sustainable forest management - Forestry Tasmania

2008 REPORT
sustainable forest management

stewards of the forest
Sustainable Forest Management Policy
Forestry Tasmania is an internationally competitive forest land manager responsible for the management of Tasmania’s state forest resource.
Forestry Tasmania is committed to continual improvement and ensuring that this resource is managed sustainably through the application
of forest management practices that are environmentally sound, socially acceptable and economically viable.
Under this policy, Forestry Tasmania will:
• Conduct operations to meet or exceed all relevant Australian and Tasmanian environmental and forest management legislation,
standards and codes.
• Actively engage with stakeholders and neighbours and encourage them to provide feedback on Forestry Tasmania’s progress in
sustainable forest management.
• Maintain a Forest Management Plan that outlines Forestry Tasmania’s strategic aims and goals.
• Undertake and promote collaborative research that will ensure that operational practices are underpinned by sound science.
• Maximise product recovery, minimise waste and implement measures that strive to prevent pollution as a result of forest operations.
• Maintain a comprehensive forest management system that is externally certified against ISO14001 and the Australian Forestry Standard
(AS4708).
• Regularly monitor, audit, review and publicly report on our forest performance.
• Clearly define and communicate environmental and forest management responsibilities to our employees and to support them with
training and appropriate resources to ensure those responsibilities are fulfilled.
• Encourage and facilitate compliance with environmental and sustainable forest management standards by suppliers, contractors, and
the users of state forests.
Bob Gordon
Managing Director
November 2007
This policy supersedes our SFM Policy dated August 2003

contents
Forestry Tasmania
GPO Box 207
Hobart, Tasmania 7001
Phone 1800 - FOREST
www.forestrytas.com.au
forestrytasmania@forestrytas.com.au
ABN 91 628769 359
ISSN 0818 4797
Published November 2008
Cover: Leigh Edwards, a Senior Silvicultural Technician
with the Native Forest branch of DFRD, admires a
blackwood within the Warra Long Term Ecological
Research site.
Contact us:
General enquiries: 1800 FOREST
Tourism enquiries: 1300 720 507
Promoting sustainable forest management
www.pefc.org
www.forestrystandard.com.au
This publication (excluding cover) has been printed
on Australian Government Greenhouse Friendly ENVI
paper that is produced in Tasmania according to the
highest level of international environmental standards
from timber sourced from Tasmanian forests that have
been produced certified by the against Corporate the Relations Australian & Tourism Forestry Branch Standard of Forestry Tasmania
(AS 4708:2007)
Overview – Forestry Tasmania 4
Reporting scope and structure 5
From the Managing Director 6
2007/08 Performance Summary 8
Biological Diversity 10
Permanent forest estate 10
Reserves and protected areas 12
Oldgrowth 15
Threatened species management 18
Forests now and into the future
Productive capacity 19
Sustaining timber production 19
Wood quality 21
Plantations 22
Product recovery 24
Special species timbers 24
Native forest regeneration 26
Non-timber values 29
Ecosystem health and services 30
Forest health surveillance 30
Wildfires 32
Chemical pesticides 33
Environmental quality monitoring 34
Forest carbon and climate change 36
Working with our stakeholders 39
Delivering socioeconomic benefits 39
Understanding the areas we need to work on 42
Provision of tourism and recreation facilities 43
Cultural heritage management 44
Forestry Tasmania’s contribution to the economy 45
Forest estate value 47
Creating a safe workplace 48
Regulatory environment 49
Continuous improvement 49
Forest Practices Act 1985 49
Workplace Health and Safety Act 50
Other legislation 51
Monitoring and auditing 51
Research 52
Where to from here? 53
Appendix one - data tables 54
Tell us what you think 65

o verview: FORESTRY TASMANIA
Our organisation
Tasmania is an island of 68,331 square kilometres and
outstanding natural beauty located 240 kilometres below
the south-east corner of the Australian mainland. It is
Australia’s southernmost State. Tasmania has a population
of 497,312 people (ABS, Sept 2008), and benefits from
a temperate climate. Tasmania is rich in natural assets,
including forests and is the most forested state in Australia.
Its relatively unspoilt beauty attracts visitors from all over
the world.
Forestry Tasmania holds a very special position in the
Tasmanian community as the people, through the
Parliament, have entrusted the care of 1.5 million hectares
(40 per cent of Tasmania’s forests) of state forest to Forestry
Tasmania.
This is a responsibility that we accept with great pride. On
behalf of the Tasmanian people, we seek to optimise the
environmental, social and economic benefits from the
forest asset that we manage. Most importantly, we seek
to hand on to the next generation of Tasmanians a forest
asset in even better health and value than the forest this
generation inherited.
Of the state forest area managed by Forestry Tasmania,
87 per cent is forested and includes 592,700 hectares of
native forest that is available for wood production, 293,400
hectares of native forest outside production areas, 105,900
hectares of plantations (53,200 hectares of softwood and
52,700 hectares of hardwood). A portion of the plantation
estate is in joint venture with private investors or customers,
including buyers of finished forest products. The rest of
the area is protected in either formal reserves (222,200
hectares) or informal reserves (295,600 hectares).
Many agencies and landowners manage the other 60 per
cent of Tasmania’s forests. The national parks are managed
by the Parks and Wildlife Service division of the Department
of Tourism, Art and the Environment. Private individuals
and companies manage the rest for commercial and
conservation purposes.
Approximately 3.8 million cubic metres of sawlog and
pulpwood were harvested from state forest in 2007/08,
generating around $252 million based on the price paid by
our customers for logs delivered “at the mill door”. Forestry
Tasmania directly employs 519 staff and approximately
1274 contract employees.
39%
20%
3% 4%
Forestry Tasmania’s sustainable forest management
performance is independently audited against three
certification standards: namely the Australian Forestry
Standard (AFS) (AS4708); Environmental Management
Standard (ISO 14001); and the Occupational Health and
Safety Standard (AS4801). The AFS is endorsed through
the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
schemes (PEFC). PEFC is a global umbrella organisation
for the assessment and mutual recognition of national
forest certification schemes developed through a multistakeholder
process.
15%
Find out more about forest certification at:
www.forestrystandard.org.au
www.pefc.org
19%
Hardwood Plantations
Softwood Plantations
Formal Reserves
Native Forest Outside Wood Production
Areas
Informal Reserves
Native Forest Wood Production Areas
(The above percentages are based on areas as at 30th June 2008 that include Buckland Military Training Area
and exclude Forestry Tasmania managed plantations on private land).

eporting scope & structure
This is our eighth Sustainable Forest Management Report
and we believe that this is one of the most effective
mechanisms through which we can communicate our
forest management performance with our internal and
external stakeholders in an open and transparent manner.
Through the contents of this report, we aim to highlight
the areas where we have been successful in improving our
performance and acknowledge those areas where more
focus and improvement is required. We recognise that
sustainable forest management is not the achievement of a
certain status or performance level, but rather a continuing
journey of improving our understanding of ecological
functioning and ensuring that this knowledge is used to
underpin our operational practices.
The scope of this report covers all the processes and
activities involved in the management of state forests by
Forestry Tasmania. This includes forest land management,
road establishment and maintenance, plantation and native
forest timber establishment and maintenance, timber
harvesting and sales, tourism and recreation management
and development. In the case where Forestry Tasmania
is a joint venture partner, eg. Taswood Growers, (joint
venture between Forestry Tasmania and GMO Renewable
Resources), Forestry Tasmania’s share of its contribution or
benefits is reported.
The performance summary section of this report provides a
summary of Forestry Tasmania’s overall performance. This
summary is a subset of our overall performance against our
set sustainable forest management objectives, targets and
indicators.
Supporting the text contained within each of the five main
forest management sections making up this report are
a number of case studies, which provide an overview of
specific forest management topics. In order not to make
the report too technical, a number of tables containing
long-term trend data have been placed at the end of this
report (Appendix one).
The ‘tell us what you think’ section has been produced in an
easy to remove format in order to encourage feedback and
comments that will assist in the further improvement of this
report.
The ‘where to from here’ section provides an overview of
Forestry Tasmania’s challenges and priorities for 2008/09.
The relationship of this report with our new
Sustainability Charter
Forestry Tasmania has prepared a Forest Management Plan
in accordance with the Forestry Act. Previously, 10-year
District Forest Management Plans (DFMPs) were prepared
for each of our districts and annual progress against
these were reported through individual District Forest
Management Plan Reports.
With the imminent expiry of these DFMPs, we have been
developing our new Forest Management Plan. In line with
our objective of seeking alignment and simplification of our
forest management systems and reporting requirements,
a decision was taken to prepare one plan that would
address all of state forest. This new plan has been titled The
Sustainability Charter: Forest Management Plan 2008 and
came in force from 1 November 2008.
The Sustainability Charter is a more high level document
than the previous DFMPs and reflects the increased
requirements of managing Tasmania’s state forests for all
values - economic, social and environmental.
With the 2007/08 reporting year being the final year for
preparing District Forest Management Plan Reports, our
new reporting framework (effective from 2008/09) will be to
use this report to communicate the progress made against
the objectives and management aims contained in the
Sustainability Charter.
View our Sustainability Charter at:
www.forestrytas.com.au
5

from the MANAGING DIRECTOR
In order to gain a genuine understanding of the many
points of view held by people throughout Tasmania and
to explain what Forestry Tasmania was doing both at a
corporate and a regional level, the 2007/08 year saw a
continuation of open discussions with members of the
public. In partnership with Southern Cross Television, we
established a new statewide program to sponsor worthy
individuals and organisations titled – Community Assist.
Through the receipt of submissions and public comments
we have been able to prepare our Sustainability Charter
that will set the overall strategic direction for state forests
over the coming decade. This Charter commits Forestry
Tasmania to environmental stewardship of our forests as
well as jobs and downstream processing.
To complement the extensive trials into variable retention
at our Warra Long Term Ecological Research Site, the
Forestry Tasmania Board engaged five international science
advisors to provide advice on Forestry Tasmania’s research
into alternatives to clearfelling in old growth forests. This
initiative was complemented by the highly successful Old
Forest, New Management Conference that has provided
us with valuable international perspectives and helped the
development of this new harvesting system.
Following Rayonier’s decision to focus its resources on
managing properties in which they have an ownership
interest, a New Zealand company, Timberlands was
selected as the new manager of the softwood joint venture
between GMO Renewable Resources and ourselves.
Given Timberlands’ proven track record, the quality of
their operations and their sole focus on contract forest
management we trust that this softwood resource will
continue to be managed to a very high standard.
It has been very encouraging to see Forestry Tasmania’s
tourism strategy delivering regional employment and
investment through the development of major attractions
in key locations around Tasmania. The opening of Hollybank
Treetops Adventure marked yet another successful tourism
project in Tasmania’s state forests. In the case of our latest
development, the Adventure Hub at Maydena we will
be trying something different in that Forestry Tasmania
will develop some infrastructure but will then engage in
partnerships with the private sector that recognise the
endless opportunities in this area.
With Forestry Tasmania being one of the key suppliers of
special timbers to people who work in and depend on this
resource, we have commissioned the most comprehensive
study ever undertaken of Tasmania’s woodcraft industry
in association with the Woodcraft Guild Tasmania Inc. This
study will evaluate resource needs, employment, and
the economic value of the industry to ensure its future
direction.
After a three-year review, Standards Australia gave the
Australian Forestry Standard its seal of approval. This full
recognition and endorsement of the forest management
standard used by Forestry Tasmania should provide extra
reassurance to Tasmanians that their state owned native
forests are being sustainably managed.
The release of a report on employment and spending by
the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry highlighted
the importance of the forest industry to Tasmania’s
Looking up at a cloud station -
Hollybank Treetops Adventure

economy, employment and regional areas. The report
emphasises the importance of native forestry in particular,
which makes up 63 per cent of the forest industry’s jobs,
and highlights the very important contribution the industry
is making to local economies in smaller communities across
the State.
In line with our goal to see more and more value-added
manufacturing taking place here in Tasmania rather
than overseas, Forestry Tasmania and other stakeholders
celebrated the end of the commercial shipment of
unprocessed logs by Forestry Tasmania from the port
of Hobart. In addition to contributing to more jobs in
Tasmania and greater value generated from the same
sustainable volume of harvest, the fewer trips by logging
trucks not only reduces the impact of trucks on local
highways on city streets, but also reduces the amount of
carbon dioxide being released through fuel consumption.
Bob Gordon
Managing Director
November 2008
7

2007/08 PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
Below is an overview of Forestry Tasmania’s performance
for 2007/08. This is as measured against our sustainable
forest management performance objective and targets.
A more comprehensive summary of our detailed trend
data is available in Appendix one.
✓ Positive performance as based on progress against
our targets and indicators.
X More effort is required to improve our performance.
Biological diversity
✓ On 1 June 2007, Forestry Tasmania announced the
end to the practice of converting native forests to
plantations. This announcement exceeded the target
set by the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement
to phase out conversion of native forests on public
land by 2010.
✓ Good progress continues to be made in the
development of alternatives to clearfelling. In
2007/08, partial logging, including variable retention
contributed to 67 per cent (1424 hectares) of the
total oldgrowth area harvested (2114 hectares).
✓ Four research projects were undertaken that
specifically covered threatened species (flora and
fauna).
Productive capacity
✓ A total of 304,000 m 3 of high quality sawlog was
supplied to Forestry Tasmania’s customers. This
volume is within the sustainable production level as
was confirmed by the preparation of the 2007 fiveyearly
review of sustainable high quality eucalypt
sawlog supply from Tasmanian state forest as
required under Clause 98 of the Tasmanian Regional
Forest Agreement (RFA).
✓ An additional 3179 hectares of hardwood
plantation was created bringing the total hardwood
plantation estate to 52,718 hectares.
✓ Out of the 10,207 hectares of native forest
regenerated, 98.1 per cent (10,010 hectares) met the
prescribed standard.
X 8400 ha (3100 hectares of clearfelled area and 5300
hectares of partially harvested area) was treated
for site preparation. 89 per cent of this area (94 per
cent of clearfell and 86 per cent partial harvest areas
respectively) achieved the site preparation quality
standard. This reflects a slight decrease of four per
cent on the previous year’s achievement.
✓ 141 hectares of commercial native forest thinning
was completed, 133 hectares of which met the
quality standard. This is an achievement rate of 94
per cent and compares highly favourably with the
five-year average of 50 per cent.
X In the 2007/08 year, 3387 hectares was sown with
eucalypt seed. 1435 ha (42 per cent) of this area
achieved the seed provenance quality standard.
This is a six per cent decrease when compared
with the five-year average of 48 per cent of area
achieving the standard. The main cause of not
achieving the desired standard was as a result of
insufficient on-site seed being available.
X From the post logging residue assessments
conducted in 93 harvesting areas, the standard of
less than five merchantable tonnes per hectares was
achieved in 92 per cent of the areas sampled. This
represents a five per cent decrease on last year’s
performance.
Ecosystem health and services
✓ Following the cessation of the use of 1080, native
forests managed by Forestry Tasmania are generally
chemical free, as pesticides (herbicides, insecticides
and fungicides) are only used in exceptional cases
where introduced weeds, pests and disease pose an
unacceptable risk to the environment.
✓ For commercial eucalypt and pine plantations,
pesticides are required to reduce weed and pest
infestations to acceptable levels. All of the 139 water
samples collected and submitted for independent
testing following the application of pesticides were
free of chemicals.
X The ratio of Spinosad (Forestry Tasmania’s preferred
organic insecticide used instead of cypermethrin) has
shown an unfavourable decline over the past three
years. In other words, the area treated with Spinosad
over the three-year period 2005/06 to 2007/08 was 29
per cent, three per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively.
✓ Through correlation of the days on which Forestry
Tasmania was conducting planned burns, it is unlikely
any of these high intensity burns contributed to
the Air Quality Particulate Standard (PM 10 ) being
exceeded.

X As a result of 18 recorded fuel and chemical spills, the
total volume of spills recorded in 2007/08 was 597 litres,
with seven of these being greater than 20 litres. Two
spills made up the majority of this volume, with the
largest spill being 200 litres of hydraulic oil released as
a result of a broken hydraulic fitting at the Southwood
merchandiser. In the second, 150 litres of diesel leaked
as a result of a contractor’s truck colliding with a boom
gate resulting in its fuel tank being punctured.
✓ Developed an improved understanding of carbon
sequestration in state forests. This work shows that by
2050, the amount of carbon stored in state forests will
increase by some 27 million tonnes of carbon to 357
million tonnes.
Working with our stakeholders and delivering
socioeconomic benefits
✓ The sale of high quality veneer billets through Forestry
Tasmania’s merchandiser in the Huon district to
the Ta Ann rotary peeler veneer mill has resulted in
value-added manufacturing taking place in Tasmania
and marked the end of the commercial shipment of
unprocessed logs from the port of Hobart.
X Achieved a safety performance figure of 11.36 (LTIFR),
slightly higher than the performance measure of 11.
✓ The second highest number (438) of community forums
were attended by Forestry Tasmania staff.
✓ A total of $36,463 was awarded to a wide range of
community programs, events and projects through
district sponsorship programs, with approximately
$86,000 awarded through the new Community Assist
program.
✓ In addition to the development of the Hollybank
Canopy Tour, a number of tourism and recreational
projects were undertaken with the assistance of
community groups and state partners.
✓ The estimated value of wood production from state
forests, based on the price paid by Forestry Tasmania’s
customers at the mill door was $252 million.
✓ Total payments made to suppliers, contractors and
employees was $189 million.
Regulatory environment and continuous improvement
✓ A score of 3.8 (maximum is four) was achieved in the
external audits conducted by the Forest Practices
Authority. This is above the benchmark of 3.5 set by
Forestry Tasmania.
X While no notices were issued to Forestry Tasmania
under Section 41 of the Forest Practices Act, seven were
issued to Forestry Tasmania’s contractors.
Ta Ann rotary
peeler veneer mill
Merchandiser means a facility at which logs are
segregated into different products and in the case
of the Southwood merchandiser, cut into different
lengths for sale to Ta Ann for further processing into
veneer.
X Forestry Tasmania was fined $25,000 by the Forest
Practices Authority for a breach that was reported in
June 2007. Although it is Forestry Tasmania’s objective
not to receive any notifications or fines, it needs to be
noted that during the 2007/08 year, there were 1838
Forest Practices Plans covering thousands of individual
operations.
X Three notices were issued to Forestry Tasmania and
three notices to Forestry Tasmania contractors for
breaches against Section 38 of the Workplace Health
and Safety Act 1998.
✓ Forestry Tasmania was not only recertified against the
environmental management standard (ISO14001) and
Occupational Health and Safety Standard (AS4801), but
was also upgraded to the revised Australian Forestry
Standard (AS4708) as a result of no non-conformances
being raised in the third party audits.
9

iological diversity
The protection and maintenance of a range of
environmental values ensures that the dynamic nature of
ecosystem functions and species and community diversity
is managed at a whole of forest scale. Forestry Tasmania
understands that not all values can be supplied from
any one part of the estate at a particular time, and the
management of these values must be balanced in time
and space. Forestry Tasmania’s management of biological
diversity includes its contribution to the statewide reserve
system, mantaining a permanent native forest estate and
special management of oldgrowth and threatened species.
More detailed trend data for this section can be found in
Appendix one at the end of this report.
Permanent forest estate
Within Tasmania there are three agreed mechanisms that
support sustainable forest management (SFM). The first
is sound forest management practice under the Forest
Practices Code. The second is the development of a
comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) reserve
system to securely protect nature conservation values. The
third is the maintenance of a permanent native forest estate
to ensure a resource base for conservation, production and
amenity values is maintained.
The maintenance of a permanent forest estate means that
95 per cent of the area of native forest as mapped in 1996 is
to be maintained as native forest on a statewide basis. This
objective is achieved through the State’s Permanent Native
Forest Estate (PNFE) policy. The PNFE Policy is given effect
through the Forest Practices Authority’s consideration of
applications for Forest Practices Plans under the Forest
Practices Act 1985.
On 1 June 2007, Forestry Tasmania announced the end to
the practice of converting native forests to plantations. This
statement was in the context of:
• native forest production areas that were commenced
(i.e. road work completed, harvesting commenced)
before 31 December 2006 being completed and
planted over the next two years
• native forest production areas that had commenced
after 1 January 2007 being returned to native forest.
Table 1 shows that a total of 3200 hectares of plantation
was established in 2007/08 on land that meets the above
criteria.
The PNFE Policy also requires that non-threatened forest
communities must be maintained at a level no less than
50 per cent of their extent in each IBRA bioregion. To
flag forest communities approaching this threshold,
communities with 40 per cent or more cleared since
1996 (across all tenures) in each IBRA bioregion are
identified annually. State forest acts as a buffer to protect
communities when the statewide clearing threshold is
approached. Areas approaching their clearing limit as a
result of clearing on private land may require additional
protection in state forests and to this effect E. viminalis / E.
ovata / E. amygdalina / E. obliqua damp sclerophyll forest
and Wet E. viminalis forest on basalt within the Ben Lomond
bioregion are now fully protected in state forests. Forestry
Tasmania will no longer impact the extent of native forest
cover (or PFNE) through broad scale clearing.
Table 1. Plantation established on previously cleared native forest (ie where harvesting was initiated prior to 31/12/2006).
State native forest 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Annual conversion (ha) 2,780 5,400 5,100 3,100 4,550 3,200
Cumulative NF converted since 1996 (ha) 24,980 30,380 35,500 38,600 43,150 46,350
Proportion of 1996 statewide baseline 1 0.8% 1.0% 1.1% 1.2% 1.3% 1.4%
1. All tenures, as mapped in 1996 (3.21 million ha baseline).

Case Study - Biodiversity responses to alternative
silvicultural treatments
Forestry Tasmania established the Warra Silvicultural
Systems Trial (SST) in 1998 to compare clearfelling with
alternative treatments in wet eucalypt forest (Figure 1).
Following clearfelling on 80-100 year rotations, the forest
may not provide suitable habitat for species that either
prefer or rely on much older forest, e.g. rainforest trees or
birds and mammals that nest in tree hollows. An important
objective for an alternative harvesting system is to be
able to maintain and/or more rapidly regain mature forest
biodiversity elements compared to clearfelling.
A series of long-term studies was established in the Warra
SST to monitor the responses of important types of forest
biodiversity to alternative silvicultural systems. Systems
assessed were: unlogged control (CON), aggregated
retention (ARN) where approximately 30 per cent of the
coupe area was retained in 0.5 - 1 hectare aggregates;
dispersed retention (DRN) where 10 per cent of overstorey
eucalypt basal area was retained scattered throughout
the coupe ; and clearfell, burn and sow with 20 x 40 metre
understorey islands (CBS ± UI). Although a recent wildfire
would be the ideal control for such research, no appropriate
sites were available.
The three-year post harvest sampling has recently been
completed for vascular plants, mosses, lichens, birds,
beetles and habitat trees. These biodiversity studies found
that alternative silvicultural systems were advantageous
for many mature forest biodiversity elements. Aggregated
retention was more effective than dispersed retention or
clearfelling with understorey islands at maintaining mature
forest species and structures in the coupes for the first three
years following harvesting.
These findings support Forestry Tasmania’s choice of
aggregated retention as a suitable harvesting system
to replace clearfelling in many areas of wet oldgrowth
forest. Scientists from Forestry Tasmania, The University of
Tasmania, The Tasmanian Herbarium and Forest Practices
Authority have participated in this collaborative project.
Read more about Warra research at:
www.warra.com
Figure 1. Aerial overview of the Warra SST showing layout of treatment coupes in the trial area (ARN
=aggregated retention, CBS-UI =clearfell, burn and sow with understorey islands, CON =unharvested control,
DRN = dispersed retention, GS =group selection, SGS =single tree/small group selection, Strips =Stripfells)
11

Reserves and protected areas
The Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR)
Reserve System is the second component that supports
ecological sustainable forest management. The reserve
system includes the following elements:
•
•
Formal reserves, which are equivalent to IUCN
Protected Area Management Categories, I, II, III, IV, or
VI as defined by the IUCN Commission for National
Parks and Protected Areas (1994). Reserves equivalent
to Categories I, II, III or IV are defined as dedicated
reserves. Formal reserves require action by the
Tasmanian Parliament for dedication or revocation.
Forest reserves are one type of Formal Reserve (as are
national parks)
Informal reserves in state forests are those areas
that are identified as a Protection Zone under the
Management Decision Classification System or
other administrative reserve on public land which is
managed to protect CAR values.
Through the signing of the Tasmanian Community Forest
Agreement on 13 May 2005 the Australian and state
governments agreed, among other things, to augment the
CAR Reserve System through the inclusion of additional
oldgrowth forest in formal and informal reserves on public
land. Figure 2 provides a graphical overview of the main
forest types and their protection classification.
One of the commitments under the Tasmanian Regional
Forest Agreement was to develop and implement a code of
practice to cover all environmental practices in reserves.
Figure 2. Area of forest type by protection classification in state forests
Area (ha)
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Short
eucalypt
forest
Tall eucalypt
forest
Table 2. Area protected in state forests
Land classification state
forest area (ha)
Rainforest Non forest Other native
forest
Informal Reserve
Forest Reserve
Softwood
plantation
Hardwood
plantation
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 (%) SF area
at 30/06/05
Forest Reserves 175,000 175,000 175,000 175,000 222,200 222,200 14.7%
Informal Reserves 196,000 198,000 200,100 347,500 4 292,400 295,600 19.6%
Native Forest outside 369,000 370,000 385,900 288,300 292,000 293,400 19.4%
wood production areas 1
Total non production 740,000 743,000 760,900 810,800 806,600 811,200 53.7%
area 2, 3
Managed primarily for 49% 49% 50% 53% 53% 54%
protection
1. Areas currently not part of the wood resource due to such factors as non-commercial forest, excessive slope, streamside reserves, and
inaccessibility.
2. Area includes Buckland Military Training Area.
3. Figures in total rows are the actual rounded totals. All figures rounded to nearest 100 ha.
4. This figure includes land intended for formal reserves under the TCFA. The formal TCFA reserves were not yet dedicated as at 30th June 2006,
so are counted as Informal.

In response to this, the Tasmanian Reserve Management
Code of Practice (the Code) was prepared in 2003.
This code is an important element in the framework for
protecting conservation values encompassed by the
CAR system. The code specifies appropriate standards
and practices for new activities in any land-based formal
reserve.
•
Pieman Conservation Area.
The two tourism infrastructure projects
included the development of Hollybank
Treetop Adventures and the Dismal
Swamp Mountain Bike Track within the
Dismal Swamp Forest Reserve.
Table 3. Summary of non-FPP and Reserve activity audits
Type of activity
Number of activities
outside reserves
Number of activities
in reserves
Fuel reduction burns 5
Tourism infrastructure 1 2
Roads and related
infrastructure
1 1
In order to comply with the code and facilitate its
implementation, Forestry Tasmania developed procedures
and guidelines for conducting reserve activity assessments
for any activities to be conducted in formal reserves in state
forests. As a result of the comprehensive nature of this
process, a decision was taken to also use this process for the
assessment of projects not covered under a Forest Practices
Plan (FPP) or an existing Forestry Tasmania procedure. In
2005/06 staff were trained in the application of these non-
FPP and reserve activity procedures and the process was
fully implemented 2006/07.
Figure 3. Mt Victoria Forest
Reserve post cable hanging to
facilitate harvesting of forest
outside of the reserve
Cables and tailholds 2
Water infrastructure 1
In 2007/08 13 non-FPP and reserve activity audits were
completed, 11 of these activities had taken place within
forest reserves (Table 3).
Overall, these audits found that assessments were
carried out to a high standard, however, no post activity
monitoring had yet taken place for these activities as
specified in the procedures. Further details about the 11
reserve activities undertaken include:
•
Forestry Tasmania conducted three fuel reduction
burns in the Scamander, South Esk and Paradise Plains
Forest Reserves and another two were undertaken
jointly with the Parks and Wildlife Service in the Arthur
13

•
•
•
To facilitate the harvesting of two steep production
areas, cables and tailholds were placed in the Mt
Victoria Forest (Figure 3) and Joys Creek Forest
Reserves. As a result of minimal visual impacts,
excellent outcomes were achieved within the Mt
Victoria Forest Reserve with impacts being considered
to be within acceptable limits within the Joys Creek
Forest Reserve. This was as result of some tree crown
damage being experienced which was attributed to
the higher eucalypt component within this reserve.
An external proponent was responsible for the
development of some new water infrastructure in
the Derby Forest Reserve. The audit of this project
revealed that some unauthorised roadwork and
clearing had taken place resulting in the use of a
track that traversed a number of creeks without the
appropriate drainage. Minor remediation and weed
control was also identified as being required on the
main project site.
The road construction project involved the extension
of an existing forest road through the North Scottsdale
Forest Reserve and the replacement of a log culvert in
the Deep Gully Forest Reserve. Although the road in
the North Scottsdale Forest Reserve was constructed
to a high standard, a fire fighting dam was constructed
adjacent to the road which was not planned for in the
assessment of this project.
Given that these were the first set of audits and the
reserve activity assessments process was new, a number of
improvement opportunities were identified:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Amending the project monitoring form to include
questions to ensure that permit conditions were
checked and met.
Including the project monitoring form with the
guidelines.
Introducing an amendment process that would allow
for the revision of plans ie, the project was delayed.
This would remove the need to conduct a completely
new assessment.
Recognising the need to address broader project
impacts and the requirements for rehabilitation.
Modifying the road maintenance procedures to
accommodate the replacement of log culvert
replacements outside forest reserves.
Revision of the post burn evaluation form to
adequately cater for the burning of buttongrass
and enable this form to be used to address permit
requirements.
Forestry Management Practices and the protection of
values within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage
Area
During 2007, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee sent a
mission consisting of members from The World Heritage
Centre, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) and International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS) to make an independent assessment about
concerns raised by some non-government organisations of
the impact of forest practices on the state of conservation
of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA).
During their visit the mission met with environmental
groups, forestry interests and Aboriginal people.
The report prepared by the mission found that although
Forestry Tasmania conducted a total of 521 silvicultural
regeneration burns within five kilometres of the TWWHA
boundary over the past 10 years, none of these fires burnt
into the TWWHA. The report acknowledged that the
regeneration of eucalyptus forests through regeneration
burns and seeding was an acceptable silvicultural treatment
for regenerating eucalypts, which is a fire dependant
species.
The report clearly stated that the balance between forests
assigned to reserves/conservation and for production
was struck through the Regional Forest Agreement
(RFA) process in 1997, supplemented through the 2005
Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement (TCFA) and
recommended that there was no need to extend the
boundaries of the World Heritage Area into Tasmania’s state
forests.
Forestry Tasmania endorsed all of the recommendations
in the report, and in particular the recommendations for
enhanced protection measures for archaeological and
Aboriginal sites within and adjacent to the TWWHA, and
the suggestion that parks and forest managers work more
closely together.
View the complete World Heritage
Committee report at:
www.forestrytas.com.au

Oldgrowth
The Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement or TCFA
required the protection of additional oldgrowth forest,
in order to bring the total oldgrowth reserved on public
and private land to one million hectares. This resulted in
the incorporation of additional oldgrowth forest in state
forests into formal and informal reserves, bringing the
total oldgrowth forest reserved on public land to 973,000
hectares. This means that approximately 79 per cent of
oldgrowth in Tasmania is protected. Only eight per cent
of Tasmania’s oldgrowth is available for harvesting in state
forests and it is this portion that is vital for sustaining the
supply of high quality sawlogs.
The total area of oldgrowth harvested in 2007/08 (clearfell
and non-clearfell) was 2110 hectares. Of this, 690 hectares
or 32 per cent, was clearfelled (Table 4) thus bringing the
total of oldgrowth forest clearfelled in state forests since
30/06/01 to 7390 hectares. This represents 0.6 per cent of
the total oldgrowth forest area in Tasmania. Of all oldgrowth
forest harvested in state forests since 2002/03 (the first
year from which accurate records are available), clearfelling
accounts for 44 per cent of the harvest area and the balance
is partial logging, including variable retention, shelterwood
and selective logging.
In addition to the protection of additional oldgrowth forest,
one of the key outcomes of the Tasmanian Community
Forest Agreement was also the commitment by the
State and Federal Governments to reduce clearfelling in
oldgrowth forests to 20 per cent of the annual oldgrowth
harvest by 2010. Progress towards this commitment will be
reviewed by the State against safety, regeneration and log
Table 4. Oldgrowth harvesting (clearfell and non-clearfell)
Harvest Year Oldgrowth clearfell ha Cumulative area of
clearfell 1 ha
supply objectives in 2008. To achieve this outcome,
Forestry Tasmania’s objective is to reduce clearfelling
to less than 400 hectares by 2010 through the use of
variable retention, which is the main alternative to
clearfelling in tall oldgrowth forest.
This harvesting system is supported by conservation
biologists and has the potential to maintain
biodiversity and address social acceptability
objectives while still allowing a level of economic
timber production.
Variable retention can be practised either as
dispersed retention that leaves individual trees for
habitat purposes, or aggregated retention, which
leaves patches of forest to provide for oldgrowth
biota. Following the research into variable retention,
this alternative has proven most promising in terms
of maintaining biodiversity, managing safety, and
providing an economically viable harvest.
Cumulative
clearfell as % of
total Tas. OG
Oldgrowth
non-clearfell ha
2001/02 1,350 1,350 0.11% Not available
Total oldgrowth
harvesting ha
2002/03 1,310 2,660 0.21% 1,270 2,610
2003/04 1,300 3,960 0.32% 1,520 2,820
2004/05 1,190 5,150 0.42% 1,405 2,594
2005/06 770 5,920 0.48% 1,184 1,954
2006/07 780 6,700 0.54% 693 1,472
2007/08 690 7,390 0.60% 1,420 2,110
Figure 4. Oldgrowth harvesting (clearfell and non-clearfell)
Area (hectares)
1600
1600
1400 1400
1200 1200
1000
800 800
600
400
200
00
0
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Clearfell Partial Partial harvesting harvesting Percent Percent partial partial harvest harvest
Clearfell Partial Non-clearfell harvesting % non-clearfell
partial harvesting
Figure 4. Shows that good progress has been made since the early 2000’s
when the average annual clearfell area was about 1300 hectares.
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
80
70
60
50
Percent (%)
40
30
20
10
0
Percent (%)
15

Old Forests, New Management Conference
As part of the quest for continuous improvement, Forestry
Tasmania is always looking to other parts of the world to
see how other forest ecosystems are managed, in the hope
of finding ideas and practices that can be successfully
applied in Tasmania’s wet eucalypt forests. As part of this
endeavour, Forestry Tasmania co-hosted the Old Forests,
New Management conference in February 2008.
The conference was attended by approximately 250
delegates from 20 different countries and featured some
90 speakers - including scientists from Forestry Tasmania
who discussed their experience on the diverse aspects
of managing and understanding old forests and forest
ecosystems.
The conference showed that forest management in
Tasmania is among the world’s best and that Tasmania has
developed expertise in managing for multiple values and
benefits.
Read about the Old Forests, New
Management Conference at:
www.oldforests.com.au
Figure 5. Delegates at the Old Forests, New Management conference

International science panel
In addition to the knowledge and science gained from the
Old Forests, New Management Conference, the Forestry
Tasmania Board engaged a five-member international
science panel to provide advice on Forestry Tasmania’s
program of reduced reliance on clearfelling in oldgrowth
forests.
This panel included Mr Bill Beese (Canada); Mr Jack
Bradshaw (Australia); Professor Jürgen Bauhus (Germany);
Professor Tom Spies (USA) and Professor Ivan Tomaselli
(Brazil). All panel members visited Forestry Tasmania
between July and September 2007 and prepared
independent reports.
Panel members were supportive of Forestry Tasmania’s
program to reduce clearfelling of oldgrowth by adopting
mixed silviculture, particularly variable retention.
Professor Jürgen Bauhus commended Forestry Tasmania’s
efforts to operationalise the variable retention system by
developing innovative approaches to design of harvesting
areas and regeneration burning. He noted that the main
research need was to demonstrate the ecological benefits
of the new system over clearfelling at the landscape, as well
as the production unit scale.
Mr Bill Beese noted that Tasmania had a world class strategy
for biodiversity conservation. He considered the 80 per
cent non-clearfell target to be appropriate and that it was
useful to retain clearfelling of oldgrowth for some difficult
sites. Conversely he noted that variable retention could be
considered for regrowth in landscapes where there is very
little oldgrowth, to retain or develop older forest elements.
Mr Jack Bradshaw noted that much progress had been
made towards implementing variable retention in both a
research and operational sense. The greatest uncertainty
lies in routine achievement of an operational regenerationburning
program. This uncertainty could be clarified
by another two years of operational experience and
development.
Professor Tom Spies reported that variable retention made
ecological sense in Tasmania’s tall old growth eucalypt
forests and should retain elements of old forest biodiversity
when compared to clearfelling. He urged greater emphasis
on developing biodiversity goals at the landscape level
(eg. how many hollow-bearing trees should be retained
at the landscape level). He recommended that Forestry
Tasmania more clearly prioritise its economic, social and
environmental goals and conduct landscape analysis across
all land tenures to help place state forests in a continuum of
forest management goals. He observed that at a state level,
Tasmania did not appear to have clear goals to maintain
oldgrowth eucalypt forests in reserves (or a mechanism to
achieve this).
Professor Ivan Tomaselli noted that Forestry Tasmania’s
program to reduce clearfelling would allow it to continue
harvesting oldgrowth forests but that costs of doing
so would increase over time. He recommended that
the research program should continue, along with a
communication strategy that focussed more on gains rather
than problems and impacts. He recommended feasibility
studies on increased removals from harvested old growth
coupes to provide biomass energy and offset costs. He also
believed that shorter rotations for eucalypt regrowth forests
should be explored to increase productivity.
Left to right; Professor Jürgen Bauhus ; Professor Tom Spies;
Professor Ivan Tomaselli; Mr Jack Bradshaw ; Mr Bill Beese.
17

Threatened species management
Forestry Tasmania is pro-active in the management of
threatened species and applies management at both a
strategic and local level. At the strategic level, Forestry
Tasmania, together with specialists from the Forest
Practices Authority and the Threatened Species Section
(DPIW) have developed a number of strategic plans for
the management of threatened flora and fauna species in
state forests (e.g. Thismia rodwayii and Simsons stag beetle).
At the local level, threatened species identified through
searches undertaken for planning purposes or incidentally,
can be managed in consultation with the Forest Practices
Authority. For example, all production coupes are searched
for wedge-tailed eagle nests prior to harvesting and nest
reserves and exclusion zones are designated around all nest
sites.
Threatened species (flora and fauna) research highlights for
2007/08 included:
• The Threatened Species Section undertook swift
parrot breeding surveys of the southern forests during
the 2007/08 breeding season to determine which areas
were being used for breeding, and the characteristics
of areas used for foraging and nesting.
• A research project was established to monitor
over time the implementation and effectiveness of
current prescriptions applied for the management
of the Bornemisszas stag beetle through surveying a
specific harvesting area where prescriptions have been
applied.
• In collaboration with DPIW and other expert
specialists, a management plan for Simsons stag beetle
(Hoplogonus simsoni) in state forests was developed.
This was added to the Public Authority Management
Agreement between Forestry Tasmania and DPIW.
The 10-year plan provides a strategic framework
for the conservation management of Simsons stag
beetle habitat across spatial and temporal scales.
This includes considering the extent and quality of
habitat within the species range, habitat reservation
levels, species habitat requirements, and provides
for the protection of key areas, and provision of
corridors and refuges to ensure species dispersal and
re-colonisation in areas where native forest harvesting
is permitted. Strategic plans are based on translating
research findings and sound ecological principles
Table 5. Threatened species management summary
into management prescriptions. They are an effective
way of achieving good conservation management of
threatened species within managed landscapes.
As a partner in the Cooperative Research Centre for
Forestry, Forestry Tasmania contributes to and benefits
from the knowledge and information that is generated
through its research programs. In the case of the Tasmanian
masked owl, the collective knowledge is limited, and the
Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry’s “trees in the
landscape” research program has been taking a closer
look at the key factors affecting the masked owl. Based
on estimates of home range size and the area of suitable
habitat, there are approximately 1300 mature individuals
and therefore the masked owl meets the criteria for listing
as “endangered” because its population is less than 2500
individuals.
Flora Fauna Total
Total strategic management plans 1 5 13 18
Research in 2007/2008 2 0 4 4
Habitat surveys in 2007/2008 3 2,218 ha 40,652 ha 42,870 ha
New sites recorded in 2006/2007 104 82 186
Threatened Species working groups/
2 8 25
meetings in 2007/2008
1. Strategic Management Plans include approved and draft (being implemented) Recovery Plans, PAMAs,
Strategic Management Agreements and Management Plans, agreed jointly between Forestry Tasmania, Forest
Practices Authority, Threatened Species Section, DPIW.
2. Includes research studies conducted, funded, participated or initiated by FT, or where FT was represented.
3. Surveys conducted in state forests by qualified experts.

forests now and into the future
Productive capacity
Productive capacity is one way to measure the economic
and long-term sustainability of forests. To maintain and
enhance the productive capacity of Tasmania’s state forests,
Forestry Tasmania models and monitors sustainable yield
to ensure that harvesting and use of wood products is
consistent with the long-term productive capacity of
Tasmania’s state forests. Forestry Tasmania maintains
productive capacity through yield regulation of its native
forest and plantation resource and assesses the sustainable
yields for both. More detailed trend data for this section can
be found in Appendix one.
Sustaining timber production
For Forestry Tasmania to maintain the ongoing supply of
timber an effective area of production forest is required.
Figure 6 provides an overview of the six components
that make up the total forest estate and shows that
approximately 46 per cent of this area is used for wood
production. Native forest production areas make up
39 per cent of the area and plantations seven per cent.
The remaining area (54 per cent) is included in formal
and informal reserves and other native forest outside
production areas. Since 2000/01, the area available in
native forest production areas has reduced by 16 per cent
or 116,300 hectares.
The majority of the decrease in the available native forest
over the past six years has been as a result of additional
reserves being implemented under the Tasmanian
Community Forest Agreement. However, the conversion of
a portion of native forest to plantation has also contributed.
Figure 6. State forest classification from 2003/04 to 2007/08
Area (ha)
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Native forest
production
areas
Native forest
outside
production
areas
Ongoing losses also occur due to areas being removed from
wood production during pre-harvest planning to protect
conservation values.
A vital prerequisite for sustainable forest management is
that the volume of timber harvested from the forest estate
does not exceed its productive and regenerative potential
over a given time period. Forestry Tasmania manages
harvesting in state forests to ensure an ongoing supply of
at least 300,000 m 3 per year of high quality eucalypt sawlog
required by the Forestry Act. The availability of at least
300,000 m 3 per year of high quality eucalypt sawlog is also
recognised in Clause 77 of the Regional Forest Agreement.
Informal
Reserves
Forest
Reserves
Softwood
Plantation
Hardwood
Plantation
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
In 2007/08 a total of 304,000 m 3 of high quality sawlog
and veneer was produced (Figure 7). The five-year average
sawlog yield remained within the sustained yield strategy,
while average pulpwood yield was below the indicative
long-term supply level of 2.8 million tonnes (Figure 8).
Figures 7 and 8 highlight the differing sawlog/pulpwood
ratios in the forest that are harvested each year.
19

Table 6. Eucalypt wood production
Product Group 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 Indicative sustainable
level 1,2
High quality sawlog (m 3 )
Low quality sawlog (m 3 )
Peeler log (m 3 )
Plantation pulpwood (t)
Native forest pulpwood (t)
Total arisings (t)
357,088 359,185 329,979 307,088 303,951 320,000
117,247 99,878 85,057 51,778 87,090 Not defined
176,183 159,433 150,934 211,197 209,590 Not defined
104,426 118,440 89,619 126,163 176,703 Not defined
2,902,786 2,724,303 2,191,132 2,136,687 2,230,874 Not defined
3,300,642 3,102,054 2,516,742 2,525,825 2,704,257 2,800,000
1. Based on FT (2007) sustainable high quality eucalypt sawlog supply from Tasmanian State Forest, Review No. 3, from 2006 onwards.
2. Indicative level of arisings from the sustainable yield of high quality sawlog supply is 2,800,000 tonnes, based on FT (2007). Arisings include pulpwood, peeler and low quality sawlog.
Figure 7. Production levels of high quality sawlog and veneer (m 3 )
400,000
350,000
300,000
Figure 8. Pulpwood production levels against sustained
yield Figure 2001/02 8. Pulpwood to 2007/08 production (tonnes) levels against sustained
yield 2001/02 to 2007/08 (tonnes) (m 3 )
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
Volume
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Year
annual volume 5-year average
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
NF pulpwood
Peeler
Eucalypt plantation pulpwood Cat 2 & 8 sawlog
5 year Average Indicative sustainable level

Wood quality
The Forestry Act contains a requirement for Forestry
Tasmania to make available to industry a minimum quantity
of high quality eucalypt sawlog each year. The term “high
quality” is defined as logs meeting veneer, Category 1 or 3.
It is recognised that as a result of the increased proportion
of sawlogs to be supplied from plantation and regrowth
forests, and less from mature native forests, the average size
and characteristics of sawlogs will decrease over time. This
will require the processing industry to change technologies
over the next five to 10 years.
In order to monitor these changes and provide the
processing sector with an indication of the rate of change
in wood quality over time, two new indicators have been
developed by Forestry Tasmania. The first is that of log
diameter (a well recognised proxy for sawn timber recovery
and therefore value) and the second being the nonseasoning
percentage.
Figure 9 provides a summary of the percentage of class 1
and 3 sawlogs by four log diameter groups sold over the
past five years. Although it will require a few more years of
data in order to clearly identify any trends, early indications
show the percentage of logs within the

Plantations
In line with Forestry Tasmania’s commitment to make available at
least 300,000 m 3 per year of high quality eucalypt sawlogs from
state forests, the plantation estate will play a vital role in supplying
an increasing percentage of this volume over the next 10-15 years.
To meet this requirement, the plantation estate must be managed
to maximise production, while balancing long-term sustainability.
In 2007/08, a total of 3179 hectares of new eucalypt plantations
were established in state forests bringing the total hardwood
plantation estate to 52,718 hectares (Figure 11). A total of 1100
hectares of first rotation hardwood plantation were replaced by
the establishment of 633 hectares of second rotation eucalypt
plantation. Work on plantations established in 2007/08 was begun
in 2006 before the Forestry Tasmanian decision to phase out
establishing new plantations in state forests. Forestry Tasmania
has 100 per cent ownership of 57.6 per cent of the hardwood
plantation estate, with the remainder being managed through
joint venture and lease arrangements.
To monitor the performance of plantations, Forestry Tasmania
has developed a series of plantation quality indicators, which
are reported annually. For existing plantations, the focus is on
improving growth and ensuring silvicultural treatments occur in
a timely manner. For any new plantations established, the focus
is on improving practices and techniques learned during the first
rotation.
In line with the requirements of the Australian Forestry Standard,
Forestry Tasmania no longer converts areas of native vegetation
into new plantation areas. Thus increasing the productivity from
our defined plantation estate is the key to our future. Over the
next five years, an increasing proportion of the plantation estate
will be ready for harvesting, and subsequent second rotation
establishment.
Figure 11. Plantation area 1999/00 to 2007/08
Area (ha)
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Softwood Plantation (ha) Hardwood Plantation (ha)
*Work on plantations established in 2007/08 was begun in 2006 before the Forestry Tasmania
decision to phase out establishing new plantations in state forests.
Figure 12. Watering of eucalypt seedlings in the new Forest Nursery glasshouse
*

Successful plantation establishment
The successful establishment of a plantation starts with
growing of high quality seedlings. Over the past two years
Forestry Tasmania has invested $1.4 million on renovations
to the Forest Nursery and Seed Centre which has included
the installation of a new glasshouse which will benefit
Forestry Tasmania and its business partners through
increased capacity and reliability.
The new state-of-the art germination facility has provided
the nursery with 2600 square metres of growing space or
enough room for 1.3 million eucalypt plantation seedlings
at any one time. The installed technology enables seedlings
to germinate and grow at a more even pace that allows
for peak productivity and substantiality reduces the need
for the time-consuming task of manually sorting seedlings
according to their growth stages.
Following planting out in the field, survival surveys are
carried out initially at nine to 12 months to determine the
percentage of seedlings that have survived and whether
any refill planting is required to meet target stocking. A
further survey is conducted by age two to determine
the plantation area successfully established. Figure 13
illustrates there is a consistently high percentage survival
rate in our plantation estate. The challenges for plantation
establishment in these early years include damage from
insect and animal browsing, frost incidents, drought and
weed competition. Further detail on the management
of these damage agents has been provided in the Forest
Health section of this report.
Strategic use of fertilisers
Meeting pruned wood targets
Many Tasmanian soils are low in several key nutrients
In order to meet Forestry Tasmania’s requirement for high
required for long term sustainable timber production from quality eucalypt sawlogs and veneer logs, plantations
plantations. Sites are examined to determine which (if any) need to be pruned to grow clear-wood (knot-free timber).
fertilisers are required and a program put in place to ensure Pruning occurs in one to three lifts, to a target height in
the trees receive the essential nutrients for proper growth line with industry requirements. Recent data shows that
and development. Most sites receive an initial fertiliser
not only is the percentage of the area pruned increasing
application at planting. This involves hand application of
over time, but that pruning is being done at an earlier
nitrogen and phosphorus, with copper where required.
age, due to improvements in growth rates of the younger
Secondary (or later age fertilising) generally involves the
plantations.
aerial application of nitrogen or a combination of nitrogen
Figure 13. % Area successfully established by age two
and phosphorus. Table 7 illustrates the areas that received
Figure 13. % Area successfully established by age two
110
secondary fertilising in Forestry Tasmania’s plantation
estate.
100
Forestry Tasmania research staff continually review the
products in use and application techniques, in line with
Australian Forestry Standard requirements, to favour
cost effective methods with reduced outcomes on the
environment. In addition, site preparation techniques for
second rotation sites are continually being improved to
maximise nutrient retention on sites, so as to minimise
fertiliser.
90
80
70
60
50
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Reporting Year
Table 7. Percentage area identified for secondary (aerial) fertilising that was fertilised*
Reporting Year 2005 2006 2007 2008
Area Fertilised 4137 ha 2011 ha 2522 ha 3562 ha
% Area Fertilised 100% 100% 100% 100%
* The figures in this table are per calendar year and not financial reporting year as per the figures in this report.
% Survival
23

Improved growth of stands
To maximise the growth of pruned stems, plantations are
thinned at around age 10-12 years. As well as improving
the silvicultural management of the stand, thinning also
provides a good supply of pulpwood and small sawlogs.
After thinning, approximately 300-350 stems are left to
grow into high quality sawlogs and veneer logs. Forestry
Tasmania also has a program to model the risk of windthrow
to a stand that allows planners to schedule thinning
at an appropriate time to avoid loss or damage to the stand.
Product recovery
Forestry Tasmania has two main processes in place to
ensure the recovery of wood volumes and values are
maximised. This includes the carrying out of pulpwood
audits at mills and landings to determine the presence
of any sawlogs that may have been misclassified as
pulpwood and the conducting of post logging residue
assessments (LRAs) to quantify the merchantable forest
residue remaining after harvesting operations.
Information collected from the pulpwood audits that
conducted in 2007/08 indicate that 59 tonnes (0.04 per
cent) of sawlogs were recovered out of total 156,016
tonnes audited. This was based on a sample size of
seven per cent, which is over the prescribed standard of
five per cent.
Forestry Tasmania is committed to maximising the use
of all felled trees from harvested areas. This is achieved
through the selection of craftwood, special species
timbers, high quality sawlogs and veneer with the
remainder being available as pulpwood where it meets
specification. In 2007/08 LRAs were conducted in 93
harvested areas. These assessments are a measure to
ensure the efficient removal of forest products, and
minimise merchantable wood being left on the forest
floor. The standard of less than five merchantable
tonnes per hectare was achieved in 92 per cent of the
production areas sampled that represented a decrease
of five per cent over last year’s performance. Contractors
were required to return to remove residual timber in five
instances where the target was not achieved.
6,187
480
139
Special species timbers
Special species timbers have an iconic association with
Tasmania. They are used to produce high value furniture
and craftwood products. Examples include blackwood,
black-heart sassafras, myrtle and celery-top pine. Forestry
Tasmania is committed to the ongoing supply of these
timbers to these important industries. With the exception
of blackwood, the other special species are currently
mostly derived from harvesting operations in wet eucalypt
forests (predominantly oldgrowth). As a result of moving
towards non-clearfell harvesting techniques, the volumes
of special species timbers from this resource is anticipated
to decrease. To accommodate this, approximately 5%
(36,000 hectares) of the native forest wood production
areas within State forests have been designated as special
timbers management units (STMUs). Such units have
defined management prescriptions and will be selectively
harvested based on ecological requirements.
1,104
1,427
608
621
11,137
blackwood
blackheart sassafras
celery top pine
white sassafras
eucalypt / mixed species
silver wattle
myrtle
Huon huon pine
Figure 14. Breakdown (in tonnes) of the individual
species making up the total quantity of high quality
special species sawlogs.

During 2007/08, 21,703 m 3 of high quality special species
sawlog was sold, with blackwood (11,137 tonnes) making
up 51 per cent of this volume.
In addition to this volume of high quality sawlogs, Table 8
shows the volumes of special species made available for
craftwood purposes.
In association with Forestry Tasmania, the Woodcraft
Guild Tasmania, has commissioned a study into Tasmania’s
woodcraft industry. The project will involve people
who work in and depend on special timbers including
sawmillers; manufacturers of high-value finished goods
such as furniture, boats and musical instruments; hobbyists,
and anyone else who uses native timbers from Tasmanian
forests for commercial and non-commercial purposes.
The study will provide an overall profile of the woodcraft
sector and its characteristics and will help develop a
comprehensive understanding of:
•
•
•
•
the number of people and types of jobs involved
economic value of these enterprises
type of goods being produced
how value is being added to raw materials to
generate the valuable finished goods.
The study will also look at skills development, growth, and
the use of technology in milling, design, production and
distribution.
Table 8. Craftwood products
Species Use Volume (tonnes)
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Eucalypt Craft, Burls, Beams 1,811 436 1,174 504
Myrtle Craft, Burls 588 397 173 30
Blackwood Craft 40 0 0 0
Huon Pine Craft 607 51 22 12
Figure 15. Highly figured “tiger” myrtle boards are highly prized by craftsmen.
Figure 15. Highly figured “tiger” myrtle boards are highly prized by craftsmen
25

Native forest regeneration
Forestry Tasmania aims to ensure that productivity on
state forests is always maintained. In order to achieve this,
forest regeneration practices are constantly monitored
and reviewed. Successful eucalypt regeneration generally
requires:
• effective site preparation by fire or by mechanical
disturbance to create receptive seedbed
• an adequate supply of high quality seed
• freedom from heavy frosts, drought and excessive
damage by insects and browsing animals.
To ensure high quality native forest regeneration, Forestry
Tasmania has developed and maintains a Native Forest
Quality Standards process. This process enables the
timely, effective and accurate monitoring and reporting
of silvicultural operations in native forests. The process
uses goals, targets, standards and performance indicators
to determine the success of regeneration operations. An
annual quality standards review is held to discuss issues
of concern relating to silvicultural operations, to ensure
a constructive approach to improving practices, and to
provide a forum for exchange of information and ideas. The
information provided below is the summary information
collated from this process.
Site preparation
cent scorching of retained stems, and the achievement of
an acceptable level of fire protection.
Site preparation has a significant impact on the success of
regeneration. Site preparation techniques employed by
In 2007/08, 8400 hectares (3100 hectares of clearfelled
Forestry Tasmania include high or low intensity burning,
area and 5300 hectares of partially harvested area) native
mechanical loosening of the soil or excavator heaping
forest were treated for site preparation which includes areas
of logging slash. In some cases the disturbance caused
carried over from the previous year. A total of 94 per cent of
by harvesting produces sufficient seedbed for adequate
clearfell and 86 per cent of partial harvest areas respectively
regeneration.
achieved the site preparation quality standard (Figure 16).
This compares with the five-year average of 85 per cent
The quality standard for clearfelled areas is that receptive
and 93 per cent for clearfell and partial harvest respectively.
seedbed is created over at least two-thirds of the area to
One partial harvest area and four clear felled areas did not
be regenerated. In partially harvested areas, the quality
meet the standard as a result of poor burns. Nine partially
standard is that receptive seedbed is created over at least
harvested coupes did not meet the standard because of
one-third of the area to be regenerated, less than 10 per
excessive scorch to remaining trees.
Figure 16. Five year native forest site preparation summary
% of treated area that met standard
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Clearfell
Partial Harvest
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Seed and sowing
Forestry Tasmania classifies the source of seed sown onto
harvested native areas into three categories.
On-site seed is collected from the harvested area or
immediately adjacent to it from an area that has a similar
topography, elevation, aspect, parent material and forest
type. On-site seed is highly desirable as it maintains gene
pools and ensures that regeneration is well adapted to the
site.
In-zone seed is from the same seed zone as the nominated
harvesting area. The seed zones are detailed in Native
Forest Silviculture Technical Bulletin No. 1 Eucalypt Seed
and Sowing. For the purposes of the performance indicator,
in-zone seed does not include the on-site seed component.
Out-of-zone seed is collected from outside the seed zone
of the nominated coupe. This is the least preferred seed
source. When there is insufficient on-site or in-zone seed,
the most appropriate available out-of-zone seed is selected
following the guidelines set out in Technical Bulletin 1.
The seed provenance quality standard is that each
harvested area should be regenerated with at least 10 per
cent on-site seed with the remainder being in-zone seed
matched to forest type. These seed provenance targets
need to be met for each species in the sowing mix.
In 2007/08, 3387 hectares was sown with eucalypt seed. A
total of 1435 hectares (42 per cent) of this area achieved
the seed provenance quality standard. This is a six per
cent decrease when compared with the five-year average
of 48 per cent of area achieving the standard (Figure 17).
The main cause of not achieving the desired standard was
insufficient on-site seed being available.
In 2007/08, 2,912 kilograms of eucalypt seed was sown. Of
that 31 per cent of the seed used was on-site, 62 per cent
in-zone and seven per cent out-of-zone. This compares well
with the five-year average of 40per cent on-site, 52 per cent
in-zone and eight per cent out-of-zone seed.
The quality standard for sowing operations is that the delay
between site preparation completion and artificial sowing
should be less than 21 days and shorter if possible. This is
because the best regeneration generally occurs when seed
is sown on the freshest and most receptive seedbed. In
2007/08, 91per cent of the artificially sown area achieved
this standard. This represented a five per cent decrease
on the five-year average (96 per cent). The lack of available
helicopters was the main reason for nine per cent of the
100
area not meeting the standard.
90
% of sown area meeting standard
% of sown area meeting standard
Figure 80 17. Five-year seed provenance performance by production area
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
27

Regeneration success
Regeneration success of eucalypt areas is reported after
they are three years old, while swamp blackwood, rainforest
and Huon pine forest coupes are reported after they
are five years old. Regeneration success is determined
by undertaking regeneration surveys. The percentage
of assessed plots that were stocked is reported for each
regenerated area. For each forest type, there is a set
minimum stocking standard that needs to be achieved. This
approach complies with the recommended methodology
for national regeneration success monitoring.
For the 2007/08 year, 10,205 hectares of native forest
regeneration reached regeneration success reporting age.
Of this area 98 per cent achieved the required stocking
standards. This is an increase of three per cent on the
five-year average (95 per cent) and exceeds the Forestry
Tasmania target of 85 per cent of harvested area being
regenerated to standard.
Three areas totalling 197 hectares did not meet the
stocking standards. Two of these areas were assessed
to have contained sufficient stocking to be considered
as ecologically stocked or be able to maintain wood
production at a reduced rate. The third coupe contained
a large understocked patch (14 hectares) that will be retreated
in the 2008/09 year so that it complies with the
stocking standards.
% Area that that met met standard standard
100
95
90
85
85
80
75
70
70
Figure 18. Five-year regeneration success summary
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Non-timber values
Honey production
Most of Tasmania’s leatherwood-rich forest is located
within the World Heritage Area, and is largely inaccessible
to beekeepers. State forests are therefore an important
resource for the production of leatherwood and other types
of honey. There are currently more than 360,000 hectares
of leatherwood-rich areas in state forests. Where practical,
forest management prescriptions exclude leatherwood
from harvesting and since 1993, less than three per cent of
leatherwood-rich state forests has been harvested.
Honey production in 2007-2008 was 671,200 kilograms
(Figure 20). Of the 356 sites available, 268 were used,
representing a use rate of 75 per cent, which is lower than
last year’s figure of 84 per cent.
Case Study - Changes to oldgrowth forest management
and the implications for the leatherwood nectar resource
As part of the funding provided under the TCFA for research
into alternatives to clearfelling in oldgrowth forests,
Figure 19. Flowering leatherwood
Hive numbers
Forestry Tasmania undertook to investigate the effect on the
leatherwood nectar resource of TCFA initiatives to expand
the reserve system and to use mainly variable retention
(non-clearfell) silviculture for tall oldgrowth forests in areas
designated for wood production. This study was developed
and supported through input from representatives of the
Tasmanian Beekeepers Association, Forests and Forest
Industry Council, Tasmanian Crop Pollinators Association and
the Department of Primary Industries and Water.
The study involved a spatial analysis of photo-interpreted
forest type mapping that was used to identify the potential
leatherwood nectar resource in Tasmania. This analysis
was applied together with a simulation of planned timber
harvesting over the next 90 years and included clearfell,
group selection within special timber management units,
shelterwood and variable retention harvest systems.
Results from this study showed that 1.09 million hectares
of forest within Tasmania was identified as likely to
contain leatherwood. Of this area, 59.3 per cent occurs in
Figure 20. Honey production and beehive numbers in state forests
12,600
12,400
800,000
700,000
600,000
12,200
500,000
12,000
400,000
11,800
300,000
200,000
11,600
100,000
11,400
0
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Honey production (kg)
conservation reserves (managed by DEPHA), 32.9 per cent
in state forests (managed by Forestry Tasmania), 6.6 per cent
on private land, one per cent on other publicly managed
land and 0.2 per cent on crown land public reserves. Of the
359,000 hectares in state forests, 106,000 hectares (30 per
cent) occurs within areas zoned for wood production.
Of the 1.09 million hectares of forest identified as likely to
contain leatherwood, 696,000 hectares (64 per cent) was
identified to be theoretically accessible and it was calculated
that of this area, 251,000 hectares (36 per cent) was used for
beekeeping.
The study showed that under a modelled scenario that
excluded variable retention (i.e if no alternatives to
clearfelling were introduced), the 106,000 hectares of
leatherwood within wood production areas would be
reduced to 37,000 hectares by 2098. This represents a 6.4 per
cent reduction in the total resource area and a 10.0 per cent
reduction in the accessible resource area. On the other hand,
the inclusion of variable retention predicted that the 106,000
hectares of leatherwood within production areas would be
reduced to 62,000 hectares by 2098. This represents a 4.1 per
cent reduction in the total resource area and a 6.4 per cent
reduction in the accessible resource area.
The application of non-clearfelling techniques in oldgrowth
will lessen the reduction of accessible leatherwood from
10 per cent to six per cent over the next 90 years, providing
some assurance to beekeepers that the majority of the
leatherwood will be secure from harvest operations over the
long-term.
Beehive numbers
Honey Production (kg)
29

ecosystem health and services
The maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality is
important for the good management of both external and
internal damaging agents, such as fire, weeds, pests and
diseases. Forestry Tasmania uses an integrated approach
and monitors forest health so that it can take action to
prevent significant damage to the nature and condition
of state forests. An environmental quality-monitoring
program is used to assess the impact of Forestry Tasmania’s
chemical operations. More detailed trend data for this
section can be found in Appendix one.
Area affected (ha)
2200
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Poor soil
Multiple
causes
Chrysomelid
defoliation
Drought
Other
Replants
Causal Agent
Forest health surveillance
Forestry Tasmania’s Forest Health Surveillance (FHS)
supports its overall forest health management program,
particularly of the plantation estate. The primary objective
of FHS is detecting the symptoms of injury and damage
caused by pests, diseases, nutritional problems and
weather events. FHS is particularly important for detecting
health problems that can cause severe damage but are
uncommon or unpredictable in their occurrence. FHS
inspections are done using a combination of aerial and
roadside surveys. This combination has been shown
through research to be effective in detecting symptoms,
above which unacceptable financial losses will occur.
Figure 21. Main causal agents associated with moderate or severe reductions
in performance of eucalypt plantations in state forests in 2007/08
Unknown
Exposure
Moderate
Poor site
prep.
Severe
Mammal
browsing
Formal health surveillance was done over 135,145 hectares
of pine and eucalypt plantation during 2007/08, an increase
of 16 per cent over the previous year. The following
summary relates to health problems encountered in
eucalypt plantations in state forests during the past year.
Drought conditions experienced across the State during
the past year were a major influence on the health of the
plantations. This is reflected in sharp increases in the area
of plantation showing moderate or severe reductions in
performance associated with poor soil conditions as well as
direct losses from drought deaths (Figure 21). Performance
issues associated with poor soil conditions were primarily
on the drier sites in the northeast and infertile sites in the
northwest, while drought deaths were concentrated in
the southeast and central north. Symptoms of copper
deficiency continue to appear in many of the drier sites in
the northeast and on the infertile soils in the northwest.
Chrysomelid leaf beetles (primarily Paropsisterna
bimaculata) were very active during the past year. A total
of 7213 hectares of plantations monitored for leaf beetle
populations were found to be over-threshold. A total
of 6612 hectares of the over-threshold plantations were
aerially sprayed with insecticide. The majority of this area
(6299 hectares) was sprayed with alpha-cypermethrin (93
per cent) and 313 hectares with Spinosad® which is the
more environmentally friendly alternative. This was a result
of the requirement to use alpha-cypermethrin for spray
operations undertaken on lease plantations.

The ongoing issue of defoliation caused by late-season
feeding by adult leaf beetles is reflected in an increase
in the area of plantation suffering moderate or severe
defoliation (Figure 23). Research, through the CRC for
Forestry, is continuing to find a more effective way of
protecting plantations from this late-season feeding
damage.
The area of plantation suffering moderate or severe
damage from mammal browsing declined from 379
hectares in 2006/07 to 113 hectares in 2007/08. This
improved result was achieved despite the adverse seasonal
drought conditions that retarded growth and extended the
time taken for the transplants to reach a height that was
safe from browsers.
Following the end of 1080 use in state forests as from
31 December 2005, Forestry Tasmania has been using a
number of alternative methods (particularly trapping and
shooting) to control browsing animals in newly established
plantations and native forest (Table 10).
Table 9. Non-chemical browsing control summary
Treatment Type 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008
Number of shooting operations
196 359 261 248 356
(no. of established areas)
Length of fencing (km) 22.5 23.3 0 3.7 14
Seedlings treated with repellent
17.7 5 10 0 14
(ha)
Big seedlings (ha) 1 4 0 2 0
Tree guards (ha) 2 4 3 5 706
Figure 22. Area treated with alpha-cypermethrin and spinosad
7000
6000
5000
Area (ha)
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Area above threshold treated with spinosad (ha)
Area above threshold treated with alpha-cypermethrin (ha)
Area with defoliation (ha)
Figure 23. Annual summary for the past five years of the area of eucalypt in state
forests that suffered moderate (25-50% crown loss) or severe (>50% crown loss)
late-season defoliation by chrysomelid leaf beetles (primarily Paropsisterna
bimaculata).
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Moderate
Severe
31

Wildfires
A wildfire is an unplanned fire and is also known as a
bushfire. Wildfires have many causes, some natural such
as lightning and some as a result of human activity such as
campfires, escapes from planned burning operations, and
some from deliberate arson. Wildfires are highly variable
in intensity and duration and this is determined by the
interaction of weather conditions, topography, fuel load,
type and arrangement. An effective and coordinated
approach to wildfire suppression and fire protection
planning requires close liaison and working arrangements
with other emergency and support services. Forestry
Tasmania has a close working relationship with the
Tasmania Fire Service, Parks and Wildlife Service and forest
industry companies.
The hot weather conditions in 2007/08 were similar in
many ways to the 2006/07 season. During the 2007/08 fire
season, there were 42 days on which fire weather warnings
were required, and five days of total fire ban were declared.
8496 ha was burnt in unplanned fires of which 5551
hectares was classified as having severe fire damage (Figure
24).
Significant wildfires during the 2007/08 season included:
• A lightning strike on the Packers Spur in the Southwest
National Park started a large fire, which threatened
commercial forest in the Mt Wedge and Florentine
Valley areas.
• A fire that started at Ericksons Rd, seven kilometres
west of St Helens threatened both the town and state
forest until contained. The incident management team
•
appointed to deal with this fire was preparing to close
down when it was asked to take charge of a second fire
lit south of Bellingham on 16 January. This fire burnt
• A fire at Heemskirk Road started as a signal fire lit after
a vehicle accident in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation
and threatened state forest in Murchison District.
for several days, threatening state forest and nearby
grazing properties
Two fires at Wilsons Creek Tarraleah and Long Spur
Forestry Tasmania is pro-active in attempting to reduce the
area burnt and severity of fire damage on land for which
it is responsible. Forestry Tasmania works in cooperation
Wayatinah were started by lightning and threatened
with other fire management agencies through a program
commercial forest, grazing land and electricity
of hazard reduction, training, communication, education on
transmission lines.
the use of fire, and prosecutions for the illegal or negligent
use of fire.
Figure Figure 24. 24. Area Area of of State state forest burnt burnt by by wildfire wildfire
Total area (hectares)
40,000
12,000
35,000
10,000
30,000
8,000
25,000
20,000
6,000
15,000
4,000
10,000
2,000
5,000
0
0
2001/02 2003/04 2005/06 2007/08
Total unplanned fires (ha) Severe fire damage (ha)
Total 10-year average (ha) Severe 10-year average (ha)
Severely burnt area (hectares)

Chemical pesticides
Forestry Tasmania strives to manage native forests
organically using processes that mimic nature. Generally,
native forests are pesticide (herbicides, insecticides
and fungicides) free, except in exceptional cases where
introduced weeds, pests and disease pose an unacceptable
risk to the environment.
Plantations are an increasingly significant component of
Tasmania’s forest estate, providing highly productive and
valuable sources of solid wood and veneer products. State
and Federal Government policy initiatives, such as the 2020
Vision and the Forestry Growth Plan, and transfer of native
forest into reserves created under the Regional Forest
Agreement and Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement,
have all highlighted the importance of plantations in
securing Tasmania’s economic future. For commercial
eucalypt and pine plantations, pesticides are required to
reduce weed and pest infestations to acceptable levels.
Fertilisers are required to promote optimum growth.
The usual chemical pesticide regime for plantations is to
apply herbicides in the first two years and insecticides or
fungicides in response to pest outbreaks. Weed control
usually takes place as an initial site clean-up to remove
difficult to kill species prior to planting the crop trees.
Once planted, and depending on weed growth, follow-up
weed control may be required in the same planting season
or later in the following year. For each of these spraying
operations, Forestry Tasmania prepares a comprehensive
spray plan in which streams, wet areas and mandatory
buffer strips are delineated.
The details relating to the volume and nature of pesticide
(insecticide and herbicide) applied for the purpose of
weed control or pest management are shown in Tables 10
and 11. They show that a total of 9877 kilograms of active
ingredients were applied in state forests. Of that 88 per
cent or 8711 kilograms was applied on Forestry Tasmania’s
Defined Forest Area (area certified). The remainder was
applied in joint ventures and leases. In order to detect if
there is any off site movement, Forestry Tasmania conducts
water sampling following the broad scale application of a
chemical pesticides.
Table 10. Pesticide usage in plantation management by Forestry Tasmania
Poison Schedule Rating 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008
Active ingredient used (kg) Active ingredient used (kg) Active ingredient used (kg) Active ingredient used (kg) Active ingredient used (kg)
Unscheduled 306 260 123 2,493 3,441
Schedule 5 5,393 4,150 2,782 4,314 6,276
Schedule 6 41 65 83 19 160
Table 11. Pesticide usage on Forestry Tasmania’s defined forest area 1
Schedule Active ingredient used (kg) Area treated (ha) kg/ha
Unscheduled 2,863 9,740 0.294
Schedule 5 5,755 8,311 0.693
Schedule 6 92 3,686 0.025
33

Environmental quality monitoring
Air monitoring
Planned burning is undertaken throughout Tasmania on
private land and state forests each autumn. Burning is
dispersed and only a limited number of operations occur
on any one-day. This burning is important to reduce the
fuel hazard resulting from logging residue and to create
a seedbed for eucalypt regeneration. Eucalypt seeds and
seedlings need a mineral soil seedbed, abundant sunlight
and reduced competition from other plants to establish
and grow. In drier eucalypt forest, burning is undertaken
to remove the residues remaining after harvesting so as to
reduce the fuel load and fire hazard.
Unfortunately, smoke is an inevitable product of this
burning process. However, unlike the smoke from summer
bushfires, a number of pro-active management options are
available to assist in minimising the effects of this smoke
on local communities. One of these options includes
conducting burning operations on days where forecasted
weather conditions indicate the smoke will be dispersed
away from settled areas. To keep stakeholders informed
about burning locations relevant information is provided
through the Tasmanian planned burn website (www.
plannedburnstas.com.au).
National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM)
monitoring of air quality occurs at Hobart, Launceston and
Judbury. DPIW is responsible for monitoring the Hobart
and Launceston stations, while Forestry Tasmania manages
the Judbury site. The maximum concentration guideline
for particles is 50µg/m 3 (PM 10
), averaged over a 24-hour
period. This is based on a level above which impacts on
human health may be experienced. Measurements are
taken at ground level. During 2007/08 the NEPM standard
as measured by the Launceston monitoring station was
exceeded three times, however, through correlation with
the days on which Forestry Tasmania was conducting high
and low intensity burns, it is unlikely that Forestry Tasmania
contributed to the exceeded levels.
In the autumn of 2008 smoke management was complicated
by weather conditions that saw the overly dry conditions
change to overly wet, followed by a succession of high
pressure systems that formed to the west and crossed the
State in close succession. This brought sunny, still days and
cold nights with strong temperature inversions.
Landowners across the State used the calm period to
undertake fuel reduction burning, and this, combined with
burning undertaken by the forest industry, generated heavy
smoke loads in susceptible parts of the State including the
Tamar and lower Derwent valleys. The smoke produced
by this burning was exacerbated by smoke produced by
widespread burning in Victoria, which was carried at low
level across Tasmania by the northerly winds associated
with the high pressure systems. In consequence, Forestry
Tasmania suspended its autumn burning program for several
days after 22 April, to allow an opportunity for conditions to
improve.
Table 12. Water testing associated with spray operations
Water quality
Forestry Tasmania has had a formal water quality sampling
system in place since 1993. The system has been continually
refined in the past decade based on operational experience
and research findings. The use of pesticides and fertilisers
must comply with the environmental protection measures
prescribed in the Forest Practices Code. Section E2 of the
code contains specific prescriptions covering watercourse
protection. Forestry Tasmania’s water sampling policy states
that water sampling is to be done following the broad scale
application of pesticides and fertilisers. Three sets of water
samples are taken: one sample set prior to application to
establish any background contamination; the second after
the application; and the third set of samples is taken following
the first significant rain event after spraying has occurred to
detect any contamination due to run-off and leaching.
The health and guideline values for drinking water prescribed
by the National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC) are used as the standards for determining the
need for investigation and corrective action when pesticides
are detected in water samples. Where no guideline values
are prescribed for particular pesticides, Forestry Tasmania
uses any detection of the pesticide in water samples as the
trigger for investigation. For the 2007/08 spraying season,
139 samples were submitted for chemical analysis with no
samples returning a positive result.
2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008
Number of samples associated with chemical spraying operations 361 410 635 302 139
No. of detections and percentage of no chemical detections (15) 95.8% (3) 99.3% (1) 99.8% (0) 100% (0) 100%
against ADWG Guideline Value 1 for chemical residues 2
1. Australian Drinking Water Guidelines Health Value or any detection where no value indicated.
2. Measured by DPIW testing laboratory.

Pesticide Impact Rating Index
PIRI (Pesticide Impact Rating Index) is a risk assessment tool
developed by CSIRO Land and Water, to assist planning
and decision making associated with pesticide operations.
It can assess the relative risk of pesticide mobility to offsite
waterways, as well as the toxicity to a user-selected
organism (algae, daphnia, rainbow trout and rat) as well as
comparison to drinking water quality guidelines.
PIRI requires site-specific information (soil texture, slope, pH
etc.), climatic information such as Soil Dryness Index (SDI),
and operational information on the pesticides to be applied
and their application rates. It then uses this information,
in conjunction with an extensive pesticides database, to
perform the risk assessment.
Forestry Tasmania has now commenced the integration
of PIRI into operational decision-making processes. Risk
assessment will be a mandatory part of planning pesticide
operations within Forestry Tasmania. In the future, PIRI-Tas
will provide detailed and valuable information to planners
so that risks can be assessed, and reduced where necessary,
during implementation and management of pesticide
operations.
Water quantity
In partnership with the Forest Practices Authority, the
Department of Primary Industries and Water engaged
Hydro Tasmania Consulting to develop the Water
Availability and Forest Landuse Planning Tool to enable
assessment of the significance of land use change activities
such as large-scale plantation forestry activities on
catchments.
The planning tool uses the best available knowledge
of forest industry, water use and modelling techniques,
and allows for improved knowledge or data to be
easily incorporated. The tool was first used to test the
Ringarooma catchment in northeast Tasmania to ensure it
functioned as expected. The result of this test suggested
that current levels of plantation development have had
a minimal (one to three per cent) impact on streamflow
compared to the 1995 levels of plantation development,
and that a very large increase in plantation area (which is
not planned) would be needed to reduce streamflow.
Fuel and chemical spills
All accidental spills of fuels or chemicals are recorded in
the incident investigation system and monitored. DPIW
is notified of spills greater than 20 litres. All incidents
in 2007/08 related to spills of diesel, hydraulic oil or fire
fighting foam. The total volume of spills recorded in
2007/08 was 597 litres. Two spills made up the majority of
this volume. In the largest spill, approximately 200 litres of
hydraulic oil was released as a result of a broken hydraulic
fitting at the Southwood merchandiser. In the second, 150
litres of diesel leaked onto the road pavement as a result of
a contractor’s truck colliding with a boomgate in northeast
Tasmania. All spills were adequately addressed through
emergency spill control procedures.
During fire fighting operations, a small quantity (1-3
litres) of fire fighting foam escaped from the tanker into a
watercourse. Alternative filling methods were subsequently
implemented to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
Read more about the Water Availability
and Forest Landuse Planning Tool at:
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au
35

Forest carbon and climate change
Forestry Tasmania welcomes the research on climate
change and on the role we can play in this challenge. It is
undisputed that forests are central in the solution to this
complex issue. All the science agrees that growing trees
absorb carbon and that forests and wood products store
carbon.
Forestry Tasmania agrees that we should maintain longterm
carbon stores in our forests. To do this we need to
maintain similar amounts, types and ages of forest into
Figure 25. Tasmania CO2 emission profile
the future. Forestry Tasmania already achieves this goal,
as a key requirement of sustainably managing Tasmania’s
forests.
As part of Forestry Tasmania’s ongoing commitment
to engage with its stakeholders and maintain lines of
communication with the public, Forestry Tasmania
participated in a number of public forums such as Forests
and Climate Change – Issues in a Tasmanian Context. It
is important that Forestry Tasmania shares its expertise
and knowledge with the community so that people are
informed about forest carbon and understand that wellmanaged
forests are part of the climate solution.
Figure 25. Tasmania CO 2
emission profile
4
3
Mt CO2-e 2
-e* *
2
1
0
-1
-1
-2
-2
-3
-3
Stationary energy
Industrial processes
Afforestation && reforestation
Net Net LULUCF
Transport
Agriculture
Land Land use change
Waste
Transport
Agriculture
Waste

The Tasmanian position
Tasmania’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 were
8.5 million tonnes CO 2
-e (State and Territories Greenhouse
Gases Inventories 2006). This represents 1.5 per cent of
total national emissions (576 million tonnes). The sectoral
composition, level and trend of these emissions are shown
in Figure 25.
Tasmania’s 2006 net carbon emission for the Land Use,
Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector was 0.2
CO 2
-e. The two components that were added together to
derive this figure included a negative 2.5 million tonnes
CO 2
-e that was removed by plantations (sinks) established
on previously cleared agricultural land since 1990 and a
positive 2.7 million tonnes CO 2
-e as a result of greenhouse
gas emissions that resulted from the conversion of forests
to grassland, cropland and residential uses.
Commercial forests that are managed on a sustainable basis
can be used to deliver timber requirements and make a
positive contribution to carbon sequestration.
Carbon storage in state forests
Forestry Tasmania has been actively pursuing methods
that will assist in the measurement or accounting of the
total carbon stocks in state forests. The results of a study
commissioned by Forestry Tasmania in 2007 showed that
an estimated 330 million tonnes was stored within state
forests in the 2007/08 period. Even with the continuing
removal of timber in accordance with the sustainable yield
strategy, the carbon stored in Tasmania’s state forests and in
the wood products removed, increases only to an estimated
357 million tonnes by 2050 (Figure 26).
Carbon pools (million t)
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
-50
Figure 26. Estimated carbon stock in state forests
2007
2010
2013
2016
2019
2022
2025
2028
2031
2034
2037
2040
During the preparation of the next five-year review of the
sustainable high quality sawlog supply from Tasmanian
state forests, Forestry Tasmania will use the outputs
from the revised forest estate model along with any new
research and conversion factors to recalculate the total
carbon stocks in state forests.
2043
2046
2049
2052
2055
2058
Wood Products
Soil and debris
Softwood Plantations
Hardwood Plantations
Native Forest Wood
Production Area
Native Forest Outside Wood
Production Area
Office and machinery carbon
emissions
37

Case study - How beetle assemblages change with
altitude along the Warra – Mount Weld altitudinal
transect
(Dr Simon Grove and Lynne Forster)
Beetles are helping to answer topical questions about
climate change, as part of a long-term monitoring project
established in 2001 on Mount Weld in southern Tasmania
by DPIW and Forestry Tasmania researchers. Transects
were set up, running from 100 m to 1300 m altitude, with
permanent plots located at every 100 m altitude increment.
Vegetation along the transect varied from lowland
Eucalyptus obliqua forest, through temperate rainforest and
subalpine E. coccifera forest, to alpine heath. Birds, vascular
plants and invertebrates are among the species monitored.
Invertebrates were sampled over the course of a year,
with high elevation plots accessed from the top down by
helicopter.
Recent sorting and analysis of the beetles, part-funded
by the Australian Greenhouse Office, determined 7096
individuals belonging to 484 species. Some of these species
demonstrated a strong response to altitude. Ground-beetles
proved to be particularly well represented in pitfall trap
samples, comprising 56 species. In this family, Notonomus
politulus and Chylnus ater were restricted to altitudes below
600 m, while others were only abundant above this altitude.
A particular surprise was the appearance, above 900 m, of
Calyptogonia atra (photo 4), a species which belongs to a
chiefly subantarctic subfamily with relatives in southern
South America and New Zealand. There had been no
further Tasmanian records since its original description from
Tasmania’s West Coast in the 19th Century. Interestingly, its
close relative Stichonotus piceus also turned up at the top
of the mountain, while another, S. leai, was more common
at lower altitudes. This entire subfamily may be a good
candidate for monitoring responses to climate change.
Stag beetles also demonstrated a response to altitude.
Lissotes cancroides occurred up to 700 m, while L.
subcaeruleus and L. bornemisszai shared very similar
distributions above 700 m, peaking near the summit of
Mount Weld.
Two specimens of the taxonomically unusual ladybird Nat
vandenbergae were collected on the transect. This may not
sound significant until one considers that the beetle is only
found in Tasmania and is so rare that only four specimens
had been collected previously.
This project provides a baseline against which future
changes in altitudinal distributions can be gauged. The
transect will be resampled so any changes that have
occurred during the past 10 years can be determined,
enabling identification of conservation issues for our beetle
fauna as well as providing insights into potential pest
species under changing climate scenarios.
Figure 27a. Nat vandenbergae, a very rare (and unusual) ladybird (5 mm) and
Figure 27b. Calyptogonia atra, a rare high-altitude carabid beetle (14 mm)

working with our stakeholders
Delivering socioeconomic benefits
Forestry Tasmania considers it imperative that the social
and economic dimensions of forest management are
considered along with the environmental issues. This
includes interaction and engagement with communities and
stakeholders, including indigenous communities, to help
guide forest management. Forestry Tasmania is committed
to the long-term delivery of social and economic goods and
services, consistent with other management objectives.
Forestry Tasmania provides a range of goods and services
from state forests, including non-wood values, tourism and
recreational opportunities, indigenous and non-indigenous
cultural heritage, landscape and visual amenity values,
health and safety, community support and access to public
forests. More detailed trend data for this section can be
found in Appendix one.
the entire community and aims to ensure that economic
returns and good environmental management are
balanced with constructive contributions that support
people living in regional areas. During 2007/08 a total
of $36,463 was awarded to a wide range of community
programs, events and projects through Forestry Tasmania’s
district sponsorship programs with approximately $86,000
awarded through the new Community Assist program.
35
14
26
17
34
Figure 28. Summary of forums attended
by Forestry Tasmania’s district staff
24
12
46
Forestry Tasmania manages 1.5 million hectares of land
across the State, and engages with many communities
and stakeholders. Forestry Tasmania supports community
activities and regularly attends community meetings on
relevant issues to improve public participation and foster
ongoing relationships, including being a good and socially
responsible neighbour. During 2007/08 Forestry Tasmania’s
staff attended 438 community forums (Figure 28) which
is 18 per cent less than that attended in the previous
year. Forestry Tasmania continues to be pro-active in its
involvement and contribution towards community issues,
where it can be the most effective. Community Liaison
Officers are employed in each district, to provide a first point
of contact for local stakeholders on forestry-related issues.
40
118
4
5
16
58
Fire management Catchment management Local emergency management
Education Local government Cultural management
Biodiversity management Feral animals/weeds Industry
Recreation/tourism Regional planning Conservation/environmental
Forest practices
Other
Forestry Tasmania manages state forests for the benefit of
39

Community Assist
In 2007/08 the Community Assist program was launched.
The joint venture between Forestry Tasmania and Southern
Cross Television was established through the commitment
by both companies to the concept of corporate social
responsibility and obligation to contribute to the
overall well-being of the broader community. As its title
suggests, Community Assist seeks to help individuals and
organisations who work hard to make their communities
better places to live. Community Assist is aligned to
Forestry Tasmania’s core values and seeks to provide
funding for organisations and individuals that share these
values. Applications are called for annually, and to ensure
that all sectors of the community, large and small, are
provided with an opportunity, Community Assist funding is
offered in three categories which include:
•
•
New Norfolk Rowing Club which received $7000 to
assist with an upgrade to their facilities. Even though
club members still have a lot of physical work to do,
the grant reassured them they were able to undertake
the project, and has re-focused their fundraising
activities on the maintenance and improvement of
their boating equipment for the next crop of rowers.
The Forestry Tasmania Kilburn Under 19 netball team
was awarded $5000 to enable it to focus on training
and games through the 2008 season.
Figure 29. Five of Forestry Tasmania’s staff
who also participated in “Sally’s Ride”
•
•
A group of young deaf Tasmanian students was
sponsored to travel to the Australian Deaf Games with
three proudly returning with two bronze medals and a
fourth place.
Community Assist also sponsored the 135-kilometre
Hobart to Campbell Town leg of “Sally’s Ride”. For the
past five years, Sally Fletcher has conducted a “Sally’s
Ride” around Tasmania cycling between 1000 and 1400
kilometres on each ride. All the money raised goes
towards research and the implementation of local
youth suicide prevention projects in Tasmania.
Care for People – provides a strong humanitarian focus
with the aim of benefiting regional organisations and/or
individuals.
Building Regional Pride – aims to support dynamic and
innovative organisations that encourage Tasmanians to
value sporting, academic, business, artistic, scientific and/or
environmental achievement.
Building State Pride – is open only to organisations
which are able to demonstrate significant promotional
opportunities for the State or show significant benefits for a
wide cross-section of the Tasmanian community.
In 2007/08 a number of applicants were successful in
their applications for a Community Assist Program grant,
including:

Community Access Bus
In order to engage with community members at a local
level, Forestry Tasmania introduced a community access
bus (CAB). The CAB has been designed to allow community
members to access information on a variety of different
topics in a relaxed environment right on their back
doorstep. The CAB is also available to other organisations
that require sponsorship to become more accessible to
the community, with Lifeline being the first recipient. With
many Tasmanians living in regional areas, Forestry Tasmania
was pleased to be able to assist Lifeline in reaching out to
these community members, particularly in the times of
drought.
Forestry Tasmania’s staff
Current Mr Australia and Forestry Tasmania’s ambassador
Darren Smith organised and competed in the Tasmanian
Strength and Fitness Challenge to raise money for Cancer
PLUS. Competitors performed as many repetitions as
possible in squat, bench and dead-lift competitions
with the weight bar loaded to their own body weight.
Competitors sought sponsorship for each successful
repetition.
Cancer PLUS is a Tasmanian program set up by the Cancer
Council to educate, support, serve and advocate for families
of children and adolescents with cancer, survivors of
childhood cancer and the professionals who care for them.
Support is offered during and after
treatment or during bereavement
whether treatment is in Tasmania or
interstate.
Darren chose Cancer PLUS because
it was important to him that a
charity which benefited children was
the recipient of the money raised.
Darren was placed fourth in the
overall competition lifting a personal
best of 12 tonnes during the three
official lift competitions.
Freedom of Information (FOI) responses to the media
One of the key measures Forestry Tasmania adopted
following the undertaking of a brand audit conducted
in 2007 was to take a new approach to Freedom of
Information requests. This involved the release of Freedom
of Information (FOI) responses to the media.
In addition to these FOI responses, Forestry Tasmania
also posted copies of a number of its major wood supply
agreements in order to demonstrate its commitment to
being open and transparent in its commercial dealings.
Copies of Forestry Tasmania’s responses to FOI
requests and major wood supply agreements can
be found under ‘Maps and Documents’ at:
wwww.forestrytas.com.au
Figure 30. Darren from Forestry Tasmania
presents the Cancer Council with a cheque
41

Memorandum of understanding with the wine industry
Following reports of damage to grapes from smoke in
Victoria, Forestry Tasmania signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Tasmanian wine industry
to help limit the potential for smoke damage to grapes
in Tasmania. As part of the MOU Forestry Tasmania
now includes nine regionally nominated Wine Industry
Tasmania representatives in burn-off notification groups so
they are informed of burns in the vicinity of their vineyards.
Understanding the areas we need to work on
Complaints about Forestry Tasmania’s operations and activities
are received as a result of people writing or speaking to the
Office of the Minister for Forests or through communicating
directly with us. Some of the complaints received are outside
of Forestry Tasmania’s control, for example those that relate to
legislation. However those that are relevant are recorded in our
Corrective Action Request system (CAR). Through this process,
a responsible person is nominated to address the specific issue
raised. Responses usually involve a letter, a telephone call or a
meeting. In some cases, the response to a complaint includes
an operational response (ie attending to a reasonable request).
Figure 31. Summary and nature of complaints received
1% 6% 4% Forest management policies
16%
Forest practices
13% Specific locations (eg. Weld Valley)
Conditions of roads
4%
Smoke / burning
4%
Biodiversity / threatened Species
8%
Other
Log trucks / vehicles
Rubbish dumping
10%
Illegal harvesting
18%
Vandalism & theft
Water quality / quantity
15% 1%
Figure 31 shows the percentage of main categories of
complaints received during 2007/08. Complaints were
made about smoke as a result of burning activities
(18 per cent); vandalism and theft (16 per cent); forest
management at specific locations (13 per cent); and log
trucks and other vehicles (10 per cent). The vandalism
and theft complaints related to wilful damage to visitor
sites, interpretation signs and the theft of property. The
number of smoke complaints received is on par with last
year.
The majority of the complaints about forest management
at specific locations related to a native forest harvesting
operation that was planned for Bruny Island during
2007/08. In total 32 complaints were received, with the
majority of these being from no more than four to five
people. Forestry Tasmania started a public consultation
process with Bruny Island stakeholders in December 2003
and following the formation of the “Bruny Forest Group”,
Forestry Tasmania has been meeting with this group four
to five times a year. The meetings included field trips on
the island and to the other areas within the Huon district
such as Southwood and the Weld and many meetings on
Bruny including a gathering of more than 140 people on
10 May 2008.

Provision of tourism and recreation
facilities
Tourism and recreation are keystones in Forestry Tasmania’s
vision for multiple-use forests. Forestry Tasmania’s tourism
strategy which complements the State Government’s
Tourism 21 Plan, has seen existing attractions enter new
phases of development and new initiatives progress
through the approvals stage.
New product development and initiatives, which were
commenced in 2007/08 include Hollybank Treetops
Adventures and the Maydena Adventure Hub. The
Hollybank Treetops Adventure is a Forestry Tasmania joint
venture that offers a ride through the Hollybank Reserve
tree canopy suspended from a cable passing seven towers
(called cloud stations) and culminating with a 300 metre
dash across the Pipers River. In addition to this thrilling
adventure, Hollybank Reserve has much to offer visitors
as a historic area with farming dating to the 1850’s, native
regrowth forests, exotic deciduous and evergreen trees
associated with our European heritage and the Pipers River.
The Maydena Adventure Hub is an initiative that fits well
with Forestry Tasmania’s commitment to developing
employment and business opportunities for others. The
main attraction at the Maydena Adventure Hub will be a
“rooftop of Tasmania” experience at an Eagles Eyrie lookout
on the summit of the Maydena Range.
Forestry Tasmania has been focusing on the development
of $2.1 million worth of infrastructure at Maydena and
is engaging in partnerships with the private sector to
recognise the endless opportunities in the area. The
Derwent Valley Council welcomes the project, looking
forward to the boost in business opportunities and
employment in the regions.
450000
400000
Visitor Visitor numbers
350000
300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
0
Figure 32. Recorded visitor numbers* to
State forest tourism and recreational sites
* The visitor figures numbers represented in
Figure 18 do not provide a complete reflection of
overall visitors to state forest recreational sites
due to faulty road counters.
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
43

Cultural heritage management
Archaeological surveys are undertaken during preharvest
assessment of special values. These often yield
identification of new sites, or redetection of old sites.
Redetection includes sites found by Forestry Tasmania that
are mentioned in historical records but their exact location
was not known. Once sites are found they are assessed
and protected. They include former mines, tramways, huts,
artefact scatters, boilers and old mill sites.
Case Study: Naming the giants
Tasmania is renowned for its giant eucalypt trees. While
most of these giants are eucalypts of the ash group
(Eucalyptus regnans, E. delegatensis or E. obliqua), the last few
years have seen four giant blue gums, E. globulus, added
to the list of giants. One of these trees, while only 82 m
high is the most massive of all giants with a stem volume of
368 cubic metres. This tree may well be the largest known
hardwood tree in the world (there are larger softwood trees
in North America). In Tasmania, ‘giant trees’ are defined as
those which are at least 85 metres tall or 280 cubic metres
in volume.
There is a long tradition of naming these giants with names
such as Icarus Dream, Mount Tree, Damocles and Medusa.
The responsibility for maintaining a register of information
and names on these giant trees rests with the Giant Trees
Consultative Committee, a body established by Forestry
Tasmania to provide independent advice on the protection,
management and promotion of giant trees. Eucalyptus
globulus is the floral emblem of Tasmania, and the Giant
Tree Consultative Committee is encouraging the allocation
Table 13. Summary of Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys
Year Area Surveyed (ha) Number of new sites
detected
of Aboriginal names for giant blue gums.
To provide inspiration for these names, members of the
Giant Tree Consultative Committee, Professor Brad Potts
from the University of Tasmania and Forestry Tasmania's
John Hickey headed into Tasmania’s southern forests
with South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation
representative Leigh Oates, a group of Aboriginal students
from St James School, Cygnet and their teacher Pat Lee.
They will further explore options for Aboriginal names for
these giant blue gums.
Figure 33 features members of the naming expedition at
the base of a most massive Eucalyptus globulus. The tree
has a diameter at breast height of 5.54 metres and height of
Number of old sites
redetected
2003/04 3,891 6 0
2004/05 7,185 7 0
2005/06 2,286 7 0
2006/07 1,735 4 0
2007/08 3,149 7 1
Table 14. Summary of non-Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys
Year Area Surveyed (ha) Number of new sites
detected
Number of old sites
redetected
2003/04 3,891 16 27
2004/05 336 48 7
2005/06 185 29 19
2006/07 190 42 13
2007/08 333 34 26
82 metres. Currently the tallest known Eucalyptus globulus
is 91 metres tall, and the tallest flowering plant is an E.
regnans named The Centurion. It has been mentioned at
100 metres tall and was discovered in October 2008 in the
southern forests.
Read more about the Giant Trees Consultative
Committee and Tasmania Giant Trees at:
www.gianttrees.com.au

Figure 33. Members of the naming expedition at the
base of a massive Eucalyptus globulus
Forestry Tasmania’s contribution to the
economy
In 2007/08, the estimated value of wood production from
state forests, based on the price paid by Forestry Tasmania’s
customers for logs delivered “at the mill door” was $252
million. Of this, approximately $182 million (72 per cent)
came from native forests, $12 million (5 per cent) from
hardwood plantations and $58 million (23 per cent) from
softwood plantations. The softwood value represents
the full production figure from state forests (ie includes
Taswood Growers and softwood resources managed by
Forestry Tasmania such as the Strahan plantation).
The estimated final value of wood products produced
in Tasmania from these logs in 2007/08, based on the
best available information on recovery and value of each
product, is $659 million. This underpins the actual value of
the wood and paper product-manufacturing sector, which
produces sales income annually of $1.4 - $1.6 billion to the
Tasmanian economy.
In addition to the revenue from timber sales, some of the
components through which Forestry Tasmania contributes
to the Tasmanian economy are outlined in Table 18.
This shows that in 2007/08 there were 1793 staff and
contractors. While the payroll to staff amounted to $33
million, total payments made to suppliers, contractors and
employees was $189 million.
45

Native forestry’s importance to Tasmania’s economy
highlighted in new report
A new report that provided the most comprehensive
picture yet of the size and value of the Tasmanian forestry
industry was released by the Cooperative Research Centre
for Forestry in June 2008. The report showed that the total
expenditure by the sector was between $1.4 billion and 1.6
billion in 2005/06. The 6300 people employed in forestry
equated to 5970 full-time equivalent jobs and represented
three per cent of Tasmania’s workforce in August 2006.
The industry involves more than 500 businesses, including
more than 50 forest growers and more than 400 businesses
involved in contracting work in areas such as planting,
harvesting and cartage. Only 12 per cent of the forest
industry workers were found to be women. The Derwent
Valley has the highest proportion of forest workers in the
State (32 per cent), followed by Dorset (23 per cent) and
Kentish (19 per cent).
In 2005 Forestry Tasmania was successful in securing the
commitment of Malaysian-based timber company, the Ta
Ann Group, to develop two rotary veneer peeling mills in
Tasmania at cost of $70 million – one in the Huon Valley
at the Huon Wood Centre and the other near Smithton in
the State’s North West. In May 2008, Ta Ann celebrated its
first year of operations with 80 people being employed in
the Huon Valley and Hobart and its fourth shipment to its
customers in Malaysia, Japan and China.
During this time Ta Ann also received Chain of Custody
certification under the Australian Forestry Standard.
This certification traces timber from its harvest in the
forest through to production, and is recognised by the
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
Schemes (PEFC).
Both the Tasmanian mills have been designed to use
regrowth and plantation logs. Through Forestry Tasmania’s
partnership with Ta Ann, up to 25 per cent of wood that was
previously chipped is now being “peeled” here in Tasmania
for higher value veneer production.
In line with our goal to see more and more value-added
manufacturing taking place here in Tasmania rather than
overseas, Forestry Tasmania celebrated the end of the
commercial shipment of our unprocessed logs from the
port of Hobart. This means more jobs in Tasmania and
greater value generated from the same sustainable volume
of harvest. Fewer trips by log trucks not only reduces the
impact on local highways on city streets, but also reduces
the amount of carbon dioxide being released through fuel
consumption.
Table 15. Forestry Tasmania’s contribution to the economy
MDLV ($)
Figure 34. Mill door landed value
250,000,000
MDLV ($)
250,000,000
200,000,000
200,000,000
150,000,000
150,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
50,000,000
50,000,000
0
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Hardwood Value
Hardwood value
Softwood Value
Softwood value
Contribution method 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Employment (staff and contractors) 1,944 2,022 1,920 1,889 1,793
Payroll ($’000) (staff only) 29,823 30,017 32,273 32,931 32,994
Total payments to State Government ($’000) 8,795 11,106 1,117 3,401 2,017
Total payments to local government ($’000) 365 1,902 1,892 2,039 2,380
Total payments to suppliers, contractors and
169,400 203,000 188,965
employees ($’000)

Forest estate value
Through sustainable forest management, and development
of the forest estate, Forestry Tasmania aims to maintain
and enhance the capital value of state forest assets
while deriving economic value from the ‘interest’ or
growth component. Forestry Tasmania complies with
the Australian Accounting Standard AASB 1037 - Self-
Generating and Regenerating Assets for its forest valuation
and AASB 1041 - Revaluation of Non-current Assets for
other assets, where applicable.
This value can fluctuate dramatically due to changes in the
variables used in the valuation model.
In 2007/08 the principal causes of the decrease in the value
of the biological asset were due to:
Value ($ million)
Figure 35. Forest estate value summary
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
•
•
•
Change in the discount rate caused by external factors
i.e. changes to the 10 year bond rate.
The three-year average stumpage price for native
forest pulpwood. (Based on years 2004 - 2007. The
price has since rebounded.)
The woodflows included in the 2007 Wood Review
indicates substantial increased volumes but they will
be available later than previously predicted.
100
0
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Standing timber wholly owned
Standing timber joint ventures
Forest land
Roads and structures
Tourist infrastructure
•
Increased forest management costs associated with
pest control and pruning of the plantation estate.
47

Creating a safe workplace
During the financial year of 2007/08, Forestry Tasmania
achieved a lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of 11.36
against a performance measure of “

egulatory environmenT
Continuous improvement
Forestry Tasmania’s objective is to comply with all relevant
legislation and supplementary standards. Research
is important to identify opportunities for continuous
improvement in forest management. Forestry Tasmania
maintains a practical research program to improve the
productivity and sustainability of the management of
state forests. The research facilitates the development and
sharing of expertise with forest managers, collaborative
partners and the broader public. More detailed trend data
for this section can be found in Appendix one.
Forest Practices Act 1985
All forest practices must be carried out in accordance with a
certified Forest Practices Plan which contains specifications
for harvesting, roadworks and reforestation activities in
accordance with the Forest Practices Code. The code
requires special provision to protect natural and cultural
values, including flora, fauna, geomorphology, soils and
water, cultural heritage and visual amenity.
The emphasis of the forest practices system is to achieve
high environmental standards through planning, training
and education. Where problems arise corrective action,
including the remediation of damage, takes place. This is
followed by review, analysis and improvement of systems to
ensure that similar errors do not occur in the future. Where
the problem is considered serious, legal enforcement can
be applied in a number of ways. This includes verbal or
written notification by a Forest Practices Officer issued
under Section 41 of the Forest Practices Act. The Forest
Practices Authority (FPA) can also prosecute for failure to
comply with a certified Forest Practices Plan or may impose
a fine as an alternative to prosecution.
During 2007/08 no S41 notices were issued to Forestry
Tasmania, however, seven were issued to Forestry Tasmania
contractors as a result of the following non-compliances:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A harvesting operation continued after rain where the
certified Forest Practices Plan called for the road to be
used only in dry conditions.
Blocked culverts were found on a spur road while
another spur road did not meet specifications in the
certified Forest Practices Plan or the Forest Practices
Code.
Puddling of soils was found to have occurred in one
harvesting operation.
No cording was carried out on a main snig track during
wet periods.
The construction of a landing commenced without the
required approval being finalised.
A landing was found to be inadequately corded.
A contractor harvested outside of the designated
harvesting boundary.
Cording involves the use of suitable logs, bark or
vegetation to spread the weight of the load and
seperate machine tyres or tracks from direct soil
contact during harvesting operations, thus reducing
ground pressure and rutting.
Forestry Tasmania was fined $25,000 in the 2007/08
financial year following a Forest Practices Authority
investigation that was undertaken into a breach reported
in June 2006. The breach was discovered by Forestry
Tasmania when an aerial photograph showed a discrepancy
between the actual shape of the harvested area and the
intended shape as set out in the Forest Practices Plan.
Investigations showed that 4.24 hectares of the adjacent
921 hectare Arve Loop Forest Reserve was inadvertently
harvested, along with a strip of land designated by Forestry
Tasmania as a corridor for wildlife. Equipment failure and
human error contributed to the breach. Seven hectares
of forests containing similar conservation values as the
area harvested were reserved in addition to the harvested
area in the forest reserve and the wildlife corridor is being
rehabilitated back to native forest.
The Forest Practices Authority undertakes an independent
annual audit of a representative sample of all Forest Practice
Plans. The audit covers forest harvesting, roadworks and
site preparation at various stages of completion. In addition
to the assessment of operational performance, the audit
checks the standard of the plan, including all assessments
and procedures required by the forest practices system.
The overall outcome of the 2007/08 Forest Practices
Authority audit was an average statewide rating of 3.8
which is better than the “Above Sound” benchmark (3.5) set
by Forestry Tasmania.
49

Criteria
Figure 38. Performance as achieved in the Forest Practice Authority audits
Soil and Water
Fuel and Rubbish
Landscape
Cultural Heritage
Geomorphology
Fauna
Flora
Reforestation
Planning
Harvesting
Roading
2 2.25 2.5 2.75 3 3.25 3.5 3.75 4
Performance Score
2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Workplace Health and Safety Act
Workplace Standards issued three notices to Forestry
Tasmania and three to Forestry Tasmania contractors for
breaches under Section 38 of the Workplace Health and
Safety Act 1998. The three notices issued to Forestry
Tasmania were as a result of:
• Hazardous trees along an access road, the condition of
the landing site and the harvesting prescription.
• An employee found to be undertaking unsafe work
practices on a conveyor that feeds the cross cut saw
from the scanner and on the conveyor that feeds
the bunks from the cross cut saw at the Southwood
merchandiser.
• Unloading trucks after dark with inadequate lighting at
the merchandiser yard at Southwood.
The three notices issued to contractors were as a result of:
• Two contractors’ tree felling techniques were not in
accordance with the standard contained in the Forest
Safety Code.
• Contractors refusing to harvest a steep section within
the harvesting area.
Read more about the
Forest Practices Authority at:
www.fpa.tas.gov.au

Other legislation
Auspine launched legal action against both Rayonier and
Taswood Growers (joint venture between Forestry Tasmania
and GMO Renewable Resources), after failing in its bid to
secure a long-term sawlog supply deal earlier in 2007. The
company claimed the loss of the contract threatened about
300 jobs at its two Scottsdale sawmills.
In June 2008 Forestry Tasmania was advised that Auspine
Ltd had withdrawn all legal proceedings related to the long
term log supply between Timberlands Pacific Ltd (formerly
Rayonier Australia Pty Ltd) and Forest Enterprises Australia.
Forestry Tasmania was always confident of the legality of
the log supply agreement struck between the softwood
joint venturer’s manager (Rayonier ) and Forest Enterprises
Australia and is pleased the matter was resolved between
all parties.
Figure 39. Summary of the
number of environmental
corrective actions raised
240
200
160
120
80
Monitoring and auditing
A strong component of Forestry Tasmania’s Forest
Management System is the ongoing monitoring of forest
operations and activities. If any non-conformances, as
measured against our standard operating procedures are
found, a Corrective Action Request (CAR) is undertaken to
provide an overview of the incident, the immediate corrective
action required and the person responsible for ensuring that
the issue is fully addressed. For 2007/08, 168 environmental
issues were registered (Figure 39) of which eight were
categorised as high, 53 as medium and 107 as low.
The high environmental CARs were as a result of:
• a harvesting contractor crossing the designated
harvesting boundary which resulted in approximately 60
trees in the Mathinna Fall Forest Reserve being felled
• a local council mistakenly placing their waste transfer
site in a state forest without the required lease
arrangements
• an area of 1.4 hectares harvested outside the planned
harvesting boundary due to the boundary being
incorrectly marked
• a harvesting contractor crossing a defined harvesting
boundary into a streamside reserve
• six train wagons operated by Pacific National derailed
in the Que River/Hatfield area and a resulting spill of
about 250 tonnes of copper concentrate (Note: as this
incident is not related to any of Forestry Tasmania’s
activities it was simply recorded as an occurrence in
state forest).
• a contractor leaving the harvesting area prior to
completing all harvesting and restoration
• a contractor harvesting a portion of a landscape screen
without approval
• a contractor’s harvesting excavator being destroyed
by fire.
In addition to the regular monitoring of operations,
Corrective Action Requests are also raised through findings
made in internal and external audits. For 2007/08 a total
of 113 CARs were raised following the 9 audits (2 external
and 7 internal) which were conducted. An overview of
the external audits is available through Public Summary
Reports that are prepared by our external auditor following
each external audit.
40
0
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Low Medium High
Read the Public Summary Reports at:
www.forestrytas.com.au/sfm/sustainable-forestmanagement-publications
51

Research
Forestry Tasmania has a significant investment in research
and development. The research capacity is concentrated
in the Division of Forest Research and Development
(DFRD). The three goals of productivity, sustainability and
profitability guide the division’s research planning. Much of
DFRD’s research is performed in collaboration with others,
as this is by far the most cost-effective way to bring into
Forestry Tasmania the wide range of relevant expertise
and knowledge in other institutions. Examples of these
collaborations are participation in the CRC for Forestry, the
Bush Fire CRC and a number of Australian Research Council
linkage grants.
Research thus informs forest management and operations
directly as part of Forestry Tasmania’s daily business, but it
is also important that this is specifically demonstrated and
communicated to the wider community. The scientific and
technical staff of DFRD are therefore involved in publicising
research and its implementation. DFRD is a significant
player in National Science Week activities in Tasmania.
The job of a DFRD researcher requires maintaining an
awareness of national and international developments
in their forest science speciality, performing their own
research, and ensuring that results are used to inform
Forestry Tasmania’s forest management and operations,
as well as being involved in publicising their work. The
strength of the research carried out in DFRD is grounded in
its close links with both practical forest management and
policy setting in a commercial environment.
Research highlights in 2007/08 included:
Developing landscape metrics to quantify the contribution of
late succession forests to landscape structure in the Greater
Warra Experimental Forest Landscape.
Exploration of a range of landscape metrics and
methodologies using the Greater Warra Experimental
Forest Landscape study area to develop a set of applied
ecologically meaningful landscape metrics to be used
forests to landscape structure in a spatially heterogeneous
production forest landscape.
Social acceptability of forest management options –
landscape visualisation and evaluation (in conjunction with
Melbourne University).
Comparing the social acceptability of alternative landscape
management options for an area in the southern forests
from Port Huon in the east to Mt Picton in the west.
for research and forest management planning reporting
purposes. Proximity metrics were found to be a useful
means for quantifying the contribution of late succession
Learn more about Forestry Tasmania’s research
programs and read the Division of Forest
Research’s Annual Report at:
Table 16. Research Expenditure Summary
www.forestrytas.com.au/science
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
$3,305,000 $3,494,000 $3,645,800 $3,839,200 $4,343,200 $4,387,000
Figure 40. Research expenditure as a percentage of net operating costs
Figure 40. Research expenditure as a percentage of net operating costs
4.5%
5,000,000
% Net Operating Cost
4.0%
3.5%
% Net Operating Cost
3.5%
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
0
2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008
2000/01
% Net Operating Cost Value ($)
% Net Operating Cost . Value ($)
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
4,500,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
Amount Spent ($)
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
Amount Spent ($)

where to from here?
With the Sustainability Charter laying the framework for the
sustainable management of Tasmania’s state forests for the
next decade, our future Sustainable Forest Management
Reports will show progress made against the strategic
aims that support the five core sustainability objectives
contained in this Charter.
Listed below are some of the challenges and priorities we
will be striving to achieve in 2008/09 to ensure we deliver
against these aims.
Sustaining biodiversity and habitat
• development of a swift parrot strategic management
plan for the southern forests
• build a database that reflects natural, cultural and
social values of Forestry Tasmania’s forest reserves and
can be used by field staff
• development of prescriptions for retention of coarse
woody debris habitat where fuel wood is harvested for
biomass energy
• address recommendations for state forests arising from
the World Heritage Committee Report
• use landscape metrics to identify priority areas for the
retention and restoration of mature forest elements.
Sustaining jobs for current and future generations
• develop 10-year wood production scenarios for all
districts
• undertake a review of the blackwood resource
• publish a strategy for the ongoing supply of special
species.
Sustaining carbon stores, clean air, water and healthy
forests
• provide Forestry PIRI to district staff for operational
planning of pesticide operations
• collect and analyse spatial and historical information
for catchments in Warra LTER site to determine
biophysical factors that have the greatest influence on
water quality and yield
• investigate the effectiveness of diversionary
(supplementary) feed to reduce browsing damage.
Sustaining community access and heritage
• appointment of an Aboriginal heritage officer
• hold a series of forums in regional areas throughout
the State to brief members of the public on the
Sustainability Charter: Forest Management Plan 2008.
Sustaining science-based stewardship
• report to the State Government on progress made on
the development of alternative silviculture systems for
oldgrowth
• report on the feasibility of LIDAR for improved forest
mapping and inventory.
53

appendix one - data tables
The tables in this section support the statements made in the main report and provide a more detailed view of long-term trends.
1. Biological diversity
Table 1.1. Area of forest type by protection classification on State forest
Forest type 2003/04 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Change since 2001/02
Forest
Reserve
Informal
Reserve
Forest
Reserve
Informal
Reserve
Forest
Reserve
Informal
Reserve
Forest
Reserve
Informal
Reserve 6
Forest
Reserve
Informal
Reserve 6
Forest
Reserve 1
Tall eucalypt forest 42,100 64,700 41,900 61,800 41,900 61,800 42,100 86,000 49,200 83,600 7,300 23,000
Low eucalypt forest 67,400 66,000 66,900 64,400 66,900 64,400 67,400 93,600 71,600 89,500 4,800 26,900
Rainforest 37,700 23,200 37,800 23,200 37,800 23,200 37,700 99,100 67,400 62,900 29,100 40,000
Other native forest 9,100 10,200 9,500 10,100 9,500 10,100 9,100 16,000 10,800 14,700 1,200 4,800
Non forest 18,500 35,700 18,800 36,100 18,800 36,100 18,600 52,400 23,100 44,200 4,800 7,600
Hardwood pltn 5 0 150 0 150 0 150 0 200 100 400 100 250
Softwood pltn 5 100 100 100 170 100 170 100 100 100 200 0 30
Informal
Reserve 2
Total 3,4 174,900 200,050 175,000 195,900 175,000 195,900 175,000 347,500 222,100 295,600 47,300 102,500
1. Change in forest reserve due to continuous re-mapping of forest type as photo interpretation is undertaken.
2. Increases as more forest added to informal reserves.
3. Areas include Buckland Military Training Area.
4. Total row is rounded actual totals.
5. Plantations added because it exceeds 100 ha.
6. This figure includes land intended for formal reserves under the TCFA. The formal TCFA reserves were not dedicated as at 30th June 2006, so are counted as informal.
2. Productive capacity
Table 2.1. Pulpwood audit summary
Total 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Pulpwood sales (t) 2,902,800 2,724,303 2,191,132 2,136,687 2,230,874
Pulpwood audited (t) 119,415 167,058 100,712 128,010 156,016
Sawlog recovered (t) 255 225 110 75 59
% Audited 4.11% 6.13% 4.60% 5.99% 6.99%
% Sawlog recovery 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.00% 0.00%

Table 2.2. Merchantable residue assessment summary
Year Number of coupes audited Mean residue (m 3 /ha) Median residue (m 3 /ha)
2000/01 42 4.60 3.28
2001/02 87 3.24 2.28
2002/03 95 3.20 2.10
2003/04 91 2.36 2.37
2004/05 101 2.18 1.46
2005/06 104 1.87 1.16
2006/07 117 1.68 1.39
2007/08 93 1.97 1.60
Table 2.3. Harvesting and regeneration summary
Report year Native forest Hardwood plantation
Area clearfelled Area of partial harvesting Total Area regenerated 1 Area clearfelled Area regenerated
2003/04 8,119 8,476 16,595 5,526 Not available 2,154
2004/05 7,453 8,283 15,736 6,569 327 5,094
2005/06 5,519 6,888 12,407 7,226 78 6,117
2006/07 6,413 4,917 11,330 9,445 361 3,511
2007/08 4,769 7,962 12,731 10,207 1,112 3,812
1. The area regenerated would typically represent the regeneration of the area that was harvested the previous year.
Table 2.4. Plantation R1 and R2 establishment areas (ha) 1
Existing plantation clearfelled
followed by plantation (R2)
New plantations on
cleared land (R1) 6
SW 2 HW 2 SW 2 HW 2
Forestry Tasmania (FT) plantation in state forests and on crown land 0 344 0 2,325 2,669
FT joint venture plantation in state forests and on crown land 3 1,749 287 0 694 2,730
FT joint venture on private land 0 0 0 0 0
Tassie Trees Trust Plantation in state forests 4 0 0 0 0 0
FT plantation on private land 0 0 0 0 0
Private plantation in state forests 0 2 0 160 162
Total
2007/2008 TOTAL 5 1,749 633 0 3,179 5,561
2006/2007 TOTAL 5 1,673 144 24 3,375 5,217
2005/2006 TOTAL 5 1,807 83 397 2,071 4,358
2004/2005 TOTAL 5 2,133 372 408 4,722 7,616
2003/2004 TOTAL 5 2,332 718 580 5,399 9,029
2002/2003 TOTAL 5 2,313 120 324 3,391 6,148
1. Planting period for mapping and reporting purposes is
from 1st July 2007 to 30th June 2008.
2. Softwood [SW] and Hardwood [HW]. The majority of mixed
hardwood/softwood plantations are reported as hardwood.
3. Includes the softwood plantations, which are 50 per cent
owned by GMO Renewable Resources, for which data is
supplied by Timberlands New Zealand as at 30/06/08.
4. Tassie Trees Trust plantations are mainly jointly-owned with
private growers, but include small proportions owned solely
by FT.
5. Figures in the Total row are not the sum of the columns, but
the rounded actual totals.
6. Cleared land includes agricultural land (generally softwood
plantations) and cleared/converted native forest (generally
hardwood plantations).
55

Table 2.5. Native forest regeneration success, 2007-2008 reporting year (hectares)
Forest Type 0-9% (not stocked) 10-39% (ecological
stocking)
40-64% (low wood
quality)
65-84% (optimum) 85-100% (maximum) Total
Dry eucalypt 1 0 0 1,297 1,735 183 3,215
Wet eucalypt 1 0 0 24 1,987 838 2,849
High altitude E.
0 0 173 3,413 242 3,828
delegatensis 1
Fenced intensive
0 0 0 138 0 138
blackwood 1
Swamp blackwood 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rainforest 2 0 0 0 19 158 177
Huon pine forest 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 1,494 7,292 1,421 10,207
Shaded area represents unacceptable standard % Area met standard 98.1
1. 2004/2005 sowing season.
2. 2002/2003 sowing season.
The definition of low wood quality production depends on the management objectives. In most cases the objective is to achieve a high level of future wood production, but this may vary
according to other objectives, e.g for wildlife or aesthetics. However, in all cases, a minimum ecological stocking must be achieved so that forest types, as defined by the Regional Forest
Agreement and monitored under the Permanent Native Forest Estate policy, are maintained. Remedial treatments are mandatory for areas, which have not met minimum ecological stocking.
Further information is available in Technical Bulletin 6 (Forestry Tasmania, 2003).
Table 2.6. High intensity regeneration burn quality standards summary
Year 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Number of areas burnt 118 106 51 90 114
Total area to be burnt (ha) 4,282 3,760 1,203 3,113 3,677
Total area burnt to standards 2,754 3,558 1,133 2,769 3,184
% of burn area achieved standards 64% 95% 94% 89% 87%
Table 2.7. Honey production summary
Year
Volume (kg)
2002/03 698,054
2003/04 395,256
2004/05 406,121
2005/06 369,180
2006/07 670,539
2007/08 671,207

3. Ecosystem health and services
Table 3.1. Area, ownership and tenure of the plantations inspected during the annual forest health surveillance program.
Plantation estate 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
P. radiata (joint venture in state forests) 43,500 46,500 49,000
Eucalyptus (FT in state forests) 39,253 40,736 44,389
Eucalyptus (joint venture or lease in state forests) 18,401 20,399 23,157
Eucalyptus (private off state forests) 0 8,524 18,599
Table 3.2. Areas with moderate and severe damage
Plantation type Area monitored (ha) Damage agent Area affected (ha)
Hardwood plantation 52,700 Disease 0
Invertebrates 379
Vertebrates 88
Weeds 49
Site conditions 1,340
Weather 423
Nutrient 99
Multiple causes 507
Mechanical 0
Softwood plantation 53,200 Nutrient 0
Disease 816
Invertebrates 0
Vertebrates 687
Multiple causes 0
Mechanical 35
Weather 166
Other 126
57

Table 3.3. Area of pest control
Damage agent Area treated (ha) Vegetation affected Control method
Vertebrate pests
Possums, wallabies 15,606 Native forest, plantations Shooting, trapping
Invertebrate pests
Chrysomelid leaf beetles/ Gonipteros weevil 6,612 Hardwood plantations IPM and spray with alpha-cypermethrin or spinosad
Sirex 0 Softwood plantations Nematodes
Diseases
Phytophthora cinnamomi 2,858 Susceptible understorey species Hygiene prescriptions
Mycosphaerella 0 E. globulus Plant E. nitens in high risk areas
Myrtle Wilt 0 Nothofagus cunninghamii Stem injection (fungicide)
Weeds
Ragwort 162 Native forest and plantation Hand weeding and herbicide
Pampass 6 Native forest and plantation Hand weeding and herbicide
Spanish Heath 4 Native forest and plantation Hand weeding and herbicide
Gorse 117 Native forest and plantation Hand weeding and herbicide
Broom 1 Native forest and plantation Hand weeding and herbicide
Table 3.4. Leaf beetle IPM system results for hardwood plantation
2004/05 2005/06 1 2006/07 2 2007/08
Area monitored (ha) 13,698 13,319 21,025 20,379
Area monitored that is above threshold (ha) 5,533 (40%) 5,723 (43%) 1,780 (8%) 7,213 (35.4%)
Area monitored above threshold treated with alpha-cypermethrin (ha) 1 2,145 (62%) 2,249 (71%) 943 (93%) 6,299 (31%)
Area monitored above threshold treated with spinosad (ha) 2 1,327 (38%) 934 (29%) 75 (3%) 313 (1.5%)
Total area treated (1 & 2 ) 3,472 3,183 1,018 6,612
Area monitored above threshold not treated (ha) 2,061 2,540 468 601
% monitored area sprayed 25% 24% 5% 32%
Proportion area spinosad:cypermethrin 0.62 0.42 0.08 0.05
1. Age class 1 - 6 years
2. Age class 1 - 7 years.
Table 3.5. Fire damage in state forests
Area (ha) 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
annual 10 yr avg annual 10 yr avg annual 10 yr avg anual 10 yr avg annual 10 yr avg annual 10 yr avg
Total unplanned fires 7,541 5,013 24,409 7,302 4,071 6,669 863 6,643 33,984 9,866 8,496 9,377
Severe fire damage 4,073 1,493 14,524 2,893 2,758 2,826 577 2,828 22,645 5,013 5,551 5,250
% burnt area severe damage 54% 30% 60% 40% 68% 42% 67% 43% 67% 44% 65% 44%
Note: 10-year average data does include current year in the ten years.

Table 3.6. Days on which the Tasmanian air quality particulate standard was exceeded*
Date
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) particulate µg/m 3
Value
01/07/2007 51.72
19/07/2007 64.31
18/03/2008 75.87
* Through correlation of the days on which Forestry Tasmania was conducting planned burns, it is unlikely any of these high intensity burns contributed to the air quality particulate standard (PM 10
) being exceeded.
Table 3.7. Air quality particulate monitoring stations summary
Exceeded
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/2007 2007/2008
FT
contributed
Exceeded
FT
contributed
Exceeded
FT
contributed
Exceeded
FT
contributed
Exceeded
Hobart 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Launceston 16 0 15 2 5 0 7 1 3 0
Georgetown N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 0
Judbury 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0
Total 17 0 16 2 8 1 7 1 3 0
4. Socioeconomic benefits
FT
contributed
Table 4.1. Community forums attended by district staff
Community forum categories No. meetings 2003/04 No. meetings 2004/05 No. meetings 2005/06 No. meetings 2006/07 No. meetings 2007/08
Fire management 25 13 22 42 34
Catchment management 39 21 29 28 24
Local emergency management 7 11 6 12 12
Education 17 36 32 51 46
Local government 29 56 43 41 40
Cultural management 12 11 18 9 4
Biodiversity management 4 5 11 6 5
Feral animals/weeds 18 12 8 16 16
Industry 23 42 47 75 58
Recreation/tourism 87 102 85 122 118
Regional planning 72 56 40 31 17
Conservation/environmental 21 15 12 26 26
Forest Practices 5 10 21 34 14
Other 51 27 36 40 35
TOTAL 410 417 410 533 438
59

Table 4.2. District sponsorship
District sponsorship
Name of organisation
Value (cash and in kind)
Ag shows/groups $950
Awards $2,000
Axemens clubs $3,450
Basketball $1,500
Car clubs/rallies $760
Cycling/mtn biking $2,300
Festivals/community celebrations/carnivals/fairs $1,689
Field and game/shooting $89
Football clubs $5,413
General community sponsorship $14,711
Horse riding $221
Other sporting groups $500
Rotary/Lions/Apex $400
Schools $1,980
Waterwatch/Landcare/Rivercare $500
$36,463

Table 4.3. Visitor numbers to specified recreational and tourist sites
SITE Land tenure 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Blue Tier Forest Reserve nd 2,530 2,162 8,034 6,975 3,916 2,821
Evercreech Forest Reserve 5,000 7,740 4,452 4,799 3,463 5,835 2,400
Hollybank Forest Forest Reserve 29,000 28,200 10,600 24,774 24,178 16,374 26,289
Mt Barrow State Forest nd nd nd 9,456 2,800 762 593
Mt Victoria Forest Reserve 6,600 nd 10,300 12,987 8,857 4,070 4,031
Scottsdale EcoCentre 1 State Forest na 46,800 48,000 38,683 35,456 32,641 34,938
Sandspit Forest Reserve 13,000 11,400 10,900 8,500 nd nd nd
Styx Big Tree Forest Reserve nd nd nd 7,000 nd nd nd
Bruny State forest State Forest 19,600 24,200 31,100 28,100 18,193 nd nd
Tahune AirWalk 1 Forest Reserve 154,000 147,700 142,900 122,420 108,334 99,892 78,450
Liffey Forest Reserve 20,500 24,400 26,800 29,900 19,304 24,760 15,339
Meander Falls Walk Forest Reserve nd nd nd 5,900 2,500 2,765 5,021
Upper Mersey Valley State Forest 9,400 21,500 27,600 18,800 25,620 21,402 22,028
Dial Range Forest Reserve 12,300 43,600 nd nd nd nd nd
Dip Falls Forest Reserve 13,100 nd nd nd nd nd nd
Dismal Swamp 1 Forest Reserve na na na 35,800 27,000 27,022 21,447
Milkshakes Forest Reserve 4,200 4,300 4,500 nd nd nd nd
Noel Jago Walk State Forest nd nd 381 377 353 673 816
Oldina Forest Reserve 28,800 28,200 28,500 23,917 22,204 27,583 25,627
Total 2 315,500 408,240 348,195 379,447 305,237 267,695 239,800
1. Actual people counts.
2. Total is not the sum of the shown sites, it also includes visitor numbers across certain smaller sites not shown in the table.
Total is not indicative of a percentage growth, due to new sites and data failures.
3. nd = No data; na = Not applicable
61

Table 4.4. Wood volume and value summary
Eucalypt wood production 2003/04
Volume
Estimated MDLV
($)
2004/05
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2005/06
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2006/07
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2007/08
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
Special Sp. sawlog (m 3 ) 22,000 2,186,200 17,300 1,817,000 13,600 1,464,500 15,300 1,687,700 21,703 2,474,142
Euc. veneer logs (m 3 ) 11,100 1,220,800 13,400 1,576,000 9,300 1,129,700 5,600 695,300 6,036 784,680
Euc. sawlog cat 1 & 3 (m 3 ) 346,000 29,410,000 346,000 30,087,000 320,700 28,864,700 301,500 27,740,300 297,915 28,301,925
Euc. sawlog cat 2 & 8 (m 3 ) 117,200 6,903,000 100,000 6,400,000 85,100 5,613,800 51,800 3,469,100 87,090 6,096,300
Euc. peeler log (t) 176,200 12,672,000 159,400 11,479,000 150,900 11,169,100 211,200 16,051,000 88,694 7,006,826
Dom. peeler log (m 3 ) - - - - - - - - 120,896 8,100,032
Pulpwood (t) 3,007,000 157,210,000 2,724,000 144,388,000 2,191,100 120,512,300 2,136,700 119,654,500 2,230,874 129,390,692
Hardwood pltn production 2003/04
Volume
Estimated MDLV
($)
2004/05
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2005/06
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2006/07
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
Sawlog (t) N/A N/A N/A N/A 6,900 485,200 8,700 618,400 8,087 598,438
2007/08
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
Pulpwood (t) N/A N/A N/A N/A 89,600 5,556,400 126,200 7,948,300 176,703 11,485,695
Softwood pltn production 2003/04
Volume
Estimated MDLV
($)
2004/05
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2005/06
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2006/07
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
2007/08
Volume
Estimated
MDLV ($)
Sawlog (t) 485,480 33,983,600 477,700 33,437,000 443,200 31,909,200 417,000 30,856,600 440,517 33,919,809
Export logs (t) 120,814 8,457,000 52,600 3,651,000 69,000 4,968,200 57,000 4,215,800 8,620 663,740
Roundwood (t) 12,100 726,000 10,100 647,000 7,700 475,400 9,000 565,300 10,766 699,790
Pulpwood (t) 343,700 20,621,900 341,400 20,482,000 355,900 22,064,400 376,900 23,747,000 347,617 22,595,105
Total MDLV ($) 273,428,500 253,964,000 234,212,900 237,249,300 252,117,174
MDLV = Mill Door Landed Value (estimated market value of logs at mill door or ‘at wharf’ for export logs). Quantities for softwood plantation are the full production figures for Taswood Growers,
and production from other small Forestry Tasmania managed resources including the Strahan plantation.

Table 4.5. Forest estate value summary
Forest Estate 2001/02
($ million)
2002/03
($ million)
2003/04
($ million)
2004/05
($ million)
2005/06
($ million)
2006/07
($million)
2007/08
($ million)
Standing timber wholly owned 363.57 347.7* 374.73 302.81* 288.45 282.27 224.45
Standing timber joint ventures 78.39 76.54 67.48 63.62 72.07 106.40 105.31
Forest land 232.58 232.82 233.24 276.08 276.40 276.72 277.13
Roads and structures 68.50** 76.66 85.25 94.01 99.04 105.59 111.03
Tourist infrastructure N/A 4.71 8.45 9.14 9.39 8.17 9.77
TOTAL 743.04 738.43 769.15 736.66 735.35 779.15 727.69
* The decrease in the value of the standing timber is principally due to the changes in internal accounting policies and does not reflect reduction in standing timber volume.
** The decrease in the value of the roads and road structures is due to an accounting standard change that provides for the value of the asset to be remeasured on a cost basis.
Table 4.6. Safety statistics
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) 11.27 14.0 8.11 10.7 10.87 11.36
All claims frequency rate 43.9 36.95 27.25 30.63 34.07
Lost time injury severity rate (LTISR) 10.82 16.69 9.88 8.77
Harvesting contractors (LTIFR) 27.61 28.62 12.65 17.63
5. Regulatory environment and continuous improvement
Table 5.1. Summary of compliance with Forest Practices Act 1985
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Number of FPP’s in operation 1,563 1,790 2,049 1,281 1,606 1,838
S41 notices issued to Forestry Tasmania 1 (0.06%) 2 (0.1%) 1 (0.05%) 1 (0.08%) 1 (0.06%) 0 (0.00%)
S41 notices issued to contractors on State forest 8 (0.5%) 14 (0.8%) 17 (0.8%) 6 (0.05%) 3 (0.2%) 7 (0.4%)
Fines or prosecutions issued to FT by FPA 1 3 2 1 1 1
63

Table 5.2. Summary of compliance with Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Notices issued to Forestry Tasmania under Workplace Health and Safety Act 0 3 1 3 3 3
Notices issued to Forestry Tasmania contractors under Workplace Health and Safety Act 0 10 1 4 4 3
Table 5.3. Audits of SFM systems
Year Audit type Number of audits Non-conformances Areas of concern/CAR’s
2004/05 External 3 0 203
Internal 3 0 81
2005/06 External 2 0 67
Internal 8 0 47
2006/07 External 2 0 118
Internal 8 0 120
2007/08 External 2 0 82
Internal 7 0 31

Tell us what you think
In line with our commitment to continuous improvement Forestry Tasmania would like to invite you to comment on how this report met
your expectation and requirements. In addition to the completion and return of this section, any other comments or suggestions on how
we might be able to enhance our report to more clearly report on issues relating to the productive, protective and social roles of forests and
forest ecosystems can be directed to the contact details given below.
1. How much of our report did you read?
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2. Overall, how do you rate the report?
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3. Please rate the following criteria by checking the appropriate category:
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4. What is your opinion on the following sections?
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Where to from here
5. As a result of reading the report, do you have a clear and sufficient understanding about Forestry Tasmania’s approach to sustainability
reporting?
6. What additional information would you like to see in the future?
7. All other comments and suggestions are welcome
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Additional written comments can be directed to:
Senior Environmental Planner, e-mail: kevin.swanepoel@forestrytas.com.au
Division of Forest Management, Planning Branch
Forestry Tasmania
GPO Box 207, Hobart Tasmania 7001