Indicator 6.5b: Wage rates and injury rates within the forest sector (2024) - Supporting information

This indicator presents data derived from Australian Bureau of Statistics surveys and Safe Work Australia data.

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2021-22). Australian Industry. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

Safe Work Australia (2012). Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia 2009-10. Customised report. Safe Work Australia, Canberra.

Safe Work Australia (2016). Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia 2010-11 to 2014-15. Customised report. Safe Work Australia, Canberra.

Safe Work Australia (2022). Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia 2015-16 to 2020-21. Customised report. Safe Work Australia, Canberra.

While information on average wages per full-time-equivalent staff are not available, it is important to note that employment, including wages and conditions, is heavily regulated in Australia. The three central components of regulation are:

• modern awards, prepared on an industry-by-industry basis, outlining requirements for pay, hours of work, rosters, breaks, allowances, penalty rates and overtime
• National Employment Standards, outlining 11 minimum entitlements for employees
• National Minimum Wage, being the minimum amount any employee in Australia may be paid for work. In most cases, the relevant minimum wage is outlined in the Industry Award.

For the Australian forestry sector, two key Industry Awards regulate employment conditions:

• the Timber Industry Award, covering the following subsectors:
  • harvesting and forestry management
  • milling and processing
  • panel products
  • manufacturing
  • merchandising and retailing
  • pulp and paper
• the Silviculture Award, covering silviculture and afforestation industry employees.

The following forest industry subsectors used in Figures 6.5b-1 and 6.5b-2 are slightly different to the those used elsewhere in Indicators 6.5a, 6.5b, 6.5c, 6.5d.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing support services

This category refers to Division A, Subdivision 05 of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006. It includes businesses that provide silvicultural support services to forestry, shearing services for livestock, and other agricultural and fishing support services, and businesses that operate forestry nurseries.

Forestry and logging

This category refers to Division A, Subdivision 03, of ANZSIC 2006. It includes businesses that mainly grow and log timber in native or plantation forests, or timber tracts; cut and/or roughly hew logs into products such as railway sleepers or posts; cut trees and scrubs for firewood; and gather forest products such as mushrooms and resin from forest environments.

Wood product manufacturing

This category refers to Division C, Subdivision 14, of ANZSIC 2006. It includes businesses that manufacture rough-sawn timber and boards; woodchips; prefabricated buildings; structural fittings and components (such as roof trusses and doors); veneers and plywood; wood boards and sheets from reconstituted wood fibres; laminated timber and non-timber materials; and businesses that re-saw or dress timber, timber boards and mouldings. It excludes businesses that manufacture timber used in furniture-making.

Pulp, paper and converted paper product manufacturing

This category refers to Division C, Subdivision 15, of ANZSIC 2006. It includes businesses that manufacture: wood pulp, pulp from used paper, paper or paperboard; paperboard containers; paper bags; paper stationery products; and sanitary paper-based products.

Businesses are classified according to their predominant activity, and can include government-owned and controlled entities such as government agencies.