Western Australia’s Forestry Minister Dave Kelly has reassured the local construction and building industry that recent bushfires in the State’s south have had little impact on the State’s pine plantations, and that construction timber supplies would continue unaffected.
While recent bushfires have caused some damage to a number of blue gum plantations, this product is either wood-chipped or exported, and not used in general building construction, meaning there will be no impact upon local construction timber supply.
“The recent bushfires have been devastating for communities and our thoughts are with those that lost homes and other property,” Mr Kelly said.
“As bad as they were, the bushfires have not had a significant effect on structural timber supplies. State government pine plantations have not been impacted.”
The McGowan Government’s recent announcement of a record $350 million investment in expanding Western Australia’s softwood plantations is expected to provide at least an additional 33,000 hectares of softwood timber plantation and help meet future supply in the decades to come.
In November 2021, the McGowan Government, through the Forest Products Commission, also arranged for the supply of an additional 12,000 tonnes of WA grown softwood logs to be brought forward from future supply commitments to help meet the current increase in demand for timber in local construction.
