Reality Checking Dr Ken Henry’s Assertion on Native Forestry

The Australian Local weather and Biodiversity Basis (ACBF) media assertion printed on the 4th of February warrants a response. Dr Henry, the Chair of the ACBF, requires a brand new and laudable technique by recommending a $350 million funding package deal to allow a speedy transition out of native forest logging by supporting the plantation sector.

This gives the situations for Australia to turn out to be a producer of plantation-sourced engineered wooden merchandise, changing $312 million in annual imports now topic to very excessive climate-related dangers whereas creating new manufacturing jobs throughout regional Australia.

The primary response have to be how does $140M p.a. for 20 years or a one-off $350M funding substitute for a $2.9B p.a. trade that employs 8900 folks.

 There are main issues with this coverage.

Firstly, the discharge confuses the native hardwood trade with the Australian softwood trade.  The 2 industries would possibly provide timber, however they function fairly individually. 

Building timbers (softwoods and engineered wooden) are behind the coverings.  Softwoods, for probably the most half, have little color variation.  Interiors or appearance-grade timber is what matches dwellings, houses or places of work. Timber look grades are flooring, veneer, panelling and so forth. There’s a actual distinction right here.

Second, and probably the most complicated of all, is appropriate land availability for softwood and hardwood plantations.  Dr Henry might need ambitions, however he additionally wants to obviously set out the problems with buying appropriate land, which can imply displacing present agricultural makes use of, to supply credibility to his coverage. The shortage of element makes his coverage a political train on the eve of a federal election.

Third is appropriate genetic improvement and inventory in seedlings for plantations.  The analysis ball has been dropped on this regard by successive State Governments.  There at the moment are solely three states the place this would possibly happen, and ideally, the CSIRO must arrange a government-funded physique to fill the void. 

Lastly, the fourth problem is that the information launch accommodates many errors.

Declare 1: The plantation sector has been badly let down by the height timber trade foyer, which seems captured by the pursuits of the few remaining native forest loggers

Correction: WRONG. The height timber physique in Australia is the Australian Forests Merchandise Affiliation, which represents many extra softwood pursuits than hardwood.

Declare 2: It’s time to finish taxpayer handouts and market distortions for native forest logging, and it’s time to assist and encourage the extra economically rational and environmentally benign plantation trade.

Correction: NO, the monetary evaluation that produces such a press release is selective.  Take the press launch by the ACBF issued 16 December 2024, the place the opening line states: “NSW taxpayers footed a invoice of $29 million to destroy irreplaceable native forests final yr”.  Here’s what the Annual Report of the state-owned Forestry Company NSW acknowledged: “The Hardwood Forests Division confronted vital constraints as a consequence of regulatory modifications, authorized proceedings, and diminished timber manufacturing, resulting in a $29 million loss. The monetary outcomes replicate the Forestry Company’s twin function as each a timber provider and the appointed public land supervisor for NSW State forests. This distinctive duty goes past timber manufacturing to incorporate:

  • Group entry and tourism: Sustaining an enormous community of roads and over 100 neighborhood recreation services.
  • Hearth Administration: Being one of many 4 fire-fighting authorities within the state, chargeable for firefighting and fireplace prevention.
  • Conservation and analysis: Managing conservation packages and conducting ecological analysis.

These land administration duties cowl practically 2 million hectares of public native forests and are solely partially funded by the federal government. Timber income from about 1% of the forest harvested yearly subsidises these actions. In 2023/24, our land administration funding exceeded authorities funding by roughly $23 million.

Declare 3: With housing availability at disaster ranges, we’re nonetheless constructing houses the identical method we did fifty years in the past. In the meantime, international locations like Sweden and Germany have slashed development instances and prices via superior timber manufacturing. There are already prefabricated housing companies working.

Correction: WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!  When home frames had been made from hardwood, frames had been generally made off-site in Australia. The introduction of softwood frames modified development to on-site. New companies have been opening exactly with prefabrication in thoughts. The Body and Truss trade has boomed in development and innovation previously 20 years.

Declare 4: The coverage paper highlights the expansion potential of Australia’s plantation forestry and manufacturing sector, which presently employs 42,000 folks, with 30,000 working in plantation product manufacturing, 5,000 in sawmilling, and eight,000 in rising and harvesting plantation timber.

Correction: These employment figures must be sourced and never quoted.  They don’t conform with ABARE figures or quite a few authorities and personal surveys.

Declare 5: There was a 31% decline in hardwood plantation property between 2008-2022, with 90% of remaining hardwood plantations exported as wooden chips.  Native forest logging is in terminal decline, with volumes of wooden harvested falling by 80% since 2004.  The decline in hardwood Australian manufacturing commencing 2008 has to do with irregular components, together with bushfires, floods in NSW, closure of WA and Vic native forest industries and anti-forestry lawfare in NSW. 

Correction: There is no such thing as a foundation to jot down that 90% of hardwood plantation goes into woodchip.  In Northern NSW and the western division, there isn’t any wooden chip plant, and the small group of hardwood plantations provide timber sawmills to supply high-value timber merchandise, not wooden chips.  Within the South of NSW, woodchip processing in Eden processes low-grade pulp and resides in native and softwood forests. That area additionally produces high-value noticed log merchandise.

  • Jack Rodden-Green

    Jack Rodden-Inexperienced, with 30 years of expertise as a forester in New South Wales, combines a deep understanding of forestry with authorized coaching to deal with social and environmental points.





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