Statewide Private Forestry
The following information describes the factors that may affect the potential suitability of land for private forestry in Victoria. Land suitability refers to the appropriateness of a given land type for a specific use by integrating biophysical factors with economic and social factors, all of which affect the viability of land for plantations.
Biophysical factors include:
Mean Annual Rainfall
Geology
Landform and Elevation
These maps have been considered together and reproduced as a broad map describing Victorian Private Forestry Opportunities. It describes plantation potential where the biological growth requirements of a particular species (or set of species) are satisfied.
Other factors involved in statewide farm forestry suitability include:
Victorian Hardwood Processing Plants
Victorian Softwood Processing Plants
Victorian Land Values
Insect and Fungal diseases of Victorian Plantations
Victorian Private Forestry Opportunities
Victoria has a wide range of opportunities for private forestry production. Rainfall is a major factor affecting species growth rates and the timber products that can be produced. Suitability of a particular site for commercial private forestry is also influenced by site-specific factors - such as micro-climate, soil fertility, topography, land values and the proximity to processing plants and markets.
Higher rainfall areas are more suited to growing trees for sawlogs and wood chips. The commonly grown species include Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata), Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus), Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis), Shining Gum (Eucalyptus nitens), and Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon). Depending on the quality of the site and the species, growth rates (productivity potential) may reach 15 to 35 cubic metres per hectare per year.
Moderate rainfall areas may be more suited to trees for sawlogs, wood chips and firewood. Some commonly grown species will mostly be focused towards growing Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata), Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus), Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx), Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata), and Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii). Depending upon the rainfall, species and site quality, growth rates (productivity potential) of 5 to 25 cubic metres per hectare per year may be obtained.
Lower rainfall areas include sawlogs for specialty timber and firewood. Current species being tested for their potential include Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon), Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus nitens), Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii). Rainfall is the critical factor determining whether the species will grow and what its growth rate (production potential) is likely to be. In suitable areas, production rates are generally less than 5 cubic metres per hectare per year. To produce specialty timbers the growing period may be decades longer than the higher rainfall areas, however if commercial stands are planned in conjunction with efforts to ameliorate land degradation problems other benefits can be achieved.
The following map shows areas considered to have high, moderate and low productivity potential throughout Victoria. The map is based on mean annual rainfall according to the following categories (public land has been excluded from the analysis):
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 Victorian Private Forestry Opportunities | This Victorian Private Forestry Opportunities map is intended to be used by existing and potential growers of various commercial tree species. Opportunities (measured by productivity potential) lie within both irrigated and 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 state are based on mean annual rainfall. The 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. The rainfall data was derived from the Bureau of Meteorology, and then classified into rainfall ranges. |
Disclaimer
Commercial opportunities exist for all of the above-mentioned species in their respective area, however species-specific and site-specific problems may effect their suitability on certain sites. Seek additional site specific information prior to investing in commercial private forestry.
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Mean Annual Rainfall
Rainfall throughout Victoria varies substantially, from less than 300 mm per annum throughout parts of the Mallee region in the state’s north-west, up to 2 500 mm in the Otway Ranges and throughout parts of the Alpine and Gippsland regions in the east of the state.
Mean annual rainfall generally increases moving from west to east, with patches of higher precipitation occurring in South Western Victoria – that is, around Portland, in the Otway Ranges (south of Colac), and across the central highlands near Ballarat.
Rainfall along Victoria’s extensive coastline is generally higher than 600 mm per annum, with the exception of the western suburbs of Melbourne and along western Port Phillip Bay to the Bellarine Peninsula (encompassing Geelong) as well as a section of coast south of Bairnsdale. Rainfall increases dramatically east of Melbourne and continues to increase further east into Gippsland.
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Victorian Geology
Geology can be used as one of the factors to broadly assess site quality for private forestry and is a key determining factor as to likely soil types and fertility. Sites with high levels of soil fertility are favourable, and should be sought when purchasing land for private forestry establishment.
Generally, clay soils of moderate to high fertility are formed on acidic and basic volcanic rocks and fine textured unconsolidated sediments. These areas are common throughout most of Victoria. Salina fine textured deposits, although having a high clay content, are generally too saline for normal plant growth. The only significant outcrop of salina found in Victoria is south of Mildura.
Lighter textured sands and gravels with some clays are formed on coarse textured unconsolidated sediments and some granites and gneisses. Such geological features are to be found in large pockets throughout the state, particularly in the Gippsland, North East, North West, Port Phillip and Central Victorian Plantation regions.
The other geological groups include coarse textured unconsolidated sediments, limestone and metamorphic rocks result in a range of soil types, generally with various textures and moderate fertility. The coarse textured unconsolidated sediments are found along the south-east coast of Victoria around Sale, Orbost, Bairnsdale and Wilson’s Promontory National Park. Large areas are also found throughout western Victorian, in the Green Triangle and North West Plantation regions. Limestone is located along the west coast near Portland and a small pocket exists north-west of Orbost. Only pockets of metamorphic rocks are found in Victoria, particularly in East Gippsland, the North East, in the North West (west of Bendigo) and Green Triangle regions.
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Victorian Landform and Elevation
The following map is a representation of Victoria's elevation and highlights the variety of landforms evident across the State and encompasses the total elevation range, from the highest point at Mt Bogong (1986 m) to sea level along the Victorian coastline.
In the west of the state, most landform is flat or gently undulating, with one exception being the Grampians, which rise to a peak of 1 167 m at Mt William. The dominant feature is the Great Dividing Range which runs from the Grampians through to eastern Victoria (Eastern Uplands and Australian Alps) and continues parallel with the eastern seaboard through New South Wales. Land to the north of the Great Dividing Range is dominated by rolling plains and hills. South of the Great Dividing Range are the Otway Ranges, which rise sharply from the sea to a height of 675 m and Wilson’s Promontory (including Mt Latrobe at 754 m).
It is important to note that the topography of land influences the establishment, management, harvesting and transport cost for private forestry operators. Typically, the flatter the land the lower are the associated costs.
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Victorian Hardwood Processing Plants
Hardwood processing facilities are generally more extensive throughout eastern Victoria than in the west of the state. Hardwood facilities lying in western Victoria include woodchip plants at Geelong and Portland, and sawmills located in and around towns such as Colac, Horsham, Hamilton, Creswick/Daylesford and Ballarat. Other hardwood sawmills in western Victoria are located along the Murray River, around Echuca and Cohuna.
In eastern Victoria, current hardwood processing facilities are dominated by sawmills, which are generally situated along the edge of State Forests east of metropolitan Melbourne and many parts of Gippsland.
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Victorian Softwood Processing Plants
With respect to softwood processing facilities throughout Victoria, there is a concentration of sawn timber, treated timber, particle board, and woodchip processing plants in the south-west. Other facilities west of Melbourne are situated along the southern coast, up to Colac and surrounding Ballarat and Bendigo.
There are some treated timber mills and sawmills located east of metropolitan Melbourne and a number of processing facilities surrounding Morwell in eastern Victoria. Other softwood processing facilities existing to the north-east of the state are generally located at the edge of State Forests in and around towns such as Euroa, Mansfield, Benalla and Myrtleford.
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Victorian Land Values
Mean median land values for dryland cereal, cattle and sheep properties throughout Victoria vary substantially with its diverse land forms and climate. The local government areas of the outer suburbs of Melbourne and those adjacent are the most expensive properties in the state, priced at more than $4 000 per hectare.
Land values for dryland agricultural properties are lowest in the semi-arid parts of western Victoria, where rainfall is also lowest. Many properties in the south-west and north-west regions are priced lower than $1 000 per hectare, however, the majority of local government areas have mean median property values ranging between $1 000 and $1 999 per hectare.
Throughout the Central Victorian Farm Plantations (CVFP) region, mean median property values range from $2 000 to over $4 000 per hectare. Land values in the Plantations North East Inc. (external link) region vary from between $1 000 - $1 999 to over $4 000 per hectare. Other parts of this region are occupied by public land.
The Gippsland Farm Plantations Inc. region is mostly crown land, so there are no property values available except for patches of East Gippsland, priced between $2 000 - $2 999. The same mean median value is applicable throughout much of the southern part of Gippsland, while West Gippsland properties are greater than $4 000 per hectare.
The availability of land for tree growing depends largely on whether the expected returns are comparable with those of existing or alternate agricultural land uses. Trees, however, can often be successfully integrated into the less productive areas of farm properties.
When purchasing land, projected returns from the preferred land use should be analysed and compared with alternative uses. With appropriate choice of silvicultural regime, site and management, commercial trees can be competitive on both low and high priced land.
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Insect and Fungal diseases of Victorian Plantations
 Armillaria species | A regional-based system has been developed to relate site parameters to the capability of land to grow a variety of tree species for timber production and other uses. Many rule-based relationships have been proposed in defining these site parameters, one of which is the limitation of tree growth due to fungal disease and insect pests. There are many fungal diseases and insect pests that attack eucalypt and Radiata Pine plantations in Victoria. They vary greatly in the extent to which they cause damage, from defoliation (which affects tree growth), to tree death. Since climate, tree age, physiology, nutrition and other biotic and abiotic factors play crucial roles in tree development, only an estimate can be provided regarding the types of fungal diseases and insect pests likely to affect plantation species in Victoria. |
Other pest and disease information and literature is readily available, some within the Department of Primary Industries external web pages including:
An interactive CD Rom has been developed by the Centre for Forest Tree Technology in conjunction with the Private Forestry Unit, DPI listing all the major forest insect pests and diseases occurring in Victoria, with brief notes on their tree species preferences, statewide distribution, symptoms of attack and appearance including photos of the particular pest species. It is anticipated that as more information on pest species becomes available, the CD will be updated and further versions released. Possible updates may include interactive maps of the state highlighting pest preferences, more photographs of tree and pest species including adults and larvae and reference lists with articles on pests giving further information. The CD has been distributed to Private Forestry Extension officers statewide, while future plans include placing it on the SE website. Enquiries regarding insect pests and diseases of trees in the meantime can be directed to the DPI/DSE Customer Service Centre contact number: 136 186.
More Information
Can be found in the Agriculture and Food section DPI Private Forestry site.
References
Central Victorian Farm Plantations Inc. (CVFP) (1999) Regional Profile Central West Victoria: farm forestry plantations, an investment opportunity, Highton, Victoria.
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, website.
© The State of Victoria, 1996 - 2012.
This document was last reviewed on 26/05/2011