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Production | Employment | Investment

Industry: Production

The plantation industry is the key to the success of the Plantations 2020 Vision. In the Vision, the industry is represented by A3P and the Australian Forest Growers.

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Major Australian plantation growers include DPI Forestry, Forests NSW , Hancock Victorian Plantations, Green Triangle Forest Products, Auspine, Forestry SA, the WA Forest Products Commission, Forestry Tasmania, Timbercorp Ltd, Great Southern Plantations, Forest Enterprises Australia, Integrated Tree Cropping, Willmott Forests Ltd and Gunns Limited.

 

Industry: Production

While not publicly prominent, timber processing is one of Australia’s largest manufacturing industries, with an annual output in excess of AUD15 billion. The industry is a significant employer, bringing capital and skill investment to regional Australia.

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The processing sector of the plantation timber industry provides a fundamental driver for plantation establishment, as the first market outlet for many products grown in plantations.

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In regions which have achieved a critical mass of plantation resource, such as the Green Triangle in south east South Australia and western Victoria, and the Murray Valley in north east Victoria and the south west slopes of NSW, there is an integrated industry which value adds to all plantation products.

Region Major Towns Plantation
Area (ha)1
GVP
($ million)2
Direct
Employment2

South West WA

Bunbury, Albany, Manjimup

212,000

209.22

2,077

Tasmania

Burnie, Launceston, Hobart

150,000

644.21

1,619

Green Triangle

Mt Gambier, Hamilton, Penola

160,000

948.55

3,029

Lofty Block (SA)

Adelaide

17,000

12.30

197

Central Victoria

Ballarat, Colac, Geelong

26,000

114.37

687

Murray Valley

Tumut, Myrtleford, Wangaratta, Albury

165,000

341.91

2,722

Central Gippsland

Traralgon, Morwell, Yarram, Sale

80,000

375.74

1,172

East Gippsland & Bombala

Bombala, Eden, Delegate

32,000

30.92

322

NSW Southern & Central Tablelands

Bathurst, Oberon, Canberra

85,000

242.25

1,789

NSW North Coast & Northern Tablelands

Grafton, Casino, Walcha

57,000

17.70

429

Sth-East Queensland

Gympie, Caboolture, Maryborough

150,000

339.66

2,189

North Queensland

Atherton, Ingham, Mackay

20,000

4.46

141

NT

Melville Island, Darwin

6,000

0.00

31

Total

 

1,160,000

$3,281.28

16,404

1 Figures obtained from National Forest Inventory (1997), National Plantation Inventory of Australia. Bureau of Resource Sciences. Canberra and National Forest Inventory (1999) National Plantation Inventory Interim Update. Bureau of Rural Sciences. Canberra.

2 Figures based on Burns, K., Walker, D. and Hansard, A. 1999, Plantations on Cleared Agricultural Land in Australia: A Regional Economic Analysis, ABARE Research Report 99.11, Canberra.

Enterprises include sawmills, paper mills, fibreboard or particleboard mills, pole and post production and treatment plants, and plants processing residues such as bark for nursery growing media.

 

Production | Employment | Investment

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