What Timber Is Grown In Australia?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The most readily available plantation timbers in Australia are softwoods such as

Hoop Pine, Radiata Pine and Slash Pine

, the two latter of which are introduced species. Regrettably, there is an undersupply of plantation-grown Eucalypt and other hardwood species on the Australian market.

What types of timber are grown in Australia?

Australia’s industrial plantations comprise both

softwood species (predominantly radiata pine, Pinus radiata) and hardwood species (most commonly blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus)

. Their primary purpose is commercial wood production, and they produce most of the volume of logs harvested annually in Australia.

What wood is native to Australia?


Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon):

This is the only native timber that we occasionally use that isn’t a Eucalyptus but, instead, is related to the wattle species. The wood is open pored and various shades of golden brown in colour, sometimes with darker streaks of black or brown.

What timber does Australia export?

The main wood products exported are

woodchips, roundwood and higher value paper and paperboard

. The largest category of Australia’s wood product imports (by value) is paper and paperboard.

Where does most of Australia’s timber come from?

As the largest destination market for Australian timber,

China

imports 4 million tons of log and pulped timber every year, accounting for about 90 percent of Australia’s timber exports worth $A1. 6 billion.

What is the most expensive wood in Australia?


Jarrah

is most expensive than the other forms of Engineered timbers, but it’s beautiful color that vary from light to very dark reds and brown makes it the most popular choice. Jarrah turns grey when left unsealed and its durability range is 2 which make it fire resistant and you can place it in the fire prone areas.

What are the 3 categories of timber?

  • Hardwoods are mainly used for flooring, decking and timber furniture, while softwoods are used for framework and cladding.
  • There are timbers for all budgets — ash, oak, teak and walnut are usually the most expensive, while softwoods are more economical.

What is the hardest wood in Australia?


Allocasuarina luehmannii
Order: Fagales Family: Casuarinaceae Genus: Allocasuarina Species: A. luehmannii

What is the darkest Australian timber?


Jarrah

is an Australian hardwood. It is heavy, tough with a distinctive dark red colouration. Jarrah can be highly polished and accepts most finishes well. It is commonly found on flooring, panelling, joinery, decking and furniture.

What is the hardest wood in Western Australia?


Buloke

, an Australian timber often cited as the world’s hardest, actually ranks 21st at 16,732 Newtons. One of our hardest commercially available woods is coolibah at 16,063 N. turpentine is rated at 12,238 N and spotted gum rates only 10,368N.

Is there a lumber shortage in Australia?

But

Australia has never produced more timber

. Experts say there are a few reasons behind the timber shortage. The HomeBuilder program from the Morrison government proved more popular than anticipated. And because many other countries have used construction as stimulus, there is global competition for materials.

Is timber running out in Australia?

Australia is in the midst of a

critical timber shortage

due to a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic on the back of devastating bushfires. The shortage is causing timber prices to skyrocket, prompting calls for the Federal Government to review its HomeBuilder program.

Why is there a timber shortage in Australia?

Traditionally, Australia imports about 20 per cent of its house frame timber but that has sunk to around 14 per cent due to

the pandemic’s disruption of shipping

and the spike in construction activity in the US and Europe that has sucked up a lot of global timber supply.

Does Australia have a logging industry?

Contribution to the Australian economy


Australia harvests logs from native forests

, hardwood plantations and softwood plantations. … In 2017–18 32.9 million m

3

of logs were harvested in Australia, generating $4.9 billion in sales and service income across the forestry and logging industries.

What state has the most timber?

According to the U.S. Forest Service,

Oregon

grows more softwood timber than any other state in the nation, with 1.54 billion cubic feet.

Where is timber found in Australia?

Hoop Pine 2 (Araucaria cunninghamii), also called Dorrigo Pine, Colonial Pine, or Arakaria is a rainforest timber, native to

northern NSW, Queensland and the mountain regions of PNG

. It is the only native tropical timber grown in substantial quantities in plantations within Australia.

David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.