The Australian forest products industry continues to enjoy strong, bipartisan support across the aisle. It comes as the peak body for the $24 billion industry, the Australian Forest Products Association, announced the re-establishment of the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry, Timber and Paper Products in Canberra.
Led by Victorian Labor Senator Raff Ciccone and NSW Nationals Senator Ross Cadell, who both serve as Co-Chairs, it underscores the strong cross-party commitment to Australia’s sixth-largest manufacturing industry.
“On behalf of Australia’s forest industries, I can say we are thrilled the Parliamentary Friends of Forestry, Timber and Paper Products has been re-established,” said Diana Hallam, AFPA’s CEO. “The group is made up of parliamentarians from different sides of politics and represents important and stable, cross-party support for our sector in the Australian Parliament.”
The group brings together members of both houses whose electorates and regions rely on forestry and advocates for every stage of the supply chain—from plantation management and sustainable harvesting to timber processing and paper manufacturing—all the while highlighting the industry’s role in sovereign capability, job creation and environmental innovation.
“Many MPs and Senators count forestry and the supply chain as major industries in the electorates and regions they represent,” Hallam added, “while many more recognise the importance of the sector for the nation in terms of sovereign capability, creation of essential products and the growing environmental and climate contribution the sector provides.”
Uniting supporters across party lines, the group aims to ensure legislative and regulatory developments reflect the needs of the tens of thousands of Australians employed by forest-based industries: “In many ways, this group facilitates a collective voice in the parliament for the tens of thousands of Australians who rely on forest industries for their livelihoods,” Hallam said.
Looking ahead, Hallam said AFPA will work closely with the Parliamentary Friends throughout the 48th Parliament to champion policies that strengthen Australia’s forest product industries. “AFPA will seek to collaborate … to strengthen the voice of one of Australia’s most important primary industries and manufacturing sectors.”
