Bushfire-damaged timber on Kangaroo Island suitable for housing will be sent to the mainland following a $15.1 million investment by the Federal Government. Source: Timberbiz
The Federal Government allocated $15m from the Forestry Salvage Transport Measure to New South Wales and Victorian projects following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
However, Kangaroo Island, where 80%-90% of Kangaroo Island Plantation Timber’s trees valued in excess of $100 million and all of the island’s independent plantations were affected by fire, was left out of the Forestry Salvage Transport Measure funding.
South Australia’s Primary Industries Minister David Basham had been lobbying for the program to be extended to help SA.
The problems of moving the timber off the island were compounded by KIPT plans to build a jetty at Smith Bay being rejected this year by the State Government.
KIPT responded by announcing it would convert its plantations to farmland and that if it couldn’t get the usable timber off the island, it would be left with no other option other than burning it to reduce the fire hazard.
Around 300,000 tonnes of salvageable pine will be transported to the mainland via Penneshaw.
Mr Basham said it could take 3-5 years to ship the timber off the island.
The funding will support the transportation of the softwood to mills with spare processing capacity however, it is understood that all of South Australia’s structural timber mills are operating at full capacity.
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said the government had listened to industry’s concerns to keep product moving.
“This will provide vital assistance to businesses impacted by increased demand, global supply chain delays due to COVID-19, and the lasting impacts of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires,” Mr Littleproud said.
“We stand ready to work with states and urge them to act swiftly to help us bring bushfire-affected construction timbers to mills with immediate capacity to produce structural timbers.
“The program will target timber on Kangaroo Island that could provide enough timber for 10,000 new houses.”
Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonno Duniam said the investment would address an immediate market need to accelerate domestic timber supplies and avoid a crucial resource going to waste.
“The building and construction industry is at a 20-year high, and the forestry industry provides vital supplies,” Senator Duniam said.
Australian Forest Products Association CEO Ross Hampton said that without the Federal Government’s investment up to 10,000 house frames of timber would have had to be bulldozed and burnt.
“At a time when our builders and homeowners are desperate for timber this would have been an extremely poor outcome. It is a great thing that that timber will be put to good use, however it can’t go unsaid that the Kangaroo Island trees will not be replanted which means we are losing another 18,000 hectares from our national plantation estate which continues to shrink – especially in South Australia.
“We desperately need to commence expanding the estate if we are to meet the housing needs of our children. Industry stands ready but we need the federal and state policies to be aligned to make it happen.”
The announcement builds on the SA State Government’s recent $3 million package of measures designed to ease some of the timber supply problems in SA, Chief Executive Officer of the SAFPA Nathan Paine said.
“SAFPA has worked closely with the Marshall Government and especially Primary Industries Minister David Basham who has shown he understands the vital need to ensure this valuable Kangaroo Island resource is not lost,” he said
“This is one critical barrier removed and SAFPA will continue to work with the State Government to remove other blockages mainly around the short, medium and long-term transport options to ensure the volume of log can be moved to the mainland with the least disruption to the community and in the shortest time possible.’’
