North East Region
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Description of the Region | Population | Landform and Soils | Climate | Land use | Land Values | Types of species grown | Plantation Committee | Forestry Industry Centres | References
The following profile has been developed from Plantations North East Inc. (external link), Regional Profile: North East Victoria, website, unless otherwise stated.
Description of the Region
The North East Plantation Region of Victoria is bounded by the River Murray to the north, the Great Dividing Range to the east, the Central Victorian Plains to the west and suburban Melbourne to the south. The area covers almost 4.5 million hectares and encompasses the Goulburn Broken and North East Catchment Management Authorities areas, while overlapping into small sections of the East Gippsland, West Gippsland and North Central Catchment Management Authorities regions.
Population
The North East region is home to over 260 000 people. Albury City and the Hume Shire, which are linked to north-east Victoria in terms of commerce and trade, have a combined population of around 50 000, bringing the total of the greater economic region to more than 310 000 people. From data collected as part of national censuses, the area has shown a positive population growth of around 1% since the early 1960’s, which is likely to continue in the future.
Approximately 106 000 people live in the major centres on the Hume Hwy, including Albury (42 500 people), Wodonga (30 000 people) and Wangaratta (15 500 people). Another 45 000 dwell in the major centres off the Hume Highway, the largest town being Shepparton with around 32 000 residents.
Population densities are highest in the Rural City of Wodonga, with almost 70 people dwelling per square kilometre, followed by Greater Shepparton City (22.4 people per square kilometre). All other local government areas have population densities lower than ten (ABS, 1998).
Landform and Soils
Landform of North East Victoria varies enormously from riverine plains in the north west to the Victorian alps in the Great Dividing Range, and the lakes district throughout the remainder of the region.
At the height of the alps is Mt Bogong, standing 1 986 m, which is surrounded by several other peaks above 1 500 m, including Mt Feathertop (1 922 m), Mt Hotham (1 862 m) and Mt Buffalo (1 723 m). Just south of Mt Bogong are the Bogong High Plains and further south again lie the Dargo High Plains and Snowy Range. There are flat and gently undulating riverine plains in the north west of the region which are comprised mostly of quaternary alluvium, including sand, gravel, silt and clay.
In the northern part of the region the following soil types are dominant:
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Climate
Mean annual temperatures do not vary enormously between major centres of the north-east region, generally between 20-21°C. Summer maximums are uniform throughout, generally 30-31°C, while winter maximums remain in the range of 12-14°C.
Temperature minimums are lower in Myrtleford than in Wangaratta, measuring a mean annual figure of 6.7°C and 9.4°C respectively. Other centres record mean annual minimum temperatures between these ranges. Minimum temperatures during summer range from 12-14°C and in winter fall to an average of 2°C in Corryong and 3.7°C in Benalla, Wangaratta and Shepparton. Temperatures are significantly cooler in the alpine areas, averaging a low of - 0.7C at Mt. Buffalo during July.
(Bureau of Meteorology, 1999).
The region has a climate which favours tree growth. Rainfall occurs throughout the year but is most pronounced from May to September. The most productive areas are generally close to the mountains where rainfall is greatest (ie: more than 850 mm per annum) and evaporation is lowest. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 506 mm in Shepparton to 1 280 at Mount Beauty. Most other town centres receive between 600-1000 mm per annum.
 North East Mean Annual Rainfall | This map of North East Mean Annual Rainfall provides an overview of past average rainfall figures throughout the plantation region. It is intended to be used for the purpose of identifying the areas throughout the region where various commercial tree species are likely to grow productively. The data was sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology and derived from the statewide Mean Annual Rainfall map, which has then been further classified into rainfall ranges. |
Land use
Land use is diverse in the North East, varying from publicly-owned reserves and national parks to cleared freehold agricultural land.
Agriculture is the major commercial activity (covering 41% of the region), of which sheep and beef grazing account for 65% of land area and dairy 23%. The most valuable outputs are vegetables, fruit and dairy products on irrigated lands, beef and sheep on drier country, and forestry in areas receiving over 900 mm annual average rainfall. The Hume Freeway roughly demarcates the western limit to non-irrigated intensive agriculture and forestry. Traditional tobacco growing areas in the rich valleys east of the freeway have been replaced by crops of wine grapes, hops for the brewing industry, nut and fruit trees, and private forestry.
Native forest and plantations account for 26% of the area. Existing plantations are largely softwood and account for around 65 000 hectares, with less than 1 000 hectares of eucalypt plantations. Native State Forest covers approximately 1 million hectares of the region.
Remaining land is utilised for industrial and rural-urban development around the major centres of Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Mansfield, Benalla and Euroa. Tourism is also contributing to land use in the north-east, particularly in the alps, and in towns such as Bright, Mt Beauty and Glenrowan.
Land Values
Mean median land values for dryland agricultural properties in the North East region vary from between $1 000 - $1 999 per hectare in the North East, to over $4 000 per hectare in the far north-east. Other parts of this region which are not occupied by public land have average median values somewhere between $2 000 - $3 999 per hectare.
 North East Mean Median Land Values for Dryland Properties (1995-97) | This map of Mean Median Land Values for Dryland Properties gives a general guideline of property values (per hectare) for each local government area throughout the region. It provides existing and potential agricultural land holders with an average median value for this type of property. Median property values are provided by Land Victoria (Department of Sustainability and Environment). Means, or averages, were then calculated for sales of properties throughout the calendar years 1995-1997 for each local government area for properties classified by Land Victoria as cattle, cereal or sheep when sold. |
Types of Species Grown
Most plantations of the North East are dominated by Radiata Pine, while plantations of eucalypts and other species (such as poplars) currently form a minor component of forestry resources. Recent estimates indicate that the total area is around 3 000 hectares. An additional 1 700 hectares of Tasmanian Blue Gum and Shining Gum have been planted by approximately 130 farmers with assistance from the state government over the past three years as part of the Farm Forestry North East (FFORNE) Project. This project is now complete.
There is now also a 10 000 hectare Blue Gum project in the North East plantation region. This project is to be carried out over the next ten years and is based in Benalla. It has an initial focus on the Shires of Murrindindi, Mitchell, Delatite and Strathbogie within a 200 km radius of the Port of Melbourne. Planting will start in 1999 with a target of 500 hectares in the first year (Bernie Evans, pers. comm.)
Commercial tree species of North East Victoria include
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 North East Private Forestry Opportunities, Blue Gum  North East Private Forestry Opportunities, Radiata Pine | This map of North East Private Forestry Opportunities is intended to be used by existing and potential growers of Blue Gum and Radiata Pine. Opportunities (measured by productivity potential) lie within dryland districts throughout the state and productivity potential in each area is intended only as a guideline. Data used to define productivity potential throughout the region are based on mean annual rainfall and classes used are less than 600 mm for low productivity potential, 600-800 mm for moderate productivity potential and greater than 800 mm for high productivity potential. |
Plantation Committee
Plantations North East Inc. (external link), is the Regional Plantation Committee for North East Victoria. It was established in December, 1996, to facilitate the development of commercial timber plantations and become a focal point for investment within the plantation industry, including farm-based plantations (Bernie Evans, pers. comm.).
Vision Statement
To facilitate the expansion and development of commercial timber plantations and the associated timber industry in the north-east of Victoria.
(Bernie Evans, pers. comm.).
Objectives
Activities of Plantations North East Inc. shall include, but not be confined to, those which will:
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Forestry Industry Centres
A number of major industries take wood from the region and the log intake to these mills is around 1.5 million m³ per annum. There are approximately seventeen softwood sawmills in the North East plantation region, including three panel/ particle board mills, two pulp/paper mills, one log exporter, one sawmill residue processor and several smaller processors obtaining wood from within the north-east region. In addition, there are around fourteen mills using native forest logs, with annual intakes from under 5 000 m³ to 45 000 m³. Wood from private softwood plantations is largely uncommitted, although logs currently flow to Carter Holt Harvey, ANM Albury, Benalla Timber Products, Hume Timbers and Radiata Exports. The majority of softwood processing facilities are located along the edge of State Forests, near towns such as Marysville, Mansfield, Benalla, Myrtleford, Euroa and Corryong.
 North East Softwood Processing Plants | This map of North-East Softwood Processing Plants is intended to be used as a general guideline to the location and type of processing facilities available to growers and plantation investors throughout the region. The types of plants at a particular location will change over time as will the number of facilities. The map is relevant as at July, 1999. Data used to generate this map was derived from the following sources: Phelan and Higgins (1996), Plantations North East Inc. website and Department of Sustainability and Environment. |
Some plantations of Blue Gum and Shining Gum have been established the vicinity of Myrtleford. Other hardwood plantations include 1 700 hectares of Tasmanian Blue Gum and Shining Gum and 10 000 hectares of Blue Gum plantations to be undertaken mostly around Benalla. Hardwood processing facilities in the North East are dominated by sawmills around the townships of Alexandra, Mansfield, Benalla, Mt Beauty and Corryong.
 North East Hardwood Processing Plants | This map of North-East Hardwood Processing Plants should be used as a general guideline to the location and type of processing facilities available to growers and plantation investors throughout the state. The types of plants at a particular location will change over time as will the number of facilities. The map is relevant as at July, 1999. Data used to generate this map was derived from the Department of Sustainability and Environment Commercial Forestry Division, and Plantations North East website. |
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), (1998) Regional Statistics Victoria, Canberra, AGPS.
Bernie Evans, Executive Officer - Plantations North East Inc., personnel communication.
Bureau of Meteorology, (BOM) (1999) Climate Averages Webpage.
Phelan, T., and Higgins, I., (1996) Timber growing opportunities in north central Victoria, Centre for Land Protection Research, Technical report no. 38, Bendigo, Victoria.
Plantations North East Inc. Regional Profile: North East Victoria
© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2012.
This document was last reviewed on 29/09/2008