Forest size
Australia has 149 million hectares of forest – 19 % of the total land area. These forests comprise of 147 million hectares of native forest, and 1.82 million hectares of purpose-planted forests or plantations.
35% of Australia’s forests are located in Queensland. With 52.5 million hectares of native forests and 233,000 hectares of plantations the Smart State has the largest forested land area in the country. Despite this, another 100,000 hectares of plantations are required to meet Queensland’s growing demand for timber.
Forest types
Over 92% of Queensland’s forests are sparse forests.
The remaining dense native forests, including native cypress, and commercial plantations growing mainly softwood species, are used to produce timber.
Most of Queensland’s timber is sourced from our mature softwood plantations which are dominated by exotic pine and native hoop pine. However, Queensland has a young and expanding hardwood estate which is likely to start producing timber post 2020.
Forest area, by forest type and jurisdiction (`000 hectares)
|
|
Queensland
|
Australia
|
|
Acacia
|
6060
|
10365
|
|
Callitris (Cyress)
|
597
|
2597
|
|
Casuarina
|
61
|
2229
|
|
Eucalypt
|
36466
|
116449
|
|
Mangrove
|
436
|
980
|
|
Melaleuca
|
5698
|
7556
|
|
Rainforest
|
1867
|
3280
|
|
Other
|
1397
|
3942
|
|
Hardwood plantation
|
43
|
807
|
|
Softwood plantation
|
188
|
1001
|
|
Mixed or unknown plantation
|
2
|
9
|
|
Total plantation
|
233
|
1818
|
|
Total forest
|
52,815
|
149,215
|
Source: Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2008
Native hardwood forests provide timber that is very dense, strong and extremely durable in exposed use. The most significant commercial native hardwood species in Queensland include:
- Spotted gum (the most commonly commercially harvested hardwood timber)
- Broad-leaved red ironbark
- Grey box
- Forest red gum
- Grey ironbark
- Narrow-leaved red ironbark
- White mahogany
- Blackbutt
- Gympie messmate
Native Cypress also grows in some of the more isolated areas of Queensland west of the Great Dividing range. Cypress has a natural resistance to termites which makes is popular for structural applications such as house framing, flooring, wall lining, fencing and cladding.
Forest ownership
Around 80%, more than 44 million hectares, of Queensland forests are state owned, the remaining 10 million hectares are privately owned forests.