What ForestrySA does

ForestrySA is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the Government of South Australia, established in 1875 under the Forestry Act 1950 to manage South Australia's state-owned forest estate. The organization operates four forest regions — Kuitpo Forest, Mount Crawford Forest, Second Valley Forest (Fleurieu Peninsula), and Green Triangle Forest (Limestone Coast) — collectively covering more than 10,000 hectares of commercial pine plantation in the Mount Lofty Ranges and 16,000+ hectares of native forest reserves across the Mount Lofty Ranges and Limestone Coast regions. The enterprise operates three integrated service pillars: plantation forestry (sustainable timber and wood fibre production), conservation management (native forest reserves and biodiversity corridors), and forest fire management (specialized FireKing fire tankers and CFS coordination).

The organization generates revenue through five streams: sustainable timber production for South Australia's wood fibre industry, camping and accommodation fees across seven managed campgrounds, recreation permits (camping, fossicking, horse riding, cave exploration, drone use), event application and site fees (event fees tier up to $2,866 for events with 501-1,000 participants plus commercial filming rates of $589/day), and commercial operator licensing fees covering guided tours, mobile vendors, and instructional courses. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer online booking via the ForestrySA website and third-party RMS booking platforms, on-site visitor centres at Kuitpo and Mount Crawford, and licence agreements with commercial operators.

ForestrySA serves four primary customer segments: individual recreation visitors seeking camping, hiking, mountain biking, and eco-tourism experiences (driving nearly 1 million annual visits); event organizers and community groups hosting competitive and community events such as the Forest Festival Kuitpo Wirra inparri and Trail Running Series; commercial operators and vendors requiring licensing for paid forest-based services; and the forest products industry utilizing sustainably managed pine plantation timber. Recent strategic emphasis has been on accessibility expansion, with adaptive mountain bike trails at Fox Creek Bike Park (Allen's Orange Whip 2021, Phoenix and B-Rad 2024) and a 2023 Accessible Outdoors Program partnership with SA Water and National Parks and Wildlife Service. ForestrySA holds Responsible Wood certification (AS/NZS 4708:2021) and is led by incoming Chief Executive Nathan Paine (commencing 22 June 2026), succeeding interim CEO Dean Anderson, under Chair Ric Sinclair.

Name

ForestrySA

Legal name

ForestrySA

Website

https://forestrysa.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ForestrySA is a South Australian government statutory corporation managing 26,000+ hectares of plantation and native forest across four regions, delivering sustainable timber production, conservation, fire management, and recreation services to nearly 1 million annual visitors through campgrounds, trails, and licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forest Management Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (11311), Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland & Forest Asset Management (IMAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF), Forest Health & Protection Services (Pest/Disease, Invasive Species) (IMAMAJAF), Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management (AFAMAKAE), Forest Road, Access & Infrastructure Services (Roads, Culverts, Bridges) (IMAMAJAL)

Keywords

• Government forest management
• Plantation forestry
• Native forest conservation
• Forest fire management
• Eco-tourism recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Meadows

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Camping and Accommodation Fees: Revenue generated from campsite and accommodation bookings across multiple campgrounds in Kuitpo and Mount Crawford Forests. Includes fees for Chookarloo, Chalk's, Rocky Paddock, and other campgrounds, as well as huts and cabin accommodations.
2. Recreation and Access Permits: Fees for various recreational permits including camping permits, fossicking permits, horse riding permits, cave exploration permits, professional photography/videography permits, drone use permits, and mobile vending permits.
3. Event Application and Site Fees: Revenue from event applications, site hire fees, commercial films, wedding ceremonies, car parking, motor sports fees, and facility hire. Event fees scale based on participant numbers.
4. Commercial Operator Licensing: Revenue from commercial user agreements, mobile vendor permits, and licence agreements for businesses operating on ForestrySA land including guided tours, instructional courses, and leisure activities.
5. Timber Production: Revenue from sustainable timber production from commercial pine plantation estate, managed for sustainable production into the future. The estate supplies wood fibre to the state's forest industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ForestrySA manages South Australia's government-owned plantation and native forests, delivering sustainable timber production from 10,000+ hectares of commercial pine plantations, conservation stewardship of 16,000+ hectares of native forest, fire prevention and response services, and a portfolio of public recreation offerings including campgrounds, accommodation, Fox Creek Bike Park, and shared-use trail networks across four forest regions.

Product overview

ForestrySA operates as a unified forest management and recreation platform managing South Australia's state-owned forests. The organization offers three interconnected service pillars: (1) Core commercial forestry services including sustainable plantation forestry across the Mount Lofty Ranges, native forest conservation covering both the Mount Lofty Ranges and Limestone Coast regions, and specialized fire management; (2) Recreation and tourism offerings centered around campgrounds and accommodation at Kuitpo, Mount Crawford, and Green Triangle Forests, the Fox Creek Bike Park with adaptive mountain bike trails, and an extensive shared-use trail network; and (3) Commercial business licensing for operators seeking to conduct commercial activities on forest land. The recreation season runs annually from April to November.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plantation Forestry Services Commercial pine plantation management covering over 10,000 hectares in the Mount Lofty Ranges, including planting, harvesting, and sustainable timber production operations for the state's forest industry.
• Conservation Management Stewardship and protection of more than 16,000 hectares of native forest in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Limestone Coast regions, including Native Forest Reserves and biodiversity corridors.
• Forest Fire Management Fire prevention, preparedness and response services including operation of specialized FireKing fire tankers and coordination with the Country Fire Service (CFS).
• Fox Creek Bike Park Premier mountain bike destination in Mount Crawford Forest area featuring adaptive mountain bike (aMTB) trails including Phoenix, B-Rad, and Allen's Orange Whip, plus a skills park, coaching area, and supporting facilities.
• Campgrounds and Accommodation Managed campgrounds including Chookarloo, Chalk's, Rocky Paddock, Rocky Creek, Centennial Drive, Jack's Paddock, and Karrawirra-tya-illa, plus huts and cottages available for booking across Kuitpo, Mount Crawford, and Green Triangle Forests.
• Shared-Use Forest Trails Multi-use trail network for walking, trail running, horse riding, and cycling including Jones Journey, Wilampa Trail, Onkeeta Trail, Tinjella Trail, and Mount Pleasant Summit Trail.
• Commercial Operator Licensing Licensing agreements and mobile vendor permits for commercial activities on ForestrySA land, including guided tours, instructional courses, leisure activities, food vending, and filming; agreements operate under the Retail and Commercial Leases Act 1995.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1 million visitors annually to ForestrySA forests
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SA WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2023Accessible Outdoors Program partnership with SA Water and National Parks and Wildlife Service, designed to allow people with disability to experience deeper connection with SA's forest reserves, National Parks, and reservoir reserves. Program launched at Chookarloo Campground, Kuitpo Forest.
• National Parks and Wildlife Service SAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2023Accessible Outdoors Program partnership enabling accessible outdoor experiences across forest reserves, National Parks, and reservoir reserves for people with disability.
• PIRSA (Primary Industries and Regions SA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerial operations coordination for feral deer eradication program across ForestrySA estate and surrounding properties, including Second Valley, Kalamunda, Mt Hayfield, and other forest areas.
• Cleland Wildlife ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoala Food Project collaboration maintaining a special eucalypt plantation as food source for rescued koalas at Cleland Wildlife Park. Volunteers work alongside Forest Rangers at Kuitpo Forest Headquarters.
• OneFortyOne PlantationscoreOthersGreen Triangle Forest lease arrangement where plantation forests are under lease to OneFortyOne Plantations. All licence terms and conditions apply to these leased areas.
• The Human Projectiles (Fox Creek Mountain Bike Club)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time resident mountain bike club that successfully applied for government Community Recreation and Sports Facilities Program funding for new adaptive mountain bike trails at Fox Creek Bike Park, supported by ForestrySA.
• SA WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in coordinated aerial pest animal control operations at Mount Crawford Forest, working alongside PIRSA and National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Forestry Corporation of NSW: The NSW state-owned forest manager operating over 2 million hectares of state forests with timber production, recreation, and conservation mandates. Directly comparable to ForestrySA in mandate (statutory government forest manager), service mix (plantation timber + recreation + conservation), and Australian regulatory context, though materially larger in scale.
• Forest Products Commission (Western Australia): WA government forest manager handling plantation timber, sandalwood, and native forest operations with conservation and recreation overlays. Comparable state-owned statutory model and product diversification, though WA-specific geography and species mix differ.
• New Forests: Australia-headquartered sustainable forestry investment manager managing ~1.3 million hectares globally, including timberland and carbon forestry assets. Comparable in plantation and native forest asset management, ESG-aligned investment thesis, and Australian-Pacific geographic focus, though operating as an investment manager rather than direct operator.
• Parks Victoria: Victorian government park and recreation land manager operating ~4 million hectares. Comparable in government-owned nature-based recreation management, campground operations, and trail maintenance mandate, though more conservation-focused with less commercial timber activity.

Direct peers

• VicForests: Victorian state-owned forest business managing timber harvesting, regeneration, and forest management on public land. Comparable in statutory government ownership, sustainable timber certification, and rotation forestry operations, with overlapping end-customers (sawmills, housing timber supply).
• OneFortyOne Plantations: ASX-listed timber plantation company that already leases Green Triangle forests from ForestrySA. Direct operational overlap in softwood plantation management in the Limestone Coast, with comparable end-customers (sawmills, wood panel manufacturers) and sustainability certification.
• Hancock Victorian Plantations: Privately owned Australian softwood plantation manager with ~240,000 hectares. Comparable in pine plantation silviculture, rotation management, and supply into the Australian housing timber market, though operated as a private commercial asset rather than a statutory entity.

Regional players

• HQPlantations: Queensland-based plantation manager with ~300,000 hectares of pine and hardwood plantations. Comparable in pine plantation management, softwood sawlog production, and sustainable forest certification, though concentrated in Queensland rather than South Australia.
• Department for Environment and Water (SA): South Australian government agency managing national parks, conservation reserves, and biodiversity programs — including co-partner National Parks and Wildlife Service SA. Comparable in SA regional recreation, conservation, and adaptive outdoor programming (e.g., Accessible Outdoors Program co-partner), though without commercial timber operations.

Emerging players

• PF Olsen Australia: Australian forestry management and harvest contracting service provider with comparable silviculture, harvest planning, and forest asset management capabilities. Overlaps with ForestrySA in plantation operations planning and contractor management, though operating as a service provider rather than asset owner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestrySouthAustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/forestrysa
• Xx.com/forestrysa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forestrysa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ForestrySA