Softwood is a term that represents timbers from the Pinaceae family of the Coniferae (Conifer) species. Woods of this family include pines, spruces and firs. Common examples of these are known commercially as radiata pine, cypress pine, maritime pine and oregon also known as Douglas fir.
As the name implies these timbers are soft, straight grained and lightweight making them easy to transport and work. They have a satisfactory strength to weight ratio and well suited to the housing construction and furniture industries. The conifer has a simple cell structure that increases the permeability of the timber and allows faster drying and processing than that of hardwoods.
Conifers are fast growing and suited to plantation farming. They can be grown, harvested and replanted three to four times within the 30-35 year lifecycle of a plantation. Thus provide a renewable source of timber for commercial use.
Grown locally in Australia and imported from New Zealand, Chile and Europe softwood is the main supply of timber available for commercial use in Australia today. In response to rising demand the Australian Government has released its Vision for Australian Plantations. It is planned that by 2020 managed plantations will cover 3 million hectares of Australian land.
Further information
- Plantations 2020
- URS Timber Market Survey
- Forest Stewardship Council of Australia
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry