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Forest Industries

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What is Forestry?

Radiata pine plantation.

Radiata pine plantation
Forestry is the science of planting and caring for trees and the planting and management of forests. Forests are a valuable source of income, employment and trade, as well as places where people can enjoy recreational activities.

Plantations are usually managed to ensure that the amount of timber cut each year does not exceed new tree growth and the rate of replanting. Plantations are harvested in a special pattern, depending on the age of the trees and on how much wood is needed.  Foresters try not to clear and replant huge areas of land, but instead leave trees of different ages in their plantations.

South Australia has over 167,000 hectares of plantations of which 74% is Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) with most of the remainder being Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus).

Eighty-three per cent of all plantations are in the south east of the state (138,000 ha). When combined with Western Victoria (160,000 ha) the area is known as the Green Triangle and is the second largest plantation area in Australia.

The largest forest grower in South Australia is the government-owned ForestrySA, with nearly 82,000 hectares of mostly pine plantations. Other major pine  growers include Auspine and Green Triangle Forest Products. Major blue gum growers include Timbercorp, ITC and Great Southern Plantations.

The Green Triangle also has sawmilling and wood processing industries that produce products including sawn timber, ply wood and particle board for construction, and woodchips for paper and bio fuels. In 2005, the Green Triangle’s timber industries employed more than 8,700 people both directly and indirectly and contributed nearly $800 million to the economy.

Plantation Forests in South Australia & Western Victoria (hectares)
Organisation Hardwood (99% Tasmanian blue gum) Softwood (99% Radiata pine) Mixed or other Total
ForestrySA Forest Reserves        
Wirrabara and Bundaleer 460 3186   3646
Mount Crawford 152 5301   5453
Kuitpo and Second Valley 108 5040   5148
South East 591 66964   67555
Private (Mt Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island) 8518 5918 143 14579
Private (South East) 32739 37395 617 70751
Total for South Australia 42568 123804 760 167132
Western Victoria 96815 62390 1424 160629
Source: ‘Australia’s Plantations 2006’ - Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

 

Forests and plantations contribute many things to society, the economy and the environment. These include:

  • Blue gum flowers

    Blue gum flowers.
    Products from trees:
    • Trunks - telegraph poles, piers for wharves and bridges, railway sleepers, posts for building and agriculture, timber for housing, furniture and boats, veneers for furniture and plywood, craft wood. Offcuts and waste are used for firewood or pulpwood.
    • Leaves - floristry, essential oils, extracts used for medicinal, cosmetic and industrial purposes.
    • Flowers, fruit and honey - a source of pollen and nectar for honey-producing bees, edible foods, seeds and floral decorations.
    • Large branches - woodchips, pulpwood, craft wood, firewood and essential oils. Cellulose for paper, rayon, cellophane, photographic film, biofuel, cardboard etc. Lignin for fertilisers, plastics, ceramics and tanning.
    • Bark - oil, dye, tannin, compost and medicines.
    • Saps - used in paints, varnishes, soaps, oils, waxes, explosives, printing inks, disinfectants, perfumes, chewing gum, glues and ointments.
    • Stumps - timber veneers, craft work, boat building and firewood. Can be distilled or treated to produce pine oil, resin, turpentine, charcoal and wood tar.
  • Recreation - walking, cycling, camping, horse riding, bushwalking and photography.
  • Nature-based tourism - activities such as walking, rafting, caving and guided tours in forests.  Generates employment, often in rural communities.
  • Ecotourism - tries to have as little impact on the environment as possible. It also encourages tourists to become more active in the conservation of the areas they are visiting and often includes education on ecology, culture and land use.
  • Education - about plants, animals, forestry, sustainability and the environment.
  • Grazing - farmers are sometimes allowed to graze their stock in well-established plantation forests (but not in newlyplanted ones because they would probably eat the seedlings!). This provides food for the animals and also helps to reduce the amount of potential fuel for fires on the forest floor.

Find Out More

National Association of Forest Industries - www.nafi.com.au

Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council - www.a3p.asn.au

Green Traingle Regional Plantation Committee - www.gtplantations.org