Why It Works

Timber plantations more often than not get a bad press. They are generally considered to be arboricultural equivalent of the chemically-dependent monocultural broad acre crops dominating the conventional agricultural landscape. The establishment of timber plantations is always and quite justifiably controversial when they are composed of exotic species, replacing naturally growing native forests, and planted to result in a uniform clear-felling operation.

Natural forests provide a range of ecological services; from absorption of excess carbon dioxide, and the creation of fauna habitats to soil conservation and amelioration; from to the operation of water cycle and catchment protection, to sustainable yield of non-timber forest products such as honey, wildflowers and bush foods.

In our plantings, native timber species are mostly used but in the future there may be at least one exotic species used. There is a need to produce a range of coloured timbers to satisfy the domestic and export market. One which we are now trialling is the Mahogany ( Khaya senegalensis ). Specimens we have are now seven years old and showing great promise with 12 to 15 metre clear trunks which have never been pruned. This is a red timber, almost like red cedar, but showing no sign of tip moth infection. We expect to have mill size logs at 12 to 15 years. We have also had success with our red cedar field research in controlling the tip moth by spraying with a systemic residual insecticide young growing shoots at strictly 10 day intervals during the growing season. When a four metre trunk is achieved allow tree to crown. No further insect control is necessary.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANTATION SPECIES WE USE, CLICK HERE>>

We use buffer zones along stream banks, with the effect of creating a wildlife corridor and a balanced ecosystem to enhance the health of our plantations as well as provide stream bank protection. As we use no fertilisers and very minimal irrigation after the initial planting, the water quality of natural watercourses is maintained.

Our methods are based on years of study and observation of the natural growth patterns and compatibility of the species we use. When these trees are taken out of their natural rainforest environment to establish plantations, we must try and emulate a naturalistic approach in order to achieve the best results in terms of timber production. We therefore need to have a thorough understanding of how these trees have evolved in their natural state.

All rainforest trees gather their nutrients from the broken down leaf matter on the floor of the forest by the actions of micro-organisms which only exist in a full canopy cover of a rainforest micro-climate. One of the objectives to maintain the health of a plantation is the establishment of a canopy cover. This is accomplished by a mix of species designed to achieve a canopy within the first two to three years.

Timber plantations are now an essential component of agriculture and semi-natural landscapes to meet the increased demand for timber products. While timber plantations do not always produce all of the environmental and social benefits we associate with intact natural bushland, they can be planned to ensure compatibility with natural landscapes, to provide attractive short-term yields of high quality and high value timber, and to relieve the harvesting pressure on native forests.

Consumers of timber products the world over-including Australia- are becoming more concerned and informed about destructive environmental impacts associated with unsustainable and often illegal timber production from the world's native old growth forests. It is now generally accepted that forest resources - be they native forests or plantations - need to be sustainably managed. Consumers also need to be assured of sustainable forest management.

Timber certification is a market-driven consumer-centered mechanism to promote production from native forests and plantations. We advocate that private timber producers become involved in the development of certification schemes. Our timber plantations are well designed and well managed, according to accepted indicators for ecological sustainability.