Another year passes since I last looked at premium hardwood (Tas oak) prices at Bunnings hardware. Another year of pretty serious price increases in a timber resource plundered from Tasmanian public native forests at taxpayers expense.
You can read about the “at taxpayers expense” here:
https://tasfintalk.blogspot.com/2025/11/stt-another-year-of-deceptive-profits.html
So here is my updated chart:
These prices are for Select Grade Tasmanian oak. Prices have increased from 5 to 26% over the last 12 months.
These price increases should be causing an absolute revolution in the forest industry, in timber markets and in the farming community!
Instead all I hear is deathly silence!
Why isn’t the Australian timber market working like any other agricultural market? Increasing prices generally mean an increase in production as farmers look to cash in on low supply, high demand and high profits. That’s how markets work!! Basic economics!
The Australian forest industry and Australian timber markets have never followed basic economics.
You ask an Australian forester about costs and prices, supply and demand, products and markets and they will give you a blank stare in return.
Which is one reason why the Australian farming community has never been engaged to grow and supply premium timber for domestic markets.
And these extraordinary timber price increases are met with utter silence.
Not even Bunnings, Australia’s largest timber retailer, has any interest in engaging with the rural community.
Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative 