Northern forestry and forest products situational analysis

Project locations: Brisbane, Sippy Downs, Darwin, Cairns, Nhulunbuy, Broome, Kununurra

Project partners: Timber Queensland Limited ; NT Dept. Primary Industry and Resources ; University of the Sunshine Coast ; Qld Dept. of Agriculture and Fisheries

Project summary and impacts

This industry situational analysis study identified and described key challenges and opportunities facing the northern Australian forestry and forest products industry. It explored potential policy, investment, and other solutions to these challenges, assessed sector-wide research priorities, and identified the most strategic research projects for future investment.

As part of the project, a Steering Committee was formed, comprising northern Australian forestry industry stakeholders from each State and Territory (where possible), as well as representatives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous forest growers, the livestock industry, wood product processing industries, and relevant government agencies.

This project delivered recommendations and provided information to Indigenous and non-Indigenous landholders, forestry industry stakeholders, potential investors, government agencies responsible for natural resource management, research and development, and policy-makers about the opportunities and constraints involved in further developing sustainable forestry enterprises in northern Australia.

The project Steering Committee will be retained as an Industry Development Alliance to continue advocating for, and providing oversight of, the ongoing growth and development of the industry across northern Australia.