Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is widely recognised as a global leader in sustainable forest management. A recent report from ABARES confirms that Australia's native forestry sector is sustainable and plays a key role in climate change mitigation. The report shows that just 0.05 per cent, or around 65,000 hectares, of our native forests are sustainably harvested each year to produce timber and wood fibre products. By law, all public native forests harvested for timber must be regenerated. This ensures that Australia has a sovereign supply of essential timber products—like housing frames, flooring, decking, furniture, packaging and paper—all while maintaining biodiversity and supporting climate goals. This is particularly timely as last Sunday, 27 July, marked National Tree Day here in Australia.

This month, the Albanese government released the Timber Fibre Strategy, which sets out a pathway for strengthening the entire supply chain, from processing to manufacturing. It sets out six priority areas and 128 actions aimed at building a stronger, more sustainable forest industry—one that supports Australia's housing needs, climate targets and, importantly, local jobs. In addition to the strategy, the Albanese government is investing $300 million in the forestry industry, including $100 million for research and innovation, $100 million to improve the wood-processing sector, $73 million to expand plantations and $10 million to train more workers. With Senator Cadell as my co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry, Timber and Paper Products, I look forward to doing the hard work this term in making sure we continue to support this important sector. (Time expired)