On today’s International Day of Forests Australia’s forest industries are calling on all sides of politics to focus on getting more production trees planted nationally, while guaranteeing a secure future for our sustainable native forest industries, to ensure we have enough timber to build the sustainable homes of our future, Acting CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) Victor Violante said today.
“This year’s International Day of Forests theme is ‘Forests and sustainable production and consumption’ for which Australia is an international model citizen. Aussies have been sustainably building new homes from carbon absorbing timber for generations – but without rapid new tree plantings and a secure native forest industry, our ability to continue that is at risk,” Victor Violante said.
“Australia needs one billion new production trees planted by 2030 – otherwise we’ll experience increasingly severe supply shortages for common products like timber house frames in the decades ahead. Our own analysis shows Australia will be 250,000 house frames short of demand by 2035 if no action is taken.
“We need all sides of politics at the federal and state levels to focus on getting more production trees planted. Not only will this secure our housing future – it will play a key role helping Australia achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
A report released last year found that 400,000 hectares of new plantation timber trees would sequester up to 388 megatonnes of CO2e after three cycles of harvesting and replanting – the equivalent of taking four times the total number of cars in Australia off the road for a whole year.
Continued sustainable multi-use management of designated native forests, including selective timber harvesting, will also result in enhanced carbon mitigation benefits.
“Whether they are plantations or managed native forests – Australia does sustainable forest production and consumption better than just about anywhere in the world. International Day of Forests is a day to celebrate that management while recognising that we need more timber and fibre for our cleaner, more environmentally friendly, carbon conscious future,” Victor Violante concluded.