New opportunities for forestry to go under the microscope

The emergence of new opportunities for Tasmania’s forest products industry will be the subject of intense evaluation at the inaugural annual forum of the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network (TFFPN) in Launceston this Friday September 21.

Expert panels will consider the current status of the industry as well as the opportunities which are opening-up as a result of innovation and new technology.  Both have sparked a surge in demand for timber as a building product and as a fashion and design component.

Key topics for discussion will include issues such as skills development, carbon markets, community perceptions and value creation. More than 100 delegates are expected to attend.

Senator Richard Colbeck, Federal Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, will outline to the industry the Commonwealth’s plan to turbocharge Australia’s renewable forest industries with the prospect of creating tens of thousands of new jobs in regional Australia.

The Federal plan has been heralded by industry leaders as a watershed moment for Australia’s forest industries, which in Tasmania directly employs more than 3,000 workers, with an additional 2,5000 jobs from flow-on impacts into other related industries.

The TFFPN was launched in May, this year as an umbrella organisation for all sectors of the industry.

Its purpose is to focus on those areas of common interest to all parts of the industry from across the value chain with the objective of encouraging cohesion, collaboration and the sharing of information.

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For Further Information

TFFPN Convenor Therese Taylor 0419302777