Northern Rivers Private Forestry Development Committee Web Site

A PROFILE OF THE NORTHERN NSW PRIVATE FOREST RESOURCE AND THE PRIVATE NATIVE FOREST INDUSTRY

Appendix 2: Executive Summary from 2002 Study – The Private Native Forest and Plantation Resource NSW North Coast

In 1994 Northern NSW Forestry Services (Norfor) undertook a study of the north coast private native forest and plantation resource for the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board. In May 2002 Northern Rivers Private Forestry, under the auspices of Invest Northern Rivers, commissioned Norfor to review and update the 1994 study. This report presents the results of that review.

Private native forest areas, broad forest types and yield data from the original study have been updated and the size, age classes and species composition of both the public and private hardwood plantation resource has been documented. The latest regulations and codes of practice for private native forests and plantations have been reviewed and a summary provided.

The area covered in this update is slightly smaller than the 1994 study and in particular excises those areas in the lower New England region that have been covered in a similar study undertaken for the New England-North West Regional Development Board. This report focuses on the Local Government Areas from Tweed in the north to Bellingen in the south and includes Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Coffs Harbour City, Copmanhurst, Dumaresq, Grafton City, Guyra, Kyogle, Lismore Municipal, Maclean, Pristine Waters, Richmond Valley, Severn, Tenterfield and Tweed LGAs.

Within these LGAs it is estimated that private native forests cover a gross area of approximately 631,000 hectares. The net productive forest area, or area over which sustainable forest management practices, including harvesting might be carried out is estimated at approximately 363,000 hectares.

The total potential annual hardwood yield from these forests is estimated at about 825,000 cubic metres, of which about 465,000 cubic metres is pulpwood grade logs. Historically pulpwood production from private property has been minimal. Whilst the Regional Forest Agreement for north eastern NSW allows pulpwood production from private forest, distance from ports limits the economic viability of pulpwood operations.

The total potential annual yield of sawlogs, thinning logs, veneer logs, salvage logs and poles, piles and girders available to existing industry within the region is estimated at about 360,000 cubic metres.

The total hardwood plantation estate in the study region is about 34,000 hectares. Of this, about 30,800 hectares is under State Forest Management, comprising 11,400 hectares either established on State Forest or purchased and converted to State Forest prior to 1994 and 19,400 hectares established on land purchased by State Forests or established by State Forests on private land under joint venture or annuity arrangements. The balance of the hardwood plantation area (about 3,200 hectares) has been established in the last few years by private plantation companies.

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