Timber industry vital in Tasmania’s rebuilding program

Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water

Tasmania’s timber industry will play a vital role as we rebuild the state’s economy with an accelerated construction program.

Tasmania has a world-class timber industry with a strong and comprehensive Forest Management System that delivers sustainable forest management.

The Premier has outlined plans to build Tasmania back to the strongest economy in the nation and new buildings and houses will require top grade Tasmanian timber.

Native forests supply high-value, appearance-grade timber products that cannot be substituted by plantation wood and is a vital part of the construction supply chain.

For example, native forests are the main source of eucalypt sawlogs and veneer logs which provide hard, durable, appearance grade timber suitable for flooring, stair treads, construction and architectural uses.

Native forests are also the source of our important special species timber for the craft, furniture and boat building industries. Importantly, native forestry directly generates $150 million annually in sales which is about 20 per cent of the value of the state’s forest industry and 40 per cent of all Tasmanian forestry jobs rely on the native forest sector.

Tasmania’s native forestry operations produce responsibly-sourced wood that is both renewable and sustainable, and it also supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs in many regional communities.

Our timber products store carbon absorbed from the atmosphere, making wood the ultimate renewable building product and a resource for future generations that is also helping mitigate climate change.

After timber is harvested our trees are regrown, landscapes undergo restoration work and that timber resource is then available again in future decades.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to rebuilding Tasmania’s economy and restoring jobs and we recognise that the forestry industry employs thousands of locals and injects more than $1.2 billion into our economy – it deserves the support of all Tasmanians.

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