Hardwood timber plantations
Timber plantations and native forests
Forestry Corporation has been appointed to manage around two million hectares of State forests in NSW. These forests include approximately 1.8 million hectares of native, or naturally occurring, forests as well as approximately 225,000 hectares of softwood timber plantations and just under 35,000 hectares of hardwood timber plantations. Each year we publish detailed information in our Sustainability Report about the area of native forests and plantations we manage. See a map showing hardwood timber plantations on the lower north coast and upper north coast.
Plantations are planted specifically for timber production and are generally a single species. Softwood plantations in NSW are predominately Radiata pine, which is native to north America, with smaller areas in northern NSW planted to Southern Pine, native to central and north America, and Hoop Pine, which is a native Australian softwood timber species.
Forestry Corporation manages a significant area of hardwood timber plantations in the north of the state, growing a range of native eucalyptus and corymbia species for their timber and wood products. While the species are native species that occur naturally on the north coast, the trees in these plantations have been planted for the purpose of timber production and will be harvested once they have reached maturity and then replanted with a mix of native species to ensure they can provide a perpetual yield of renewable wood products.
Hardwood timber plantations can take 30-50 years to grow to maturity, which is the age where they have an optimum proportion of high quality wood products. Some of the hardwood timber plantations managed by Forestry Corporation have been harvested and replanted once in the past and are now in what is known as their second rotation, while others are still in their first rotation. The picture below shows a hardwood plantation that has been recently harvested and replanted.
How hardwood timber plantations are identified
Many State forests contain a mix of native forests and plantations, and it is essential that these areas are correctly identified and managed appropriately. This is why there is a robust and independent plantation authorisation process to correctly map timber plantations in NSW.
The Plantations and Reafforestation Act 1999 and Plantations and Reafforestation (Code) Regulation 2001 define a plantation as an area of land on which the predominant number of trees or shrubs forming, or expected to form, the canopy are trees or shrubs that have been planted. Timber plantations must be independently authorised by the Department of Primary Industries.
A detailed process is followed to ensure areas are correctly identified in map layers. Experienced planners consult a range of inputs including historic aerial imagery, LiDAR data, satellite data and historical written records as well as undertaking in field surveys to identify the boundaries of the area with high precision. Drones are often used to undertake aerial surveys where on-ground access is difficult.
The plantation authorisation verifies that an area is correctly classified as plantation and the trees within the authorised area are defined as plantation trees. An authorisation may be issued with additional conditions the regulator considers appropriate to protect native vegetation, unique and special wildlife values or other environmental features within or surrounding the plantation.
Additional information around the management of plantations and a list of current Authorised Plantations (Public Register) is available on the Department of Primary Industries website.
How hardwood timber plantations are managed
While eucalyptus species are native to Australia, hardwood timber plantations growing these species are not naturally occurring native forests.
Unlike native forests, which are multi-age and have a variety of species, plantations were all planted at the same time so they are the same age and usually only one or two species. This means all the trees are mature and ready to harvest at the same time. Unlike native forests, where trees are harvested selectively and naturally regenerated, plantation trees are all harvested in a single operation when mature and then replanted.
Before any plantation harvesting operation, there is a detailed planning process that identifies and sets aside areas for protection, such as buffer zones around waterways, areas on steep slopes, trees with hollows that may be wildlife habitat and other environmental features.
Environmental and wildlife protections
Under the Regional Forest Agreements, approximately 83 per cent of public forests in NSW are permanently set aside for conservation, largely in the formal national park estate. This system of landscape conservation includes approximately 43 per cent of the State forest estate, which has been mapped for high conservation values such as rainforest and old growth forests, wetlands and riparian zones, threatened ecological communities, ridge and headwater habitat and rocky outcrops. Each area of State forest has been classified under the Forest Management Zoning (FMZ) system, which establishes eight separate management zones based on the conservation value of each forest area.
Plantation trees take many years to mature so it is not unusual for native wildlife to traverse and use timber plantations and non-plantation trees to grow within the plantation boundary. This is why there is a detailed planning process carried out to assess and protect unique and special wildlife values, high conservation value trees and soil and water.
Most plantations also contain some ‘ingrowth’, which is a term for trees that were not planted, but have naturally regenerated within the plantation after it was planted. This process is typical in Australia, where surrounding forest trees can readily spread their seed over large distances. While these trees were not originally planted, they can be harvested along with planted trees if they are of a size and quality to provide useful wood products.
Some timber plantations may also contain ‘retained vegetation’, which is a term that refers to trees and patches of trees that were already growing in the areas before the plantation was planted. Trees that were growing prior to the plantation being established may be classified as ‘habitat trees’, which are trees that are typically larger than the surrounding planted trees and contain features such as hollows that may be used as habitat by wildlife. These trees are protected and are not harvested.
Koalas are a priority for protection and there are specific measures to manage koalas detailed in harvest plans. These include permanent retention of habitat along riparian corridors and around the plantation area as well as temporary exclusions that are put in place within the plantation area of a koala is sighted. Timber harvesting crews are provided training in koala search and identification and maintain constant vigilance.
Voluntary protection measures
In hardwood plantations we routinely take voluntary steps to protect more trees than the regulations strictly require. For example, the hardwood timber plantations in Tarkeeth State Forest have recently been harvested and replanted in a carefully planned operation over several years. A total of 361 hectares were mapped as hardwood timber plantation and during the planning process, 129 hectares were set aside under the regulations that require buffer zones along waterways and areas of native forest. On top of this an additional 112 hectares, which is close a third of the mapped plantation area, was protected in voluntary exclusion zones including a wildlife corridor covering more than 25 hectares, riparian buffer zones five times larger than required and visual and residential buffers.
In rare cases areas of timber plantation may be transitioned to management as native forests and managed under the regulations for native forestry in NSW. Examples of this can be found in Nambucca State Forest and Wedding Bells State Forest. The reverse never occurs; native forests are never transitioned or converted to plantations.
Replanting and regrowing
Timber plantations are only grown on previously cleared land - that means new trees are only replanted within the same plantation footprint again and again. Once a plantation reaches maturity, the trees are removed for timber and then the area is replanted by hand. More than 1000 new trees are planted in every hectare harvested. These tightly planted trees compete for light and as a result will grow tall and straight quickly. This leads to the need to thin the trees out when they are mid-rotation, approximately 15 – 20 years old, to ensure that growth is maximised for the rest of the planted trees..
Hardwood timber plantations are planted with a variety of eucalyptus (such as blackbutt, blue gum, flooded gum and Dunn’s white gum) and corymbia species (predominantly spotted gum) that are native to northern NSW, adapted to local growing conditions and known to produce high quality timber. We harvest seeds from seed orchards in local forests as well as from trees throughout State forests with good genetic qualities and raise them as seedlings at our Nursery in Grafton, to ensure the next generation of seedlings grows into strong and robust trees and high quality timber.
Plantations are re-established rapidly after harvesting and the canopy is quickly restored.
Weed control
Replanting will include some weed control operations, involving spraying of common agricultural use chemicals, such as round-up. We do need to complete weed control two or occasionally three times at the beginning of a timber plantation's 30-40 year life cycle to knock down the pest plants like lantana and privet and get new tree seedlings established quickly so that they out-compete weeds. The most effective way to do this is by spraying the area before the new seedlings are planted. The herbicides used and the number of applications will depend on the weeds present following site preparation, with our aim being to minimise chemical use. Application methods are selected depending on the site.
Herbicides used are bought off the shelf and will be used in line with the label directions, which the Australian Government regulators have approved as safe for the community and the environment. Strict buffers will be in place to prevent spraying near any waterways or streams.
Plantation timber products
Timber is the most renewable building product available and hardwood timber plantations are an important supplier of a range of valuable timber products such as electricity poles, structural timbers, fencing and pallet products. The primary product produced from timber plantations is high quality structural timber, but a range of products is produced, including residue products such as firewood that use the branches and tree crowns that would otherwise be burnt on the forest floor.
Hardwood timber from plantations that are continually harvested and replanted supplements supply of hardwood timber from native forests. See the video below for more information about timber from native and plantation forests.
Engaging with local communities
Timber plantations are part of a broader forest landscape, which is managed for environmental conservation, tourism and recreation and timber production. Harvesting and replanting operations take place once every few decades, but the forests are freely available for the community to use and enjoy for most of the 35-50 years the trees take to mature.
Forestry Corporation engages with forest neighbours and Local Aboriginal Land Councils while planning and carrying out operations to harvest and replant timber plantations.
We also engage with community members and collaborate with other land managers on on ongoing basis regarding ongoing land management, including Native Title groups, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Elders Groups and Aboriginal Corporations that deal with natural resource management, Bush Fire Management Committees, Regional Weed Management Committees and tourism forums.
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If you have any questions about plantation management, you are welcome to contact us.