A WA government ban on native logging comes into force today, preventing the state’s native hardwood trees from being chopped down and sold commercially.
Typically, native WA hardwood like karri and jarrah has been used for flooring, furniture, firewood, and in garden products like mulch and sawdust.
Major WA mills have already closed and timber towns have been forced to explore other industries to keep locals in work.
But for West Australians outside these towns, what does the ban mean and how will it affect them?
The state government made the decision to end native logging in late 2021 to protect around 2 million hectares of forest.
Ms Jarvis said the goal was to “return our forests to the state they were in before European settlement”.
The state government also hopes the move will boost the state’s resilience to climate change, help protect Aboriginal heritage and open opportunities for tourism in certain areas.
Victoria is also banning native timber logging in state forests from 1st of January
The two jurisdictions are the first Australian states to end native logging, but other states are watching on closely.
However, the state government’s recently released forest management plan outlines two exemptions — clearing for approved mining or infrastructure projects, and removing trees to improve forest health, also known as ecological thinning.
The “ecological thinning” process involves removing individual trees to give surrounding vegetation a better chance of survival.
A lot of the structural supports used in building houses, including roof framing, is made from pine, which comes from plantations.
That will not be impacted.
Jarrah or karri floors and furniture will be harder to come by and likely more expensive.
The wood taken from native forests under the ban exemptions will stay in Western Australia and be divided up between those who need it.
But WA’s Forestry Minister Jackie Jarvis is making no guarantees.
“We have a very small number of very bespoke furniture makers [in Western Australia] — it is certainly my hope that they will still have access to timber,” she said.
Firewood is often the by-product of premium timber logs.
Leading up to the ban, there was speculation that WA’s forestry minister was concerned about a potential shortage of firewood.
Ahead of WA’s ban on native logging, garden suppliers reported a shortage of woodchips and sawdust.
The landscaping industry will still have access to offcuts from the timber that is being processed.
The industry has also been looking into other products to help enrich soil, including garden waste and offcuts from plantation timber.
Ms Jarvis would not be drawn on how much native wood would be available going forward.
“I can’t give you an exact figure or tonnage, because it will change year to year,” she said.
According to the WA government, yes.
However, WA Forest Industries Federation chief executive Adele Farina said there were still unknowns.
“It has been a particularly difficult 12 months,” she said.
“Now our sawmills are simply waiting for government to get through those initial implementation process stages and be in a position to be able to advise them.
“What supply, if any, can they expect to receive going forward?
“There’s some level of anxiety remaining in the industry, while we await the information on the ecological thinning prescriptions, the harvesting plans and exactly what level of activity is going to be happening through 2024 going forward.”
(ABC)
