This season 3.6 million seeds will be sown in Forestry Corporation’s Grafton Nursery, starting their journey to supplying timber and wood resources for future generations.

Grafton nursery staff are currently sowing and tubing hardwood to supply the 2023 planting program, said Forestry Corporation Nursery Manager Kath French.

“It has been a busy time at the nursery, with production and dispatch ongoing every day,” Ms French said

“Around 1,200,000 southern pine seeds have already been sown this year, with a further 1,000,000 radiata pine to be sown over the spring.

“Hardwood production will see an additional 1,000,000 seedlings grown for dispatch next year.

“Staff are also grading and dispatching 95,000 Hoop pine for planting in the coming month, so there is plenty happening.”

The program is providing a boost to local employment and continuing to rebuild NSW State forest plantations lost in the Black Summer bushfires or previously harvested.

“Sowing and dispatching are our busiest times of the year, creating up to an extra six seasonal positions, which have traditionally been filled by local people,” Ms French said.

“This year the nursery has employed around 20 permanent and casual staff."

Ms French said the nursery is a crucial component of Forestry Corporation’s operations.

“Wood is the ultimate renewable resource – our forests are regrown or replanted to continue the forest cycle into the future," Ms French said.

"We've dispatched more than 85 million seedlings from the Grafton nursery over the last 26 years, which have ultimately helped build people’s homes and vital infrastructure.

“Each year we dispatch seedlings to be replanted in our forests. We also supply a further 200,000 seedlings to private industry, including private forestry and revegetation/restoration organisations.”

Over the coming year, the crop will be carefully hand-weeded, fertilised, nurtured and watered to produce seedlings in time for planting over summer and autumn.

Construction of a new production shed has begun with footings and framework now in place along with new and toilet facilities. This is all taking place to allow for a more comfortable and spacious work environment for the extra production and growth of staff numbers.

Forestry Corporation is the largest producer of plantation-grown radiata pine in Australia, managing more than 240,000 hectares of plantations around the state and producing more than 3.5 million tonnes of timber each year. This is enough to construct about a quarter of the houses built in Australia each year.

Media contact: Rod Campbell