26 March 2023
The Australian Forest Products Association NSW congratulates premier-elect Chris Minns and NSW Labor on yesterday’s election result, and urges the incoming government to address the state’s looming timber supply challenges as a priority.
AFPA NSW CEO Victor Violante said NSW needs to significantly grow its timber and wood fibre supply to meet future housing construction and paper packaging demand, and securing our sovereign capability in these essential products should be a priority for the new NSW Government.
“AFPA NSW welcomes some of the positive commitments NSW Labor made for forest industries before the election, including to ‘immediately begin work on how to expand existing plantation estates across NSW’, work with industry on a potential statewide timber encouragement procurement policy, and boost the role of renewable wood fibre in the circular economy, and we look forward to working with the Minns Government on delivering on these commitments,” Mr Violante said.
“However, we remain concerned about the impact of Labor’s commitment to create a Great Koala National Park on the future of thousands of timber jobs and the supply of essential timber products across NSW.
“NSW Labor has committed to work with the timber industry and to do due diligence on the implementation of a Great Koala National Park. We urge the Minns Government to listen to the science, which shows that the state’s sustainable, regenerative native forestry operations have no impact on koala numbers while contributing $2.9 billion annually to the state economy.”
AFPA NSW recently released its six-point plan to grow the state’s forestry, timber and paper sector, and received positive responses from the major parties as well as the Shooter, Fishers and Farmers, and One Nation. The responses can be found here.
“We rely on forest industries in our everyday lives – from the timber to build our homes, the paper and cardboard packaging our food comes in, the pallets that transport our food, and the firewood to heat our homes.
“AFPA NSW looks forward to working with the Minns Government to ensure the people of NSW continue to have access to locally sourced and manufactured timber and paper products.
“We will also continue to work with the Coalition Opposition and the crossbench who have been strong supporters of our forest industries. I thank the Coalition for their strong support in Government, particularly through the bushfires and floods – their continued support and targeted assistance saved jobs and businesses and leaves a lasting legacy,” Mr Violante concluded.