Better Burnett

Last Wednesday, a group of landholders gathered in a patch of Spotted Gum and Narrow Leaf Ironbark forest to hear about what opportunities exist for forestry on private land – and how to go about cashing in on those opportunities!

The field day out at Monogorilby, hosted by Burnett Catchment Care Association BCCA together with Private Forestry Southern Queensland PFSQ was all about where private forests fit in with the closure of our local State Forests and some local mills.  Sean Ryan from PFSQ describes this as a crucial time for landholders to embrace their remnant vegetation and forest blocks to take the first steps in managing their forests, and investing in the future.  The demand for timber will soon exceed the supply so by undertaking appropriate forest management practices, private landholders can soon be the major suppliers of timber to our state and our nation.

More than 60% of the timber harvested in the Burnett comes from private land – but where will the remaining 40% come from once the State Forests close?  Private land.  There is a million dollar opportunity for landholders in the Burnett and Mary Catchments to invest in their timber.  The two catchments host the largest amount of remnant forests in Queensland, and will be looked to heavily to supply the rest with its timber.

If you’re interested in learning from native forest experts on how to manage your remnant vegetation with cattle production, the Vegetation Management Act and Forest Code of Practice as well as learning about marketing and treatment regimes, PFSQ are hosting a 5-day workshop running over 6 weeks to cover this and more.  Workshop will start at Slacks Hardwood Sawmill, Reids Creek, Gayndah on Wednesday 12 November, from 9am to 3pm.  To register for this, or for more information contact the BCCA office 4165 3551 or PFSQ office 5483 6535.