Coinciding with the start of the federal election campaign, Australia’s forest industries have launched “Australia, we need a tree change”, a major TV and digital advertising campaign promoting our need to plant one billion new forestry production trees to build future homes, provide sustainable packaging and help fight climate change. Source: Timberbiz
“Ahead of the federal election, the Coalition and Labor need to commit to policies to get one billion new production trees planted by 2030. If we don’t achieve this target, we won’t have enough timber to build the homes of the future, create sustainable packaging products or realise our potential fighting climate change,” Australian Forest Products Association CEO Ross Hampton said.
“Australia, we need a tree change is AFPA’s largest ever campaign and it conveys those messages to the public and those vying to form the next Federal Government.”
The campaign which features a storyline video of “Gracie” explaining her school project to her father about the need to plant one billion trees, starts today on Sky News and will feature in digital and social media advertising in key marginal electorates nationally right up to election day.
“Without one billion new trees planted by 2030, we won’t have an adequate supply of sustainable timber in the decades ahead,” Mr Hampton said.
“We just won’t have all the timber we need to build all the homes our growing population will demand or create fibre-based packaging to replace plastic.
Furthermore, in this increasingly uncertain world, we need to achieve sovereign capability in timber. It’s a national security issue. Both side of politics need to recognise that and deliver before the election,” Mr Hampton said.
He said that when Australians go to the polls on May 21, they will need to know what the major sides of politics will deliver for Australia’s forest industries if elected to form the next federal government.
“Not only do Australia’s forest industries support the employment of 180,000 Australians and generate $24 billion annually for the national economy, the products we create build new homes and lock up carbon, helping fight climate change. Forest industries are a solution to modern day issues, but we need the next federal government to recognise that by committing to our Federal Election 2022 Plan for Growth,” Mr Hampton said.
“The four themes under which more detailed policy requests are included in the Plan for Growth, 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
“AFPA will engage closely with both the Coalition and Federal Labor throughout this election campaign to secure the best deal for Australia’s forest industries, which are becoming so much more critical for our economy, society and environment,” Mr Hampton said.
See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpCEJ_g_Q8U
