VicForests to expand local farm forestry
VicForests has launched a program to encourage the expansion of farm forestry in Gippsland as the State Government is under pressure to get trees in the ground to compensate for its planned closure of the native forest industry by 2030.
The aim of the $300,000 grants program is to create farm forestry demonstration sites across the region, which has one million hectares of land suitable for forest plantations. Of this, Baw Baw Shire has 120,000ha.
Grant applications opened on July 11 and close on August 12. The aim is to model the establishment and maintenance of suitable timber tree species and planting regimes that best integrate with the conditions and unique qualities of the landholder's property.
The sites must show how timber production trees will integrate with agriculture (and other natural and built elements) within the context of whole farm planning.
VicForests also wants to reinvigorate older demonstration sites from previous programs to learn from landholders' past experience. This part of the scheme will be funded separately. The total program for the new sites for this financial year is 100 hectares with a maximum number of 10 sites.
The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, said a grants scheme that targets the expansion of private farm forestry had merit. "However, the long lead time and comparatively small combined area means it will not replace the wood volumes lost by the Andrews Government's atrocious decision to shut down the native timber industry," she said.
"The Nationals continue to demand the abandonment of this flawed policy and pledge to continue a sustainably managed native timber industry if elected on November 26."
As part of the program, VicForests will seek the involvement of farm forestry specialists and contractors, timber processors, researchers and educators.
The maximum grant for individual application will be $60,000 to ensure a wide geographical range of sites and diversity of tree species. Hardwood and softwood grown over short or long rotation will be considered for the demonstration sites.
The trees must be planted several metres apart (a minimum of 400 trees/ha over a threeha site) to enable livestock to graze and crops to grow. Shelter belts will be at least 15 metres wide.
Preferred species include Blue Gum, Yellow Stringybark, Silvertop, Spotted Gum, Red Ironbark, Southern Mahoganny, Shining Gum, Sugar Gum and Radiata Pine.
Of the one million hectares in Gippsland suitable for plantations, most are classed as 'high' to "very high', according to a report to the federally funded Gippsland Forestry Hub.
The report warns that plantation supply is insufficient to meet current demand, with the supply gap about 1.2 million cubic metres by 2030 and 2.1m3 by 2050. It also says the government's plan to close native forestry will reduce local processing capacity, creating a loss of scale that threatens the ability of manufacturers to compete.
Gippsland's current forest area is 1.43 million ha of native forest, of which 2560ha were harvested in 2020 (0.002 per cent of the total); and 90,000 ha of plantations, which are 80 per cent softwood and 20 per cent hardwood (mainly short-term Blue Gum crops)
Further information and grant application forms are available on the VicForests website.