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FOREST RESOURCES The profile of the current forest resources in Gippsland has been reviewed based on interviews with private forest growers and public agencies, analysis of statistical information, and review of existing publications. The 4.6 million ha of Gippsland has 73% that is forest and 27% other uses, predominantly farmland and urban use (Table 2). Harvestable forest, including plantation, is 12% and custodial land managed by plantation growers is 1.2%. The custodial lands are mostly remnant native vegetation managed as reserves for biodiversity conservation, firebreaks and roads excluded from net planted area and fallow land waiting replanting. Over half (53%) of Gippsland is occupied by public native forest in parks, reserves and areas precluded from harvesting under the environmental constraints such as the Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production (Code) or because the areas are uncommercial. About 9% of Gippsland is private native forest of which one tenth (1% of Gippsland) is estimated to be harvestable. Public native forest harvestable under multiple use management occupies 9% of Gippsland and generates 45% of the region’s wood production. Plantations occupy only 2% of Gippsland yet deliver 54% of the region’s wood production. Table 2: Gippsland landuse and potentially harvestable forests
Of the 533 000 ha of harvestable forest, most of the wood production is confined to the 405 000 ha of harvestable public native forest and the 88 253 ha of plantations, given the very small contribution to wood production from private native forest. Most of the region’s harvestable native forests are publicly owned, with the balance being privately owned native forest. There is little available resource information on private native forest, and some inventory to provide a sound basis for sustainable management of these resources in the future is desirable. The majority (92%) of the plantation resources in the region are managed as large scale industrial plantations by private companies apart from 8% smaller scale farm woodlots managed by private land owners (Figure 2). About 12% of this woodlot category is owned and managed by Gippsland Water. The plantation managed by companies includes ca 50 000 ha (27 000 net planted ha) managed under perpetual licence and several thousand hectares of plantations on leasehold land rather than on freehold land. Figure 2: Proportion of Gippsland plantations under large and small scale management
Wellington Shire contains most of Gippsland’s plantations with 52%, followed by Latrobe 26%, East Gippsland 9%, Baw Baw 7% and South Gippsland 6%. South Gippsland and Baw Baw Local Government Authority (LGA) areas have a higher proportional representation of the smaller scale woodlots than the larger scale company plantations (Figure 3). Figure 3: Proportion of Gippsland’s plantations by LGA
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