Forestry to bring 234 jobs, $41m to Kangaroo Island

The forestry industry will create 234 jobs on Kangaroo Island and contribute more than $41 million to its economy annually, according to an economic impact report prepared by EconSearch.
A comparison with other agriculture on the island shows plantation forestry will generate a three-times greater return, more than double the number of jobs, and more than three times the household income per hectare.
Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers commissioned EconSearch to assess the economic impact of the proposed Smith Bay deep-water wharf on the KI, SA and national economies. The full report will be available as part of the company’s Environmental Impact Statement, which is being prepared now and will be released for public consultation.
The report says forestry will create 163 direct jobs and 71 indirect jobs on the island.
“Some of these numbers are higher than we had previously anticipated. It has been an exhaustive process for EconSearch, using their experience as well as the complex modelling prepared by our Director of Operations Graham Holdaway,” KIPT Managing Director John Sergeant said.
The report finds that while Kangaroo Island has lower unemployment than the rest of SA, it also has a lower average income, a steeper decline in school enrolments, lower building approvals and its population is ageing more quickly.
Read the full media release below.
FINAL Press release – Forestry jobs – 061017