The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) wants all sides of federal politics to outline their plans to support the timber industries ahead of the upcoming Federal Election. Source: Timberbiz
AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said Australia urgently required more timber and wood fibre products.
“We are seeking a commitment from all sides of federal politics to support our four-pronged policy platform to deliver more timber to our tradies, secure the industry and drive innovation, growth and jobs,” he said.
“This is a plan that will be backed and supported by every mum and dad that is trying to build a home or renovate, by every builder, tradie and chippy that’s going into Bunnings and Mitre10 and finding those timber shelves not as full as they should be,” he said.
The Australian Forest Products Association’s 2022 federal election platform was launched at the Neville Smith Forestry Products site in Mowbray in Tasmania this week.
The platform calls for a bipartisan commitment to meet the need for one billion more plantation trees by 2030. The AFPA has welcomed the $86 million forestry cash-for-grants scheme unveiled by the prime minister in Launceston earlier this week, but Mr Hampton also cautioned that more policies will need to be brought in if the one-billion-tree target is likely to be met.
“That target is entirely do-able. We just need a small uptick in the nursery stock and the right land to be available,” he told The Examiner in Launceston.
While neither of the major parties have yet outlined their forestry commitments going into the election, the AFPA’s platform has flagged what issues in the sector are likely to be foregrounded in the coming weeks. The policy issues highlighted are likely to have particular sway in Tasmania where the industry continues to employ more than 5000 in direct and indirect jobs.
The four themes under which more detailed policy requests are included, are:
- Rapidly delivering on the bipartisan agreement of an additional one billion new production trees to meet Australia’s future timber needs
- Ensure hardwood supplies for floors and other high value uses continue through no more forest lock ups
- Turbocharge the job creating, value adding new fibre-based industries by establishing the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) in Launceston
- Enhance our world leading pulp, paper and packaging sector to allow it to play a larger role in moving Australia to a recyclable bioeconomy replacing plastics
Mr Hampton said that the empty timber shelves reveal that Australia had been too reliant on imported timber to cover a national failure to keep up with local growing timber demand.
“The world demand for timber and fibre will quadruple by 2050,” he said. “Relying so much on overseas imports is no longer a viable option.
“This election we must see real action to ensure that we deliver more timber to tradies today and plant the trees to deliver to our children for their homes tomorrow.
“AFPA is also launching a major campaign ahead of the federal election reminding Australians to ‘Vote to support forest industries’ when considering how to cast their ballot,” Mr Hampton said.
To read the AFPA’s election platform click Our-plan-federal-election-2022.
