As part of International Day of Forests on Sunday 21 March 2021, the Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) has recognised the importance of a sustainable forestry industry to Victoria.
Ms Deb Kerr, Chief Executive Officer, VFPA said “Australia is the sixth most forested country in the world and Australia’s forest sector plays a critical role in ensuring that our forests can continue to benefit Victoria’s environment, climate, and economy for generations to come”.
“Victoria’s public and private forests are one of our greatest renewable resources underpinning multiple social, economic and environmental uses and values – it is regenerative, sustainable, and the ultimate renewable”, said Ms Kerr.
“Our regrowth natural forests and plantations store carbon as they grow and continue to store carbon as timber products that Victorians choose to include in their homes and public spaces”, said Ms Kerr.
“Victoria’s softwood and blue gum plantations are the cornerstone of our private land forestry – accounting for 22 per cent of Australia’s plantations on private land – with the harvested wood products used as structural timber in buildings, plywood, packaging and paper products”, Ms Kerr said.
“We all love the warmth of a timber floor, sculpture, piece of furniture, stairwell, or fire. But did you know that our forest products are also used to make a multitude of other products used by Victorians every day such as sanitary products, clothes, artificial limbs, saunas, and bathtubs, while technology and innovation are driving a new era of uses that will replace higher emissions products, for example, road base”, Ms Kerr said.
“Our forests across both public and private land tenures require active and adaptive management, so they can continue to deliver forest products that support and promote a circular economy – one of the key solutions to combatting climate change”, concluded Ms Kerr.
The original media release is here: 210321 VFPA Media Release – Celebrating Vctoria’s Forests and Forest Products_final