Forest Industries Development Fund
The Australian Government has committed $9 million to the Forest Industries Development Fund, a competitive grants program to boost the international competitiveness of Australia’s forest products.
The fund encourages increased investment in measures designed to add value to our forest resources. Through this initiative the Australian Government is working with the states, territories and industry, to ensure the long-term economic viability of Australia’s forest industries.
Australia continues to record a significant trade deficit in forest products of around $2 billion per year, so it is vital for the future of Australia’s forest industries that we improve our competitiveness in global forest products markets.
Projects approved under the fund were principally focused on value adding initiatives in the following areas of activity:
- new timber products—shifting from low to high value products
- improvements in cost efficiencies across the value chain
- new uses for wood
- new wood processing/production initiatives that will achieve value adding outcomes
- increased employment in the sector, or maintenance of workforce numbers.
Grants from the Australian Government under this fund represent a maximum of 30 per cent of total project costs and generally no more than $500,000.
Media Release
- Making Australia's forest industries more competitive - 10 November 2009
Fund guidelines
Fund guidelines for round two were released on 8 August 2009.
Funding rounds
There were two funding rounds and a total of 137 responses were received from forest industry companies over the two rounds of the program.
The first round opened on 12 January 2009 and closed on 6 February 2009. These applications have been assessed and six grants have been made available to a value of more than $2.3 million.
Successful Grants under Round 1 of the Forest Industries Development Fund
- $500,000 to Big River Group to upgrade its plywood plant in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
- $288,000 to Kempsey Timbers (Sawmilling) Pty Ltd in Kempsey, NSW for its new timber processing facility for the further processing of highland species timber into high value timber flooring products.
- $500,000 to Associated Kiln Driers in Colac, Victoria for a project to optimise processing efficiency from the pine resource.
- $459,000 to Allied Timber Products Pty Ltd in Bathurst, NSW to expand its integrated processing plant.
- $133,366 to Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia for an Australia-wide project to progress the design and delivery of modular wood based Indigenous housing for rapid deployment in remote areas.
- $500,000 to Forest Enterprises Australia Ltd in Bell Bay, Tasmania for a project to automate the product grading process at its dry timber mill to improve recovery and add value to forest resources.
The second round opened on 8 August 2009 and closed on 17 September 2009. These applications are currently being assessed by the Minister’s advisory committee.
Advisory Committee
The Australian Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Tony Burke MP, appointed a five-member Advisory Committee to assess the applications, and to provide advice to him on project eligibility, merit and competitiveness. The committee includes three forest industry members, a representative of the state/territory governments, and an Australian Government member.
The committee members are:
- Mr Richard Stanton, CEO, Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council (CHAIR)
- Mr Colin McCulloch, Chairman, Australian Forest Contractors Association
- Mr Trevor Smith, Managing Director, Advisory Consulting Employment Services Pty Ltd
- Mr Stuart West, Executive Director, Forestry, Primary Industries and Resources SA
- Mr Andrew Wilson, Manager, Domestic Forest Policy, Forestry Branch, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Contact us
All correspondence concerning the Forest Industries Development Fund must come through the Secretariat.
The Fund Secretariat can be contacted for further information:
- By email
- By post:
Secretariat
Forest Industries Development Fund
Forestry Branch
Climate Change Division
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601 - By phone:
02 6272 5079
The Forest Industries Development Fund grant program is administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.