Supporters of Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision

Australian Forest Growers | Visit Web site

Formed in 1969, Australian Forest Growers (AFG) is the national association representing and promoting private forestry and commercial tree growing interests in Australia. AFG is run by a voluntary national council of growers, supported by a small paid professional staff based in Canberra. It has branches in all States.

AFG members grow trees for timber and for other products and benefits, on small and large holdings, on farms, in plantations and in private native forests. Members include farmers and foresters, urban dwellers with rural land, small block holders, plantation investors and investment companies, researchers, consultants, tree and equipment suppliers, industrial forestry companies, and tree enthusiasts.

Treefarm Investment Managers Association | Visit Web site

TIMA is the industry organisation representing the interests of Responsible Entities operating afforestation managed investment schemes (MIS) in Australia.
This sector of forestry has been responsible for establishing over 70% of all new plantations in Australia since the launch in 1997 of the national plantations strategy, Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision. In 2006, MIS companies are managing a plantation estate of approximately 600,000 hectares in all the major plantation regions of Australia.

Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) | Visit Web site

DAFF is the Commonwealth Department responsible for forest policy development and implementation.

DAFF's goal is to assist Australia’s forestry industry to grow, improve and capitalise on new opportunities while protecting the environment and contributing to the prosperity and quality of life in rural and regional Australia.

While forests will continue to provide sustainably produced wood, it will increasingly provide opportunities to help reduce the level of greenhouse gases, control salinity and improve biodiversity conservation.

Forestry and Forest Products Committee | Visit Web site

The Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) is the overarching Australian, State, Territory and New Zealand Ministerial Government committee with the responsibility to develop and promote sustainable, innovative and profitable agriculture, fisheries/aquaculture, food and forestry industries.

PIMC is supported by the Primary Industries Standing Committee (PISC), whose main objectives are to support PIMC in the achievement of its objectives and to develop cooperative and coordinated approaches to matters of concern to PIMC.

The PISC meets this objective by directing the work of its subordinate committees, including the Forestry and Forest and Forest Products Committee (FFPC), which has specific responsibility for development and implementation of a cooperative and coordinated approach to forest industry development.

A3P | Visit Web site

A3P’s vision is to be a strong and influential advocate of the Australian paper and plantation timber products industry. This will be achieved through:

Facilitating the operation and development of an industry that is internationally competitive, socially responsible and economically and ecologically sustainable; and

Representing the collective national interests of A3P members to Government and other stakeholders as required and to increase the market for Australian made paper and wood products.

To assist members, A3P will:

• Increase awareness within government of the economic, environmental and social significance of the paper and plantation timber products industry, particularly in regional Australia;
• Represent the paper and plantation timber products industry by promoting a policy and regulatory environment that provides certainty and incentives for investment in the industry;
• Identify and disseminate information to members on technical, commercial, regulatory and policy issues of relevance to priority areas; and
• Provide technical and market development support to the timber processing members of the Council.

The members of A3P include virtually all the major plantation growers, processors and paper manufacturers in Australia.  The diversity of membership and representation from the three sectors allows A3P to develop innovative and constructive positions that reflect the interest of all parties along the production chain.

A3P commenced operations in March 2004.  It resulted from the merger of the functions of the Plantation Timber Association of Australia and the Australian Paper Industry Council, unifying representation for two of Australia’s most important sustainable regional industries.

Canberra is the base for A3P’s advocacy activities, with some staff based in Melbourne.  A Board of Directors, drawn from the three industry sectors of plantation growing, timber processing and paper manufacturing, determine policy and provide direction for A3P activities.

For further information or to contact the Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council (A3P).