Australian Forests & Timber News

07/09/2025

Six timber mills on the NSW mid-north coast will close today, around 300 jobs will be lost and 40 per cent of the state’s future hardwood supply could be locked up for good following the announcement at the weekend of proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park. More in Monday's Daily Timber News.

07/09/2025

Forestry Australia, the nation’s leading body representing forest scientists, managers and growers, expresses its dismay at the New South Wales State Government’s decision to create a Great Koala National Park without a clear, science-led plan to deliver measurable outcomes and avoid negative flow on consequences.

“The Great Koala National Park makes a headline, not a science-led plan. By sidelining the complementary role of actively managed state forests, the Government has missed the chance to maximise outcomes for koalas and communities,” said Dr Michelle Freeman, President of Forestry Australia.

Dr Freeman said simply declaring a national park does not guarantee biodiversity conservation or the long-term survival of koalas.

“Science-based, adaptive forest management across all tenures is essential to maintaining healthy forests, adapting to climate change, and conserving biodiversity,” Dr Freeman said.

“The State Government’s decision risks repeating past mistakes where a shift away from active and adaptive management has led to declines in native species, including koalas.”

“Recent research highlights that koala populations in NSW state forests remain high and stable, thanks to thoughtful regulated management”

“In contrast, examples like Booderee National Park, where potoroos and bandicoots became locally extinct, and the Pilliga Forest, where koala numbers declined after conversion to conservation reserves, demonstrate that passive management can fail wildlife and ecosystems.

“These lessons must inform the management of the Great Koala National Park if it is to succeed.”

Dr Freeman added that well-managed state forests already deliver multiple public benefits additional to those possible in national parks, including ecotourism, diverse recreation, timber and non-timber products, while maintaining biodiversity and access for all.

“This decision, will have far-reaching cultural, social and economic consequences with no guarantees for biodiversity.”

Forestry Australia calls on the NSW Government to:
1. Commit long-term, fit-for-purpose funding for the park’s active management.
2. Set measurable, time-bound targets for koala populations and forest health, with transparent reporting.
3. Adopt an adaptive management plan (fire, predators, weeds and habitat complexity) across all tenures.
4. Co-design governance with Traditional Owners and forest scientists.
5. Recognise and retain the complementary role of well-managed state forests alongside protected areas.

“Forestry Australia stands ready to work with the NSW Government to deliver genuine conservation outcomes that do not sacrifice the broader benefits of active forest management,” Dr Freeman said.

19/08/2025

Today is National Forestry Day and it seems like a good excuse to talk about something close to my heart — forestry.

If you have strong views that we should completely ban all logging of native forests in Australia, think again, your health may depend on it.

Recent research is reinforcing something traditional builders and hospital designers once knew, and that is that wood heals. Natural timber isn’t just beautiful, it’s also antimicrobial, stress-reducing, and supports faster recovery for patients.

A colleague shared an interesting article that shows how hospitals around the world are reconsidering wood for everything from structural elements to interior fit-outs. Wood outperforms plastic and steel in microbial resistance, and contributes to calmer, more comfortable environments.

Australia has a heritage of wooden hospital architecture, especially in regional areas. For example, the Old Isisford District Hospital in Queensland, designed in the early 1900s, was a heritage example of wood in clinical architecture. It featured timber-framed wards, verandahs, and polished timber interiors. The Proserpine Hospital, also in Queensland, used extensive timber facilities in the 1910s–1930s, until they were replaced with modern substitutes.

While there are no fully mass-timber hospitals in Australia yet, timber is making a quiet comeback in healthcare, from handrails and cabinetry to design features that reduce the institutional “coldness” of clinical settings. And it’s not just about aesthetics. Science now supports what early bush hospitals and convalescent homes understood instinctively, and that is that wood is good for our wellbeing.

But if we ban native forest harvesting entirely, we risk losing access to the very species and properties that make this possible. Sustainably managed native forests are a source of durable, high-quality timbers, many of which aren’t yet replicated by plantations.

Australia’s native hardwoods, like mountain ash, spotted gum, blackbutt, jarrah and ironbark, offer natural resilience, longevity, and warmth. They’re ideal for high-traffic, health-critical environments where synthetic materials fall short.

If we want hospitals that promote healing, not just house illness, timber must be part of the solution. And that means rethinking the ideology that says locking up forests is the only path to sustainability.

Here is the link to the article: https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2025/07/24/wooden-walls-cleaner-wards-when-science-reconsiders-the-basics-n4942065

19/08/2025

Today is National Forestry Day!

We’re celebrating an industry that fights climate change, supports tens of thousands of jobs, and produces essential, renewable products from the frames of our homes to the paper on our desks.

2025 also marks an incredible milestone in South Australia, 150 years since the first trees were planted at Bundaleer. From that single hectare in 1875, the industry has grown to over 170,000 hectares of sustainable forests, powering regional economies and building a better future.

South Australia has long been at the forefront of innovation and sustainable forest management. This celebration marks a proud reflection of the industry’s enduring success and its growing importance to the State’s economic value chain, regional development, and environmental sustainability.

Did you know:
🌲 Australia’s forestry sector helps fight climate change by planting, growing, and harvesting trees that store carbon equivalent to emissions from over 56 million cars annually.
🌲 The industry creates essential renewable products and supports 80,000 direct and 100,000 indirect jobs, especially in rural communities.
🌲 About 70 million new trees are planted each year nationally, enough to cover 136,000 football fields.

South Australian Forest Products Association Australian Forest Products Association

18/08/2025

Australia’s forestry industries support around 80,000 direct jobs nationally and another 100,000 indirectly, many of which underpin rural and regional communities. Happy Australia!

18/08/2025

Did you know that Australia's forest industries are responsible for many essential garden, landscape and horticulture products - like mulch, fertilisers and potting mix?

These products are an excellent use of forest residues that would be otherwise burnt or go to landfill.

More ways forestry demonstrates sustainability and contributes to our way of life!

06/08/2025

Timber Queensland is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025–26 Growth Scholarship Awards Program.

Judges were impressed by the practical and operational aspect of many of the applications, with their learning projects set to deliver on-going benefits for their own growth, as well as practical outcomes for industry development.

The recipients of the 2025–2026 Awards are:

$10,000 Kennedy’s Timber Foundation Partner Award
Gian Carlos Poleto
Learning Activity: Enhancing Forest Management in Queensland Using Drone and LiDAR Technologies

$5000 HQP Diamond Partner Award
Alan Ferguson
Learning Activity: Operation Log Haulage – TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

$5000 AKD Diamond Partner Award
Babar Hassan
Learning Activity: Enhancing Timber Protection Knowledge through IRG-WP Conference and Chinese Institute Engagement

$2500 DTM Timber Ruby Partner Award
Sebastian Ballard
Learning Activity: Certificate III in Forestry Operations

Learn more about our deserving recipients: https://www.timberqueensland.com.au/post/2025-2026-timber-queensland-growth-scholarship-recipients-announced

04/07/2025

28/06/2025

09/05/2025

30/04/2025

Australian Bluegum Plantations (ABP) has officially opened a dedicated seed orchard at Unima, near Heywood, to secure long-term seed supply and enhance genetic material to grow the next generation of Green Triangle hardwood fibre.
The five-hectare orchard will provide long-term access to genetically diverse and locally adapted planting material, capable of dealing with future climatic conditions. It complements ABP’s existing seed orchard assets in Albany, which support its west Australian estate.
Photo: ABP’s Dr Ben Bradshaw, Maddie Campbell, Darren Shelden and Russ Hughes celebrating the Unima Seed Orchard opening.
See link to read more: https://www.timberbiz.com.au/australian-bluegum-plantations-opens-dedicated-seed-orchard-for-hardwood-fibre/

02/02/2025