Great Southern Private Forestry Development Committee WA

Timber 2020 Vision

Objectives

Activities and Achievements of the Association

Private Forestry Development Committees

Contact Details

Events

Introduction

Timber 2020 Inc
Great Southern Private Forestry Development Committee

SOUTH COAST & GREAT SOUTHERN REGION   Western Australia

Timber 2020 Incorporated is a Private Forestry Development Committee (PFDC), formed in 1992 with the stated objective of achieving the export of woodchips from the Port of Albany to Japan by 2002. That represented the emergence of an exciting new industry for the Great Southern Region of WA. Since 1992, over 155,000 hectares of Eucalyptus globulus or Tasmanian Blue Gum plantations, grown and managed specifically for pulpwood production have been established in the region. With ongoing market demand, alternate local processing industries are now being developed. 

There are 5 PFDCs in Western  Australia  located in the South West - Trees South West, Mid West - Trees Mid West, Avon - AVONGRO, www.avongro.com.au and Esperance/Goldfields region - South East Forest Foundation. PFDCs are supported by State G overnment funding contributions specifically from the Forest Products Commission and the Department of Agriculture & Food. A primary role of these committees is to promote, facilitate and coordinate the development of private forestry across regional Western Australia. Each PFDC has differing objectives depending on the stage of development of forestry in their region however, a common function of each PFDC is to provide a service delivery for community and/or industry engagement in order to promote the beneifits and opportunities of forestry. 

PFDCs are included in  the strategic imperatives of the national strategy and vision for plantations, Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision www.plantations2020.com.au. The cornerstone of the 2020 Vision is to treble the area of plantations to 3 million hectares by the year 2020 with a view to capturing economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits from a vibrant forest and forest products industry.

With Timber 2020 having achieved its original objective with the first shipment of woodchips to Japan from the Port of Albany in March 2002, it was appropriate to position the organisation to support the growth of the plantation industry by focusing attention consistent with maintaining a sustainable plantation industry into the future. Timber 2020 is assisting the industry towards further value-adding the resource by supporting planning, environmental, infrastructure needs and addressing a potential skills shortage. Timber 2020 is also addressing an urgent need to investigate opportunities for forestry development in the medium to dry rainfall zones of the region. The Committee developed a Dryland Industry Development Plan to provide guidance into investigating opportunities in this challenging area where salinity and soil acidity are major environmental impediments. The recent direction to address Climate Change and the focus on forestry's role in achieving benefits in this extensive climatic zone can make a big difference.

Timber 2020 Inc is a community and industry organisation with a broad membership from State and Local government agencies, industry and small business partners, community and conservation organisations. The membership contributes subsidiary funding and considerable in-kind support.

The daily function of T2020 is managed by a Management Committee:

• Chair Bill Hollingworth - Forester and proprietor of Quechinup Forestry and  Bandicoot Nursery
• Vice Chair Chris Pavlovich - Owner/Manager Southern Haulage Industries
• Honorary Treasurer Peter Green - Employment Recruitment Consultant with Skillhire
• Plantation Investment Managers- represented by Timbercorp Forestry and Integrated Tree Cropping  
• Local Government - Represented by the Shire of Plantagenet
• State Government - Represented by the Forest Products Commission, Department of Water, Great Southern Development Commission and the Department of Agriculture & Food WA       
• Service Providers - ATC Worksmart, Rural Project Services and Blu-Chip Harvesting
• Farm Forestry/Small Business - grower and farmer Rocky Gully 
• Processors - Represented by Plantation Energy and Albany Plantation Export Company 
• Executive Officer: Julia Levinson BSocSci; Grad Dip Regional Development  Master Tree Grower

Timber 2020 has a financial membership of up to 60 members. The Management Committee meets every 6 weeks with quarterly forums to discuss industry issues with invited guests from both inter and intra state. 

Timber 2020's forestry boundary includes 38,917 square kilometres of the Great Southern Region representing 1.5% of the state's total area, with a rainfall distribution of 350 - 1200mm. By the year 2008, over $2.5bn estimated investment in land and capital growth in commercial forestry, creating 700 full time and over 800 casual jobs in the region establishing the pulpwood industry as one of the region's biggest and most sustainable economic developments. 2008 will witness over 2.5 million tonnes of woodchips exported, establishing the Port of Albany (www.albanyport.com.au) as one of the five largest woodchip export ports in the world. 

The shires of Plantagenet , Denmark , Cranbrook , Jerramungup and the City of Albany play hosts to Blue Gums, either in plantations or grown in blocks or alleys integrated on farmland. A major consideraiton for local government is to ensure there is an efficient infrastructure and skilled workforce in place to cater for an industry which has grown at double the estimated growth at its commencement in 1992. Shire roads carrying log trucks need to be kept in good condition which is being addressed by a partnership working group the Timber Industry Road Evaluation Strategy or TIRES.

The 12 municipalities within the Great Southern have the potential to provide the region with a wide variety of private timber resource to supply a growing market. Eucalyptus globulus - Tasmanian Blue Gum, Pinus pinaster - maritime pine, Pinus radiata, oil mallees, and Santalum spicatum or southern sandalwood are the main species, with a growing amount of native and introduced species managed as integrated tree crops on previously cleared agricultural land. The Forest Products Commission's Strategic Tree Farming Group through the Action Plan for Tree Farming is targeting sawlog species in the medium rainfall area. Species selected are: E. cladocalyx - sugar gum, E. maculata - Spotted gum, E. saligna - Sydney blue gum, with a growing interest in E. occidentalis - flat topped yate www.fpc.wa.gov.au. Now that the State Government is committed to reduce the native forest timber supply, future timber hardwood and softwood products will be grown and harvested from private land.

Timber 2020 Inc Vision:

'That by the year 2020, a sustainable private forestry resource is in place to benefit the environmental, commercial and social needs of the people and landscape of the Great Southern Region of Western Australia'

Objectives of Timber 2020 Inc.

Economic: To encourage the development of commercial timber on previously cleared agricultural land for the purposes of export woodchips and higher value added products and to ensure that adequate infrastructure and a skilled workforce is in place to be investor, employer and export ready.

Environmental: To promote a diverse range of commercial species and forestry design across all soil types and rainfall zones in helping to rehabilitate degraded farmland.

Social: To provide independent information about the opportunities in forestry with respect to training, employment and small business and address concerns that are likely to be expressed.

For a copy of the Timber 2020 Strategic Plan, click here.

For a copy of the 2006-2007 Business Plan, click here.

Activities and Achievements of the Association

Promotion and Co-ordination

1995	Commonwealth Funding for Private Forestry Development Committees
1996	Timber 2020 tour to New Zealand Farm Forestry Conference - Palmerston North Active participation in the Commonwealth Vision for Forestry - The 2020 Vision
1998	Timber 2020 industry tour to Japan hosted by Oji Paper Company and Itochu Corporation, linking with our overseas partners
1999	Presentation at the AFG Cooperative Conference Brisbane
2000	Commencement of Partnership Marketing for Small Growers' Seminars with Green Skills Timber 2020 Wood Processing Industry Capability Study - 'to be investor ready'
2001	Presentation at the Bio-Energy Conference Roundtables for Renewable Energy in partnership with ACRE and Stanwell Corporation
2002	Presentation at the joint FAO/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management & Training 'Partnership in Forestry' Conference Brussels Member of the Plantation Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee - Hon Km Chance MLA Convenor of the Agroforestry Expo - Mt Barker Member of the committee of the Australian Forest Growers' National Conference Australian National Forest Growers Conference - Albany
2003	Focus on dryland farm forestry - Dryland Industry Development Plan Promoting sandalwood plantations Commencing the salt-land farm forestry project utilising Casuarina obesa - swamp sheoak funded under the NAP
2004	Introduced the Lignor Engineered Strand Lumber project as a world first for Australian eucalypt hardwoods
2005	Commencement of interest in a bio-energy Electricity plant using plantation green waste. Achieved $1.2M for the Lignor Project form the Forest Industries Structural Adjustment Package. Commencement of the Forest Training Centre
2006	Commencement of interest for Plantation Energy. The manufacture of energy pellets to Europe . Launch of the Albany Ring Road Stage 1 Menang Road diverting 90 heavy haulage movements per day away from centralised areas
2007	Sub-prime market affected investment
2008	Plantation Energy pelletising plant construction Great Southern Mallee Group formed Indigenous Forestry Strategy developed in collaboration with the National Indigenous Forestry Strategy Forestry industry School Based Traineeship Programme developed - 10 years 11 & 12

Ongoing liaison with - media, state government agencies, local government and community. Continued support for the Albany Ring Road, planning for infrastructure requirements, development of the Timber Processing Precinct.

Reports:

• Great Southern Timber Industry Strategy for integrated farm forestry 1993
• Farm Based Charcoal Industry Report 1996
• Communication Strategy 1996
• Tannin Industry opportunities with CALM 1996
• Desktop 'Employment Opportunities Plantation Woodchip Industry' 1997
• Wood Processing Industry Capability Study 2000
• Desk-top Study in to Renewable Energy options for the Great Southern 2002
• Dryland Farm Forestry Development Plan 2004
• Good Neighbour Charter 2004
• Industry Development opportunities:
• Biomass Renewable Energy Plant
• Great Southern Kraft Pulpmill
• Engineered Strand Lumber Plant
• Mobile chipping facility
• Export wood pelletising plant
• Mallees for energy production

Infrastructure issues - roads, rail - supported by the Great Southern Timber Industry Road Evaluation Strategy (TIRES)

Industry Development Opportunities

• Biomass Renewable Energy Plant
• Engineered Strand Lumber Plant
• Infrastructure issues - roads, rail - TIRES
• Mobile and static chipping
• Plantation Energy - pelletising plant
  

Training and Extension Services delivered through:

• Master Tree Grower Courses
• Forest Training Centre - harvesting and forwarder training
• Traineeships, Apprenticeships, VET in Schools programs and School Based Traineeships
• Local Community Partnership Program
  

Policy Assistance

• Tree Plantations Agreement Act
• State Sustainability Strategy
• Carbon Rights Legislation
• Heavy Haulage Road Transport Study
•  The Planation Industry Code of Practice
• Good Neighbour Agreement as stated in the Industry Code of Practice
• Lower Great Southern Planning Strategy
• Input into the National Plantation Enquiry
• Support the Strategic Imperatives of the Vision 2020
• State Strategy for Plantations and Farm Forestry
  

 Private Forestry Development Committees

Private Forestry Development Committees (PFDCs) have been established to promote, facilitate and coordinate farm forestry and plantations in all rainfall types in regional Australia . There are 21 PFDCs located in the most prospective forestry growing regions.

PFDCs are integral to the regional development of farm forestry and plantations industries and, since 1998, play a legitimate and increasingly important role in the sustainable management of private native forests. PFDCs are crucial to the implementation of the Plantations 2020 Vision and state plantation strategies.

PFDCs are working with local and regional stakeholders to:

• Address planning, infrastructure and co-ordination issues;
• Undertake feasibility studies;
• Develop regional plantation and farm forestry strategies to encourage commercial forest based industries in the region;
• Formulate related marketing, investment and woodflow plans;
• Improve information flows on marketing and management of plantations
• Help coordinate the efforts of landholders, industry, local and state governments.

In some regions, the Committees are expected to be involved in overseeing the co-ordination of regional farm forestry projects. These bodies provide an opportunity for farmers, industry and governments to effectively communicate with each other and collaboratively address issues of mutual concern. PFDCs are often integrated with regional bodies responsible for land and water planning, economic development planning and infrastructure development.

Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision aims to introduce the culture of plantations to a wider regional audience, where the focus is on local governments and the rural community. It is at the regional level that the success or failure of the 2020 Vision will be ultimately decided. The PFDCs are instrumental in achieving on-the-ground success in many of the Vision's actions.

Contact Details

Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to:

Timber 2020 Inc Private Forestry Development Committee Great Southern and South Coast Executive Officer PO Box 5305 ALBANY WA 6332 Or 444 Albany Highway ALBANY WA 6330 Mobile: 0427 416 681 Within Australia International Tel (08) 9892 8520 +61 8 9892 8520 Fax (08) 9841 2707 +61 8 9841 2707 http://www.timber2020.com.au E-mail jlevinson@agric.wa.gov.au