The union representing workers in the timber, forestry and pulp and paper sectors, CFMEU Manufacturing Division, has called on the Federal Government to convene an urgent industry forum to solve the nation's worsening shortage of timber in the housing construction sector.
National Secretary Michael O'Connor has written to the Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar, the Minister for Industry Christian Porter, and the Assistant Minister for Forestry, Sen Johnathon Duniam.
The union has provided a brief to the Ministers indicating that current demand for framing timber is about 175,000 cubic metres a month, or 2.1 million per year.
However current production capacity is limited to around 150,000 cubic meters per month (or 1.8 million per year).
"The shortage of timber in the Australian market - fuelled by strong domestic and global demand and worsened since the bushfires of 2019/20 - is a looming disaster for the home building sector and timber worker communities around the country," Mr O'Connor said.
"Demand for house framing timber in Australia is going to outstrip log supply based on the current plantation estate and growth projections."
Previously, imports have risen to meet periods of high local demand, however this is a global shortage and the booming US housing market is the preferred export destination - not Australia.
Global supply chain disruptions due to COVID impacts are creating further barriers and a global ban on whole log exports by Russia is causing China to look for new suppliers.
"In an unstable and unpredictable world, now more than ever Australia needs our forest estate to be bigger to meet future domestic demand.
"We need State and Federal Governments and all parts of the industry to urgently come together and discuss our proposals to address resource issues.
"This includes growing our plantation estate, supporting the value adding of the forest resource here and discouraging the export of logs to unreliable markets."
