Forest and timber industry profile

Industry overview

The forest and timber industry in Queensland is diverse and covers activities that include:

  • forest growing
  • harvest and haulage
  • processing and manufacturing
  • value-adding
  • timber merchants
  • importers
  • pulp and paper.

Queensland's forest resources are characterised by large, highly productive softwood plantations and extensive areas of relatively slow-growing native forest comprising both hardwoods and cypress pine.

These forests support a regionally based processing sector, and most timber is used to produce building products.

Read Queensland forest and timber industry: an overview for more information about the industry.

Economic contribution

The Queensland industry continues to evolve and innovate. Engineered wood products and associated timber building systems offer important future growth opportunities.

Queensland's forest and timber industry makes an important contribution to the economy and to many rural and regional communities.

The industry:

  • has an estimated annual turnover of around $4 billion
  • directly employs around 8,000 people
  • has diverse activity and investment across the value chain—from growing forests to the manufacture and sale of new and innovative timber products
  • is a highly valued employer in many rural and regional areas.

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