Australia Yearbook - 2001

654 Year Book Australia 2001
In October 1997 the joint government/industry
initiative ‘Plantations for Australia: the 2020
Vision’ was released. The national initiative,
which aims to treble Australia’s forest plantations
estate by the year 2020, will enhance growth in
Australia’s forest industry and the contribution
made by plantations to the Australian economy,
rural communities and regional development.
Wood and paper products
Australia’s wood and paper products industries
are important components of Australia’s primary
and secondary industries. They are particularly
important in providing economic development
and employment in many regions of rural
Australia. The industries include hardwood and
softwood sawmilling, plywood and panels
manufacturing, woodchip production and export,
and the pulp and paper industries. Just over
60,000 people were directly employed at the end
of June 1999 in growing and harvesting of wood
and the manufacture and processing of wood and
paper products (table 16.3). The wood and paper
products industries contribute about 1% to GDP.
In 1998–99 the value of turnover in the wood and
paper products industries was $12.1b, of which
wood processing establishments (log sawmilling,
timber dressing and other wood product
manufacturing) contributed turnover of $6.5b.
Preliminary estimates for 1998–99 show that total
roundwood removed from forests fell by 4% from
the 1997–98 level, to 20.2 million cubic metres.
The removal of broadleaved wood (primarily
from native forests) fell by 8.1% in 1998–99 to
9.5 million cubic metres, while 1% less coniferous
wood (mainly from plantations) was removed.
In 1998–99 the value of exports of forest products
totalled $1,293m, of which 45% were woodchips
and 27% paper and paperboard products. In that
year the value of imports of forest products was
$3,262m, of which 54% were paper and
paperboard products and 13% sawnwood. This
indicates a trade deficit in forest products of
$1,969m in 1998–99. Australia produces 83% of its
sawn timber needs, of which native forests
provide about 31%, with the balance coming from
softwood plantations. Imported sawn timber is
mostly Douglas Fir from North America, and
Radiata Pine from New Zealand.
The hardwood and softwood sawmilling
industries comprise mills of various sizes which
process wood into sawn timber and other
products such as veneers, mouldings and
floorings. The hardwood mills are generally small
scale and scattered. The softwood mills are
generally larger and more highly integrated with
other wood processing facilities. Australia’s
production of sawn timber fell by 1% in 1998–99
to 3,603,000 cubic metres (table 16.4), of which
67% was softwood.
Other value added timber products include
plywood, wood-based panels and reconstituted
wood products. Australian wood-based panels
include particleboard, medium density
fibreboard, and hardboard made from softwood
or hardwood pulp logs, sawmill residues or
thinnings.
Pulp and paper mills use roundwood thinnings,
low quality logs, harvesting residues and sawmill
waste, recycled paper and paperboard to produce
a broad range of pulp and paper products.
Around a third of domestically consumed paper is
imported. The majority of paper products
produced domestically are packaging and
industrial papers, newsprint, printing and writing
papers, and tissue paper. Each requires different
inputs and technologies. Recycled paper now
contributes about half the fibre used in the
production of paper and paperboard.
Woodchips are mainly used in the production of
paper and paper products, and the woodchip
export industry uses sawmill residues and timber
which is unsuitable for sawmilling and not
required by the Australian pulp, paper and
reconstituted wood products industries. Before
the advent of the woodchip export industry,
much of this material was left in the forest after
logging. Considerable quantities of sawmill waste
material, which would otherwise be burnt, are
also chipped for local pulpwood-using industries
and for export. Up until 1990–91, at least 95% of
woodchips exported from Australia had been
eucalypt, but since then increasing quantities of
softwood woodchips have become available from
pine plantations. In 1998–99, 27% of the total
value of woodchips exported was from softwood
woodchips. See also the section Management of
Australia’s forest and land resources in
Chapter 14, Environment.