Megatrends in Australian Timber: Part 5

Welcome to part 5 of our five part series on how “megatrends” will affect the timber sales industry in Brisbane and across Australia in the coming years. We feel this is important information for anyone interested in using timber for small or large projects in the near future. For our last installment, we would like to talk about how globalisation of markets and climate change are affecting timber in Australia.

Globalisation and Environmental Change: A Bumpier Ride for Everyone?

We won’t get into the politics from our original source, but global politics and markets will play a role in our timber markets. It is our challenge to identify new markets and changes in traditional markets. The coming years will bring increased competition and threats on both an international and domestic level.

There will be more risk, but those who can manage a business properly are going to have a lot of opportunity. That combination of risk and opportunity will produce the classic “bumpy ride” as markets and results fluctuate wildly at times.

Commercial forestry will have three opportunities. As the focus is on climate change, more value will be attached to timber as a “carbon sink” that stores carbon instead of releasing it as greenhouse gases. The focus will be on responsible forestry. As conditions become more hot and dry, it may be necessary to focus more on species that can grow under hot and dry conditions.

Paper shouldn’t be affected too much other than fluctuations in available pulp.

The construction segment will see mixed effects. Globalisation has made it more difficult for us to compete on a worldwide scale during times, for example, when our dollar goes too high. However, timber will be more popular as a construction product due to its positive effects on the environment. We may see a lot more Australian timber turned into Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and other strong structural construction products.

Call Narangba Timbers Today

Thanks for reading our series on megatrends and the timber sales market in Brisbane and across Australia. To learn more or to speak with customer service, call us today: (07) 3888 1293.