Comparing investment in hardwood plantations with managed regrowth forests

Comparing investment in hardwood plantations with managed regrowth forests

12 May 2026

With the gap between domestic timber production and national timber consumption growing the Hub is exploring options for reducing reliance on imported timber.  Developing new hardwood plantations in coastal NSW has been constrained by suitable land, species and technical challenges. Regrowth native forests are an existing resource that with a level of silvicultural investment may be managed to produce sawlogs in a shorter timeframe compared to new plantations. This project examined how the financial returns of a silvicultural investment in even-aged regrowth compare with those from a new plantation. 

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