EPA says no plans for Local Biomass Power Station
A 2017 report by Fabiano Ximenes and a team from The Department of Primary Industries has given rise to local concerns that a biomass power plant could be established on the Mid North Coast. The 2017 report identified a potential use case for an estimated one-million-tonne of green residue from local harvesting operations (formerly used by pulp mills) and hypothesised if waste timber could be chipped, dried and turned into pellets, three processing plants could power over 200,000 NSW homes each year.
The idea of releasing the energy (and the C02) in waste timber either as electricity or heat in boilers (e.g to heat a public swimming pool) has met with a backwash of criticism however the report does a good job of highlighting the value of energy stored in waste timber that is presently left of the forest floor to rot.
If we harvest trees, we should waste nothing. We should also have clear rules around the management of our timber resources to promote and protect biodiversity even if a forest is earmarked for harvesting.
Future Focus on Forests
In Wauchope, and many other regional communities, the North Coast forestry industry is an important social and economic driver. An official report from the Department of Primary Industries estimate the industry provides around 3,800 local jobs and is worth approximately $184 million annually.
Our forests also play an important role in stabilising the climate. Forests are an integral part of the carbon cycle and as such, there is a growing realisation that if we are to leave a healthy planet for our children, we need to be creating more forests and more carefully managing the ones we already have.
Last year 24 million dollars in funding was provided to the Forestry Commission (FC) for the acquisition of land suitable for the establishment of new plantations and for innovation around improving efficiencies and reduced waste.
The NSW government has also just added the first new National Forest in eleven years after purchasing a 3680 hectare former NSW cattle station and recreation park ‘Tugalong Station’. We can support these positive government initiatives to increase forestation by planting a new tree in our own backyard.
More Forests Are Good For Business & Environment
In NSW, we have a total approximate land mass of 809,444 square kilometres of which just 230,000 km2 (23 million hectares) is forested. Most people agree more forests would be a good thing. More plantation forests to meet growing timber demands and more forests for equalising the impact of Co2 and other environmental considerations.
According to Group Director Forestry Policy, Research & Development at NSW Department of Primary Industries, Nick Milham, the breakdown of NSW’s 23 million hectares of native forest is approximately as follows.
Privately owned: 15 million hectares
National parks: 5.5 million hectares
State Forests: 2 million hectares
Plantation forests: 450,000 hectares
Nick says of the State Forest figure, only half is available for selective logging with the other half permanently protected for various ecological reasons leaving just 1.5 million hectares of forest available for potential logging.
Updated Forest Management Rules
In November 2018, the NSW Government updated the rules for native timber harvesting in NSW's coastal forests with the objective being to create more practical, effective, and enforceable rules around the governance and management of Crown Timber Land.
The new rules created hope to maximise environmental considerations while preserving timber production.
The new Coastal IFOA replaces IFOAs written almost two decades past with many rules proving overly prescriptive and complex. These old IFOAs have been costly to implement and difficult to enforce. Ultimately, it was felt that these old rules were no longer achieving their intended purpose.
‘Throughout the process, the government said there would definitely be no erosion of environmental values and that is in fact what has been achieved’ - Nick Milham.
3248 feedback submissions were considered over a period of seven years in the drafting of the new Coastal IFOA. New rules to protect plants, animals, ecosystems, soils and waterways during native forestry operations on State Forests have been included in the new IFOA including the setting of minimum standards to preserve important wildlife habitat.
IFOA contact Jackie Miles from the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) says making sure people are understanding the rules sets in place and how it operates can be a challenge.
‘The regulations and rules that are put in place are very complex and reflect the complexity of protecting a living forest’ - Jackie Miles
Existing rules around protected areas such as habitat corridors, old growth forest, rainforests, streams and wetlands have been expanded to include:
- increased protection for stream headwaters in areas with higher erosion or environmental risk.
- Reinstatement of nectar trees protection for bees, swift parrots and regent honeyeaters.
- Increased permanent retention of hollow-bearing trees.
Nick Milham, who attended many community forums up and down the coast and says feedback from community members who attended the forums was positive saying most people agree that the new IFOA is a definite improvement on the previous arrangement.
Questions?
The EPA and DPI welcome questions from community members seeking clarification and information around the management of our local forests and they can be best contacted via email on the details below.
Send your email to forestry@epa.nsw.gov.au - the mailbox is monitored daily.
To ask Nick Milham a question, send your email to nick.milham@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Helpful Links
NSW IFOA Feedback submissions: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/-/media/epa/corporate-site/resources/forestagreements/coastal-ifoa-2018/ifoa-consultation-summary-report.pdf
Coastal IFOA Website: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/native-forestry/integrated-forestry-operations-approvals/coastal-ifoa
NSW Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOAs): https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/native-forestry/integrated-forestry-operations-approvals
Farm becomes new National Forest: https://www.theland.com.au/story/5885041/farm-becomes-part-of-first-national-park-in-nsw-for-11-years/
IFOA Overview: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/-/media/epa/corporate-site/resources/forestagreements/coastal-ifoa-2018/coastal-ifoa-explanatory-note.pdf
Review of Hardwood Supply Agreements 2017: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/720619/review-of-coastal-hardwood-wood-supply-agreements.pdf
DPI Report for Harvest residual 2017: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/747672/North-coast-residues-report.pdf