The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to supporting Tasmania’s resurgent forestry sector to continue to grow and to create jobs.
Today I visited one of our leading fine furniture makers, Craig Howard Heritage Furniture, to see first-hand how investment in value-adding can deliver greater returns from our native timbers.
Mr Howard is a fine furniture maker who has been using traditional methods to produce beautiful one-off pieces since 1986.
His Geilston Bay business was recently successful in gaining a $100,000 grant under the Liberal Government’s Wood and Fibre Processing Innovation Program.
This funding will help Mr Howard to upgrade his processing equipment to enable the efficient production of thick veneer products from lower grade logs and craft wood – adding considerable value through the end product.
The exciting project is expected to create up to nine new jobs and will deliver considerable flow-on benefits industry-wide through the manufacture of high-value veneer products for fine furniture-making and luxury boat fit-outs, as well as in building and construction.
Tasmania’s speciality timbers are in high demand, and this project demonstrates the opportunities that industry is working to seize, with Government support.
The Liberal Government is absolutely committed to backing our forest industry and that’s why we are focused on delivering resource and job security across the sector and financial sustainability for Forestry Tasmania.
This is a productive industry that is not only part of our heritage, it is critical to our economy now and into the future, employing thousands of Tasmanians.
Guy Barnett, Minister for Resources
