Harvesting

Harvesting operations may be carried out at one or more stages during the life of a plantation. This may include several thinning operations, or clearfelling the original plantation in one operation.

Relevant Guiding Principles: Timber Harvesting, Principles of Environmental Care, Safety

Mandatory Requirements

Heritage values are to be protected during harvesting operations.

Commonwealth

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
  • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

State

  • Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988
  • Heritage Places Act 1993

Endangered and vulnerable plants and animals in areas adjacent to plantations are to be protected during harvesting.

  • National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

Native vegetation is to be protected from damage during the felling of plantation trees.

  • Native Vegetation Act 1991
  • Native Vegetation Regulations 2003

Water resources and native vegetation are to be protected from soil erosion events.

  • Natural Resources Management Act 2004
  • Environmental Protection Act 1993
  • River Murray Act 2003

Fire risk must be identified and managed during harvesting operations.

  • Fire and Emergency Services Act 2005

Harvesting must be carried out in a safe manner, by competent operators that have received the appropriate certificate of proficiency, and with safe equipment and machinery.

If harvesting could endanger the safety of any person working or utilising the area or internal roads/tracks, clearly visible signs are required to be erected.

Harvested material must be loaded, transported and unloaded in a safe manner.

  • Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986
  • Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1995, Division 5.7 – Logging
  • Road Traffic Act 1961

Industry Practices

Planning

Sequencing of harvest events through the year requires forward planning to manage operations, logistics and business objectives for processing and marketing.

Planning must occur well in advance and consider:

  • location and boundaries of the area/s to be harvested
  • specifications of buffer and filter zones, and other set back areas (Appendix 6 – Buffers and Filter Zones for Forest Operations)
  • location of roads (internal and public), tracks and log landings to be used
  • potential period during which harvesting is to occur (season/time of year)
  • soil disturbance and waterflow management
  • neighbour/other forest user considerations (systems for warning of hazards from harvesting and heavy vehicle traffic, noise, dust)
  • type of harvesting operation and equipment (felling) operation, tree marking)
  • any communication requirements with other stakeholders.

Consideration should be given to second rotation management options prior to harvesting to ensure appropriate systems are put in place to meet the objectives of the business.

Operation

Machinery, equipment and harvesting systems appropriate to the site and the production requirements should be used.

Appropriate haulage systems and roading networks with linkages to existing external roads should be developed.

Appropriate machinery and equipment should be used to load and transport harvested material from the site.

  • Approved Code of Practice for Logging Stanchions and Bulkheads 1991

Soil and Water Resources

There should be minimal soil disturbance, soil compaction and impact on water run-off as a result of harvesting operations. Some factors to be considered include:

  • timing (season) of harvesting operation
  • site characteristics (slope, soil type and watercourses)
  • extraction and haulage routes
  • load sizes
  • machinery movements.

Extraction and haulage operations should be suspended when the soil has become saturated with water, and when there is likelihood of off site impact on water quality.

Determine unacceptable levels of soil damage caused by wheel tracks prior to the harvesting operation. Soil damage that exceeds this level should be stabilised and repaired as soon as possible.

Extraction of harvested product should cease whenever water is running in extraction wheel tracks.

Once harvesting operations are completed, steps should be taken to ensure water flow is not concentrated down wheel ruts.

Culverts or drains should not be blocked or water flow impeded during harvesting operations. Routine maintenance of culverts and drains should be scheduled.

During harvesting operations, precautions must be taken to minimise the number of trees that are felled into drainage lines, watercourses, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and sinkholes. Treetops should be removed if they do fall into these areas.

Machinery must not enter watercourses and wetlands except at properly constructed crossings, and movement across drainage lines should be minimised.

There may be cases where forest plantations have historically been planted in a buffer zone. In such cases these trees may be felled following an appropriate risk assessment for the protection of soil and water quality.

Harvest Management

Harvesting managers should:

  • Ensure adequate track and site access at all times.
  • Ensure that operators are aware of their environmental care responsibilities during harvest operations.
  • Monitor the impact of the operation on the remaining plantation, including the impact of soil compaction on productivity and the affect of wheel rutting on tree stability. This may result in the suspension of harvesting operations.
  • Consider impacts on neighbours and other relevant stakeholders regarding hours of operation, noise, dust, traffic movements and possible changes to public road surfaces where trucks or machinery enter and exit.

Post Harvest

Consideration should be given to slash management to maintain appropriate organic matter levels in the soil, prevent soil erosion events and manage fire risk. For further information see Section 4.1.1 Soil Resource and Section 7.2 Fire Prevention and Management.

Progressive rehabilitation of tracks, roads, landings, and other earth works associated with the harvesting operation is required. For further information see Section 8.1 Road Construction and Maintenance.