LOW GRADE TIMBER
Under the Forest Products Act 2000, the FPC has a duty to the Western Australian community to ensure the sustainable use and harvesting of forest products coming from public land. This must be done by providing employment and economic growth opportunities for the forest industry, while ensuring the future protection of our State’s environment.
Timber is a natural product. It’s hard to grow trees to strict specifications. The process of timber harvesting always produces a range of different grades of timber. This page explains what low grade timber is and how the FPC does its utmost to ensure positive environmental, social and economic outcomes for Western Australians from the use of low grade timber as a resource and at the same time minimising waste.
What is low grade timber?
Low grade timber consists of harvested trees and parts of trees containing some sort of visual or structural fault that makes them unsuitable for use in furniture, flooring or construction.
This includes younger and smaller trees known as thinnings, removed during the forest lifecycle to aid improved growth of high quality timber, and parts of the final tree at the harvesting stage that are not suited for conversion into sawn products.
Where does it come from?
Timber harvesting in WA is strictly controlled by the Forest Management Plan 2004-2013 (FMP), which is reviewed by the Conservation Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority.
Harvesting of old growth forests has been banned in WA ever since the Gallop government’s ‘Protecting our old growth forests’ policy came into effect in 2001.
Western Australia has approximately 2.46 million hectares of native forest. Logging is permanently prohibited in 1.26 million hectares of reserves, including all national parks, nature reserves, conservation parks and forest conservation areas. Under the FMP, about 850,000 ha, or approximately one third of the total forest area, is available for sustainable timber harvesting, following Conservation Commission guidelines and contemporary silvicultural practices to ensure sustainability for future generations.
The FPC also applies strict environmental controls to ensure the State’s forest assets are protected. The FPC’s environmental management system, procedures and controls are externally audited and independently certified under an internationally recognised standard, ISO 14001.
All areas which are harvested by the FPC are renewed and regenerated to provide bush habitats and timber resources for the future.
What can low grade timber be used for?
Low grade timbers can have a number of applications. Just a few of the possible uses are renewable energy generation, compost material, paper products, firewood, and charcoal or activated carbon for use in industrial processes, air filtration and water purification.
The FPC works with expert scientists, researchers and industry partners to determine the best possible uses for these renewable resources. This is in keeping with our mission of delivering positive environmental, social and economic outcomes for Western Australians.
What is happening to low grade timber now?
In April 2008 the FPC commenced a public tender process to sell and find uses for low grade timber. The tender allows organisations to apply to purchase and use low grade timber through an open, transparent and fully accountable process.
This will allow the FPC to ensure that low grade timber resources are used in ways that benefit West Australians environmentally, socially and economically.
Are there restrictions on what low grade timber can be used for?
Use of low grade timber is still subject to the same strict environmental assessments and management controls as any other industry, to protect the health and wellbeing of Western Australians.
When selling timber to interested organisations, the FPC takes into account the best interests of West Australians, both now and in the future.
