Northern NSW supports a diverse timber industry, geared to the utilisation of both native hardwoods and plantation grown hardwood and softwood species. Products include traditional sawn timber, veneer, pole, pile and girder markets, as well as export woodchips. Specialist markets such as furniture, parquetry and strip flooring utilise some of the regions more valued hardwoods.

As research and development continues future markets for value added products from plantation grown trees will expand. Successful trials have been carried out using four and a half year old plantation grown Flooded Gum for the manufacture of furniture components and four year old Blackbutt for plywood. Developments in sawing, veneering and drying technology will continue to provide opportunities for the utilisation of young plantation thinnings.

An expanding plantation industry also has the potential to capitalise on non-wood markets such as biomass for electricity co-generation and ethanol production. The feasability of utilising silvicultural residues from both native forests and plantations for green fuel is already being investigated. Much work has also been undertaken on the potential for using timber residue for ethanol production as an additive to fuel for the transport industry

Produced by:
John Macgregor-Skinner NRRDB
Northern New South Wales Forestry Services
Max Egan Centre for Sustainable Tropical Forestry