Submissions to a new Forest Industry Advisory Council (FIAC) issues paper covering the future of Australia’s forestry sector are invited from all industry participants, including FWPA members.
This opportunity provides an excellent opportunity for industry (through its involvement with the FIAC process) to assess and better understand both the challenges as well as the future opportunities for forest products and how they might be addressed and managed. A number of observations have been made that identify timber as the building material of the 21st century. It is hoped that the recommendations contained within the final FIAC document will provide an industry and policy roadmap to help transition local industry and it’s available forest resources into an advanced manufacturing economy that can access profitable national and international markets.
The Forest Industry Advisory Council (FIAC) was created in October 2014 to provide advice to the Australian Government from industry participants on issues affecting the future of Australia’s forestry sector.
Areas in which the FIAC will be providing advice include:
- issues facing the forestry sector
- initiatives to foster investment, growth and the sustainability of Australia’s forestry sector
- infrastructure priorities for continued growth
- strategic priorities to support industry best practice
- long term planning for research and development investments
- other forestry issues as requested
FIAC is co-chaired by Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, and Mr Rob de Fégely, a forest industry expert. The co-chairs are supported by nine other members, including Ron Adams, Chair of FWPA’s Board and four observers, including FWPA’s managing director, Ric Sinclair, with expertise from across the forestry sector,.
One of FIAC’s priorities for 2015 was developing a discussion paper, to identify and explore the opportunities and challenges for Australia’s forest products sector over the coming decades.
On 25 March 2015, FIAC released an issues paper, to discover and aggregate the issues affecting Australia’s forestry sector. Written submissions are invited from all interested stakeholders, including FWPA members.
A copy of FIAC’s issues paper and guidance on how to make a submission are available at the Department of Agriculture’s website.
Submissions close June 5, 2015.
