Plantation projections in Australia

摘要: The report discusses drivers of commercial plantation expansion in Australia and presents revised estimates for establishment of IPCC/Kyoto compliant plantations to 2019. Australia’s total commercial plantation estate at September 2000 was 1.48 million ha, of which 35 per cent were hardwoods and 65 per cent softwoods. Recent major expansion has been mainly of hardwoods, with annual new plantations rising from 30,000 ha in 1995, to 95,000 ha in 1999, to more that 125,000 ha in 2000.Six major drivers of this expansion are identified. Taxation treatment and perceptions about their application are major factors. Negative perceptions about taxation caused a significant fall in the size of areas established in 2001, but recent Government responses aim to ameliorate this impact for 2002 onwards. New estimates in this report are based on a moderately optimistic view.