Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In addition to the Support Plantation Establishment program, we'll see $73.8 million invested in the establishment of up to 36,000 hectares of new plantations. These will be delivered in partnership with private industry, First Nations businesses, farm foresters and state and territory government forestry bodies. The Albanese Labor government is also partnering with the University of Tasmania to establish Australian Forest and Wood Innovation, a national research and development institute, and will deliver $100 million over the first four years of its operation. Importantly, we're also investing $10 million in the Forestry Workforce Training Program, $4.4 million to combat illegally logged imports and $8.6 million to extend the regional forest hubs until 2027.

The scale of our investment in forestry reflects our understanding of the important economic and environmental role it can play. We know that the forest and wood product industries generate tens of billions of dollars each year, and we also understand that, when responsibly managed, forestry can contribute to the responsible management of our natural environment. In particular, forestry can reduce our net carbon emissions through sequestration.

Our native forests are an incredibly important asset for our country. Native forests remain an important source of hardwood products in Australia, delivering products that plantations can't, while also reducing our reliance on imports subject to less stringent environmental controls. The Albanese government is getting on with investing in the forestry sector, ensuring that we have a sustainable industry into the future, where jobs are supported and our environmental outcomes are achieved.

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