Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search
forestsaustralia

Help us improve our website

We want to hear from you!

Please share with us your experience using the Forests Australia website to access forest-related data and information. You can help us better understand your needs, what works now, and what could be improved.

Take our quick survey

end link

ABARES - Forests Australia

Top navigation abares

  • Department
  • Ministers
  • Media Centre
Main menu

Main navigation Forests Australia

  • Home
    Home
  • Australia’s forests
    Australia’s forests
  • State of the forests reports
    State of the forests reports
  • Product statistics
    Product statistics
  • Plantation statistics
    Plantation statistics
  • Data and maps
    Data and maps
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. DAFF Home
  2. ABARES
  3. Forests Australia
  4. Australia's State of the Forests Report
  5. Australia's State of the Forests Report

Secondary Forests Australia

  • Australia's State of the Forests Report
    • Synthesis 2023
    • Criterion 1: Conservation of biological diversity
      • 1.1a: Area of forest by forest type and tenure
        • 1.1a.i Forest area by type
          • 1.1a.i Supporting information
        • 1.1a.ii Forest area by tenure
          • 1.1a.ii Supporting information
        • 1.1a.iii Forest area in RFA regions
          • 1.1a.iii Supporting information
        • 1.1a.iv Forest area change over time
          • 1.1a.iv Supporting information
      • 1.1b: Area of forest by growth stage
      • 1.1c: Area of forest protected for conservation
        • 1.1c: supporting information
      • 1.1d: Fragmentation of forest cover
        • 1.1d: supporting information
      • 1.2a: Forest dwelling species
        • 1.2a: supporting information
      • 1.2b: Threatened forest dwelling species
        • 1.2b: supporting information
      • 1.2c: Representative species monitored
      • 1.3a: Species at risk from loss of genetic variation
        • 1.3a: supporting information
      • 1.3b: Genetic resource conservation
        • 1.3b: supporting information
    • Criterion 2: Productive capacity of forest ecosystems
      • 2.1a: Native forest available for wood production and the area harvested
      • 2.1b: Age class and growing stock of plantations
      • 2.1c: Annual removal of wood products compared to sustainable volumes
        • 2.1c.i Sustainable yield and harvest levels (2024)
        • 2.1c.ii Removals by log type (2024)
        • 2.1c.iii Forecast national log availability (2024)
      • 2.1d: Annual removal of non-wood products compared to sustainable volumes
      • 2.1e: Harvested area regenerated or re-established
    • Criterion 3: Ecosystem health and vitality
      • 3.1a: Forest health and vitality
        • 3.1a Supporting information
      • 3.1b: Area of forest burnt
        • 3.1b: supporting Information
    • Criterion 4: Soil and water resources
      • 4.1a: Area of forest managed for protective functions
      • 4.1b: Management of the risk of soil erosion
      • 4.1c: Management of the risks to soil physical properties
      • 4.1d: Management of the risks to water quantity
      • 4.1e: Management of the risks to water quality
    • Criterion 5: Forest contribution to global carbon cycles
      • 5.1a: Carbon in forests and forest products
    • Criterion 6: Socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of societies
      • 6.1a: Value and volume of wood and wood products
        • 6.1a: supporting information
      • 6.1b: Values, quantities and use of non-wood forest products
      • 6.1c: Value of forest based services
      • 6.1d: Production, consumption, import/export of wood and non-wood products
      • 6.1e: Degree of recycling of forest products
      • 6.2a: Investment and expenditure in forest management
      • 6.2b: Investment in research and development
        • 6.2b: supporting information
      • 6.3a: Area available for public recreation/tourism
      • 6.3b: Recreation/tourism activities available
        • 6.3b: supporting information
      • 6.4a: Area of forest managed to protect the special values of Indigenous people
        • 6.4a: supporting information
      • 6.4b: Registered places of non-Indigenous cultural value protected
        • 6.4b: supporting information
      • 6.4c: Indigenous values protected through participation in forest management
        • 6.4c: supporting information
      • 6.4d: The importance of forests to people
      • 6.5a: Direct and indirect employment
        • 6.5a: supporting information
      • 6.5b: Wage rates and injury rates
        • 6.5b: supporting information
      • 6.5c: Resilience of forest dependent communities
        • 6.5c: supporting information
      • 6.5d: Resilience of forest dependent Indigenous communities
        • 6.5d: supporting information
    • Criterion 7: Legal, institutional and economic framework for conservation and sustainable management
      • 7.1a: Legal framework
        • 7.1a: supporting information
      • 7.1b: Institutional framework
        • 7.1b: supporting information
      • 7.1c: Economic framework
      • 7.1d: Capacity to measure and monitor changes
      • 7.1e: Capacity to conduct and apply research and development
        • 7.1e supporting information
    • About Australia’s State of the Forests Report
    • Past reporting
      • Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018
        • Executive summary
          • Data
        • Criterion 1 Conservation of biological diversity
        • Criterion 2: Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems
        • Criterion 3: Maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality
        • Criterion 4: Conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources
        • Criterion 5: Maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles
        • Criterion 6: Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of societies
        • Criterion 7: Legal, institutional and economic framework for forest conservation and sustainable management
        • Maps and other graphics
        • Data
      • Australia's State of the Forests Report 2013
      • Australia's State of the Forests Report 2008
      • Australia's State of the Forests Report 2003
      • Australia's State of the Forests Report 1998
    • Mandates and drivers for Australia's State of the Forests Report
    • Benefits of producing Australia's State of the Forests Reports

Australia's State of the Forests Report

Australia's State of the Forests Report is the national report on the status of all of Australia's forests. It reports on biophysical, conservation, social, cultural and economic aspects of forests across the following topics.

  • Forest area by forest type
  • Forest area by tenure
  • Forest area in Regional Forest Agreement regions
  • Commercial plantation area, age class and growing stock

  • Forest area change over time
  • Area of forest by growth stage
  • Fragmentation of forest cover
  • Area of forest in protected area categories

  • Native forest available and harvested for wood
  • Native forest sustainable yield versus actual harvest levels
  • Harvested areas regenerated or re-established
  • Forecast national log availability

  • Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights to protect their special values
  • Indigenous values protected through participation in forest management
  • Resilience of forest dependent Indigenous communities

  • Forest-dwelling species, and representative species monitored
  • Threatened forest-dwelling species
  • Species at risk from isolation and loss of genetic variation
  • Genetic resource conservation of indigenous species in native forest and plantations

  • Area of forest burnt by planned and unplanned fire
  • Carbon balances in forest ecosystems and forest industries
  • Forest health impacts of pests, weeds, pathogens, climate change
  • Area of forest land managed primarily for protective functions

  • Soil erosion and soil physical properties risk management
  • Water quantity and water quality risk management
  • Non-wood forest product removals compared to sustainable volumes
  • Non-wood forest product values, quantities and use

  • Wood product volumes and values
  • Wood production and consumption (including firewood), and trade
  • Wood removals by log type
  • Recycling of forest products

  • Employment in the forest sector
  • Wage rates and injury rates within the forest sector
  • Investment and expenditure in forest management
  • Research and development investment and capacity

  • The importance of forests to people
  • Resilience of forest dependent communities
  • Value of forest-based services
  • Registered places of non-Indigenous cultural value (heritage)

  • Education and training
  • Area of forest available for public recreation/tourism
  • Range and use of recreation/tourism activities available
  • Capacity to measure and monitor forest changes

  • Legal framework for sustainable management (including management plans and codes of practice)
  • Institutional framework for sustainable management (including policies)
  • Economic framework for sustainable management (including economic policies)
  • Certification of forest management

The purpose of Australia's State of the Forests Report is to provide a comprehensive source of information about Australia's forests, including their management, use and conservation, and how they are changing. Australia’s framework of seven criteria and 44 indicators developed under the international Montréal Process (listed in the left menu), provides the basis of the report.

Australia's State of the Forests Report is used extensively across industry, state, territory and Australian governments, research and educational institutions, and for national and international reporting purposes. Forest-related data for Australia's State of the Forests Report are collected from state and territory forest management agencies and Australian Government departments.

For more information, go to the About Australia's State of the Forests Report webpage.

Australia’s State of the Forests Report: Synthesis 2023 provides the latest summary of the best-available data for the 44 indicators reported in Australia’s State of the Forests Report.

Past reporting - Previous editions of Australia's State of the Forests Report, published in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018, were prepared as single reports available as hardcopy and PDF versions.

The list of contributors to Australia’s State of the Forests Report can be found here.

Search the Forests Australia website

Click here for spatial datasets and other data reported in Australia's State of the Forests Report.

Definition

Forest

An area, incorporating all living and non-living components, that is dominated by trees having usually a single stem and a mature or potentially mature stand height exceeding 2 metres and with existing or potential crown cover of overstorey strata about equal to or greater than 20 per cent.

Australia's State of the Forests Report: Synthesis

Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip
Page last updated: 15 September 2026

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram