Farm-based forestry
Farm-based forestry involves establishing, maintaining, and harvesting a commercial crop of trees on land that was previously used for other forms of agriculture.
This offers farmers income diversification and a range of sustainable landscape management benefits.
Consider the below requirements and typical activities involved in farm-based forestry.
Planning
Preparing plans for safely planting, maintaining, and harvesting tree crops is essential for all forms of forestry. Seek and apply advice from a registered forestry professional to improve the commercial viability of your farm-forestry venture.
Development approval
Development approval
In South Australia, the intention to change land use from agriculture to commercial or farm-based forestry requires development approval.
Applications are assessed against the Planning and Design Code under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. Forests planted for trading carbon rights, firewood production, or timber production are all subject to forestry policies in the Code.
Consult with the relevant local council about planning requirements.
Water licences and permits
Water licences and permits
The Lower Limestone Coast Prescribed Wells Area (LLCPWA) is a declared forestry area, per the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. All commercial forests in this area must have a forest water licence. This includes a water allocation that offsets the plantation's impact on the groundwater resource, unless the forest is classified as farm forestry.
In the Eastern and Western Mount Lofty Ranges Prescribed Water Resources Areas, forestry is a water affecting activity that requires a commercial forest water permit.
Consult with the local Landscape SA Board about licence and water permit requirements.
Site and species selection
Commercial crops utilise the state’s 2 main species that support our forestry industry; radiata pine (Pinus radiata) and Tasmanian bluegum (Eucalyptus globulus).
Tree growth is affected by soil type, rainfall, and the management practices used (e.g. fertiliser, pruning and thinning regimes). It is important to match tree species to the right site and grow them to an appropriate scale for the intended use.
Growth attributes and site requirements
Growth attributes and site requirements
| Species | Growth attributes | Site requirements | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth rate * | Frost tolerance | Salt tolerance | Coppice ability ^ | Soil type | Minimum rainfall | |
| Sugar gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) | Moderate | Low | Low | Excellent | Prefers sandy clay loam with moderate drainage | 350 mm |
| Swamp yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis) | Moderate | High | High | Good | Prefers sandy clay flats, tolerant of poor drainage, drought and salt | 350 mm |
| South Australian blue gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) | Moderate | High | Moderate | Good | Prefers moist sandy clay | 450 mm |
| Early black wattle (Acacia decurrens) Late black wattle | Fast | Moderate | Low | No | Tolerant of poor drainage, grows on most sites, prefers sandy clay loams | 500 mm |
| River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) | Slow | High | High | Good | Tolerant of many conditions, waterlogging and salinity | 500 mm |
| River she-oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana) | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | No | Prefers deep sandy or gravely soil | 500 mm |
| Tasmanian bluegum (Eucalyptus globulus) | Fast | Moderate | Low | Excellent | Prefers heavy loam clay, grows on a range of sites | 600 mm |
| Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) | Fast | High | Low | No | Prefers deep clay loams in valleys | 600 mm |
* Growth rates for plantations:
- Fast = 10 to 15 years
- Moderate = 15 to 20 years
- Slow = 20+ years.
^ Species that coppice readily should be chosen if a long-term firewood enterprise is planned.
Commercial products of plantations
Commercial products of plantations
Landowners can sell these products through an on-farm forestry business:
- logs for sawn timber
- posts and poles
- pulp
- firewood
- biofuel
- carbon
- non-timber products such as honey.
Learn which tree species are suited to different wood products, including their firewood attributes.
Other site factors that influence the profit of a plantation are:
- area – fixed costs of harvesting machinery may make it uneconomic to harvest areas smaller than 20 hectares (ha)
- distance from mills – transport costs are minimised by planting closer to sawmills
- proximity to similar forests – smaller plantations close to forests of the same species and approximate age could be harvested at the same time, offsetting the need for a larger area.
Site preparation
Suitable forestry seedlings or cuttings can be ordered from a reputable nursery, 6 to 12 months in advance of planting. Learn about ordering seedlings and planting trees, including storing and stocking.
The type of cultivation used to prepare land for planting depends on the site and species grown. Ripping or mounding may be required.
Planting is done by hand during winter months when soils are moist.
Management
In the 2 years after planting, you can maintain the initial stocking of your plantation through:
- an accurate survival count and replanting as necessary
- effective weed control
- applying fertiliser to balance nutrient levels.
Regular surveillance is needed to identify and manage reportable weeds and Weeds of National Significance (WoNS).
Radiata pine trees at the edge of a plantation may be pruned for better vehicle access, fire protection, or to minimise knots in wood. Tasmanian bluegum grown for export woodchip are usually not pruned.
Thinning
Thinning
Woodlots are established at high densities to:
- minimise weed growth
- enable tree selection for certain wood products.
Commercial thinning occurs in stages when trees are harvested from a thinning operation or removed due to poor growth. Faster growing plantations are thinned earlier and more often than slower growing stands, such as those in lower rainfall areas.
Woodlots grown primarily for pulp and woodchip do not need thinning.
Protection
Protection
Forest protection includes maintenance of annual fire breaks, fire-fighting equipment, a bushfire action plan, and additional forest management preparations.
The South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) has a state-wide program to register Farm Fire Units and provide resources for farmers to be bushfire-ready.
Protection also involves monitoring plantation health for early signs of nutrient deficiencies and damage caused by pests, disease, stock and wildlife.
Consider plantation forest insurance policies against fire and other hazards. The factors assessed by insurers include:
- the events to be covered
- plantation type and its location
- surrounding land use
- management practices.
Harvesting
Once development approval is obtained, harvesting a plantation is considered a normal part of the process – no licence or permit is required. However, landowners should consider a commercial forest plantation licence to secure their forest property rights and harvest security provisions.
A harvesting contract should include:
- the products to be harvested
- clean-up standards
- log price and payment details
- the area of plantation to be harvested
- roads that need to be upgraded or constructed to allow for movement of harvesting machinery and log trucks.
Final harvest age (clear-felling) depends on the species grown and the intended product. Radiata pine is thinned throughout the 28 to 40 year rotation, while Tasmanian bluegum are grown over 10 to 15 year rotations.
If a second rotation is not pursued, conversion back to agriculture is costly and time-consuming, particularly if complete stump removal is required.
Markets
Log markets for radiata pine exist within South Australia, with processing plants located in and near:
- Mount Gambier and Tarpeena
- Adelaide
- the Mount Lofty Ranges
- Murraylands
- the Mid North.
Significant wood exporting facilities are also located at Portland, Victoria.
Contact
PIRSA Forestry
Email: pirsa.forestry@sa.gov.au
