Australia’s forest and wood-related industries are a vital part of our country and economy.

From growing and importing to processing and using wood – there are benefits to rural and metropolitan communities, plus the roles that forests play in supporting habitat and tourism.

Our native and plantation forests deliver many benefits, including:

  • Converting carbon dioxide and other materials into wood
  • Capturing and storing carbon in wood and organic materials – acting as a carbon sink
  • Supplying wood, a renewable, readily available material
  • Protecting soil, water and wildlife
  • Forming a recreational resource for people
  • Providing jobs and economic benefits

Australia’s forest industries employ some 83,400 people and have an annual turnover of more than $19 billion.

The value of forests extends beyond wood products to other products and services, including honey, wildflowers, natural oils, firewood, craft wood, fodder, water and mineral production.

149 million hectares of Australia is forested. Of this, 147 million hectares is native forest. 79% of this is eucalypt and 1.82 million hectares is plantation forest.

Forest covers 21% of the continent. This is 8 hectares (about 12 football fields) for each Australian, the world average is 0.6 hectares. By comparison, Finland has 4.25 hectares per person, Sweden 3.05, France .026 and the UK 0.05.

About 70% of Australia’s forests are on private freehold, leasehold and indigenous-managed lands. Around 16% or 23 million hectares of forest are formal conservation reserves, while 6% or 9.4 million hectares of public native forests are given over to multiple uses, including recreation and wood production.

www.fwpa.com.au
Forest & Wood Products Australia Ltd is Australia’s forestry and wood products industry services company.

www.nafi.com.au
Australia’s National Association of Forest Industries.

www.afg.asn.au

Australian Forest Growers is a national association representing private forestry and commercial tree growing interests.

www.australia.gov.au/forestry
An Australian Government site with links to many forestry related sites.

www.daff.gov.au/forestry
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has links to many sites.
 
Logs from plantations cannot produce the sawn hardwood timber produced from logs currently harvested from native forests.