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AFPA welcomes sale of hardwood plantations in Tasmania

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AFPA welcomes sale of hardwood plantations in Tasmania

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) welcomes the sale of the forestry rights to approximately 29,000 hectares of hardwood plantations from Sustainable Timber Tasmania to Reliance Forest Fibre.

Global Forest Partners is an international forest investment advisory firm with global holdings in Australasia and Latin America. Global Forest Partners managed funds have been invested in Australian plantation forestry since 1999. Its funds currently hold approximately 150,000 planted hectares on mainland Australia, comprising hardwood and softwood plantations and including port export facilities in Western Australia and Victoria. This will be Global Forest Partners first investment in Tasmania.

The new enterprise will operate under the name Reliance Forest Fibre (RFF). RFF’s objective is to create a sustainable enterprise in Tasmania growing premium quality plantation products to supply domestic and export markets. RFF is committed to sound environmental management and will seek independent forest management certification as a priority.

RFF will engage a locally based management team and will utilise Tasmanian contractors for its forestry activities.

Global Forest Partners are also a long term valued member of AFPA with operations and employees around Australia.

AFPA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ross Hampton said: “There continues to be huge demand in the Asian region for Australian hardwood woodchip used to create innovative and renewable engineered wood and paper products. The sale is a sign of confidence in the forest industry and in the Tasmanian economy. It shows that investment in quality forestry assets is sought after around the world.”

To capitalise on this confidence, and other opportunities for our forest industries in Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced at this week’s forest industry gala dinner in Canberra, the Government will develop a comprehensive new ‘National Forest Industries Plan’ to support the growth and sustainability of both Australia’s and Tasmania’s forest industries over the coming decades to turbo-charge regional job creation and economic development.

The Prime Minister’s full speech is available here.

2017.09.14 AFPA welcomes sale of hardwood plantations in Tasmania

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