CELEBRATING OUR FORESTRY INDUSTRY THIS WEEK
Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie is encouraging residents across the region to support our local forestry industry as part of National Forestry Day.
This week, the forestry industry is showcasing the importance of forestry for the economy, for jobs, affordable everyday products and for the environment.
This year’s theme is Nature’s Carbon Store which highlights how important the sector is as a climate change solution. As production trees grow they absorb carbon, which then continues to be stored in timber and wood fibre products and the built environment, long after the trees are sustainably harvested. Forestry continues to play a significant part in Australia being able to reach it’s net zero goals.
“Forestry is a particularly important industry not only in terms of the thousands of jobs it creates up and down the coast, but also its contribution to the management and well-being of our environment,” Dr Gillespie said.
“As the industry continues to highlight, Australia’s forestry supply chain is responsible for renewable and vital everyday items from timber house-frames to home furnishings and paper and packaging products like cardboard boxes and paper cups. These are climate-friendly items we cannot live without!”
Dr Gillespie said it was important for the region to understand the long history of forestry across our region and the significant contribution it plays today.
“Our sustainable forests have been carefully managed and harvested several times over for generations. They grow, are harvested and grow all over again. In a time where we are more conscious about our environment, this is a sustainable industry we should be encouraging to grow,” D Gillespie said.
“At the Commonwealth level, we have recognised this contribution through the Regional Forest Agreements and the State Government has a very significant role in ensuring the industry remains sustainable for the good of our economy and the environment.”
“When you think about it, the industry intersects with us each and every day. From the hardwood floors you walk on or the frames inside the walls of your home, the cardboard boxes that household deliveries arrive in, or even the hardwood dining table you’ll eat at tonight, these are Australian made products that generate local jobs in a sustainable way.
According to the Australian Forest Products Association, the industry generates 80,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs across Australia, many in rural and regional areas. The sector contributes $24 billion to the economy annually and is Australia’s 6th largest manufacturing sector.