Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island was surveyed early last century on behalf of the South Australian Government with a view to establishing a forestry industry on the Island. The first pine plantations were established in the late1970’s, while Tasmanian blue gum plantation establishment began later in the late 1990’s. This plantation industry is entirely owned and managed by private companies.

The farm forestry estate on Kangaroo Island is owned and managed by about 20 private landholders spread across the Island over a range of rainfalls. Plantings began in 2002 with support by incentives that have been a combination of direct financial assistance from the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and technical support by PIRSA Forestry and Private Forestry KI.

During 2004 and 2005 PIRSA Forestry established a number of growth plots in several farm forests. These are measured annually to monitor species growth rates and indicate to growers how fast their trees are growing, which species are performing the best, and guides management decisions.

There is a fact sheet on Establishing, managing and harvesting farm forestry on Kangaroo Island, which is an excellent resource for all farm foresters.

Other fact sheets can be found here - Publications Index.