Published Wednesday, 06 August, 2008 at 04:44 PM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Bligh Government injects $1.9million into Sunny Coast climate change initiative
Queensland stands to capture a bigger slice of Australia’s emerging carbon trading market with the Bligh Government investing $1.9million to research how Queensland’s hardwood plantation forest industry can combat climate change.
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle today announced Smart State Innovation Projects Funding would assist Smart Forests Alliance Queensland to pursue critical research into growing hardwood plantation trees faster.
The Smart Forests Alliance Queensland is a partnership between the University of the Sunshine Coast, the Queensland and Northern Territory departments of primary industries, the CSIRO, and two national timber companies: Integrated Tree Cropping Ltd and Forest Enterprises Australia Ltd.
Ms Boyle said the Alliance would use world-leading Smart State biotechnology to speed up tree production.
“The Queensland Government plans to phase out all timber harvesting in Crown land native forests by 2025 and we have been working with the forest industry to decrease our reliance on native forests.
“The Queensland Government is building an economically sustainable hardwood plantation industry based on native Queensland tropical and subtropical species,” Ms Boyle said.
Ms Boyle said hardwood timber was very popular with the housing and furniture industries because of its strength, durability and appearance.
“One of the big challenges for the industry is that trees in the wild grow at their own pace, but for a plantation to be commercially viable, we need to be able grow those trees faster and this is where this research will be invaluable.
“In addition, if we can grow hardwood plantation trees faster, then we also take advantage of the current push by governments, business and the general public to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.”
University of the Sunshine Coast’s Associate Professor of Agricultural Ecology and Alliance leader Helen Wallace said Queensland needed to take advantage of carbon sequestration (permanent storage of carbon dioxide).
“I’m hopeful that my research will be a boost to Queensland’s hardwood plantation industry, encouraging industry investment by promoting the potential for our hardwood plantation forests to be carbon sinks for companies and individuals, following on from the Federal Government’s recent announcement it was introducing a carbon trading scheme in 2010,” Associate Professor Wallace said.
“The technology involved is already successfully used overseas, particularly in Brazil, the United States, Portugal and South Africa but it hasn’t been used with Queensland plantation timber.
“Basically we’ll look at the gene markers that predict good growth and wood quality and then we’ll pick out the best growing trees to duplicate.
“So in effect, a Queensland hardwood plantation will be able to provide an investor with a double income – one from the carbon offsetting in growing the trees, and two from the timber used in the building, furniture or paper industries.”
The Innovation Projects Fund is part of the Queensland Government’s $385 million Smart State Innovation Funding program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3.4 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998.
“This demonstrates the Bligh Government’s commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact:
Marcus Taylor – (07) 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Associate Professor Helen Wallace – (07) 5430 1228 or 0402 863 036.
6 August 2008
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle today announced Smart State Innovation Projects Funding would assist Smart Forests Alliance Queensland to pursue critical research into growing hardwood plantation trees faster.
The Smart Forests Alliance Queensland is a partnership between the University of the Sunshine Coast, the Queensland and Northern Territory departments of primary industries, the CSIRO, and two national timber companies: Integrated Tree Cropping Ltd and Forest Enterprises Australia Ltd.
Ms Boyle said the Alliance would use world-leading Smart State biotechnology to speed up tree production.
“The Queensland Government plans to phase out all timber harvesting in Crown land native forests by 2025 and we have been working with the forest industry to decrease our reliance on native forests.
“The Queensland Government is building an economically sustainable hardwood plantation industry based on native Queensland tropical and subtropical species,” Ms Boyle said.
Ms Boyle said hardwood timber was very popular with the housing and furniture industries because of its strength, durability and appearance.
“One of the big challenges for the industry is that trees in the wild grow at their own pace, but for a plantation to be commercially viable, we need to be able grow those trees faster and this is where this research will be invaluable.
“In addition, if we can grow hardwood plantation trees faster, then we also take advantage of the current push by governments, business and the general public to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.”
University of the Sunshine Coast’s Associate Professor of Agricultural Ecology and Alliance leader Helen Wallace said Queensland needed to take advantage of carbon sequestration (permanent storage of carbon dioxide).
“I’m hopeful that my research will be a boost to Queensland’s hardwood plantation industry, encouraging industry investment by promoting the potential for our hardwood plantation forests to be carbon sinks for companies and individuals, following on from the Federal Government’s recent announcement it was introducing a carbon trading scheme in 2010,” Associate Professor Wallace said.
“The technology involved is already successfully used overseas, particularly in Brazil, the United States, Portugal and South Africa but it hasn’t been used with Queensland plantation timber.
“Basically we’ll look at the gene markers that predict good growth and wood quality and then we’ll pick out the best growing trees to duplicate.
“So in effect, a Queensland hardwood plantation will be able to provide an investor with a double income – one from the carbon offsetting in growing the trees, and two from the timber used in the building, furniture or paper industries.”
The Innovation Projects Fund is part of the Queensland Government’s $385 million Smart State Innovation Funding program, which aims to build world-class research facilities, attract top-quality scientists to Queensland and stimulate cutting-edge research projects.
“The Queensland Government has invested more than $3.4 billion in innovation, science and research since 1998.
“This demonstrates the Bligh Government’s commitment to maintaining Queensland’s reputation as the Smart State,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact:
Marcus Taylor – (07) 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
Associate Professor Helen Wallace – (07) 5430 1228 or 0402 863 036.
6 August 2008