Australian plantation inventory: ownership changes,availability and policy

The Australian National Plantation Inventory has collected and collated plantation information since 1993 and has periodically published forecasts of availability based on those data. This paper outlines the past methodology and summarises updates of the most recent forecasts. The failures of some managed investment scheme (MIS) forestry companies have drawn attention to the risks and difficulties involved in forecasting plantation wood yields for species and areas where few data are available. These issues have important implications for forecasts of availability but several unknowns still exist, especially in relation to future replanting. The accuracy of prospectus forecasts of yields from several MISs is examined. The methods used in national and selected regional forecasts are reviewed and some of the underlying policy issues for Australian plantations and forestry are critically examined.