Plantation Forestry

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:41): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the council about the recent event to celebrate 150 years of plantation forestry in our state?

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: Finally, a good question.

The PRESIDENT: I think the Hon. Mr Wortley wants to answer the question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development will be heard in silence.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:41): The South Australian forestry industry is currently celebrating a special milestone this year—150 years of renewable plantation forestry. The first plantation occurred in 1875 in the Bundaleer Forest in the Mid North and since that time the industry has grown significantly into the powerhouse it is today.

Of course, today we see the vast majority of the plantation forest industry occurring in the Green Triangle in the state's South-East. On Friday evening, the South Australian Forest Products Association held a 150-year celebratory dinner to acknowledge the significant milestone the industry has reached and it was pleasing to see so many people from both industry and government attend.

I was joined at the dinner by the Premier, who has long been a big supporter of the forest industry across our state; the federal Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Anthony Chisholm; the leader of the state opposition; state MPs and MLCs, including Troy Bell, Adrian Pederick, Ben Hood, Nicola Centofanti and Nick McBride; CEOs of the Australian Forest Products Association and the South Australian Forest Products Association, along with the chief executive officer of Primary Producers SA; the CEO of OneFortyOne; and also a table of workforce, the direct workers within the industry, which was particularly good to see.

The South Australian forest industry, according to SAFPA's figures, directly contributes $3 billion to the South Australian economy each year, while employing 21,000 people directly and indirectly. The total plantation estate size is an impressive 165,000 hectares, with the majority of the plantation made up of softwood timber. Thirty-five per cent of Australia's locally produced house framing and interior sawn wood comes from South Australia, while the state also provides 48 per cent of Australia's packing and industrial grade timber, along with 60 per cent of Australia's agricultural timbers such as poles, posts and fencing products coming directly out of our sustainable forests.

The radiata pine trees that will be harvested this year were planted in 1993. To put that in context, it was the same time as the great Paul Keating was Prime Minister and the first known human-to-human SMS message was sent in Finland, so that is how long ago we are talking. An incredible amount of time and effort goes into each rotation.

I often mention in this place about the forest industry being the ultimate renewable and at a time when governments around Australia and the world are seeking to decarbonise their economies forestry has a key role to play. Each year in our state, our forests sequester 4.64 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere, which helps to create a cleaner and greener environment. South Australia's forests are foundational to our state, from timber for house frames to particle board for cabinetry and pallets to move our food and other products from the farm gate to supermarket shelves, along with posts and poles supporting other agricultural sectors.

I would challenge members in this place to think of a single day that goes by where they do not use a product that has come directly from our forest industry. From plantation to harvest and haulage to the manufacture of timber products, the industry plays a key role in supporting many regional and rural jobs in our state. It is for this reason that the South Australian government, the Malinauskas government, has a specific portfolio for the Minister for Forest Industries in South Australia, and I am very privileged to hold that portfolio.

Friday evening was a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the critical role the forest industry plays in South Australia. I understand a range of individuals from the forest industry donated products and their time to highlight at the 150^th anniversary dinner. It was wonderful to see a contingent from the Mid North, from Bundaleer, coming to the dinner, as well as others from the industry within the Adelaide Hills and, of course, in the Limestone Coast.

I want to thank Tammy Auld, Cam MacDonald, Adrian Flowers and Jessica Douglas for the wall frame that was on display that evening, Simon Angove from Timberlink for the CLT woodwork provided, Ben Edser from AAM for the roundwood and pallets, and Stephen Van Schaik and Emma Daly from Bio Gro.

Finally, I want to thank the South Australian Forest Products Association for hosting this significant event in the calendar of the forest industry. I understand a great deal of time and effort went into hosting it. I congratulate their CEO, Nathan Payne, along with staff members Haley Welch and Shayla Platt, for all of their very valuable efforts. Here is to another 150 years of sustainable plantation forestry in South Australia.