The Tasmanian Forest Products Association (TFPA) has today called on all political parties and candidates in the 2024 Tasmanian election to further embrace the industry’s Election Wishlist and our Home-Grown Timber Future Policy.

The policy encourages more on island processing; growing the value of our timber and wood products and increasing regional jobs in our industry.

TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel said one of the best ways to support our Home-Grown Timber Future Policy is to commit to establishing a dedicated long rotation plantation forestry conversion fund of up to $2.5 million annually for 10 years.

“As the industry extends the rotation cycle of the hardwood plantation estate, we will need assistance to ensure a seamless transition, and protect the thousands of jobs our industry creates,” Mr Steel said.

“Moving our plantation estates to a longer rotation means the industry will allow its estate to grow for longer periods, allowing us to find new and innovative ways to use larger logs from our plantation hardwood, and value add to our timber on-island.

“Of course, to do this takes time, and to protect the thousands of Tasmanians our industry employs, we’re asking the government to assist us to find ways of innovatively improving our products.

“An added bonus of allowing a longer rotation in our estate will be the increased ability to process more logs in Tasmania, which will then create even more jobs and see more investment in the Tasmanian economy.”

The Home-Grown Timber Future Policy is part of the TFPA’s Supporting Tasmanian Businesses priority in the 2024 Tasmanian election wishlist. The wish list can be downloaded at: https://bit.ly/4bPyfDF