Plantations provide a good economic return
Plantations provide a good economic return to the tree grower
which can exceed that of traditional farming. The initial plantation start up
cost can be up to $1500 per hectare, however this can be reduced by the amount
of work a tree grower is prepared to do himself/herself. A typical blue gum
pulpwood plantation can yield around 240 tonnes per hectare at age 12, at a sale
price of about $20 per tonne. With all costs included, the return from this
type of plantation could be around 10-12% per annum. A pine or eucalypt sawlog
plantation is likely to yield a higher return than a eucalypt pulpwood
plantation, however it may take 25-30 years before a return is achieved.
Plantations provide shelter for stock
Plantations grown in conjunction with normal farming
enterprises provide shelter for stock. Shelter increases productivity by
protecting stock from cold winds allowing more energy to be diverted into meat
or wool production. Plantations also provide shade, lowering the stress levels
of the animals during hot summer days again making stock more productive.
Plantations are a great place to put sheep after shearing to prevent losses from
adverse weather conditions whilst they acclimatise to having their fleeces
removed.
Plantations provide employment for rural youth
The average farmer is now in their late 50’s and there is a
slow uptake rate of young farmers to replace those retiring. Plantations
provide opportunities and employment for rural youth as plantation
establishment, management, harvesting and processing is very labour intensive.
Establishment tasks include weed control, site preparation, planting,
fertilising, and browsing animal control. Plantations require management
throughout their life providing further employment through mapping, fire break
maintenance, thinning, pruning and insect control. When plantations are
harvested they require people to harvest them, cut the logs, load them onto
trucks, transport them to the mill and turn them into their final product
whether that is paper, timber, veneer or biofuels.
Plantations provide biodiversity
Most plantations are established on previously cleared land.
This forms a significant increase in biodiversity as most of the species that
existed on the farmland will still exist in the plantation. In addition
plantations provide habitat for many birds and animals that would not have
existed whilst the land was being used for traditional farming. Native spiders
string their webs between the trees removing insects, and in turn they become
food for native birds. Wombats, kangaroos, wallabies and bandicoots all live
amongst pine and eucalypt plantations, and native grasses and shrubs colonise
the under storey once the plantations are established and the seed moves in from
the surrounding areas. Plantations, especially those containing eucalypt
species are not the monoculture that many people believe. Plantations provide
connecting vegetation between existing native forest for animals to safely pass
through as they travel between native vegetation patches.
Plantations require less chemicals than traditional agriculture
Plantation establishment is very intensive. To achieve the
best growth performances it is important to control competing weeds in the first
18 months of establishment. Plantation forestry uses herbicide applications in
this initial crucial period to control the weeds, however for the rest of the
plantations life, chemicals are unlikely to be used at all. For most
plantations, this means one or two applications in the first 18 months and no
more for approximately 10-35 years. In contrast, to grow crops, the land
manager may apply chemicals to control weeds on two occasions every year.
Plantations reduce salinity
Much of Australia’s native forest has been cleared since
European settlement, and this has caused a rise in the water table in many
areas, bringing salt to the surface and rendering the land useless. Plantations
grown in the recharge zones reduce the amount of water flowing through the
subsoil system. This helps prevent the water table rising any further and can
reduce the water table by effectively ‘switching off the tap’ that feeds the
groundwater system.
Plantations provide economic prosperity for the region
Plantations in Gippsland occupy 1.9% of the land mass and
generate $630 million in direct economic activity. This economic activity
generates employment just under 1,500 direct jobs, making the industry one of
the largest employers in the region.
Plantation harvesting retains most nutrients on site
When plantations are harvested, generally only the wood is
removed from the site. Most of the nutrients are contained in bark and leaves
which are kept on site and returned to the soil. In contrast, the production of
most agricultural products removes the most nutritious part of the plant, as
this is what is demanded for human consumption. In agriculture, removal of
products is every year, however with forestry, products are generally only
removed between 1 and 3 times in a rotation, which may vary between 10 and 35
years.
Plantations don’t acidify the soil
Plantations don’t make the soil acidic, and it has been shown
on a number of occasions that after the trees are harvested, the land can be
turned back into productive farmland if the landowner wishes to do so.
Plantation management reduces fire risks
Plantations are a very valuable asset to the tree grower.
Tree growers undertake intense management to protect these assets from fire by
preparing and maintaining firebreaks around and within plantations. Large
plantation companies often contribute to local CFA brigades and have their own
industry brigades.
Plantation companies provide farmers an option to leave the land for a fair
price
Returns from some farming activities have been gradually
declining for a number of years, and there have been few entrants into the
agricultural businesses. Plantation companies offering to buy land from farmers
gives them an opportunity to sell the land for a fair price if they wish to do
so.
Plantations have equitable tax treatment with other agricultural enterprises
The Australian Tax Office treats plantations the same as any
other form of primary production. Expenses occurred in establishment and
management, regardless of whether it is wheat, corn or trees is tax deductible.
Any proceeds when the crop is harvested are liable to be taxed.
Plantations absorb greenhouse gasses
With the greenhouse effect looming through the accumulation
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, plantations are a greenhouse friendly
land use. Plantations absorb carbon dioxide (the most significant greenhouse
gas) from the atmosphere and store it in the cellulose that makes up wood. A
tree growing in a plantation can absorb around 7kg of carbon dioxide per year,
which equates to around 7 tonnes per hectare. Once the tree is harvested, much
of this carbon dioxide stays locked up in timber used in construction or in
paper and other forest products, and may never be returned to the atmosphere.
Plantations improve water quality
Plantations intercept fast flowing water as it runs through
the soil. This slows down the flow of water, and reduces the amount of sediment
that it carries. This has the effect of improving water quality, and making
water runoff more even. After a heavy rain, water will run off cleared land
very quickly and will often be brown and dirty. Plantations even this flow out
providing a steady flow of clear clean water for many days after heavy rain.
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