The vast majority of the softwood processing sector in Victoria and the adjacent regions utilise the softwood species Pinus radiata (radiata pine). Victoria also has the highest level of plantation wood production in the country at around 7.8 million m³/year and has the largest export volume by some margin (around 5.3 million m³/year). Currently five out of six trees harvested in Victoria are from plantations with Victoria’s plantation estate area generally evenly balanced between softwood and hardwood plantations. Victoria has a mature plantation industry and the largest total area of commercial plantations of all Australia’s states and territories with 421,000 hectares (ha) or 22 per cent of the national estate.

The Program will operate alongside a farm forestry program led by VicForests, which will enable Gippsland landholders to also participate in plantations development under the program. The Victorian Government has committed a record $110 million to invest in growing Victoria’s plantation wood supply through the establishment of plantations in Gippsland via the Victorian Forestry Plan’s Gippsland Plantations Investment Program.

Victoria 2 planned economy