By Karl Carrington.
Australia’s timber framing sawmills have seen an employment increase of up to 25 per cent.
This contrasts with the reported OECD global trend, suggesting timber processing employment will fall by 18 per cent over 2019-2024. AFPA Chief Executive Officer Ross Hampton said forest product processing in Australia is booming with the insatiable demand for Aussie-made sustainable building products.
Mr Hampton said Australians are increasingly valuing forest industry products.
“It’s true that timber production is being constrained in some countries as global companies seek to ensure sustainable production lines, but in Australia our builders and homeowners understand our local industry is completely sustainable," said Mr Hampton.
“In Australia, we are producing essential products to the highest environmental standards in the world and supporting tens of thousands of regional jobs across the country.
“We replant our plantations and completely regenerate harvested native forests, by law".
Recent AFPA-commissioned opinion polling also confirmed that an overwhelming proportion of Australians want Australia to grow more trees to meet our housing needs.
Hampton believes the future is bright for employment across Australia’s forest industries, including timber processing, as we and the rest of the world look to sustainable fibre products to replace plastics and house a growing population.
“If you want a sustainable career which brings a lifetime of positives for you and your family, the community and the environment, choose a job in Australian forest industries.”
There are sawmills in Jamestown, in South Australia’s Mid-North, nearby the Bundaleer Forest.
There is a large scale timber truss framing business at Keith, in SA’s South-East, accompanied by a sawmill at Tarpeena near Mount Gambier.
There are also sawmills in NSW at Narrandera, in Victoria at Koondrook, Powelltown and Echucain producing Australian Timber.