Major Forestry Projects

Gunns Pulp Mill

The pre-eminent industrial project in Tasmania is the proposed Gunns Pulp Mill at Bell Bay.

Emissions trading

As the world, and more particularly Australia, comes to terms with measures to reduce or mitigate carbon dioxide pollution, Tasmania will have opportunities to contribute to these activities. This is likely to occur in two ways:

• Forests are recognised as one of the most cost-effective ways of sequestering carbon. As price for carbon will enhance the attractiveness of forestry, both for environmental and commercial purposes, and is likely to see a further expansion of the forest areas in the State, with the concurrent economic spin offs.
  
• If moves to have carbon stored in wood products are recognised as part of international accounting rules, the value of the forest resource will increase and the end uses to which it is put, e.g. pullpwood versus sawn wood, is likely to change, which may provide further opportunities for existing industries or for development of new projects.

Biomass plant

Forestry Tasmania has undertaken planning and developed a site at Southwood in Tasmania's Huon Valley for a biomass plant to generate renewable energy from forestry debris.

This initiative is aimed at protecting biodiversity and would have the added benefit of reducing the impact of planned burns on the community.