Forests and the timber industry
Queensland's forests
Queensland has by far the largest forested area of all Australian states with 52.8 million hectares of forest covering almost one-third of the state. More than 80 per cent of these forests are State-owned, and are managed under tenures including leasehold land (34.3 million hectares) and nature conservation reserves (4.6 million hectares).
Some 3 million hectares of declared State forests, timber reserves and State leasehold land is currently available for native forest timber production, with less than four per cent of this area selectively harvested in any one year.
Timber production in Queensland is also undertaken in some private native forests and in dedicated public and private timber plantations.
Queensland timber industry
Queensland’s timber industry comprises about 2200 businesses and directly employs more than 19 000 people. It has a turnover of $2.7 billion, value-adds about $1 billion to the State’s economy, and earns around $215 million each year in overseas export income.
For more information, see the website of the peak industry representative body, Timber Queensland.
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries publication, The Queensland forest industry, though published in 2004, still provides a useful reference for information on the commercial growing, management and processing of commercial forest products in Queensland. The publication predates the reorganisation of forest management responsibilities.
In 2006, Queensland Government reforms to the former Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries business group, DPI Forestry, led to the formation of two new forest management agencies. DERM Forest Products now manages commercial native forest production on State-controlled land across Queensland and Forestry Plantations Queensland manages the state’s plantation forest resources. The changes were designed to streamline and enhance commercial forest management in the state.
Queensland's native forest industry
The state's native forest industry includes forest management and marketing of forest products, and timber industry activities such as harvesting, sawmilling and manufacture of wood products.
The industry sources its hardwood and cypress log timber requirements from both State and privately owned native forests, with more than half of the required volume coming from State-owned native forests managed by DERM Forest Products. The business group sells log timber to 73 sawmills and timber processing firms, which supply timber products for use in building, mining, bridge and wharf construction, landscaping and use as electricity poles.
Last updated: 07 October 2009