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Timber Suppliers Say: “Keep Australian Timber Sustainable.”

Announcement posted by Narangba Timbers 09 Dec 2016

Timber suppliers in Brisbane reveal why they are in favour of turning unused farmland into small timber plantations.
Brisbane, QLD, December 08, 2016 - Of all the timber suppliers in the Brisbane area, Narangba Timbers and owner Jack Kyle have done the most to educate consumers about issues facing the timber and forestry industries. In particular, they have gone out of their way to educate consumers about sustainable forestry and timber harvesting.

Recently, on their company blog, Mr Kyle offered an educational piece called “Keep Australian Timber Sustainable.” The piece covered the current state of Australian plantation forestry and offered a solution. According to Mr Kyle:

“Approximately 80% of Australian timber that is used for timber products is grown on plantations under a sustainable model. To make a long story short, every tree that is harvested is replaced by planting a new tree in its place. However, as demand for Australian timber is growing, plantations are shrinking. This could create a larger trade deficit for Australian timber than the one that already exists.”

Even though Australia currently has 2 million hectares of plantation timber, it has been estimated that much more, from 14.6 million hectares to 23.6 million hectares, need to be turned into what is termed “woody tree cover” to help Australia meet long term climate policy objectives, including “deep decarbonisation.”

A combination of economic factors has caused some of the investor money for plantation timber to “dry up.” The main reason for this is because it takes new trees between 10-25 years to reach harvesting age. Plantation timber is a long-term investment that a lot of companies can’t afford to make unless they already have plantations “in queue,” producing timber and therefore revenue.

Most of the sawn timber that is used for housing in Australia is produced somewhat locally, but exports of Australian timber are decreasing in value, even under the threat of scarcity at home. This has created an imbalance in global trade for the Australian timber industry. Australia exports a high volume of unprocessed timber for wood chips but imports much more for paper and processed board products.

The Easy Solution for More Plantation Timber

The solution that makes the most sense to Mr Kyle is one that has been discussed for a few years: turning unused portions of farms into small timber plantations. According to Mr Kyle:

“Of all the proposed solutions to creating more plantation timber even as investment in plantations is decreasing, the one that makes the most sense is to offer farmers the opportunity to turn some of their unused land into small timber plantations. It is estimated that trees could be planted on 10-20% of existing farms without affecting their current crops. The trees could actually have a positive effect on livestock and crop production.”

Mr Kyle concluded: It might not be the entire solution but it’s a great start, It would benefit the farmers, the timber industry and the environment. We can live with that.”

Narangba Timbers are timber suppliers in Brisbane. They have been a family business for three generations and they have a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing of timber. They offer a full range of timber species for construction, timber fencing, timber decking, timber flooring and other projects. To learn more or to speak to their world class customer service, call (07) 3888 1293 or visit their website: http://www.narangbatimbers.com.au/.