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Secondary ABARES

  • Forest economics
    • Australian forest and wood products statistics
    • Forest economic research
      • Australian wood volumes analysis
      • A framework for developing medium term projections of traded wood products
      • Economic potential for new plantation establishment in Australia
      • Future opportunities for using forest and sawmill residues in Australia
      • Illegal logging regulation: analysis of regulated importers by business size
      • Productivity and efficiency of the Australian sawmilling industry
      • Responsiveness of demand for structural pine to changes in timber and steel prices
      • Short-term forecasts of selected wood product sales volume: Method and assumptions
      • Upscaling the Australian softwood sawmill industry
    • Australian plantation statistics update
    • Plantation and log supply
    • National wood processing survey

Australian plantation statistics update 2022-23

Overview

Australian plantation statistics is published every year. It supports strategic forest industry planning and decision-making by presenting information on total plantation area, new planting and ownership.

The plantation areas are presented by jurisdiction and National Plantation Inventory regions for softwood and hardwood plantation types, and species, based on data collected from private growers and grower representatives and public state and territory agencies.

In this report, 2022-23 data are compared with data from the 2004-05, 2009-10, 2014-15, 2019-20 amd 2021-22 5 yearly spatial plantation reports (5 and 1 year intervals).

Infographic for Australian plantations statistics 2022-23, summarizing information presented in report)

A high resolution version of the Australian Plantation statistics 2023 - Infographic is available in the download section below.

Table 1 The total reported plantation area declined marginally in 4 jurisdictions in 2022-23

State/Territory2004-052009-102014-152019-202021-222022-23

Change
2021-22 to 2022-23

 (’000 ha)(’000 ha)(’000 ha)(’000 ha)(’000 ha)(’000 ha)(%)
New South Wales331.6391.3393360.1347.1349.60.7%
Victoria384.6430.5423386.6380.9381.30.1%
Queensland225.6230.6230.4205.4205.4205.40.0%
South Australia167188.3178.8172.3164.6164.60.0%
Western Australia377.6413.3383.4309.8290.6289.8-0.3%
Tasmania227.2309.1309.8282.5278.5271.8-2.5%
Northern Territory16.338.147.649.340.137.2-7.5%
Aust. Capital Territory9.57.77.48.78.88.6-2.9%
Australia1,739.42,008.91,973.41,774.71716.01708.4-0.4%

Note: 2004-05, 2009-10, 2014-15 and 2019-20 are 5 yearly spatial figures, 2021-22 and 2022-23 are annual update figures.

Figure 1: The area of Australia’s softwood plantation estate remained stable in 2022-23, with the rate of decline in hardwood plantation area easing compared to past years

Column graph showing the area of Australia’s softwood plantation estate remained stable in 2022-23, with the rate of decline in hardwood plantation area easing compared to past years

Source: ABARES

Figure 2: In 2022-23, 4500 hectares of new plantations were established

Line graph shows that in 2022-23, 4500 hectares of new plantations were established

Source: ABARES

Table 2 New South Wales accounted for the majority of softwood plantations established in 2022-23 while most hardwood plantations were established in Tasmania

 

2021–22

2022–23

State/TerritorySoftwood
(’000 ha)
Hardwood
(’000 ha)
Total
(’000 ha)
Softwood
(’000 ha)
Hardwood
(’000 ha)
Total
(’000 ha)
New South Wales0.40.00.42.90.02.9
Victoria0.20.20.40.50.20.8
Queensland0.00.00.00.00.00.0
South Australia0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Western Australia0.60.00.60.40.20.6
Tasmania0.00.00.00.00.30.3
Northern Territory0.00.80.80.00.00.0
Aust. Capital Territory0.00.10.10.00.00.0
Australia1.11.22.33.80.74.5

Source: ABARES

Figure 3: In 2022-23 New South Wales continues to have the largest share of national softwood plantations and Tasmania the largest share of national hardwood plantations.

Column graph shows In 2022-23 New South Wales continues to have the largest share of national softwood plantations and Tasmania the largest share of national hardwood plantations

Source: ABARES

Figure 4: Softwood plantations are predominately radiata pine in southern Australia, while southern pines are planted in northern New South Wales and Queensland, hoop pine are planted in Queensland and maritime pine is planted in drier parts of Western Australia.

Column graph shows softwood plantations are predominately radiata pine in southern Australia, while southern pines are planted in northern New South Wales and Queensland, hoop pine are planted in Queensland and maritime pine is planted in drier parts of Western Australia

Source: ABARES

Figure 5: The majority of Tasmanian blue gum and shining gum hardwood plantations are managed for pulplog production, North Coast and Tasmania are the regions with most hardwood plantations managed for sawlog production.

Column graph shows the majority of Tasmanian blue gum and shining gum hardwood plantations are managed for pulplog production. North Coast and Tasmania are the regions with most hardwood plantations managed for sawlog production

Source: ABARES

Figure 6: Institutional investors owned 60% of the plantation estate in 2022-23.

Column graph shows Institutional investors owned 60% of the plantation estate in 2022-23

Source: ABARES
Note: An institutional investor is a company that invests money on behalf of other people such as a Superannuation fund.

Figure 7: New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are the only jurisdictions where tree ownership is predominately publicly owned.

Column graph shows New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are the only jurisdictions where tree ownership is predominately publicly owned

Source: ABARES

Australian plantation statistics update 2022-23 (PDF 594 KB)
Australian plantation statistics update 2022-23 (DOCX 1.25 MB)
Australian Plantation statistics infographic (PDF 601 KB)
Supporting data tables (XLSX 111 KB)

Australia’s plantations Spatial Layer 2020-21 (ZIP 5.9 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact ABARES.

Australian plantation statistics 2023 update (PDF 523 KB)
Australian plantation statistics 2023 update (DOCX 1.20 MB)
Australian Plantation statistics 2023 - Infographic (PDF 692 KB)
Supporting data tables (XLSX 102 KB)

Australian plantation statistics 2022 update (PDF 1.47 MB)
Australian plantation statistics 2022 update (DOCX 2.21 MB)
Australian Plantation statistics 2022 - infographic (PDF 880 KB)
Supporting data tables (XLSX 69 KB)

Australian plantation statistics 2020 update (PDF 1.71 MB)
Australian plantation statistics 2020 update( DOCX 3.28 MB)

Australian plantation statistics 2018 update (PDF 3.51 MB)
Australian plantation statistics 2016 (PDF 23.5 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact ABARES.

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Page last updated: 06 August 2024

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.

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