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What is VAFI?
The Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) is the peak industry body of the native hardwood processing industry in Victoria.
Established in 1945 under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904-1956, VAFI represents its members' (primarily Victorian sawmills) interests to governments, communities and markets.
VAFI is a Registered Organisation under the Workplace Relations Act 1996, governed by a member elected President, Management and Executive Committee.
VAFI's work includes:
- Representation of members interests to all levels of government, the community, other agencies and organisations
- Development of policy and industry strategy based on the Vision 2025 ; Issues management, communications and public affairs
- Advice to members on employee/ industrial relations, occupational health and safety and environmental management matters
- Formation and maintenance of major collaborations and partnerships for continuous industry improvement
- Research, analysis and advocacy of key industry and related issues
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What is VicForests?
VicForests was created as an outcome of the Victorian Government’s Our Forest, Our Future policy.
VicForests is responsible for the sustainable harvest, delivery and commercial sale of Victoria’s valued native forest estate east of the Hume Highway.
From the timber gazetted to VicForests through the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004, VicForests’ role is to secure the greatest financial value for all Victorians while maintaining high environmental standards.
Operating since 1 August 2004, VicForests has succeeded in developing an online auction system for the commercial sale of timber, taken on the management and the delivery of timber to the Mill Door and has been certified the Australian Forestry Standard.
VicForests works hard to ensure that its triple bottom line performance meets the requirements of the Victoria’s Sustainability Charter for State forests and this commitment is evident in its mission, purpose and values.
VicForests’ additional business activities and services include:
• Fair and commercial sale of timber resources through the on-line auction system and existing licences
• Sustainable harvest and delivery of timber certified to the Australian Forestry Standard
• Comprehensive forest inventory and regeneration
• Development and commercialisation of skills and intellectual property in forest management and silviculture
• Development and support of high-value timber uses and markets
• Maintaining and developing community appreciation for the value of our native hardwood
Of the 2.4 million hectares of State forest east of the Hume Highway, VicForests harvests each year just over 5000 hectares, equivalent to about 0.2%. From this we produce 550 000 m3 of sawlogs and just over 1 million m3 of residual logs. After harvesting VicForests aims to regenerate these areas back to their pre-harvest stocking and species mix.
The certification of VicForests to the Australian Forestry Standard provides international recognition of the sustainability of its commercial harvesting activities. It demonstrates the commitment of its staff, contractors, customers and the Victorian Government to the sustainable management of Victoria’s forest estate.
Source: VicForests 2008 |
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How are forests selected ?
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) conducts assessments of each Forest Management Area (FMA) to determine a range of factors including long term timber yield and biological values.
The information gathered is used to develop Forest Management Plans (FMPs) for each FMA. Within the FMPs, Regional Prescriptions and Management Procedures detail how the FMA is to be managed to protect forest values and allow some timber harvesting, as required by the Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production. These plans protect more than 80% of the native forests.
DSE use this planning and management process to develop the Allocation Orders. These are the first step in determining the size, shape and distribution of harvesting coupes, based on a holistic approach to maximise biological, cultural and production values. The Allocation Order sets the forest stands in which VicForests can propose coupes. It also sets the conditions under which the forest must be managed. |
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Cutting, transporting and selling the wood
Harvesting usually occurs during the warmer, drier months of the year. Peak harvesting time is October through to April. Improved technologies are gradually extending this, allowing harvesting to continue into wetter months.
There are a number of different harvesting methods utilised for different silvicultural outcomes.
They include:
• clearfell harvesting
• selective harvesting
• thinning
Once native timber is harvested and graded on site at the coupe, the logs are loaded on to trucks and transported to mills for processing. All the native timber harvested in Victoria is processed, to some extent, within the state.
VicForests contracts haulage companies to deliver the timber to its destination. Sawlogs are sent to sawmills, which purchase the timber through the VicForests Online Auction system beforehand. Residual logs are usually taken to chipping mills. The chips are turned into fibre and pulp for manufacture into composite wood and paper products.
Some sawmills take residual logs for fence posts and other lower grade timber products.
The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment is responsible for managing the road system that allows access to and from coupes. Roads are located at the same time as the coupes, and follow the same careful procedures to ensure that biological values are protected. |
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Forest Regeneration
During the coupe assessment, seeds are collected and the genetic composition of the coupe is analysed. In clearfell harvesting systems, seeds are often collected from the coupe before harvesting. If a good seed crop cannot be collected, seed is sourced from alternate sites after rigorous genetic testing. Seed collection harvesting systems usually rely on a natural reseeding process from the seed trees left standing.
After the coupe has been harvested, the logs are loaded onto trucks and hauled away. Residual leaves, small or badly damaged branches and bark are left on the coupe. These provide fuel for the regeneration burn. The landing is also broken up to reduce soil compaction. |
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What is the role of the Sawmills?
Once the timber is harvested it is delivered to the sawmills who provide a range of value adding services to the timber. Sawmill services may include cutting, drying, moulding and shaping the timber in preparation for sale to the open market. In Victoria, the process of high-end value adding to native species is prominent in most sawmill operations. End products may include appearance grade furnishings, hardwood flooring and structural timber. |
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Sawlogs, pulp and paper
- Despite now being primarily required for high value uses, native forest harvesting continues to produce substantial volumes of commodities such as woodchips. These are derived from sub–sawlog quality timber during harvesting (ie. small, bendy, and defective logs and large branches) and waste wood during sawmilling (ie. slabs and off-cuts from processing round logs into rectangular pieces).
- Victoria has around 168,000 hectares of eucalypt plantations.15 Around 90% are being grown specifically for the export woodchip market.16 Large scale eucalypt plantation establishment began in the mid-1990’s in south western Victoria via the advent of Managed Investment Schemes. Substantial volumes of woodchips are expected to come on-stream from these planatations in the next few years.
- For some, this has created an expectation that woodchip production from native forests should cease. However on-going sustainable native forest harvesting for sawlogs will continue to generate waste wood suitable for export woodchips. As steady world demand for paper products is unlikely to abate, it would be illogical to restrict native forest woodchip sales simply because plantations are producing substantial woodchip volumes.
Source: Institute of foresters Victoria (Victoria’s Forests – The Key Issues) 2006 |
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FAQ (Forestry in Victoria: Key Issues and Facts)
View file [PDF:900KB] |
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