Forestry plan taking shape

Plan for centre officially launched

The Strategic Plan for the Forestry Centre of Excellence has been launched by the State Government, laying out the vision behind this $15 million 10-year collaborative project.

The Centre, the first of its kind in South Australia, is being developed to create long-term research and development capability to enhance the Green Triangle’s economic prosperity, generating more jobs and investment in the region.

To be established at the existing University of SA/TAFE precinct in Mount Gambier, the Centre will accommodate entities such as the National Institute of Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) along with the University of South Australia (UniSA), the Green Triangle Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH), Tree Breeding Australia and the Logging Investigation and Training Association (LITA Training).

South Australian Minister of Forest Industries Clare Scriven (pictured above) said this significant investment delivers on Labor’s election commitment and lays the vision for the future of our forestry sector.

“The Green Triangle region is the powerhouse of the Australian forest industry with 140 years of innovation and experience in growing and producing world recognised products,” Minister Scriven said. “The Forestry Centre of Excellence takes advantage of this longstanding wealth of local expertise, skills and knowledge, which in turn increases our workforce capability and employment opportunities.

“I look forward to working alongside industry to see the increase and diversification of market opportunities for wood fibre, addressing barriers to growth and enhancement of global competitiveness.”

The strategic plan was developed with the region’s forest and timber sector and creates a framework to place the Forestry Centre of Excellence as a central hub that focuses on innovation, sustainability and the creation of new market opportunities from Australia and across the globe.

At its core it seeks to extract maximum resource value from fibre resources, reduce the industry carbon footprint, build greater collaboration between industry and government, and create new and more diverse economic activity. It will also advance skills to drive innovation and investment while ensuring science and technology work effectively for business, create incentives for business to invest and leverage value-adding opportunities, and deliver a safe, more efficient and productive supply chain.

UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Enterprise Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington said they know the Forestry Centre of Research will deliver powerful economic and social benefits.

“The University of South Australia is delighted to be part of this transformational commitment to forestry in South Australia,” Professor Hughes-Warrington said.

“We are proud to partner with the region, industry, other education providers, and government to shape this exciting phase of forestry research and innovation.

“Our congratulations to the region for articulating a vision for skills and expertise which has the potential to inform growth within and beyond the forestry sector.

“We are proud to be part of that vision and look forward to further strengthening already deep partnerships.”

The centre activities will support the full forestry supply chain including plantation management, harvesting and haulage and timber processing. It will also aim to cover the technical, safety, and training aspects relevant to those sectors, while building greater connections with our First Nations people. Areas identified as forest research priorities include water, fire, breeding, wood products, data analytics, carbon, silviculture and environmental management.

Building and accommodation requirements are being progressed via a master planning process involving UniSA, TAFE, PIRSA and the Department for Education, delivering on election commitments.

A global search is soon to commence for a centre director to lead its research objectives and connect with industry to identify key resource requirements.

For further information on the Forestry Centre for Excellence and the Strategic Plan visit https://pir. sa.gov.au/forestry