New Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) forest data shows Australia's forestry sector is well positioned to help address the national housing and cost of living crises, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Diana Hallam said today.
The ABARES Australia's State of the Forests Report: Synthesis 2023 (SOFR Synthesis 2023) released today shows:
- Australia's total forested area increased in the five years to 2021 by nearly three times the size of the ACT (750,000 hectares) with the total around 134 million hectares (more than 1.5 times the size of NSW)
- Carbon stocks in forests increased to over 19 million tonnes from 2016 to 2021, and there was a 5 per cent increase in the total carbon present in harvested wood products to around 167 million tonnes
- In 2022-23 the value of logs harvested from commercial plantations and native forests was $2.4 billion including $1.3 billion from softwood plantations
- Native forestry operations continue to sustainably harvest and regenerate just 0.06 per cent of Australia total native forest area annually - the equivalent of 6 out of 10,000 trees
- Forestry was identified as the least prevalent of 11 specified categories listed as threats for forest-dwelling flora and fauna. Land use change, unsuitable fire regimes and competition from introduced species were the most common threats
Diana Hallam said, "I congratulate ABARES on the release of SOFR Synthesis 2023 and the huge amount of detailed work in the report. I'm proud to say AFPA helped advocate for additional Commonwealth funding to allow for more regular forest data updates like SOFR.
"Importantly the data demonstrates Australia's forested area is increasing while countering disinformation that wrongly blames forestry for species loss. The data shows the drop in production in softwood timber highlighting the sector spare capacity available to support the Government's housing targets. The data shows the importance of the sector to the national economy and how forestry and forest products are well placed to help Australia solve the national housing and cost of living crises.
"Australia's forest industries are an essential part of our country's future providing essential housing, climate, consumer, employment, other economic and social benefits at home and internationally. Access to data that tracks our important forest resources is important for planning and accurate industry analysis. I congratulate ABARES and the Federal Government on the SOFR report," Diana Hallam concluded.
