Could the future of cleaner energy also help restore Australia's native forests?

A new research project by the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures is exploring how emerging biofuel markets could provide the missing piece in restoring degraded private native forests across southern Queensland.

Led by David Menzies and Bill Schulke from Private Forestry Service Queensland (PFSQ), the project – Biofuel: the conduit to rehabilitate degraded private native forests of Southern Queensland – brings together research partners from the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and The University of Queensland (UQ), alongside timber, energy and biofuel industries, to develop practical solutions for restoring forest health while creating new economic opportunities.

UniSC researcher Dr Mohammad Ghaffariyan is a key research partner on the project, alongside Professor Tyron Venn from UQ.

The team will investigate whether low-value timber, small trees and forest residues can become a valuable feedstock for Australia's growing bioenergy industry while making it more affordable for landholders to actively manage their forests.

David said southern Queensland contains millions of hectares of private native forest, much of which has become degraded because landholders have lacked an economic incentive to undertake active forest management.

"We know that well-planned silvicultural thinning can significantly improve forest health, productivity, biodiversity and resilience." David said.

"For decades we've known how to restore these forests, but there hasn't been an economically viable way to do it. This project asks a simple question: can emerging biofuel markets provide the missing economic link that finally allows restoration to occur at scale?"

Bill said the challenge is making those treatments affordable at the scale required. This project will explore whether emerging biofuel markets can create value from low-grade timber and forest residues, helping fund forest restoration while supporting new regional industries.

"Much of the material treated during forest restoration currently has little or no commercial value. If biofuel markets can create demand for this material, landholders may finally have a practical way to fund the work needed to restore their forests."

Private native forests produce around 60 per cent of Queensland's hardwood log supply, yet much of the commercially viable estate has received little active management. Overcrowded stands, declining tree health and decades of selective harvesting have reduced both timber production and forest condition.

Previous research has demonstrated that appropriate silvicultural management can substantially improve long-term timber productivity while also enhancing forest structure, biodiversity, carbon storage and resilience to wildfire.

The new project aims to bridge the gap between research and practice.

Researchers will work with industry partners to design and test integrated harvesting systems that recover both traditional sawlogs and biomass for biofuel production in a single operation. The team will assess the economics of these systems alongside their impacts on forest productivity, biodiversity, carbon balances and wildfire risk.

Director of the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures and UniSC’s Forest Research Institute, Professor Mark Brown, said the project illustrates the type of cross-sector collaboration needed to tackle complex environmental and industry challenges.

“This project directly supports one of AFWI's key research themes – Sustainable Forests for our Future – by showing how innovation can deliver both healthier, better managed forests and stronger regional industries,” Mark said. "This project is ultimately about finding smarter ways to improve the productivity and resilience of private native forests, while creating new opportunities for Queensland's emerging bioenergy sector.”

The research will include new approaches to forest assessment, harvesting, transport and processing, with promising systems trialled under commercial operating conditions across multiple sites in southern Queensland.

The project will also produce practical planning tools and supply chain models to help landholders, contractors and processors adopt integrated forest management systems at scale.

Beyond the research, the project will help build the next generation of Australia's forestry researchers and practitioners. Early and mid-career researchers and a higher degree research (HDR) student will work alongside industry experts across four field trial sites, gaining hands-on experience in native forest management, silviculture, bioenergy supply chains and environmental monitoring. Through collaboration with 16 partner organisations across universities, government agencies and industry, the project will strengthen research capability while creating new pathways between science and practice.

The research also comes at a pivotal time for Queensland's emerging bioenergy sector. Findings from the project will provide evidence to support the development of proposed commercial biofuel facilities in the region, helping industry better understand how much biomass can be sustainably supplied, the most efficient harvesting and transport systems, and the long-term environmental and economic outcomes of integrated forest management. 

The project also supports Australia's sovereign capability by helping develop reliable domestic supplies of sustainable timber and renewable biomass, reducing reliance on imported products and supporting regional manufacturing.

Editor’s note:

Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) is a national research and innovation institute valued up to $200m, backed by a Commonwealth Government investment of $100m. AFWI includes three research centres hosted by the University of the Sunshine Coast (AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures), the University of Tasmania, and the University of Melbourne. This project is funded through the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures.

Project snapshot

• Project title: Biofuel: the conduit to rehabilitate degraded private native forests of Southern Queensland
• Project lead: David Menzies and Bill Schulke, Private Forestry Service Queensland (PFSQ)
• Research partners: Dr Mohammad Ghaffariyan, University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Professor Tyron Venn, The University of Queensland (UQ)
• Industry partners: Jarratt Group, Midway, Licella, Parkside, DTM, Slacks Hardwood, GMT Logging, Stanwell Corporation, Responsible Wood, Timber Queensland, Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Energy Queensland, Mary Valley Timbers
• Project Duration: 3 years
• Project focus: Develop practical harvesting and supply chain systems that use both traditional timber products and biomass for biofuel production, making it economically viable to restore degraded private native forests across southern Queensland.
• Expected outcomes:
  • Improved health and productivity of private native forests
  • Greater supply of sustainable, Australian-grown timber
  • New opportunities for Queensland's emerging bioenergy industry
  • Reduced wildfire risk and improved carbon storage
  • Practical tools and accredited supply chain models for landholders and industry