Forestry Corporation of NSW has started its record 2021 replanting program, with three million seedlings set to be replanted into 2,800 hectares of Bathurst pine plantations previously harvested or affected by the black summer bushfires.

Forestry Corporation’s Silviculture Manager Mike Freeman said this winter’s planting program is an important milestone in the organisation’s bushfire recovery program.

“With around a third of State forest pine plantations affected by the 2019-20 fire season, we’ve expanded and fast-tracked our nursery programs in time for a record 2021 season,” Mr Freeman said.

“The planting program work engages several businesses and some thirty contracted planting staff, so the program is also an important step in supporting recovering regional employment and economies.

“Each seedling is planted by hand and an experienced planter can plant around 2,000 seedlings a day.

“Through their efforts we are rebuilding plantations previously harvested for timber or affected by fires, including Mount David, Canobolas and Vulcan State Forests.”

This year’s seedling crop was predominantly grown in Forestry Corporation’s Tumut production nursery following upgrades last year.

These upgrades were funded through a $46 million equity injection from the NSW Government, and part of the larger $100 million COVID stimulus package, designed to directly stimulate economies in regional NSW.

This equity injection has seen investment to support the forestry industry and support recovering regional communities, said Forestry Corporation Acting CEO Anshul Chaudhary.

“Over the last 12 months, the equity injection has seen Forestry Corporation repair priority damaged public infrastructure, expand our Grafton and Blowering nurseries and start replanting bushfire-affected State forests.”

Forestry Corporation has around 230,000 hectares of pine plantations in NSW and in normal years produces enough timber to construct a quarter of the homes built in Australia each year.

Media contact: Rod Campbell