Forestry In Australia Research Articles

Farm Forestry in Australia: Improving Links Between Small-Scale Growers and Industry

ABSTRACT Commonwealth and State governments in Australia are attempting to increase the adoption of farm forestry to address pressing natural resource management and regional development issues. Farm forestry has the potential to provide substantial benefits to regions, principally by arresting land degradation, but also by diversifying farm incomes and contributing to industry development-particularly if timber processing occurs in a region. However, viable regional farm forestry industries are still to emerge. While some small-scale growers have developed farm forestry independently of industry or government assistance, most growers link with industry prior to harvest. These grower-industry partnerships have established 82,900 ha of forests, representing approximately 8% of Australia's plantation resource. Notwithstanding this success, market linkages between small-scale growers and industry has been identified as an important impediment to farm forestry. In this paper, the authors discuss their recent assessment of links between small-scale growers and industry in three important farm forestry regions in Australia. Linking arrangements are described and refinements suggested. The authors conclude that the extent farm forestry will deliver anticipated benefits to landholders and regional communities will largely be determined by the structure of markets.

Australian experiences of farm forestry

Farm forestry is increasingly promoted in many countries as a land-use option which is likely to provide benefits in terms of improving the viability of agriculture, developing additional timber resources for industry, and enhancing regional development. This paper draws upon experiences of farm forestry in Australia to identify some lessons for its development that may be relevant to other countries. The paper provides an overview of farm forestry in the Australian context and reports on a recent review of leading case studies to provide some insights into means of future development. Three case studies are included to illustrate the diverse nature, and multiple benefits sought, of farm forestry. The important requirements of landholders pioneering farm forestry relate to: managing risks, participating in research and development, contributing to information exchange, addressing key farm issues, developing in-depth farm knowledge, establishing links with government and/or industry, and contributing to long-term community values.

Socio-economic considerations for regional farm forestry development

Summary Farm forestry in Australia is increasingly promoted as a national strategy likely to deliver important benefits in terms of expanding opportunities for commercial wood production, assisting the move to more sustainable agriculture and enhancing regional development. While the benefits from farm forestry are often cited as social, economic and environmental in nature, there is little detailed analysis of the extent of the socio-economic benefits that will flow to regional communities. The authors argue that despite increasing interest by landholders, industry and government, it cannot be assumed that the benefits of farm forestry will necessarily be delivered to all stakeholders. As such, farm forestry development needs to be underpinned by adequate analysis of how regional stakeholders, particularly small-scale growers, are to benefit from farm forestry. In this paper the authors draw upon Australian and international experiences to present what they view as some of the key socio-economic considerations for regional farm forestry.

Farm forestry in Australia: review of a national program

Australia, like many other countries, is increasingly turning to farm forestry for its potential to address important economic, environmental and social issues at both the regional and national levels. However, despite its apparent multiple benefits, farm forestry adoption remains low, with less than 3% of all trees planted by farmers during recent years being for commercial timber production. The authors have recently completed an evaluation of the Australian government's Farm Forestry Program (FFP). That evaluation and a review of current literature are used to provide an assessment of the FFP. While the logic underpinning the program is sound, the authors identified a number of key findings from the evaluation and recommended areas for improvement. The FFP combined 26 projects to form an appropriate mix of community development and research activities and has made an important contribution to regional farm forestry. Despite important gains made by the FFP, viable regional farm forestry industries have not emerged. Whilst projects made a strong contribution to raising awareness of farm forestry, projects lacked a systematic approach to developing landholder knowledge and skills. Large numbers of demonstration sites were established with inadequate consideration given to monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of findings.

Urban forestry in Australia — the future

Urban forestry in Australia — the future

Forestry policy developments in the Australia-Pacific Region and their implications for Australia

Summary The way that the wood supply/demand outlook in the Pacific Region is evolving means that the future of forestry in Australia will be determined more by what happens outside Australia than within. Most of the presently accepted premises underlying forest policies in Australia will be obsolete within a decade or so. Only a drastic re-structuring to cost-effective market-directed policy can avert yet another crisis.

1. Strategies to promote private timber production

Summary This paper presents some preliminary ideas on the present position of private forestry in Australia. The broad term, private forestry, is disaggregated down into various components, to determine what is being done in each and by whom, the kinds of assistance available and from whom, and the major incentives and disincentives. Six groups of private forest owners are identified, each motivated by different objectives and with different available resources. We suggest though, that despite a plethora of incentive schemes, relatively little effort is put into assistance for anything but ‘core forestry’ Core forestry is what State forest services concentrate on—industrial plantations and managing native forests primarily for wood production, with hired or contracted labour and management. We suggest that incentive schemes designed to promote private forestry have often not addressed real constraints because they were never designed from the roots up, with the client—a prospective forest owner—in mind. They have rarely been specifically targeted and incentives offered are generally what was easiest or most familiar to core forestry. We conclude that so-called forestry incentive schemes for commercial wood production will continue to be ineffective unless they are specifically matched to the specific needs and resources of target groups of current and prospective forest owners, particularly in the area of marketing log output. Any schemes which are proposed and justified, should be designed from the client up. rather than from the head office down, because the needs of the forest owner, e.g. diversity and flexibility, are often divergent from the preference of the administrator, e.g. a single blueprint.

Wildlife conservation and softwood forestry in Australia: some considerations

Summary Conversion of large areas of native eucalypt forest to exotic conifer plantations in south-eastern Australia has met with considerable criticism from people and organizations outside the forestry industry. The effect on wildlife has been a particularly contentious issue. Recent research has shown that conifer plantations are not so-called biological deserts, but rather, simplified ecosystems designed to maximize wood production, which lack certain of the species of mammals, birds and plants present in mature native forest communities. Species numbers and population densities vary with stand age and the structural complexity of the vegetation, and particularly with the presence or absence of areas of native forest within or alongside the plantation. Consideration is given to the formulation of management policies for conifer plantations, commensurate with wildlife conservation. The application of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography for the design of retained areas of native forest within ...