NATIVE FORESTS

The State Government has a vision of ecologically sustainable management for the forests that integrates environmental, social and economic values and uses equitably.

As part of that vision the Forest Products Commission is ensuring that the State's unique native timbers are used for the highest value products possible, with maximum local processing and employment.

Western Australia's forest management practices are renowned worldwide as being of a very high standard. The State Governments Protecting our old growth forests policy provides for the "Protection of old growth forests" and the sustainability of regrowth forests. That means the amount of timber harvested does not exceed the growth of the forest.

The Forest Products Commission practices sustainable forest management, ensuring that the forests from which timber is produced are sustained indefinitely and will always be available for future generations to use and enjoy.

Timber from Western Australia's native forest timbers (e.g. jarrah, karri, marri, sheoak and arid land species) displays a range of valuable characteristics including strength, hardness, excellent appearance and durability.

Today's value-added timber products include veneers and high quality furniture, flooring, joinery and craftwood.

Western Australian forests and woodlands have the advantage of an array of tree species that produce stunning timbers. Our unique forest trees provide a vast range of timber colours, grain and figure. The stunning hues found in our magnificent hardwoods range from pinkish to earthy red, cream to yellowish-honey, golden tan to rich chocolate, through to various shades of sunburnt orange.

Jarrah is a premium world-class furniture timber. The lustrous hues, attractive grain and strength enable jarrah to be used in the finest of furniture pieces. Beautiful timbers such as Western Australian sheoak and marri are also used to produce outstanding fine furniture.

Natural timber features are marketed for the unique qualities of natural feature grade timber. These features, such as gum streaks produced as a response to fire or wood borer attack, are all part of the rich history of a forest. Designers and manufacturers have worked together to create exciting new furniture pieces using natural feature grade Western Australian hardwood.

Exquisite timbers from the arid areas of the State, such as sandalwood, beefwood and gimlet are being used for delicate inlays in quality furniture designs, parquetry flooring, intricate wood turnings and other craft items. Some of the densest timbers in the world originate from the harsh, dry conditions where the annual rainfall is less than 250 mm/annum. Diverse musical instruments have been crafted using the unique characteristics of western myall, mulga and other arid species to produce brilliant musical tones. More than 50 different species of eucalypt are found in over 3.6 million hectares of Goldfield woodlands.