Another successful ‘Caring for our Country’ submission

‘Re-forest.net’ is the latest funding program to be granted to PFSQ

The Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country program has funded a new forestry extension and incentive program for South-east Queensland and Northern New South Wales. 

The Re-forest.net project will run until June 2013, providing free adult training, education and demonstration to over 500 landholders across the project region with the aim of increasing landholder capacity to establish and manage their planted timber resource.

 Re-forest.net will also help landholders to plant 180,000 commercial native eucalypt species by providing on-ground incentives and extension services. 

Farm Forestry is a viable commercial alternative for landholders in South-east Queensland who have unproductive and weed-infested paddocks that are too small for livestock and too large for the ride-on mower.

Interested participants for the program are encouraged to contact us via email (pfsq@bigpond.com) or phone 0754 836 535.

Read more about the program and see if you wish to participate

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The Re-Vegnet.au Project

The benefits of forest cover in our landscape are widely appreciated by rural and urban communities alike: soil rejuvenation, protection from erosion, landscape stability, wildlife habitat, livestock protection, timber production, hydrological stability, sequestration of carbon dioxide and production of oxygen, rural and urban employment and, not to be underestimated is the aesthetic value of a healthy forest. For whatever reason, a healthy and productive forest on your property can add enormous value to the farm enterprise and at the same time can provide recognised environmental services to the broader community.

There are many landholders throughout Queensland who have integrated forest management into their production systems and who now benefit from years of healthy forest production.

However, despite popular opinion, forests in the rural landscape require active management. No matter what your purpose for growing or managing forests, the same fundamental management principles are required so that your forest can be healthy and productive.

In October 2009 the Australian Government funded the Re-Vegnet.au project under the Caring for our Country Program for a four year period. Re-Vegnet.au is a consortium of groups comprising of Private Forestry Southern Qld, SEQ Catchments, Central Queensland Forestry Association and Terrain NRM

The map below gives an indication of the work in progress throughout the Burnett Mary Region. There have been new demonstration plots established, measurements of established plots have been taken, field days and workshops covering Fire Management and Forest Health and Management have been undertaken.

Landholders have been enthusiastic in their response to the education and training available and also the incentive funding which is available through the Re-vegnet.au program, which comes as a welcome boost to help undertake forest management on their properties.

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Private Forestry Southern Qld is in the process of applying for Australian Forestry Standard Accreditation

We’d like your comments 

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Find out what’s been happening through our  Re-Vegnet.au  program which you can access through the link . 

The first year has gone quickly and now we’re heading into the next year of one of the most ambitious Forestry dedicated programs seen in Queensland.

Dave Menzies (left) with the Silver Lining Foundation’s Forest Treatment gang at the presentation of the Certificates of Completion of the 5 Day Native Forest & Plantation Workshop. 

Lots of landholders have filled in our Survey which is the gateway to the Re-vegnet.au program.  So fill in the Survey and we will contact you; you may be eligible for Federal funding for your forest maintenance 

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BEEF TALK NEWSLETTER

Re-Vegnet.au was developed to address the condition, productivity and extent of the private forest resource along the east coast, particularly those within the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef, Great Sandy Straights and Moreton Bay. It is well documented these forests are generally in poor condition both from a productivity and environmental perspective, with grossly overstocked stands resulting in little ground cover and very low growth rates. Much of these forests are also on highly erodible Sodic soils and are grazed under multiple farm enterprises.

The project progresses through a logical flow from definition of best management forest practice, mapping and risk assessment of priority areas, the improvement in skill and capacity building of landholders, developing property management plans that mitigate the risks and the implementation of those plans via an incentive program for on ground works.

In the 8 months the project has been in place, 466 landholders have attended field days and seminars on native forest management, fire management, plantation development or harvesting and product identification. 69 Forest management Plans have been completed with 69 landholders receiving incentive payments to assist them to thin 3 500 ha of forest to improve its health, productivity and ground cover. The project has a target to complete 5250 ha of forest treatment each year for the next three years.

To participate in the Re-vegnet.au program first complete the on-line 4 page survey at www.pfsq.net. By completing the Forest Management survey, you are helping us to design an extension and education program relevant to the needs of landholders in your region, obtain more accurate information on native forest and plantation under management and the type of assistance required to maximise management of your forest resource. The information that you provide in the survey is strictly confidential. Your personal details will be used to assess your eligibility for the incentive program; to contact you regarding upcoming events; and to assist you with property management planning should you continue with the program. Over 100 landholders have completed the survey to date.

To date the project has developed a system for the rapid assessment of forest condition. It is an A-D system similar to the DPI’s GLM Land Condition and is a direct reflection of the health and productivity of a forest. Based on this system a Forest in A condition in a 900mm rainfall area may be able to produce 1m³/ha/yr however a forest in the same area in D condition will have a productivity rating as low as .1m³/ha/yr.

One of the keystones of the project is the development of 9 demonstration sites throughout the project regions. Demonstration sites will be developed in conjunction with participating landholders, who will be given the opportunity to develop their forest management skills. By supporting and promoting a network of ‘champion’ landholders the Project will provide a working example of best practice forest management to surrounding landholders and the broader communities. Three demonstration sites have been completed so far, at Atherton, Bororen and Gympie. Each of these sites have permanent growth measurement plots and ground cover transects within them to gather growth data over time. This data will be critical to demonstrate that a managed forest has a much higher degree of health and productivity than an unmanaged forest. The new sites are in addition to nine existing sites.

The project is funded to run for the next three years and will continue to run field days on regrowth management, optimising growth rates, fire management, grazing land management in a forest environment and sustainable harvesting processes including product recognition and maximising returns with the aim to encourage landholders to manage their forests. Assistance is available to complete forest management plans for their properties and to assist with the implementation of that plan via an incentive based program.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out the survey so far.

The survey is still open. Landholders wishing to be involved in Re-veg,net.au are encouraged to take part in the survey.

A few teething problems with the survey have been ironed out. Thank you to those who have pointed them out to us. If you have had problems completing the survey and wish to start again, email pfsq@bigpond.com and we can re-set your submission.

Survey instructions:

1. The demographic questions are the only mandatory questions. You will not be able to proceed to the next page unless this section is completed. The demographic information is important as it is our means of contacting you regarding the project.
2. There are three pages to the survey. Click next at the bottom right hand corner to proceed to the next page.
3. When you have completed the survey click ‘done’, it will be automatically submitted via Survey Monkey. There is nothing more for you to do.

Once you have completed the survey we will be contacting you with further information about the project and how you can be involved.

Thank you, once again for your time and your patience.

Click here to take survey