Forestry in the Community

As well as the economic values provided by the forestry industry, PIRSA Forestry helps the community obtain many other benefits from forestry in South Australia.  These including recreational access, support for preparedness and rapid response to wildfire and a range of natural resources outcomes that benefit the wider community. We actively promote the benefits of community involvement in the forest industry through a range of education and volunteering initiatives.

Current activities include:

  • Manage arrangements to deliver Community Service Obligations from the State's forest reserves.
  • Work with the community and industry to increase understanding of forestry's role in natural resource management.

Current major programs include:

  • Implementing arrangements with ForestrySA to ensure the effective management of community forestry activities within the State's forest reserves including recreation, community fire protection and the management of Native Forest Reserves. 
  • Forestry education and awareness initiatives.

The value of forests

South Australia's forests provide a range of benefits to the community. Through sustainable management, they will continue to be of benefit to future generations.

For the people and communities living and working in forested regions, forests have significant social values. They provide the basis for employment, services and recreation, and can have cultural importance to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Communities benefit significantly from the income from wood production from plantations, and subsequent processing of wood into sawn timber, wood panels and paper products. Plantations are managed primarily for wood production. However, they can also contribute a range of other commercial, environmental and aesthetic benefits to the community, such as salinity control and carbon sinks.

Conservation reserves are managed primarily to conserve biological diversity and ecosystem processes, but also provide valuable tourism and recreational resources. Forests such as Bundaleer, Wirrabara, Mount Crawford and Kuitpo are managed to produce timber and other products, and complement conservation reserves by contributing to the maintenance of biological diversity, protecting soil and water resources, and providing recreational and tourism resources.