Pine Creek State Forest
Like many State forests, Pine Creek State Forest contains areas of natural forest set aside for conservation, areas of native forest available for timber production as well as timber plantations. These different forest types are managed side-by-side and sit within a broader forested landscape that includes vast areas that are permanently protected for conservation in the adjoining national park.
Current hardwood plantation operations
Forestry Corporation’s current operations are in compartment 14 of Pine Creek State Forest. These operations are within the area that has been authorised as hardwood timber plantation. The harvest plan covers 31 hectares of mainly flooded gum and blackbutt plantations that were established between 1964 and 1973. These plantations have been thinned in the past, which is where smaller trees are removed to allow others more space to grow, most recently in 2005. The plantations are now mature and all the trees will be harvested and the entire area will be replanted with native hardwood species for future timber supply.
While growing a native species, timber plantations are not native forests. They are specifically planted for timber production and are continually harvested and replanted. They often adjoin native forests and can include ingrowth of non-planted species, so there is a detailed process carried out to correctly identify and map timber plantations. This includes 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 plantation boundaries. Based on an assessment of evidence, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) independently issues an authorisation in line with the Plantations and Reafforestation Act 1999. Authorisation verifies that an area is correctly classified as plantation.
Prior to any hardwood timber plantation operations, Forestry Corporation carries out a thorough planning process and maps and protects habitat through the plantation area to maintain landscape connectivity. Operations are managed in line with the requirements of the Plantations and Reafforestation Act and Code Regulation.
The plantations in Pine Creek State Forest are managed in a broader forested landscape and adjoins large areas of native forest and national park. Koalas are known to live in this area, and Forestry Corporation has put specific measures in place to protect them. In this plantation, additional areas are being protected for habitat alongside drainage lines, operators are trained in koala search and identification and inspect every tree before felling, and protocols are in place to temporarily cease operations when koalas are identified. An assessment of the unique and special wildlife values of this plantation confirmed that conditions are in place to protect koalas during operations.
Read more about managing hardwood timber plantations.
Native forest operations
Pine Creek State Forest contains areas of native forest that are available to be periodically harvested for timber and regrown. In the areas of native forest that have been designated under these processes as suitable for renewable timber production, operations take place in line with the relevant regulations, which is Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA).
Our Plan Portal details each of the areas of interest for planning over the coming 12 months. Detailed harvest plans are made available for each of these areas through the Plan Portal, when they have been developed.
In native forest operations, wildlife is protected by strict regulations developed with the input of expert scientific panels. Under these regulations, around 43 per cent of the State forest estate is protected via permanent retention of areas such as rainforest and old growth forests, wetlands and riparian zones, threatened ecological communities, ridge and headwater habitat and rocky outcrops. In each harvest area, a further 10-13 per cent of the available harvest area in Coastal State forests is also identified and permanently retained in habitat clumps containing trees with valuable habitat features. Read more about protecting wildlife in State forests.
Before any native forestry operation, professional ecologists survey the wildlife, birdlife and vegetation to identify threatened species, ensure the forest retains the conditions and habitat they need to thrive, and develop plans that comply with the strict forestry regulations. Within each harvesting unit, areas are set aside for wildlife habitat and feed and habitat trees are identified and protected. Our dedicated Aboriginal Partnerships team also carries out cultural heritage surveys and ensure cultural heritage is protected. Once harvesting is completed, retained trees and soil seed reserves will enable harvested areas to regenerate thereby providing long-term wildlife habitat and providing timber resources for the future. Planning for operations is carried out on a site-by-site basis and can take several months.
Protection of koalas and their habitat is a priority and specific searches are carried out prior to and throughout harvest operations. There are also clear regulations that require feed trees and habitat to be identified and protected throughout the harvest area. These measures were developed on the basis of ongoing research that shows that koalas continue to occupy forests where timber harvesting takes place at the same rate as unharvested forests. Read more about this research.
Multiple-use forest management
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 under permit since 2010 and are managed by Coffs Harbour Mountain Bike Club. Operations to produce renewable timber are managed alongside these community facilities.