Queensland has an opportunity to secure a sustainable and stable source of timber through a full plantation-based industry, but the state government must build from the Sustainable Timber Advisory Group (STAG), which met for the first time today.
On Thursday, the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation and Queensland Conservation Council advocated for the transition to a full plantation-based timber industry that will chart a new future for Queensland’s forests, construction industry and forestry jobs, while protecting Queensland’s natural assets.
“Reliable, sustainable and affordable - a full plantation-based timber industry is crucial to ensuring Queensland has the softwood required to meet its housing targets while also increasing jobs in timber production and manufacturing,” ACBF Executive Director Lyndon Schneiders said.
“Increasing and supporting the plantation industry provides employment certainty to regional Queensland and security of supply for the construction industry, as the state aims to build one million new homes by 2046.”
Softwood plantations provide more than 90 per cent of all wood used for construction in Queensland, with the state producing 3.6 million m3 of timber from 180,000 hectares of softwood plantations, according to ABARES. Thursday’s meeting of the STAG was a landmark moment for Queensland by bringing together leaders from the forestry, environment, construction and political sectors, as well as First Nations leaders in what is a collective
response to the state’s timber and environmental needs.
“This is essential work, as Queensland considers the opportunities in our environment for future generations whilst ensuring employment and industry support the recovery of threatened species and ecosystems, and celebrate and protect indigenous cultural values,” QCC director Dave Copeman said. “We expect the STAG to assist the Queensland timber sector’s transition to 100% planted forests and urge a strong focus on protected area growth in native forests.”
The ACBF and QCC joined the advisory group to ensure tangible steps are taken to protect Queensland’s forests and build a vibrant and genuinely sustainable timber industry. ACBF and QCC call for the Queensland Government to commit to further consultation of the STAG before the October election.
“After decades of division around the management of Australia’s forests, the establishment of Queensland’s Sustainable Timber Advisory Group is critical to unite the industries, workers and communities that interact with the state’s forests, and develop a shared pathway forward,” Schneiders said. “We need to build on this to ensure we deliver the outcomes our industries, workers, regions and forests require.”
“Our success measure for this process is that it ensures the protection of the threatened species that depend on our native forests,” Copeman said. “We will be calling for the biodiversity and cultural values of native forests to be prioritised, starting with the proposed full review of biodiversity and conservation values of our state forests.”
Queensland is in a unique position to lead Australia’s natural capital industry and could transform the management of the state’s native forests through revenue driven by ACCUs - Australian Carbon Credit Units – reduce greenhouse emissions generated from logging native forests and fund improved management and the expansion of plantation forests.
“ACBF is proud to be part of the STAG. We are excited to work with the other stakeholders to strike a balance between conservating our rich biodiversity and Queensland’s timber and construction needs, as we find a mutually beneficial resolution to the competing interest,” Schneiders said.
