North East Firewood Plantation Project
The Victorian Government made funding available, as part of the Box-Ironbark Project, to assist landholders establish plantations for firewood production.
The strategic establishment of tree plantations within the agricultural landscape provides and encourage the development of an important alternative resource for regional commercial firewood requirements.
The project offered landholders the opportunity to gain assistance to establish plantations for firewood production from 2004 to 2006. Assistance was provided in the form of ripping and in some cases mounding sites, as well as supplying and planting seedlings during the first year.
All trees and products from the plantation are the property of the landowner.
Benefits of Firewood Plantations
Woodlots can increase property values and provide a flexible, long term source of income. Through careful design, tree plantations can be integrated into farm planning to provide shade and shelter for stock and crops, thus enhancing agricultural systems.
Environmental benefits from firewood plantations include increased biodiversity, salinity control and carbon sequestration, as well as reducing firewood collection and subsequent habitat removal from roadsides and remnant native forests. Most importantly these plantations can contribute to the protection of our Box -Ironbark forests.
Firewood sourced from sustainably managed plantations (where trees are coppiced or replanted after harvest) is a renewable source of energy, unlike fossil fuels such as natural gas and brown coal. If firewood from renewable sources is used instead of fossil fuel-based heating, it could be regarded as reducing net greenhouse gas emissions.
Where?
Location of Plantations
The firewood project targeted the wood supply areas for Wangaratta, Beechworth and Chiltern. The project was open to landholders with suitable land in the proportion of the North East Catchment Management Authority region as shown in the map.
Private landholders and Committees of Management for suitable public land could apply for assistance under the scheme. Committees of Management sought approval from the statutory authority responsible for the land.
Plantation Area
The minimum plantation area was 2 ha and the maximum area was 30 ha.
Plantations were sited on cleared agricultural land. Sites that require the clearing of native vegetation (including native grasslands) were not be accepted. Sites had soils at least 1m potential rooting depth. Deeper soils are a definite advantage.
Priority was given to plantations that were:
- located in high recharge zones in salinity priority areas and provide multiple environmental benefits
- closer to the target towns of Wangaratta, Beechworth and Chiltern
- larger in area
Assistance
The North East Firewood Plantation Project co-ordinated and funded:
- Site inspections, including GPS mapping of all sites
- Ripping of the site planting lines
- Mounding of planting lines of sites larger than 5 ha
- The supply of seedlings
- The planting of seedlings
Landholder Responsibilities
- Identifying the planting area
- Choosing the firewood species to be planted – assistance is available.
- Having the site ready in preparation for ripping / mounding. This included:
- Contacting “Dial before you Dig” and obtaining plans of underground services before ripping commenced
- Locating any underground services and clearly marking and communicating their existence. The same applies to private assets such as water pipes etc.
- Removing all debris and existing man-made obstacles
- Removing long grass by grazing or slashing to allow effective ripping/ mounding.
- Controlling hard to kill perennials such as phalaris. This is preferably undertaken during spring/summer prior to planting.
- Constructing a stock proof fence around the plantation prior to planting, to ensure exclusion of stock for a minimum of 2 years.
- Undertaking pest control- particularly rabbits and hare control prior to planting,
- Weed control by spraying the planting area before planting.
- Undertaking any second cultivation of mounds to achieve a suitable planting bed - this may involve discing or rotary hoeing.
- Collection of seedlings from a nominated depot, and care of seedlings until planting (less than a month)
- Assisting the planting crews, by supplying seedlings to planters.
- Replanting of lost seedlings.
- Ongoing monitoring, maintenance and management of the plantation, which will usually involve weed control in the second year.
- Supply or erect tree guards
- Provide assistance for fencing
- Plant understorey seedlings
- Water-in seedlings (it is intended that the seedlings will be planted when ground conditions are moist),
- Replant lost seedlings
- Provide ongoing plantation maintenance
Other requirements
A Plantation Development Notice was obtained and lodged with the relevant shire prior to establishment. This Plantation Development Notice identified the plantation and indicates the intention to harvest.
Due to the large variation of rainfall and land type in the project area, a range of species were suitable for planting. Species planted were suitable for firewood production and to the site where they were established. More than one species could be planted on each site. The species chosen coppiced well to enable regrowth of the plantation.
An agreement detailing the responsibilities of both parties will be provided by the project and will need to be signed before works commences.
A plan for ongoing management will be negotiated and must be adhered to.
Species
A Species Guide to wood properties and the site requirements for potential firewood species.
Details of Plantation Establishment
Plantation Design
Planting lines were spaced 5 m apart, to provide easy access between the rows for subsequent operations. Trees were planted 3 m apart along the rows. This results in a planting density of 670 trees per hectare. This spacing is considered suitable for firewood production.
Weed Control
Spraying was the responsibility of the landholder. If the landholder is not able to undertake this spraying, numerous highly competent contractors were available in the region.
Weed control is the greatest single factor that will make the difference between a successful plantation establishment and growth, and a failure.
Recommendations for weed control
If possible, spray-top the plantation area before seed set in spring to reduce the seed load in the following planting year.
If perennial grass such as phalaris, couch, kikuyu etc exists in the plantation area, start controlling it as early as possible. It may take more that one application to control. Such grasses are very competitive and difficult to control once seedlings have been planted.
Before planting, spraying with a mix of a knock down and residual herbicides is required. The residual is important to ensure any weed germination occurring after planting is inhibited well into the summer period. This will mean that all the rain that falls in the spring will be stored in the soil and available to the tree seedling all through the summer.
Depending on the timing that ripping/mounding occurs and the timing of the autumn rains, it may be necessary to undertake an extra, earlier, knockdown herbicide application as well to keep weeds in control and to help conserve moisture in the planting bed.
A follow up spray application during the next autumn/winter after planting is likely to be beneficial to tree growth.
Grazing
No livestock can be grazed within the planted area for a minimum of 2 years. Appropriate stock may be grazed after this time if the trees are sufficiently large to withstand the grazing pressure. Crash grazing is preferable to stock having permanent access to the plantation.
Contacts
For further information on the program contact:
Philippa Noble
Department of Primary Industries
Wangaratta
Ph: 03 57 238 600
Email: philippa.noble@dpi.vic.gov.au
