In Northern NSW timber production has traditionally been concentrated around the native forest and softwood plantation resource, with some hardwood plantations coming into production in the last 5 to 10 years. However recent Federal and NSW State Government forest policy initiatives, namely the Regional Forest Assessment (RFA) and pending Regional Forest Agreements, have resulted in a significant reduction in the area of public native forest available for timber production.

However the agreements will also provide for a significant increase in the area of land to be put under both softwood and hardwood plantations. In Northern NSW plantation expansion has been on-going since the early 1990's on both publicly and privately owned land, the latter mainly a result of State Forests of NSW Joint Venture Program.

Future demand for wood will therefore be increasingly met by this plantation resource. The opportunity will be available for northern NSW to contribute significantly to Australia gaining a larger slice of world wood production.

Exotic Softwood Plantations on State Forest
The major exotic softwood plantation areas in northern NSW are located at Walcha/Nundle, Mount Mitchell and Inverell on the New England Tablelands, at Clouds Creek south west of Grafton, Barcoongerie north of Coffs Harbour, the Whiporie/Gibberagee area between Casino and Grafton and the Kyogle/Urbenville area towards the Queensland border.

As far back as late last century it was evident that NSW did not have the native softwood resource to be self-sufficient and that an exotic softwood plantation program was needed. Trial plantings commenced in the 1890's and the first commercial plantations of Radiata Pine were established in 1914 at Tuncurry and in 1915 at Armidale.

The planting of Radiata Pine commenced near Nundle in the 1920's (other species were trialed prior to that) and there were limited plantings established at other locations such as Inverell and Armidale. The planting of Southern Pines (Slash and Loblolly Pine), which were more suited to the north coast climate and soils, commenced in Banyabba State Forest between Casino and Grafton in 1921 and continued until the mid 1930's.

Plantation development in northern NSW accelerated after the Second World War and continued through to the late 1970's/early 1980's. Extensive plantings were undertaken at Banyabba, Whiporie, Clouds Creek and in the Walcha/Nundle area.

As a result of the 1982 Rainforest Decision and the closure of native production forests in the Border Ranges, the planting of Southern Pines again increased in the Casino/Kyogle area and new plantations were established in the 1980's in the Urbenville area. A land purchase program by State Forests since the early 1990's has seen a further increase in the area of exotic plantations at Whiporie, Nundle and Urbenville.

There are now about 22,400 hectares of exotic pine plantations on State Forest in northern NSW, 11,000 hectares of Radiata Pine confined mostly to the New England region, 10,200 hectares of southern pines mainly in the coastal region and the north east corner and about 250 hectares of other species, most of which are older trail plantings (Source: State Forests of NSW).

Native Pine Plantations on State Forest
Hoop Pine and to a lesser extent Bunya Pine have proven to be successful plantation species on the far north coast, largely confined to Pikapene south west of Casino (first plantings dating back to the 1920's) and the Toonumbar/Urbenville area near the border (plantings commencing in 1939). Smaller plantings were established in the Murwillumbah area and at Brooklana west of Coffs Harbour. The total of native pine plantation is about 14,00 hectares, 1,200 hectares of which is Hoop Pine and the remainder Bunya Pine (Source: State Forests of NSW).

Softwood Plantations on Private Property
Exotic and native softwood plantation establishment on private property has been very limited, with an estimated area of less than 1,000 hectares in northern NSW. Whilst industry development in southern NSW has brought with it a large privately owned plantation estate, the same has not been the case in northern NSW. Most plantings have been for other agricultural purposes such as windbreaks and shelter belts.

However with the expansion of both the State owned plantations and the industry base it is likely that softwood plantation establishment on private property in northern NSW will steadily expand in the future.

Hardwood Plantations on State Forest
The earliest hardwood plantation establishment in northern NSW occurred on the mid north coast during the late 1930's in the Dungog area on Government purchased land. Limited establishment again occurred during the 1950's. Establishment expanded in the 1960's and 1970's over an area from Bulahdelah north, the main species being Blackbutt, Flooded Gum and Silvertop Stringybark.

On the north coast, in the late 1960's and 1970's Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) purchased about 16,500 hectares of land in the Coffs Harbour/Urunga/Bellingen area and established 6,400 hectares of plantation, the main species being Flooded Gum, Blackbutt and Sydney Blue Gum. It was intended that these plantations form the base for a proposed pulp and paper mill. However this did not eventuate and in the early 1980's State Forests purchased 5,200 hectares of the plantation, the remainder being left in private hands or being acquired as part of a new National Park.

In the Murwillumbah area the Banana Growers Federation (BGF) established about 70 hectares of plantation between the 1950's and 1970's for the manufacture of banana cases. State Forests of NSW later purchased these plantations.

Apart from these land purchases State Forests established other smaller areas of native hardwood plantation along the coast to the north, south and west of Coffs Harbour.

Large scale hardwood plantation establishment in northern NSW ceased in the 1980's due to a number of factors, including costs, lack of foreseeable markets and low predicted returns.

Since the mid 1990's State Forests of NSW have commenced a land purchase program to run parallel with their Joint Venture program (see below). These programs are in response to NSW State Government Forest Policy which is seeing a reduction in the area of native forest available to industry and an increase in the plantation program.

The Total area of native hardwood plantations on State Forest in Northern NSW is about 43,400 hectares (Source: State Forests of NSW). Of this Blackbutt and Flooded Gum make up 60% of the plantings.

Hardwood Plantations on Private Property
Apart from the plantation establishment undertaken by APM and the BGF described above, the establishment of native hardwood plantations on private property in northern NSW was very limited until recent times and was confined to windbreaks, shelter belts and amenity plantings.

Match manufacturers established poplar plantations in the Grafton and Kempsey areas in the 1960's and 1970's. Since the collapse of the match market and closure of manufacturing plants these plantations have mostly been cleared and returned to other agricultural uses (limited quantities were utilised for veneer and sawn timber). Small, scattered plantations of Paulownia (Chinese Empress Tree) have been established across the north coast in recent years, although the total area is not known.

In 1994 State Forests of NSW initiated a Eucalypt Plantation program that had as its main focus the establishment of plantation on private land by way of joint ventures with landowners. The agreements are structured to suit the needs of both the landowner and State Forests, and include the payment of annuities to the owner under certain circumstances or a crop share arrangement, or both. The financial return to landowners over the life of the plantation will depend on their financial input to the establishment and maintenance costs.

The total area of native hardwood plantations under Joint Venture with State Forest is approximately 5,200 hectares (Source: State Forests of NSW). Blackbutt, Spotted Gum and Flooded Gum comprise 78% of this area.

State Forest Hardwood Plantation Division has set a target of 10,000 hectares per annum to be established under Joint Venture.

Further Information
Further information on timber plantations can be obtained by contacting the Northern Rivers Regional Development Board on 02 6686 3008

References
Whiporie Management Plan. 1981. Forestry Commission of NSW

Walcha-Nundle Management Plan. 1987. Forestry Commission of NSW.

Grevillia Management Plan. 1981. Forestry Commission of NSW.

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

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