Pine Creek State Forest contains a mix of natural forest and hardwood timber plantations. We are thinning young timber plantations in compartments 32 and 33.
Current operations are in Compartments 32 and 33. This image from the 1970s shows where these plantations were originally established on farmland. The original plantation was harvested and replanted in 2012, and the second rotation plantation is now ready for thinning.
In 2012, we harvested the original plantation and planted 1,100 new seedlings in every hectare. These trees are now ready for thinning, which is a normal plantation management practice that removes smaller and weaker trees to give the remaining trees more space and light to grow.
Koalas are known to live in this area, and specific protection measures are in place. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has also completed an assessment of the unique and special wildlife values and applied tighter prescriptions to protect koalas.
Large areas of Pine Creek State Forest were formerly dairy farms that were planted with timber by a private plantation company APM between the 1960s and 1980s and then purchased by the then Forestry Commission.
Areas of original plantation, known as first rotation, are progressively harvested as they reach maturity and replanted with new plantation trees, which is known as a second rotation.
Timber plantations are not natural forest, but often adjoin native forests. Many were planted 40-50 years ago, when mapping was not as precise as it is today. We have a detailed planning process that involves consulting a range of historic aerial imagery supported by on ground inspection including walking boundaries and transects, flying drones, using GPS technology in the field and benchmarking against known features to verify the boundaries of the original plantation.
Plantations are authorised by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and managed under the Plantations and Reafforestation Act 1999.
Prior to any hardwood timber plantation operations, we spend many months planning. Our planners and the regulators assess any unique and special wildlife values to ensure conditions are in place to protect these values.
Koalas and other wildlife are known to traverse plantations, so operators are required to inspect every tree before felling, and follow protocols to temporarily cease operations when koalas are identified.
Operations to harvest and regrow parts of Pine Creek State Forest have been taking place for many decades alongside many other forest uses. Pine Creek State Forest is a multiple-use forest that is popular with visitors for a range of activities including horse riding, four wheel driving, trail biking and bush walking. The forest contains around 14 kilometres of mountain bike trails that have been developed and managed under permit since 2010. Operations to produce renewable timber are managed alongside these community facilities.