AN UPDATE : NATIVE FORESTRY & THE TIMBER INDUSTRY IN NSW
As an integral part of ACFA’s commitment to industry advocacy, we actively collaborate with allied associations such as Timber NSW, who represent sectors crucial to the entire timber lifecycle. These partners play a significant role in tandem with our industry’s endeavours.
Timber NSW serves as the premier representative organisation for the timber and forest products sector in New South Wales. They have recently offered an informative update on the pressing issues surrounding native forestry and the timber industry within the state.
These issues possess the potential to affect various phases of the lifecycle, impacting both upstream and downstream processes, including our industry. We kindly invite you to look over this valuable information and consider showing your support by adding your name to the conversation. Your involvement can make a meaningful difference.
Regards,
Dean Brakell
ACFA CEO
A BRIEF UPDATE FROM TIMBER NSW
Given the ongoing co-ordinated environmental protests and misinformed media reports about native forestry in NSW, we have reached a point where the future of our industry in NSW is in doubt and people’s livelihoods are in jeopardy. We’re seeing the exploitation of a lack of forestry knowledge to fuel miscommunications and falsehoods via slogans and campaigns. The Industry goes to great lengths to protect the fauna and flora within the production forests. It is in our interest to do so.
There is a real risk NSW may follow Victoria and Western Australia in closing public native forestry, which would cripple timber supply and wipe out most of the $2.9B the industry contributes to the NSW economy each year.
Therefore Timber NSW, along with the Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA), Timber Development Association (TDA), Timber Trade Industrial Association (TTIA), South East Timber Association (SETA) and Forest & Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) have made a joint public submission to the NSW Premier and key Ministers in support of native forestry in New South Wales
The submission makes three key points:
- Native Forestry is Essential: Any proposed closure of public regrowth native forestry and a ‘transition’ to hardwood plantations is completely unnecessary and unfeasible. The alleged benefits of such a closure on biodiversity, tourism and climate change do not exist.
- Recognise the 21st Century Potential of Timber: Australia is the sixth most forested nation on earth and has best-practice ESFM forestry regulation. There is huge potential in the NSW timber industry to meet the growing demand in Australia for a sustainable, renewable, recyclable resource like timber. We need to realise this nation-building potential.
- Educate & Inform Citizens About Forestry: When falsehoods and misinformation are being spread about legitimate Government activities – like native forestry operations undertaken by the government-owned Forestry Corporation – we expect that Government will seek to counter and correct these misguided assertions in a timely and accurate manner. This is not currently happening in NSW.
We’re calling on the NSW Government to work constructively and consult fully with the industry and communities in support of an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable timber industry in NSW. You can read all the details in our joint submission, here.
Successive governments have ensured that public forests have been protected in National Parks and conservation reserves. The production forests managed by Forestry Corporation for multiple values have gradually reduced in size over the past thirty years, but dramatically increased in regulatory controls. The native forest industry in NSW is already one of the most highly regulated in the world.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Almost three-quarters (72%) of Australians agree that the timber industry is legitimate (Stollznow Research 2023). You can read recent social licence research conducted re the timber industry here.
We know that the current extreme protest activity does not represent the views of ordinary Australians. It’s causing major disruption to our industry.
Our collective effort is vital to keep the industry open while activists continue to block forests and roads, delay or stop timber supplies, target our workplaces and misrepresent the facts.
Currently, our members and their communities are making their views clear by contacting the NSW Premier. We are asking you and your members to add your voices to our campaign by contacting the NSW Premier Chris Minns and key members of his Cabinet.
ACFA members can join the campaign at www.timberfacts.com.au, where you’ll find campaign resources to add your voice in support quickly and easily. They need to hear from us now about what is at stake.
