MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 19 May

Forestry Australia welcomes return of China timber exports

Forestry Australia has welcomed the return of timber exports to China but cautions as a net importer of forest products, Australia is relying too heavily on other countries to meet our growing domestic demand for timber.

Forestry Australia represents the scientists, professionals and growers who manage, study and care for the nations’ forests.

President of Forestry Australia, Dr Michelle Freeman congratulated the Albanese Government for their hard work in re-opening the market for Australian producers to export to China.

“While Forestry Australia welcomes the opening of the Chinese market, we also must acknowledge our moral imperative to invest in strategies to increase local timber supply into our own domestic markets,” Dr Freeman said.

“Australia is the sixth most forested country in the world but is a net importer of timber products. The current approach is not working if we want to continue to provide local timber products to support affordable housing and flow-on benefits to meet society’s needs.

“We are in effect, exporting our forest management challenges to other nations, when we have high environmental standards and highly skilled professionals and scientists to appropriately manage our resources locally.

“Given this, we look forward to working with Government to support well managed sustainable forest harvesting from both Australian plantations and native forests and reduce our dependence on the import of timber products,” Dr Freeman said.

ENDS

Media contact:
Becher Townshend
Font PR
0418 370 661