Welcome to Issue 9 of In
Focus:
the newsletter of Plantations For Australia:
The 2020 Vision. In Focus aims
to keep interested groups and individuals informed of plantation development
activities and issues around the country.
 Changing
the guard at the 2020 Vision
Jo Roberts took on the role of National Plantation Strategy Coordinator in September
2004, replacing Rod Bristow. Jo is a forester who has managed government and
privately owned plantations, worked as a natural resource mapping and forestry
consultant and most recently spent 3 years working in regional natural resource
management in the south west of Victoria.
Six months into the job she is optimistic about the opportunities
that exist in the various plantation regions ranging from
resources and industries that are mature and well established
to those regions where industries and resources are in the
planning and development stage.
However there is still much work to be done to seize the
opportunities of the plantation industry working more effectively
with the community, resolving markets for environmental services
provided by plantations such as biodiversity, salinity and
carbon credits, and simplifying policy and regulatory frameworks.
These issues are explored in detail in the 2020 Vision ‘Progress Report’ – see
left.
Jo considers that an important part of her role is to facilitate
knowledge exchange about the opportunities and challenges
that exist now and into the future with the plantation industry,
and would value any feedback or ideas about this aspect.
Forest
Certification News
Australia is a world leader in sustainable forest management.
Plantation growers in Australia can elect to be assessed
against independent third party sustainable forest management
certification standards, eg Australian Forestry Standard
(AFS) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This enables plantation
managers to demonstrate that they manage their plantations
to maintain a balance of environmental, social and economic
outcomes. Currently some 500,000 hectares (or approximately
one third of the area) of Australia’s plantations are
certified against either the Australian Forestry or Forest
Stewardship Council standards.
The following plantation growers have plantations certified
under the two certification schemes available in Australia:
Australian Forestry Standard
-
Forestry SA
- Forestry Tasmania
- Gunns Limited
- WA Plantation
Forest Stewardship Council
-
Integrated Tree Cropping Group
- Timbercorp Ltd
- Hancocks Victorian Plantations (including Grand Ridge
Plantations)
- Albany Plantation Forest Company of Australia Limited
The Australian Forestry Certification
Scheme comprises
the Australian Forestry Standard, Chain of Custody certification
and a labeling system. The Australian Forestry Standard was
mutually recognised by the ‘Program for Endorsement
of Forest Certification Schemes’ (PEFC) on 29 October 2004. It is
based on the ISO 14001: 1996 and the Montreal Process, and is compatible with
other international certification schemes. The AFS is available from the Standards
Australia web site—www.standards.com.au.
For small-scale growers, the Standard has a Supplement,
titled: The Australian Forestry Standard—Guidance
for small native forest and plantation ownerships (AS4708
Supplement 3(Int) – 2003).
To learn more about Forest Stewardship Council certification
go to www.fsc.org.
National
Landcare Program Funded Plantation & Farm Forestry
Projects
The Australian Government Agriculture Minister Warren Truss announced funding
of approximately $1.2 million in December 2004 for National Landcare Program
projects that used farm forestry as a productive management option for salinity,
water quality and soil protection in December 2004. It is likely that the National
Landcare Program will once again call for Community Support and Natural Resource
Innovation Grant project applications for the 2005/06 year.
Download a copy of a summary of farm forestry related
projects funded for 2004/05.  Download
PDF (56kb)
Go to www.daff.gov.au/landcare for more information
on the National Landcare Program.
Eucalypt
plantations as habitat for wildlife
People and industry invest
effort into establishing eucalypt plantations on farmland
for many purposes, often hoping that they provide habitat
for native wildlife. Until recently, there was little information
about which species would benefit, and even less about ways
to improve the value of new plantations for wildlife while
meeting commercial objectives.
Now a team of biologists from the Arthur Rylah Institute
for Environmental Research (Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment)
and the Victorian Department of Primary Industries are addressing
these questions, in collaboration with the Rural Industries
Research & Development Corporation and the Natural Heritage
Trust. Five experimental plantations were established in
north-east Victoria, with understorey shrubs planted among
the eucalypts, and will be monitored for five years. Existing
eucalypt plantations (5+ years old) are also being examined
at 59 sites in north-east and central-west Victoria, along
with nearby sites in farmland and remnant forest. The 5-year
project focuses on practical ways to enhance biodiversity
values in commercial eucalypt plantations.
Download a copy of the report from
the Reports & Resources
section.
Commercial plantations for salinity management and water
quality benefits
A unique partnership is developing in south western Victoria
where a valuable water quality asset is being protected
from a salinity risk by a commercial plantation development
on a salinity target area in the Moorabool River catchment.
This looks like a win – win situation!
Download a copy of the story. Download
PDF (124kb)
Working in partnership with the community in your plantation
area
Forest plantation companies need to engage with communities
from time to time. How does your company engage with local
government, environmental, Landcare and community groups
when planning new plantations or harvesting mature plantations?
Can community groups help a plantation company engage with
the general community and also provide services to the company
for conservation planning?
The following principles are worth considering when your
company thinks about engaging with local communities.
Principles for building partnerships and engaging with community
groups;
Before starting any engagement process;
1. Have a clear purpose or goal for your engagement.
2. Learn about who you are engaging with and their view of
you and the issue/s;
For engagement to occur;
3. Establish relationships to build trust and demonstrate
commitment over time;
4. Respect community self determination processes;
For engagement to succeed;
5. Develop meaningful and predictable partnerships;
6. Respect that diversity is strength in a small community;
7. Support the community’s self determination for goals/targets
and build capacity in the community to achieve its own goals/targets
(and hence achieve yours);
8. Empower the community and trust the improved community
process to support an agreed outcome;
9. Ongoing commitment is fundamental.
Thanks to Ted Rowley, Amron Consulting Pty Ltd, who has
worked with rural and urban communities dealing with changing
landscapes as well as natural resources degradation, for
these ideas.
Stay tuned for more in the next edition.
Greenhouse
News
National Carbon Accounting Toolbox
Land managers will be able to monitor the effects of farming
and forestry on greenhouse gas emissions using their own
computer, after the release of two new products on 1 March
2005.
The Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime
Minister, Mr Gary Nairn launched the National
Carbon Accounting Toolbox and Data
Viewer at the annual ABARE Outlook Conference
in Canberra. At the launch Mr Nairn said the products would
help land managers make informed decisions about how to sustainably
manage their properties.
"Almost a quarter of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions
come from forestry and agriculture, from activities ranging
from deforestation and harvesting, to the continuous cultivation
of soil," Senator Campbell said.
"Land managers face decisions daily that must balance
production and environmental protection," Mr Nairn said.
"The National Carbon Accounting Toolbox will help in making
these decisions by tracking greenhouse gas emissions, and identifying
less emissions intensive land-use practices.
Go to www.deh.gov.au/minister/env/2005/mr01mar205.html to access the Australian Greenhouse Office media release.
Go to www.greenhouse.gov.au/ncas/ncat/index.html to order a copy of the National Carbon Accounting Toolbox
Help for landholders to establish
Forest Sink projects
Growing forests as offsets to greenhouse gas emissions will
become easier for landholders in rural and regional Australia
with the release of two new guides on 1 March 2005 for planning
forest sink projects.
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell,
said the two publications - A Guide to Legal, Taxation and
Contractual Issues and A Guide to Carbon Pooling and Investment
Structures - would help land managers navigate the legal,
financial, taxation and organisational issues involved in
developing carbon sinks.
"These guides will help regional land managers and
forest growers engage in carbon sink projects that are good
for the atmosphere and good for the land," he said.
"Forests are a great way to offset greenhouse gas emissions
from other sources such as energy generation.
"Forests inhale carbon dioxide from the air and breathe
out oxygen, effectively removing carbon from the air and
storing it in the tree biomass.
"In an environmental 'double-play', they generate other
benefits such as providing habitat for wildlife and helping
to reduce and control salinity levels."
Forest carbon sinks can be either commercial forest plantations
or environmental plantations and may also earn land managers
revenue from the sale of carbon offsets.
The Guides were developed as part of the Australian Government's
$20.5 million Greenhouse Action in Regional Australia Programme
and are another example of the Government's strong, practical
action in response to climate change.
For more information please visit www.greenhouse.gov.au
To order copies of the reports contact Community Information
Unit: 1300 130 606
Forest
and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation Research
reports released – ‘Impediments to Investment
in Long Rotation Timber Plantations’ and ‘Eucalypt
Plantations for Solid Wood Products in Australia’
The
Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator
Ian Macdonald, launched three new reports on the important
issues of sustainability, the barriers to investing in timber
plantations and the availability of plantation-grown hardwood
sawlogs. The publications - Eucalypt Plantations for Solid
Wood Products in Australia, Impediments to Investments in
Long Rotation Timber Plantations and Forests for Tomorrow,
were launched in Melbourne in early March.
Download a copy of the media release. Download
PDF (64kb)
The ‘Eucalypt Plantations for Solid Wood Products in
Australia’ and ‘Impediments to Investments in
Long Rotation Timber Plantations’ reports have been
long awaited by the 2020 Vision partners and contain some
significant recommendations for action, as well as excellent
discussion supporting the recommendations.
The reports are available from the Forest and Wood Products
Research and Development Corporation (FWPRDC) web site -
www.fwprdc.org.au. Hard copies are also available - free-of-charge
- by calling (03) 9614 7544.
Prospects
for high value hardwood timber plantations in the ‘dry’ tropics
of northern Australia
Congratulations to Private Forestry North Queensland who
have just released the CD containing the working papers presented
at the ‘Prospects for high value hardwood timber plantations
in the ‘dry’ tropics of northern Australia’ workshop
held at Mareeba from 19 to 21 October 2004. The CD also contains
a summary of the workshop outcomes.
The organising committee comprising Ian Bevege, Mila Bristow,
Geoff Dickinson, Garth Nikles, Don Reilly, R M (Beau) Robertson
and David Skelton with their support team, provided for the
delivery of a wonderful pre-workshop tour exploring sites
from Townsville to Mareeba, and a 3 day workshop comprehensively
exploring and synthesizing hardwood plantation possibilities
for the dry tropics.
The workshop was sponsored by the Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation Joint Venture Agroforestry Project,
Australian Forest Growers, Northern Territory Government
Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development
and Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries
and Fisheries.
The CD is available from Private Forestry North Queensland,
P.O.Box 27, KAIRI QLD 4872; Phone 07 4091 8733; email: enquiries@pfnq.com.au;
website:www.pfnq.com.au
First
intake of Kingaroy—South East Queensland Plantation
Forestry Training Course Students Graduate
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries Forestry
are working with the Kingaroy campus of TAFE to address their
regional plantation industry skills shortage. The first students
to complete the course graduated in March 2005 and have already
found work with regional contractors.
Download a copy of the story. Download
PDF (88kb)
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