WA Government looks to private investment to grow pine trees

The State Government wants the private sector to help save the $600 million WA softwood plantation industry by helping to fund 60 million trees over the next decade. Forestry Minister Dave Kelly this week invited private sector proposals to expand WA’s softwood estate across 50,000ha, as part of the McGowan Government’s market-led proposal initiative. The Forest Products Commission, which reports to the forestry minister, manages about 78,000 hectares of softwood plantations — 51,000ha State owned and 27,000ha on private land under share farming agreements. Without significant investment, the estate, mostly pine trees, will shrink to 40,000 hectares within 20 years. Trees on public land in Gnangara, Pinjar and Yanchep are not being replaced after harvest to maximise water recharge to the Gnangara aquifer, and private share farm agreement leases are based on one rotation only. The McGowan Government is seeking private investment to return the estate closer to its historic size of 90,000ha. Forest Industries Federation of WA executive director Melissa Haslam said the initiative would provide security to existing processors and the 2000 peopleemployed in the sector, as well as generate new jobs. Trees planted in the initiative will sequester seven million tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide and provide habitat for the Carnaby’s black cockatoo. The State Government’s move comes two years after the South West Agroforestry Network warned the WA softwoods industry was on the “road to ruin”, blaming a lack of action by successive State governments and continued distortion of the market price.