26 May 2009
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has released a new study into the socio-economic impacts of forestry in Australia.The study includes a main report, which provides recommended indicators for monitoring social and economic impacts of forestry over time, and two case studies: Northeast Tasmania and the Green Triangle in Victoria and South Australia.
Both case studies illustrate substantial positive aspects of the forest industry including high levels of job satisfaction in the industry as well as generally higher wages and education levels. However there were also some negative findings including low Indigenous involvement levels (although increasing), work-related injuries, dissatisfaction with external factors, and sensitivity of employment to industry changes. The case studies found both regions to be relatively highly dependent on the forest industry and therefore highly vulnerable to industry changes.
Source: Canopy newsletter, A3P Australia
