Busting Industry Myths
For too long, the native forest logging industry has relied on outdated claims to justify the destruction of our public forests. We’ve compiled the common myths and countered them with evidence-based reality.
The Myth
"If we don’t log in Australia, overseas forests will be destroyed instead, with worse environmental outcomes."
The Truth
Australia’s native logging industry is not sustainable, and there is no evidence that ending it would drive deforestation overseas.
Plantations already supply our timber needs. More than 91% of NSW timber comes from plantations. Construction has shifted to plantation pine and engineered wood, which are cheaper, stronger and easier to use. Native logs are now a small, declining share of the market, mostly chipped for export.
Imports are better regulated. Australia requires imported timber to be independently certified as sustainably logged. By contrast, NSW native hardwood fails to meet FSC standards, is exempt from key environmental laws, and Forestry Corporation has been repeatedly fined for logging the habitat of endangered species.
Imports are about products, not logs. Shortages are in engineered timber products Australia can’t make because of outdated mills and underinvestment in plantations, not a shortage of native logs.
We’re exporting the wrong things. Australia mostly exports low-value native woodchips, then imports high-value engineered timber products. In 2022–23 we imported $6.9b of timber products but exported only $2.8b. Logging native forests keeps us stuck at the bottom of the value chain instead of building a modern, profitable timber industry.
The Myth
"The industry only harvests a tiny fraction of the forest estate."
The Truth
Most of NSW’s forests have already been logged; the "tiny fraction" now being targeted is the most valuable for biodiversity and climate.
Cumulative impact: While annual logging looks small against the total estate, most forests have already been logged at least once. The few areas left with older, larger trees are now being targeted, compounding the ecological damage.
Loss of critical habitat: Hollow-bearing trees, essential for koalas, gliders and over 50 other species, take 150+ years to form. Once removed, they are effectively lost forever on any meaningful timeframe.
Degradation cycle: Repeated logging dries forests, increases fuel loads and raises bushfire risk. Regrown forests never recover their original structure, habitat or carbon storage before being harvested again.
The Myth
"We need native forest logs for high-grade products like decks, staircases and furniture."
The Truth
Plantations and engineered timber already meet Australian demand; native hardwood is no longer the preferred source in modern construction.
Most logs don’t go to premium products: The bulk of NSW native forest logs end up as low-value exports like woodchips. The "high-grade hardwood" line is a myth used to justify continued logging.
Construction markets have shifted: Engineered wood products (LVL, CLT) made from plantation timber are now preferred because they are stronger, cheaper, and more uniform.
Appearance-grade demand is small: The remaining niche demand for high-grade hardwood can be met through recycled timber and plantation hardwoods.
The Myth
"Native forest logging is carbon neutral."
The Truth
Native forest logging is one of the largest avoidable sources of greenhouse emissions in NSW.
Rapid Carbon Loss: 90% of native trees felled are left to decay, burnt, or reduced to low-quality pulp. This rapidly releases centuries of stored CO₂ back into the atmosphere.
Inefficient Regrowth: Regrown forests are dominated by smaller trees that store far less carbon than mature forests, even if left for 100 years.
Real-World Impact: Ending native logging would avoid 3.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually—equivalent to taking 840,000 cars off the road.
Increased Fire Risk: Logged forests are more fire-prone, risking severe bushfires that release even more carbon while depleting soil nutrients.
The Myth
"Native forest logging is highly regulated and world-class."
The Truth
NSW’s regulatory system has failed to prevent environmental harm and lacks the credibility of independent certification.
Fails Independent Standards: NSW hardwood logging has never met FSC standards (the international benchmark), relying instead on industry-run schemes widely seen as greenwash.
Repeated Breaches: Forestry Corporation has been fined over $2 million since 2020 for destroying habitat trees and logging in exclusion zones.
Weak Enforcement: Current rules allow logging in endangered habitat. Fines are often absorbed as a "cost of doing business," leaving Australia’s rules among the weakest in the developed world.
The Myth
"Native forest logging supports lots of jobs."
The Truth
Native logging is a small, unstable employer; secure, sustainable jobs lie in plantations, engineered wood, and eco-tourism.
Minimal Employment: Native logging employs fewer than 1,000 people in NSW, while the plantation sector already supports over 20,000 jobs.
Job-Rich Processing: Plantation timber creates up to 14 times more jobs per hectare. Processing native logs into chips for export is a low-value, job-poor model.
Transition Opportunity: Moving investment into modern mills and eco-restoration generates long-term regional security, avoiding the mill closures currently hitting native logging workers.