The Victoria’s Future Wood Fibre Industry Roadmap to 2050 report, developed by Indufor Asia Pacific for the Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) and industry stakeholders, examines opportunities and potential actions to enhance the use of wood fibre resources in Victoria. These resources include by-products, wood waste, and forestry biomass, with a focus on innovative wood-based products.
The roadmap outlines the role of Victoria’s wood fibre industry in relation to economic activity, environmental sustainability, and the development of a circular bioeconomy.
Key Findings
- Economic & Environmental Contribution: Victoria’s wood fibre industry contributes to the economy, generating over $9 billion in revenue (FY22/23) and providing employment, particularly in regional areas.
- Sustainable Resource Management: The industry operates under third-party certification schemes (PEFC, FSC), which support sustainable forest management practices.
- Innovation & Circular Bioeconomy: Developments in engineered wood products, bioproducts, and recycling initiatives highlight areas of industry advancement.
- Alignment with Government Policies: The roadmap describes how industry activities could intersect with Victoria’s goals for emission reduction, net zero targets, advanced manufacturing, and moving towards a circular economy.
Industry Developments & Strategic Considerations identified in the report
- Expansion of Value-Added Manufacturing: Areas of potential growth include engineered wood products, bioproducts such as green methanol and pyrolysis oil, and biofuels.
- Increased Plantation Resources: Expansion of hardwood and softwood plantations could contribute to sustaining domestic manufacturing.
- Enhanced Wood Fibre Recovery & Reuse: Efficiency improvements and waste reduction initiatives.
- Decarbonisation Efforts: The industry is considering low-carbon construction materials and sustainable manufacturing practices in relation to net zero targets.
- Product Innovation: Research and development initiatives are ongoing in support of a bio-based economy.
Industry Context
The roadmap presents an overview of potential industry and policy interactions at the federal, state, and local levels. The roadmap provides insights into the current state and future directions of Victoria’s wood fibre industry, highlighting areas of development, innovation, and resource management.
- Existing policies related to sustainable wood fibre manufacturing.
- Approaches to incorporating domestically produced engineered wood in construction.
- Considerations for embodied carbon measurement in the built environment.
- Initiatives related to plantation programs and value-adding facilities.
- Regional developments in circular bioeconomy practices.
This work was supported by funding provided to Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Victorian Forest Products Association.
