The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has renewed its call for governments to protect access to multiple-use public forests, warning that increasing forest lockups and conversions to national parks threaten both community access and sustainable timber supply.
“This is a timely opportunity to remind policy and decision makers of the benefits multiple-use public forests provide for the community, through recreation and other uses and through sustainable forestry,” according to Richard Hyett, the Deputy CEO of AFPA. “It’s also an opportunity to call out the worrying trend of more forest lockups and conversion to national parks.”
As it stands, New South Wales already has more than 7.5 million hectares of national parks and reserves. Over the past 30 years, more than 1.78 million hectares of state forests have been reclassified as national parks—more than 10% of the state’s total land area.
Nationally, while Australia’s overall forest area grew by 2.8 million hectares between 2008 and 2021, the area of multiple-use public native forests has more than halved since the mid-1990s, now representing just 3% of the country’s forest estate. Hyett, however, argues that this shift is out of step with international practice: “This is minuscule compared with the European Union, where 84 per cent of native forests are available for sustainable wood production,” he said.
The debate over forest access is unfolding against the backdrop of Australia’s new Timber Fibre Strategy—a blueprint to address growing demand for timber, particularly in housing construction. The strategy outlines six priority areas, including boosting domestic timber supply, supporting regional communities, and improving forest management. Industry leaders say the strategy underscores the urgency of maintaining access to native forest resources.
“Despite the shrinking footprint of working forests, activists continue to push for further restrictions, rather than advocating for better management of existing national parks,” Hyett said. “Sadly, multiple-use public forests have become a soft target for governments to satisfy misguided activists who irresponsibly demand that forests sit under lock and key.”
Hyett also noted that many private forestry estates are made available for recreational use, broadening the public benefits of forested land. He called for a more nuanced approach to forest policy—one that balances conservation with sustainable use. “It’s time for governments to better recognise the value of forests that are open for use, including sustainable forestry, and give them better consideration, rather than the lazy approach of lockups and conversion to national parks.”
- To learn more about Australia’s level of harvesting in native or natural forests (2.1%) relative to Europe (84%), click here for Wood Central’s special feature from last month.
