Timber plantations now provide the overwhelming majority of Australia’s sawn wood products and will become even more important as native forest logging declines and climate pressures intensify.

Timber tree plantations are broadly defined as:

Stands of native or exotic tree species that are specifically created by the regular placement of cuttings, seedlings, or seeds through human management for the purposes of wood production

Stands of native or exotic tree species that are specifically created by the regular placement of cuttings, seedlings, or seeds through human management for the purposes of wood production

Plantations currently supply over a third of global timber despite occupying only around 3 per cent of forests globally. The global area of plantations is increasing, having expanded by 75 per cent since 1990.

Plantations are important in Australia for a wide range of reasons, but they are especially critical for wood supply. This is because 90 per cent of the nation’s sawn timber – such as roof trusses, floorboards and furniture – comes from plantations, primarily softwood plantations such as those dominated by Radiata Pine (a tree species that initially came from California).

Plantations also contribute to wood security. A comprehensive global study showed that in Australia plantations are four........

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