Australia faces an increasing volume of poor-quality furniture entering the market, with limited visibility of chemical content, durability, and end-of-life outcomes contributing to growing pressure on already over-stretched landfill sites. The Australian Government spent an estimated $811 million on furniture procurement in 2023–24, while industry research indicates that approximately 75% of furniture procured by Australian governments is imported. These imports frequently lack transparent disclosure of hazardous chemical content, including PFAS, and are difficult to assess against existing safety and compliance requirements, creating material risks for procurement, human health and the environment.
The Australian furniture industry must now meet increasingly complex government-led procurement, compliance and circular economy imperatives, but without access to sector-ready digital products and supply-chain data. The absence of digital infrastructure makes it harder for local furniture manufacturers to design compliant, fit for purpose furniture, complicates procurement, increases compliance costs, and weakens the delivery of government policy on sustainability and waste reduction.
Expectations around digitisation, transparency and data-enabled procurement have accelerated rapidly. However, without appropriate controls these factors can result in higher procurement costs, duplication, inconsistent reporting, higher administrative burden and avoidable friction for both industry and government.
This submission responds directly to this challenge. The Australian Furniture Association (AFA) and the Australian Furnishing Industry Stewardship Council (AFISC) seek targeted investment to accelerate and scale FurnitureDNA, a recently initiated, sector-specific digital infrastructure product. FurnitureDNA enables structured, interoperable and reusable product and supply-chain data to support procurement confidence, regulatory compliance and circular economy outcomes. In addition to enhancing national aims it also directly meets the demand created by the EU, US and other international markets for a digital passport system, leveraging export opportunities for Australian manufacturers.
This is not a pilot or concept proposal. FurnitureDNA is in active development and phase one will be tested with industry in early 2026. Government investment will accelerate delivery, lift data quality, support research with our academic partners, bring forward policy and procurement benefits, and grow export markets. Without investment, the opportunity to hasten the benefits of the Furniture DNA outcomes will be missed and Australia will struggle to respond efficiently to increasing national and international sustainability expectations.
Investment in FurnitureDNA offers clear returns to government: considerable ongoing administrative and compliance cost savings, improved consistency and confidence of procurement decisions and outcomes, and accelerated progress toward circular economy and emissions objectives.
This submission is made independently by AFA and AFISC but also aligns with national principles relating to digitisation, interoperability and standards-based data. FurnitureDNA provides a sector-specific delivery mechanism tailored to the needs of the furniture industry and complements broader supply-chain digitisation efforts.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this submission further and to work with government on accelerating the delivery of a practical, sector-ready digital infrastructure that supports productivity, procurement integrity, and economic and circular economy outcomes.