Australia's State of the Forests Report

The state of Australia’s forests is reported across 44 indicators of sustainable forest management. These indicators and associated content are published as components of Australia’s State of the Forests Report, presenting comprehensive information on all of Australia's forests, including biophysical, conservation, social, cultural and economic aspects of forests. 

Australia’s State of the Forests Report is now a web-based product via rolling updates to the 44 indicators based on the availability of new data.

Cover of Australia's State of the Forests Report Synthesis 2023, showing a tree in an evening sky.

 

Australia’s State of the Forests Report: Synthesis 2023 is a summary of the best-available data for the 44 indicators, with 25 indicators updated in late 2023 and 2024. Data from Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2018 are presented for the other 19 indicators, which will be progressively updated in 2025. This is the second edition of Australia's State of the Forests Report: Synthesis 2023. It contains minor edits made to the first edition (as listed here).

 

Australia’s State of the Forests Report by theme

Indicator 1.1a Area of forest by forest type and tenure - reported in four parts:

Indicator 1.1b Area of forest by growth stage (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 1.1c Area of forest in protected area categories (2024) - updated July 2024.

Indicator 1.1d Fragmentation of forest cover (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.4a Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes (2024) - updated October 2024

Indicator 6.4c The extent to which Indigenous values are protected, maintained and enhanced through Indigenous participation in forest management (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 1.1c Area of forest in protected area categories (2024) - updated July 2024.

Indicator 1.2a Forest dwelling species for which ecological information is available (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 1.2b The status of forest dwelling species at risk of not maintaining viable breeding populations, as determined by legislation or scientific assessment (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 1.2c Representative species from a range of habitats monitored at scales relevant to regional forest management (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 1.3a Forest associated species at risk from isolation and the loss of genetic variation, and conservation efforts for those species (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 1.3b Native forest and plantations of indigenous timber species which have genetic resource conservation mechanisms in place (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 2.1a Native forest available for wood production, area harvested, and growing stock of merchantable and non-merchantable tree species (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 2.1b Age class and growing stock of plantations (2024) - updated July 2024.

Indicator 2.1c Annual removal of wood products compared to the volume determined to be sustainable for native forests and future yields for plantations (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 2.1d Annual removal of non-wood forest products compared to the level determined to be sustainable (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 2.1e The area of native forest harvested and the proportion of that effectively regenerated, and the area of plantation harvested and the proportion of that effectively re-established (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 6.3a Area of forest available for public recreation/tourism (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.3b Range and use of recreation/tourism activities available (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.4a Area of forest to which Indigenous people have use and rights that protect their special values and are recognised through formal and informal management regimes (2024) - updated October 2024.

Indicator 6.4b Registered places of non-Indigenous cultural value in forests that are formally managed to protect those values (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.4c The extent to which Indigenous values are protected, maintained and enhanced through Indigenous participation in forest management (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.4d The importance of forests to people (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

Indicator 6.5d Resilience of forest dependent Indigenous communities to changing social and economic conditions (2024) - updated July 2024.

Indicator 7.1a Extent to which the legal framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests (2024) - updated July 2024. This indicator includes forest-related legislation, and forest management plans and codes of practice required under legislation.

Indicator 7.1b Extent to which the institutional framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests (2024) - updated July 2024. This indicator includes forest-related policies, certification, education, and training.

Indicator 7.1c Extent to which the economic framework supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests (2018) - to be updated in 2025.

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.

The indicators and associated content to report the state of Australia’s forests is prepared in collaboration with the Australian, state and territory governments through the Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia (MIG) and the National Forest Inventory Steering Committee (NFISC) by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).