South West Victoria, together with part of South East South Australia, forms the region in Australia known as the Green Triangle Region.
The Green Triangle Region contains Australia's most significant softwood plantation resource which supports the largest collection of forest product processing operations in the country.
The plantation and wood processing industry is a major contributor to the economy of the Green Triangle Region. A total of nearly 20 percent of the total Australian plantation resource is found in this region and combined with the regional processing industry, directly and indirectly employs around 8,700 people.
The Green Triangle Region is well situated to support further value-adding facilities. It already boasts a wide range of processors, including multi-national companies, indicating the cost competitive infrastructure available in the region.
HISTORY
The softwood industry based on Pinus radiata, has been grown in the region for over a hundred years. Local and international growers and processors now operate within the region, with the core of processing being located in and around Mount Gambier. South Australia is a pioneer in the development, management and processing of softwood plantations.
The softwood plantation estate has grown to a point where the industry is a major contributor to the economic and social framework of the region. Together with the processing industry it contributes 30% of the regions gross domestic product and generates 25% of its total employment.
Large areas of hardwood plantations, mostly Eucalyptus globulus (blue gums), have been planted since 1997. The principal forest management aim is to produce hardwood chips for export through the Port of Portland in Victoria.
RESOURCES
The Green Triangle Region has a total area of 279,000 hectares of plantation.
The plantation resource consists of both softwood and hardwood. Softwood plantations occupy 175,000 hectares and this is almost all Pinus radiata. The hardwood, Eucalyptus globulus, plantation resource accounts for 172,000 hectares.
Almost all the processing of the Green Triangle Region forest resource takes place in South Australia, with 90 per cent of the final product exported either interstate or overseas.
