Impact of Softwood Plantations on Rural Economic Development in Australia

SUMMARY Estimates of regional employment and income multipliers were evaluated for a plantation project in Queensland and were used to show the likely impact of a large plantation project on a regional economy. The softwood planting programme in Australia was examined using data from the Queensland project and from South Australian plantations. It was estimated that the workforce based directly and indirectly on Australia's plantations would increase more than fivefold over the present level of 25,000 during the next thirty years and that the major part of this growth will occur in rural areas.