The Allan Labor Government is boosting local timber supplies with more than 1 million tree seedlings successfully planted during July.
The planting are part of the $120 million Gippsland Plantations Investment Program (GPIP) which will see up to 16 million trees planted over the next decade – creating wood supply that will build Victoria’s future homes, create regional jobs, and produce paper and packaging products to replace single use plastics.
The seedlings were planted across central Gippsland in partnership with Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP), one of the largest private plantation companies in Australia.
The trees will also sequester significant amounts of carbon as they grow and contribute to meeting Victoria’s nation leading emissions reduction targets by removing approximately 7.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years – the equivalent of removing more than 60,000 cars from the road per year.
The GPIP is the single largest investment in plantation establishment in the state’s history. Land purchases and planning approvals began in 2022 with the first plantings starting in 2023.
This long-term investment in plantations underpins the government’s commitment to deliver Victoria’s Forestry Transition Program and supports the state’s exit from native forest harvesting.
Victoria is Australia’s largest producer of plantation grown timber with an estate over 380,000 hectares or 22 per cent of the national total, with five out of six trees currently harvested across the state now coming from plantations – over time, this investment will make it six out of six.
For more information visit deeca.vic.gov.au/forestry.
Quote attributable to Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence
“We are ensuring that Victoria continues to have a thriving timber industry based around plantations to provide jobs and support our wood product, construction and packaging product industries.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh
“As Victoria grows there will continue to be very strong demand for plantation timber products. These trees are providing new jobs and opportunities and will be the literal building blocks of our future housing and infrastructure.”
Quotes attributable to Hancock Victorian Plantations CEO Melanie Cook
“More than a million trees in the ground this winter demonstrates the GPIP is well and truly underway, and HVP Plantations is excited to be getting on with the job.”
“This is a strong platform for our commitment to deliver a substantial boost for Victoria’s timber supply, while creating a climate-positive outcome and jobs and investment for the local communities in Gippsland.”
