In the past the sales of private property timber have sometimes been sporadic and demand driven and have often mirrored downturns in cattle and other agricultural commodity prices. Now, with a diversity of markets and improvements in sawmill technology, a wide range of products are sought from private forests, including sawlogs, veneer logs, poles, girders, thinning logs, salvage logs and limited pulpwood.

The diminished area of State Forest available for timber production because of Federal and NSW State Government forest policy will result in an increase in the importance of the private forest estate in the future. Private forest growers can therefore expect competitive priced stumpage rates for the full range of forest products.

The Existing Private Forest Resource
Two studies undertaken in 1994 and 1996 determined that there is an estimated 700,000 hectares of productive native forest on private property in northern NSW. The total private forest estate is significantly larger, however within that total area there are areas deemed non-productive by virtue of their inaccessibility, forest type, non-commercial nature or conservation status.

At that time more than 350 sawmills or value adding plants of varying size utilised in excess of 250,000 cubic metres per annum of private forest resource from northern NSW.

Native Forest Types on Private Land
The private native forests of northern NSW are characterised by five very broad forest types:

1. Forests where Spotted Gum dominates more than 50% of the stand and occurring as either dry or moist forest over a wide range of site qualities. Other commercial species include Ironbarks, Bloodwoods, Grey Gum, Grey Box, Narrow-leaved White Mahogany and Tallowwood, Sydney Blue Gum and Brush Box on moister sites.
2. Forests where Spotted Gum dominates more than 50% of the stand and occurring as either dry or moist forest over a wide range of site qualities. Other commercial species include Ironbarks, Bloodwoods, Grey Gum, Grey Box, Narrow-leaved White Mahogany and Tallowwood, Sydney Blue Gum and Brush Box on moister sites.
3. Dry hardwood forest comprising a mixture of the above species (as well as other minor species) but usually not dominated by any one species. It occurs over a range of site qualities from poor woodland to more sheltered middle and lower slopes.
4. Moist hardwood forest containing a mixture of species and generally found on more sheltered sites with deeper fertile soils.
5. New England Hardwoods comprising a mixture of species found at higher elevations, generally confined to the New England Tablelands but sometimes extending down the escarpment (eg. the Dorrigo area). This type of forest is often dominated by New England Blackbutt but also contains a variety of other species, including some coastal species at lower elevations. Site quality varies widely.

Similarly, heavily cut over stands that are characterised by a high proportion of over-mature trees, with only limited regrowth, will have a much slower growth rate than stands that have been thinned over time to retain a cross-section of tree sizes and a healthy succession of regrowth.

Of the factors that affect growth rate, site quality is one that can be classified according to the broad forest types on private native forests. Three site quality classifications can be identified:

High Site Quality (HSQ)
Applicable to forests on better soils with a higher rainfall and more sheltered location. Forests may include the better quality moist mixed types and the better examples of Blackbutt and Spotted Gum dominated stands and New England forests.

Medium Site Quality (MSQ)
Applicable to typical, average Blackbutt, Spotted Gum and New England hardwood stands, the better quality dry hardwood stands and poorer moist hardwood stands.

Low Site Quality (LSQ)
Characterised by forests on heavier soil areas, poorer exposed or steep country and generally poorer quality dry forest types. Because of this these forests are slow growing and sometimes the species mix may be dominated by species of little or no commercial value.

Predicted Growth Rate	Broad Forest Type/ Site Quality (SQ)
1.0 m3/ha/annum	LSQ New England Hardwoods, Dry Mixed Hwds
1.7 m3/ha/annum	LSQ Spotted Gum
2.4 m3/ha/annum	LSQ Blackbutt, Moist Mixed Hwds, MSQ Spotted Gum, New England Hwds, Dry Mixed Hwds
3.1 m3/ha/annum	MSQ Moist Mixed Hwds HSQ Dry Mixed Hwds
3.8 m3/ha/annum	MSQ Blackbutt, HSQ Spotted Gum and New England Hwds
4.5 m3/ha/annum	HSQ Blackbutt and Moist Mixed Hwds

This range of growth rates includes a pulpwood component, however current markets for pulpwood from private forests are very limited.

Potential Timber Yields from Private Hardwood Forests
The 1994 and 1996 studies estimated that, after factors such as forest types, site quality criteria and indicative growth rates are taken into account, the total potential annual hardwood yield from private forests in northern NSW is in the order of 1.65 million cubic metres.

Sawlogs, thinnings, veneer, poles, piles, girders and salvage account for about 750,000 cubic metres. Of this volume sawlogs and thinnings accounting for about 60%, veneer 15%, poles and girders 10% and salvage logs 15%.

Pulpwood accounts for approximately 900,000 cubic metres of the total yield and includes logs and material unsuitable for the above end uses but able to be utilised for the manufacture of paper, reconstituted fibreboard and hardboard.

The most recent data suggests that the private hardwood forest resource in northern NSW is contributing between 270,000 and 280,000 cubic metres of sawlogs, thinnings, veneer, poles, piles, girders and salvage logs to the annual forest industry log intake. The unutilised resource for these products is therefore somewhere in the order of 65% per annum.

It is estimated that less than 2% of the potential available pulpwood yield from private forests is currently being utilised, although this can in part be attributed to both limited markets and Federal Government export controls on woodchip (there being no domestic facilities being available for the conversion of such low grade products).

Regulation of Private Forest Management
Harvesting of private native forests is now regulated through the recently introduced Native Vegetation Conservation Act, which is administered by the Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC). The Act has as its objective the sustainable management of the private forest resource. Under the legislation forest owners can harvest their forest without referral to DLWC where they can establish that the harvesting is sustainable, or they may choose the option of obtaining consent.

Harvesting may also be subject to other controls under either NSW legislation (Threatened Species Conservation Act) or Local Government planning regulations (Local Environment Plans and Tree Preservation Orders).

Further Information
Further information on private property resource can be obtained by contacting the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board on 02 6686 3008

References
North Coast Forest and Plantation Resource Study. November 1994. Northern NSW Forestry Services.

Mid North Coast Forest and Plantation Resource Study. July 1996. Northern NSW Forestry Services and State Forests of NSW.

Produced by Northern NSW Forestry Services for the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board (NR Regional Plantation Committee)

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