The 2019-20 bushfire season

More than five million hectares of NSW were impacted by fires in 2019-20 across national parks, State forests and private property, including around 830,000 hectares of native State forests and 62,000 hectares of State forest timber plantations. While the fires have impacted a very large area, these fire-affected forests are not lost. We are working hard to ensure native forests recover and to replant all fire-affected plantations for the future.

Softwood plantations

Tumut

Close to half of Forestry Corporation’s softwood plantations are centred around Tumut, with around 100,000 hectares of radiata pine planted throughout Tumut and surrounds. Thirty-six per cent of the plantations in the area surrounding Tumut were impacted by fires in 2019-20. A record salvage program has been completed and the Blowering nursery in Tumut was expanded to regrow additional seedlings to replant fire-affected plantations in the shortest possible timeframe. Replanting is ahead of schedule.

Bombala

There are close to 33,000 hectares of predominately radiata pine plantations in the Bombala management area. Around 30 per cent of these plantations were impacted by fires in 201-20. A record salvage program has been completed and the Blowering nursery in Tumut was expanded to regrow additional seedlings to replant fire-affected plantations in the shortest possible timeframe. Replanting is ahead of schedule.

Walcha and Grafton

There are 26,000 hectares of southern pine and radiata pine plantations in the Walcha and Grafton management areas. Around 36 per cent of these plantations were impacted by fires in 2019-20. A major mill that processes timber from Grafton also burnt down. A record salvage program has been completed and the Grafton nursery was expanded to regrow additional seedlings to replant fire-affected plantations in the shortest possible timeframe and replanting is ahead of schedule. Timber from Walcha is being transported to the Tumut Management Area to supply domestic customers who experienced reductions following the 2019-20 fires and an expressions of interest process was held in 2023-24 for the next 10 years of renewable timber processing in the Grafton region.

Bathurst

Fires did not have a significant impact on the plantations around Bathurst and Oberon in 2019-20, with approximately three per cent  of the 72,000 hectares of softwood plantations around Bathurst and Oberon affected.

Native forests and hardwood plantations

There are around 1.9 million hectares of State forests in NSW and around half of this area is managed for conservation, with the other half designated as available for sustainable timber production. Each year timber harvesting operations take place in around 20,000 hectares of State forest, with each harvest area then regrown to be harvested again in 20-40 years. This means the same areas of State forests are continually harvested and regrown over generations.

Fires in 2019-20 impacted around 830,000 hectares of native forest. Unlike the pine species planted in our softwood plantations, many species of eucalypt are fire tolerant. Fire tolerant species have a good chance of recovery where fire has not been intense. In these areas, trees may withstand the fire and areas may quickly regenerate. In other areas, even fire tolerant species may die due to the very high fire intensity. Assessments have been carried out to identify how forests have been impacted by fire and more details are available in our assessment of environmental impacts.

Forestry Corporation manages around 34,000 hectares of hardwood plantations in the north of NSW. Around 15 per cent of these plantations were impacted by fires in 201-20. Seedlings for replanting plantations are grown at Grafton nursery.

The sustainable yield has been reassessed taking into account the 2019-20 fire impact.