The New South Wales timber industry is one of the State's biggest regional employers, generating income of more than $5.7 million a year and accounting for approximately 30% of Australia's timber production. NSW is home to a number of internationally successful timber processing plants. Soft-wood timber processing plants including Carter Holt Harvey and hard-wood sawmill company Boral Industries enjoy a significant export market, whilst the new Visy Industries paper-mill in Tumut has proved to be one of the most successful in the past decade and is valued at $450 million.

The timber industry is one of the oldest in New South Wales with substantial Red Cedar forests responsible for colonial-era loggers settling in areas which would become towns such as Gosford and Coffs Harbour in the 1800s. Following a century of over-logging, prized native tree species such as the Red Cedar are now considered endangered, resulting in the contemporary timber industries in NSW relying on a number of managed private forests and plantation estates for the majority of their timber production. Working with Forests NSW, the State's timber and logging companies are dedicated to developing an industry which is environmentally sensitive and sustainable.

External Links

Timber Industry in New South Wales

Forests New South Wales