The Tasmanian Forest Products Association has thanked Tasmanian Labor, Liberal and Jacquie Lambie Network members of Federal Parliament for backing the vital role new timber plantations will play in fighting climate change and providing sustainable timber and wood fibre supply into the future. Source: Timberbiz
Last week the majority of the Australian Senate backed sustainable plantation forestry expansion and to protect existing plantations at risk of conversion under the existing Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) method, following debate on a motion proposed by Senator David Pocock that would have reduced the role of plantations in the program.
TFPA Chief Executive Officer, Nick Steel, said the resounding vote confirms the role of plantations in the ERF.
“The establishment of new sustainable forestry plantations will help Tasmania achieve sovereign capability in timber and wood fibre in the decades ahead, while helping Australia meet its emission reduction targets. The ERF recognises the unique role sustainable forestry plays,” Mr Steel said.
“The Senate recognised the importance of growing timber trees and I thank the Tasmanian government, opposition and JLN senators for their support to grow new plantations under existing ERF rules. It’s vital we continue to grow the plantation estate, not have it go backwards.”
Recent analysis found that if Australia doesn’t plant one billion new production trees by 2030, we face a housing shortage cliff of the equivalent of 250,000 new timber house frames by 2035.
Furthermore, the Government needs practical solutions to achieve its ambitious emission reduction targets and production trees are an effective pathway, particularly as the bioeconomy comes into greater focus.
“The ERF forestry methodologies provide a win for creating future resource supply, creating jobs in rural and regional areas and in fighting climate change,” Mr Steel said.
