Forest size
Australia has 124.7 million hectares of forest – 16 % of the total land area. These forests comprise of 122.5 million hectares of native forest, and 2 million hectares of purpose-planted forests or plantations.
41% of Australia’s forests are located in Queensland. With 52.5 million hectares of native forests and 233,000 hectares of plantations the Smart State has the largest forested land area in the country.
Forest types
Over 92% of Queensland’s forests are sparse forests.
The remaining dense native forests, including native cypress, and commercial plantations growing mainly softwood species, are used to produce timber.
Most of Queensland’s timber is sourced from our mature softwood plantations which are dominated by exotic pine and native hoop pine.
Forest area, by forest type and jurisdiction (`000 hectares)
|
|
Queensland
|
Australia
|
|
Acacia
|
5121
|
10813
|
|
Callitris (Cyress)
|
527
|
2011
|
|
Casuarina
|
272
|
1236
|
|
Eucalypt
|
35 184 |
101 058
|
|
Mangrove
|
384 |
854 |
|
Melaleuca
|
5141
|
6832 |
|
Rainforest
|
1981
|
3581
|
|
Other native forest
|
2970
|
5679
|
|
Hardwood plantation
|
34
|
922
|
|
Softwood plantation
|
196
|
1015
|
|
Mixed or unknown plantation
|
0
|
11
|
|
Total plantation
|
229
|
1949 |
|
Total forest
|
51 830
|
134 037 |
Source: Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia and National Forest Inventory Steering Committee, 2018, Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2018, ABARES, Canberra, December. CC BY 4.0.
Queensland's native forests provide timber that is very dense, strong and extremely durable for exposed use. Common and readily available commercial native hardwood species in Queensland include:
Native Cypress also grows in some of the more isolated areas of Queensland west of the Great Dividing range. Cypress has a natural resistance to termites which makes is popular for structural applications such as house framing, flooring, wall lining, fencing and cladding.
Forest ownership
Around 80%, more than 44 million hectares, of Queensland forests are state owned, the remaining 10 million hectares are privately owned forests. HQPlantations is the largest plantation company in Queensland having bought a 99 year Plantation Licence to manage, harvest and grow timber plantations from the Queensland Government.