Sites must have a long-term average rainfall of 650mm or more and have suitable well drained soils to be considered for tree plantations.
The major factors found to affect plantation productivity in the Green Triangle Region are in order of importance; soil depth, effective rainfall, soil nutrition and the level of salinity.
A management plan is developed for all plantations. It provides a clear blueprint for the development of the plantation and is used to schedule day to day operations.
The management plans are required by shire councils to enable development applications for new plantations to be approved. All management plans strictly adhere to the principles, goals and guidelines in the Code of Practise for Victoria.
The site is generally prepared for tree planting by ripping, cultivating and mounding the soil. This work is done on the contour to reduce the flow of surface water and to improve infiltration into the soil.
Seedlings are planted in rows and blue gums are typically spaced 4-5 metres apart with a distance of 2-3 metres between each seedling depending on the site condition.
Weeds and other agents such as insects and vertebrate pests that have the potential to significantly affect plantation growth are controlled as required.
All operations are carried out in accordance with health and environmental regulations, using licensed contractors.
The growth of plantations is monitored at key stages during the rotation. This information is gathered, processed and used to determine the company's harvesting schedule.
Plantation Timbers places great emphasis on fire protection management. The company has a strong interest in ensuring that the plantations it has under management remain free of damaging agents including fire.
Plantation Timbers is recognised as a Forest Industry Brigade in Victoria. Fire crews are trained to CFA standards and all safety equipment and protective gear conform to the stringent standards of the County Fire Authority in Victoria.
The interest of Plantation Timbers client's are held at the highest level and the company provides 24 hours a day service, 7 days a week throughout the entire contracted fire season period.
Plantation Timbers strategically positions its fire suppression equipment throughout the operational area with slip on units being centrally located near Casterton, Dartmoor and Heywood. All firefighting equipment and slip on units conform to CFA standards.
Harvesting involves the felling and processing of forests into a variety of products that are harvested from the forest, extracted, graded and then destined for a variety of enterprises. The primary forest products from harvesting are:
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Logs of variety of structural timber products
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Woodchip for export markets and boiler fuel
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Pulpwood as log or chip for paper making
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Preservation material - primarily posts and rails that receive further treatment.
Extensive harvesting operations are carried out in the Green Triangle Region and in the majority of cases mechanical felling and extraction systems are used.
Each year around 1.1 million tones of softwood chip is exported to Japan through the port of Portland. This material is generated from mill residues and in-forest chipping operations which use heavy equipment to convert whole trees into export-quality woodchip. Woodchipping operations utilise hydroaxes, feller bunches, skidders and chippers.
In July 2004 a trial shipment saw the first bluegum woodchips grown in the Green Triangle shipped from Portland to Japan. Since then the port has built a new $7 million facility to handle hardwood woodchips (shown right).
Trucks including B-doubles are able to drive onto the platform which can be elevated to an angle of 60 degrees for ease of unloading. The woodchips are then screened, stored in a pile and sent along a conveyor belt to the Graincorp Shipping terminal. This facility is capable of handling 1.5 million tonnes of bluegum chips per annum in the coming years.
