The NSW Government has released the latest results of its Statewide Landcover and Tree Study. This report reflects an increase in forestry harvesting in softwood timber plantations following the Black Summer fires.

The report uses satellite imagery to assess forest cover and has noted an increase in forestry activities in timber plantations the South East of NSW. The Black Summer bushfires burnt a quarter of NSW’s softwood timber plantations, particularly impacting plantations around Tumut, Tumbarumba and Bombala in South East NSW. Unlike many native species that are resilient to fire, Radiata pine trees are native to north America and are often killed by fire. A record-breaking salvage effort has been carried out to remove the fire-affected trees, salvage as much useable timber for the community as possible, and prepare the ground for replanting to regrow the next generation of timber plantations.

We are now well ahead of schedule in replanting these plantations. More than 16 million trees were replanted last year, with another 16 million currently being hand planted. By September, we will have replanted about half of the 50,000 hectares of plantations that were burnt, and we will fully replant every hectare of fire-affected plantations. The young seedlings are still too small for the satellites to pick up as woody vegetation, but they will rapidly grow and restore the plantation resource.

Find out more about our bushfire recovery program.

Importantly, there is no land use change in State forests, because all State forests, whether plantation or native, are managed to be continually harvested and regrown in perpetuity. Timber is the most renewable building product available and every area that is harvested for timber is completely regrown. The same forests have been harvested and regrown for more than 100 years and are carefully managed to maintain biodiversity, forest values, community access, cultural heritage and an ongoing supply of renewable timber for generations to come. Find out more about sustainable forestry.

Media contact: 0408 779 903