AgForests Queensland 

AgForests Queensland is a unique partnership bringing together Queensland’s broadacre agricultural producers - AgForce Queensland and the timber industry - Timber Queensland.

AgForests is part of the AgForward program and available to assist ALL Queensland primary producers and timber industry personnel, not just AgForce and Timber Queensland members.

State’s native forest practices are being surveyed

The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) last week sent 3200 letters to landholders who have a Notification of Forest Practice, alerting them to a survey being conducted on the Native Forest Practice Code on Freehold Land.

DERM have estimated that 3.6 million hectares of country in Queensland is covered by a native forest practice, with 1.6 million hectares being remnant mapped vegetation.

AgForce Projects AgForests project officer Sam Ellis said DERM will be using satellite and aerial photography to randomly survey properties where native forest practices are being conducted.  If evidence of a forest practice shows up remotely, the landholder will be contacted by DERM staff who will seek permission to conduct a voluntary on-ground survey.  The aim of the survey is to determine how well the self-assessable code is being followed and implemented on-property.

Since the introduction of the code in 2005, the department as well as organisations such as AgForce and Timber Queensland have worked closely with landholders to promote awareness and understanding of the Vegetation Management Act and Native Forest Practice Code on Freehold Land.

Last year Sam delivered AgForests workshops to 570 producers across Queensland.

Sam said he is confident the survey will show freehold landholders are sustainably managing their native forests in compliance with state vegetation legislation.

For more information on the survey, contact Sam on 0427 694 771 or DERM officer Clynt Wells on 3330 6203.

AgForests provides training and information for producers and industry on:

• AgForests field days, workshops, presentations for producers and the timber industry across Queensland - Training Available
• Harvest security and investing in your private native forests and woodlands
• Native forest practice code - freehold land, plus other rules and regulations
• Selling native timber from remnant (coloured) and non–remnant (white) ‘freehold’ country
• Producing timber and other forest products from your native forests and woodlands
• Primary producer case studies
• Fire and burning - how it can assist in producing native timber
• Forest certification – proving forests are managed in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible manner
• Property management planning

AgForward also provides a range of training opportunities for producers in:

• Vegetation Management Essentials
• Computer Mapping Essentials
• GPS Essentials

Since commencing operations in early 2005, AgForests has provided assistance and training to 1500 producers and timber industry personnel, plus produced a range of information guides and reports for producers and the timber industry to support private forest and woodland timber production in Queensland.

An independent review of AgForests in 2006 found a very high level of satisfaction with the products and services provided by AgForests. In particular, the review found:

• Very high level of support for the services provided by the AgForests Forestry Advisor particularly with field days, workshops and property visits;
• A more positive attitude to native forest in general, and much higher level of understanding of management options by users of AgForests services;
• The users of AgForests had a much higher awareness and better understanding of their obligations under the Native forest practice code than non-users.