New site puts out the welcome mat

People working in the West Australian forestry industry will now have a better understanding of the value their industry holds thanks to a new online tool, Welcome Mat.

Developed by a team of emerging leaders from within the forestry industry, Welcome Mat is a website that educates outsiders on the WA forest industry.

The idea was born when 12 industry professionals came together on an industry leadership program sponsored by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

“We were asked to solve a challenge within our industry and after visiting each other’s workplaces we found that we in fact didn’t know much about each other’s industries,” regional forester at WA Plantation Resources Matt Giles said.

“We all come from different areas and were able to visit each other’s sites and figure out what we all do and through that process we realised people needed to be educated on this and came up with Welcome Mat.”

Forest Industries Federation of Western Australia chief executive Matt Granger said Welcome Mat was a solution to the challenges recognised by industry leaders.

“This enables people working in the industry to gain a better appreciation of the scope of their industry,” Mr Granger said.

“And it will be a lasting legacy to them.”

Federal assistant minister for regional development and territories Nola Marino praised the website.

“One of the great challenges we have is getting the right information in this industry out to those that work within it but also out to the broader public,” she said.

“This website is a great way of doing that and I am extremely proud of the work all of you do every single day.”