they would turn their town around and implemented a number of beautification projects. Then as the town started to regain some pride the Tasmanian Government announced that a $4.5 million forest airwalk would be built on the Huon River near the town. Since opening in July 2001, the 620 metre long Airwalk has become one of Tasmania’s tourist icons and Geeveston's streets have come alive again.
This new ecotourism activity has also seen the local forestry industry reinvigorated due to the fact that although the local Regional Forestry Agreement has increased the amount of forest protected from logging, it also guaranteed resource security for those involved in forestry for the first time in decades.
For more information visit the Geeveston Forest & Heritage Centre website.
For more information about the value of the forestry industry in Australia read an article titled “Investment in the planet’s future” taken from In the living forest: an exploration of Australia’s forest community.
Investment in the planet’s future - (PDF 227KB)
