Timber marketing in a revitalised North Queensland forest industry: overview of major issues

Abstract

As the harvest of timber from native forests has contracted in north Queensland, the traditional supply chain from forest to final consumer has to a large extent broken down. As a result, landholders and non-farmer investors cannot assume that timber markets will automatically exist when they have trees ready for harvest A wide variety of research has been carried out that is relevant to timber marketing in north Queensland. Surveys of timber millers, cabinet~makers and their staff, and purchasers of timber products, as well as financial modeling of timber milling, have been used to derive information about timber markets in north Queensland. Research has been undertaken on supply chain and market analysis, attitudes of timber processors and final consumers, institutional arrangements for market facilitation and market development.