Tasmania’s forest industry welcomes the Albanese Government’s target to see one million new homes constructed by 2030 under the National Housing Accord announced in this week’s Federal Budget, Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmania Forest Products Association (TFPA) Nick Steel said today.

“As we work harder to fight climate change, building new homes with sustainable, local timber is a simple and effective way to help drive down emissions,” Nick Steel said.

The construction, operation and maintenance of buildings accounts for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Choosing timber in new home builds means starting with a healthy CO2 credit, as opposed to potential deficits in new dwellings built with other materials.

“Of course, to build new houses with timber we must grow supply by planting more timber production trees. The Government has a ‘one billion new trees’ by 2030 goal that must be achieved, otherwise Australia will be 250,000 timber house-frames short of demand by 2035. That’s the equivalent of a city the size of Hobart and surrounds,” Nick Steel said.

“Growing more trees for timber and fibre is a win, win, win. A win to fight climate change at a practical level, a win for jobs and employment in a sustainable industry, especially in our regions, and a win to build much needed supply of the most sustainable and natural building material going around,” Nick Steel concluded.