Legislative Council Thursday 24 August 2017

Ms  FORREST question  to ACTING LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

With regard to the state-owned plantations estate -

(1)    How many hectares will be retained for future sawlog production?

(2)    Will these retained plantations -

         (a)   be thinned to a pruning and thinning regime; and

         (b)   be sufficient to maintain the sustainability of the resource and provide a level of supply that will assure commercial viability to sawmills?

(3)    Does the minister acknowledge it may be necessary and desirable to require around 9000 hectares of hardwood plantations earmarked to be sold to be high pruned in the second and subsequent rotations to ensure sustainability of the resource and provide a level of supply that will assure the commercial viability to sawmills?  If not, why not?

ANSWER

Mr Deputy President, I thank the honourable member for her question.  The answer is -

(1)    Sustainable Timber Tasmania has identified the plantation area required to meet future high quality sawlog production obligations under the Forest Management Act 2013.  Approximately 20 000 hectares of plantation has been retained which is currently managed for sawlog production.

(2)    The answers to this question are -

         (a)    The 20 000 hectares retained for sawlog production will be subject to pruning and thinning regimes.

         (b)    The sale area has been considered by Sustainable Timber Tasmania with regard to the areas it needs to retain productive capacity to meet future obligations to make available high quality sawlogs under the Forest Management Act 2013.  The sale area is in excess of these requirements and predominantly contains plantations that are not currently managed for the production of high quality sawlogs.

(3)  The sale area has been considered by Sustainable Timber Tasmania with regard to the areas it needs to retain productive capacity to meet future obligations to make available high quality sawlogs under the Forest Management Act 2013.  The sale area is in excess of these requirements and predominantly contains plantations that are not currently managed for the production of high quality sawlogs.  Therefore, there is no need to impose any silviculture obligations on the purchaser of the estate being sold.  The future silviculture management of the plantation estate being sold is a commercial decision for the purchaser and may be influenced by demand from sawmillers for plantation logs.

State-Owned Plantations - Retention for Sawlog Production (Question Two)

Ms  FORREST question  to ACTING LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 

With regard to the state-owned plantations estate -

(1)  Can the minister confirm how many hectares the most recent plantations planted with grants pursuant to the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement were used to grow thinned and pruned plantations for future sawlogs?

(2)  Can the minister confirm whether these trees will be retained and not sold as part of the 29 000 hectares earmarked for sale?

(3)  With regard to the 29 000 hectares of plantations earmarked for imminent sale, can the minister indicate how many hectares were established using funds from federal government grants and -

       (a)      if the hardwood plantations earmarked for sale were established to provide sawlogs using Australian government grants, has the minister insisted as part of the sale or as a condition of any forestry right that they be replanted after each rotation; and

       (b)      will any of the 29 000 hectares to be sold require an obligation for the right's owner to pursue a high pruned strategy to produce sawlogs in second and subsequent rotations?

ANSWER

Mr Deputy President, I thank the member for Murchison for her question. 

(1)  Forestry Tasmania established approximately 14 000 hectares of hardwood for plantation with funds provided under the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement.  As a consequence of growth performance and tree suitability, approximately 8000 hectares were pruned and thinned, or will be pruned and thinned in the future, for the production of sawlogs.  At the time of implementation of the TCFA program, there was still uncertainty around the productivity potential of converted native forest sites and their potential for plantation production. 

Forestry Tasmania relied on an objective assessment of site productivity, taking into account existing vegetation and soil properties.  It is only after plantations have been established that the growth potential becomes evident.  In most cases, where growth was inadequate, this was confined to sections on a plantation coupe and the majority of the coupe has continued to be managed on a sawlog regime.  This was factored into the original planning of the TCFA program.

(2)  The sale area has been considered by Sustainable Timber Tasmania with regard to the areas it needs to retain productive capacity to meet future obligations to make available high quality sawlogs under the Forest Management Act 2013.  The sale area is in excess of these requirements and predominantly contains plantations that are not currently managed for the production of high quality sawlogs. 

(3)   (a)   The sale area has been considered by Sustainable Timber Tasmania with regard to the areas it needs to retain productive capacity to meet future obligations to make available high quality sawlogs under the Forest Management Act 2013.  The sale area is in excess of these requirements and predominantly contains plantations that are not currently managed for the production of high quality sawlogs. 

The purchaser will be subject to all state legislation, including the Forest Practices Act 1985, that requires harvested areas are reforested.  Future silviculture management is a commercial decision for the purchaser. 

      (b)   The future silviculture management of the plantation estate being sold is a commercial decision for the purchaser.