Welcome to Issue 10 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.
What’s happening?
It has been a busy time in the plantation sector in terms
of reviews, strategies and regulations.
We are anticipating tabling of the Australian Government
response to the Senate Rural Affairs and Transport References
Committee Inquiry into Australian Forest Plantations: A review
of Plantations for Australia: The 2020
Vision that reported
in September 2004. A Review of Taxation of Plantation Forestry
is currently being conducted by Treasury, this was announced
in the May 2005 budget. (Investigate www.treasury.gov.au – Reviews & Consultations)
The NSW Plantations & Reafforestation Act (1999) and
Code (2001) have been under review (submissions closed 1
August) in line with a 5 year review schedule. There will
be further stakeholder and reference group consultations
over the next few months with any amendments to the Act and
Code likely to be finalised in the latter part of 2006.
Concurrently the NSW Departments of Infrastructure, Planning
and Natural Resources (DIPNR) and Primary Industries (DPI)
have been conducting a round of consultations with the aim
of building a draft NSW Forest and Timber Processing Industry
Strategy to be released for public comment around early November
2005. This strategy will undoubtedly have strong synergy
with the Australian Wood and Paper Industry Growth Strategy
discussed below.
National Indigenous Forestry Strategy
Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry
and Conservation, launched the National Indigenous Forestry
Strategy in Cairns on Friday 22nd July 2005.
The forestry sector has significant potential to offer economic
opportunities, social advancement and cultural benefits to
Indigenous Australians. The forest and wood products industry
is forecasting strong growth in this sector and Indigenous
communities have expressed a strong desire to contribute
to, and benefit from, this growth. Both native forests and
timber plantations provide opportunities for Indigenous communities
and individuals to develop economically and, at the same
time, remain connected to their traditional and cultural
values.
Implementation of the Strategy has begun and during this
phase it is envisioned that Indigenous communities will identify
opportunities for development.
The vibrant cover image on the strategy comprises a nine
panel mural by artists Lyndy Delian and Jennifer Martiniello
representing Indigenous relationships to land/country, including
traditional and contemporary land management concepts and
practices. A visual feast!
Read the strategy at www.daff.gov.au/nifs
Casuarina obesa: A commercial revegetation species for
salinised land?
Ben Boxshall, Research Associate with the Centre of Excellence
in Natural Resource Management based in Albany W.A., is leading
a project to formulate a ‘Research & Development
Strategy for Casuarina obesa’. The Casuarina
obesa Working Group, a sub-committee of Timber 2020, considers
the species has great potential as a low – medium rainfall
area species that will produce sawlogs. The species is considered
to be suitable for establishment on areas where salinity
mitigation by using deep rooted perennial vegetation is a
management option.
This project represents a major commitment by Timber 2020
to commercial & environmental salt land farm forestry.
Read more in their
media
release  PDF
(80kb)
SMARTimbers on Tour:
World traveller and thrill seeker
shares his knowledge
Following his Churchill Fellowship Study Tour of North America,
Europe, Scandinavia and Japan in 2003 (refer Reports & Resources section of www.plantations2020.com.au for his report) Andrew
Lang, Director of SMARTimbers Cooperative has been up in
the air and on the road again in June/ July 2005—telling
his story at several conferences and listening to lots more
in Scandinavia and North America.
Read about some of Andrew’s tour ‘learnings’,
in relation to farm forestry and marketing cooperatives utilising
both planted and native forest resources, as well as the
latest SMARTimbers news:
Regional Forestry Investment workshops—a
3 year project concludes
Many readers would have attended one of the six Regional
Forestry Investment workshops that have been hosted by the
Forest Industries Branch of the Australian Government’s
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry over the
last 3 years. The series of workshops concluded at a final
workshop held in Hobart in late April 2005. The final workshop
brought together participants from the previous workshops
to review the outcomes and messages and to develop a foundation
for Forest Investment for Regional Development.
Read more in this
article PDF
(96kb)
A Web of Trees—Sharing the story of a bold
experiment
On Tuesday 26th July, 2005, the Victorian Government Minister
for Agriculture, the Hon Bob Cameron visited the Yan Yan
Gurt creek catchment, near Deans Marsh in south west Victoria
and launched the booklet A Web
of Trees—Reconnecting
the landscape and the community.
The booklet describes significant landscape change in the
Yan Yan Gurt creek catchment between 1990 and 2002 where
forest cover increased from 6% to 21%. Trees were integrated
into the farming landscape to enhance agricultural production
and improve environmental management, whilst being managed
to provide high value wood products for industry.
What makes this catchment interesting is not the scale of
revegetation but its diversity, which simply reflects the
diversity of aspirations and interests among the landholders,
industry players and their supporters. The booklet also provides
an excellent example of how a community can effectively measure
the ‘footprint’ of its activity.
This is a good news story where the revegetation and plantation
establishment addresses social, environmental, economic and
productivity issues.
Contact: Andrew Stewart, yanyangurtwest@bigpond.com
Find the booklet in our Reports & Resources section.
Climate Change Risk & Vulnerability—Implications
for the plantation industry
The Australian Government has taken action towards planning
for the potential impact of climate change on vulnerable
regions throughout the nation with a report released on 26
July 2005 by the Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell.
The document, Climate Change Risk and
Vulnerability—promoting
an efficient adaptation response in Australia provides
a valuable insight into how early planning could help governments,
industries and communities plan for the effects of climate
change, adapt to the impacts and exploit any opportunities.
This report is particularly pertinent for both management
of native forests and planning for a future plantation estate.
Read more and access the
report PDF
(60kb)
Narrogin Integrated Processing Plant—What’s
happening?
Western Power is currently commissioning its prototype bioenergy
plant, located in the Western Australian wheatbelt town of
Narrogin, which is designed to generate renewable electricity,
activated carbon and eucalyptus oil from locally planted
oil mallees.
Partners in the project include Western Power, Enecon Pty
Ltd, the Australian Greenhouse Office, the Dept of Industry
Science and Resources, Department of Transport and Regional
Services, CSIRO, the Dept of Conservation and Land Management,
the Oil Mallee Co (OMC), the Oil Mallee Association, Murdoch
University and the Rural Industries Research and Development
Corporation.
The plant was highlighted as ‘a model for the
future of sustainable agriculture’ in a centre
fold article in The Bulletin August 9, 2005 ‘The
Future of Australia Part 3 Agriculture and Environment’. ‘So,
from a looming salinity crisis, the change in land use
promises four new commercial products—oil, energy,
charcoal and carbon credits. By 2025, the group aims to
have planted 500 million trees.’
Read more: Download
PDF (128kb)
Wood and Paper Industry Growth Strategy
The Australian forest, wood products and paper manufacturing
industry has come together to develop a national industry
growth strategy; designed to be developed in 3 stages. The
project has received support from the Australian Governments’ Industry
Partnerships Program under the, then, Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Warren Truss and Senator
the Hon Ian Macdonald, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and
Conservation. The Strategy will seek to provide a realistic
and achievable roadmap for industry renewal and growth; based
on innovation, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Stage 1 has provided advice on a strategy
framework & rationale; identified data needed to develop
such a strategy (including highlighting data gaps); compiled
existing data sources; assessed the quality, appropriateness
and assumptions behind existing data; analysed impediments,
opportunities and comparative advantages; analysed critical
gaps in existing knowledge; and provided recommendations
for filling specific data gaps.
Stage 2 will seek to fill specific data
gaps and Stage 3 will then develop strategy
actions and documentation for subsequent implementation under
the direction of the Forest and Wood Products Council.
Consultants GHD, The Fifth Estate and ABARE delivered the
report for Stage 1 of the Australian Wood and Paper Industry
Growth Strategy at the end of June 2005. The industry participated
in Stage 1 to develop the goal of the strategy: ‘To
grow a larger, more profitable and integrated industry which
operates sustainably, provides goods and services that the
community wants and needs, receives whole-of-government recognition
and support, and is built on a platform that encourages further
growth.’
The Stage 1 report suggests that the industry will be required
to take specific actions that might be usefully grouped under
the following themes:
- Achieving a cohesive nation-wide voice for the industry;
- Securing balanced investment; and
- Making the industry globally competitive.
For more information on the Wood and Paper
Industry Growth Strategy contact Richard Stanton, Manager-Policy,
A3P richard.stanton@a3p.asn.au
Some resources that may help plantation growers & managers:
DEH Biodiversity Toolbox (designed for
Local Government; maybe useful for the plantation sector
too!)
The Biodiversity Toolbox, developed in 2002 for the Department
of Environment and Heritage, is designed to provide local
government councils with the tools, resources and contacts
to integrate biodiversity conservation into all aspects of
Council operations. These tools, resources and contacts could
be potentially useful to plantation growers and managers
when considering native vegetation and other aspects of biodiversity
in the planning and management of plantations. Find the toolbox
at http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/toolbox/index.html
Effective community engagement—Workbook and
Tools
A significant challenge for the plantation sector in some
regions is in building effective and practical working relationships
with the regional communities in which we operate. The Department
of Sustainability and Environment in Victoria have designed
a useful tool for anyone committed to planning and implementing
community engagement processes—‘Effective community
engagement - Workbook and Tools’.
The workbook introduces
and explores the concepts and benefits of well planned community
engagement. The workbook can be found online or
hard copies can be purchased through the Department of Sustainability & Environment
and the Department of Primary Industries Customer Service
Centre 136186.
Definitely worth a look!
Thank you to Contributors:
- Garry Grant, DAFF
- Julia Levinson, EO Timber2020
- Aidan Flanagan, formerly Forest Industries Branch, DAFF
- Andrew Stewart, Otway Agroforestry Network
- Marianne Stewart, Otway Agroforestry Network
- Andrew Lang, SMARTimbers Cooperative
- Tym Duncanson, Oil Mallee Company
- Tim Emmott, GAWA
- Jo Roberts, Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision
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