Australia’s sustainable forestry and forest products industry is a mainstay of the Australian economy and provides the economic foundation for many of Australia’s regional communities.
The nation’s second largest manufacturing industry, forest and wood products are an essential part of the Australian built environment. In fact, the average Australian home has around 9 cubic metres of wood in it – the only major renewable resource used in construction.
As well as supplying timber for solid wood, plywood and other building products, the industry also supplies the raw material that goes into wooden furniture and the raw fibre that is made into pulp and paper to meet our community’s needs.
Most of Australia’s wood supply comes from the more than two million hectares of plantation forests that have been purpose grown in key regions, and from our publicly owned native forests.
Australia’s forests are managed sustainably and to the highest environmental standards. Less than 0.1% of Australia’s forests are harvested each year.
Australia’s forestry and forest products industry makes a significant contribution to offsetting the impacts of climate change, producing wood products that continue to store carbon while regenerating harvested areas with new trees that will take more carbon from the atmosphere.
More than 84,000 Australians are directly employed in the industry, including in forest growing and management, harvesting, haulage, sawmilling and processing, timber products manufacture, wood panels and timber merchandising.
First Super invests in Australia’s forestry industry and supports its communities.
Join First Super
First Super is the industry super fund for workers in the timber, pulp & paper and furniture & joinery industries. Joining First Super is easy. Go to Join First Super for more information.