Towong Shire residents have been put on notice about a significant increase in log truck traffic on the Murray Valley Highway for the next 12 months due to the recent devastating bushfires. Hancock Victorian Plantations have been one of the hardest hit with an estimated 3000 hectares of timber badly burnt in the recently planted, first and second thinning and final harvest plantation stages. In response, HVP has restructured its harvesting schedules with five harvesting crews presently working in the Burrowye, Jingellic and Koetong areas with impacted timber only able to be retrievable for 6-12 months after the fires.. HVP also lost 1500 tonnes of logs stock-piled for collection at various coupes with Towong Shire providing the company with a waiver for the 28-day notification period for timber harvesting plans. The bushfires' impact on the timber industry was revealed in a forestry report compiled by forestry officer Ken Whitehead and tabled at last week's council meeting. "The recent fire event will have an immediate and long term impact on the plantation industry in Towong Shire along with industries that are reliant on timber both in the shire and throughout the state," Mr Whitehead said. "The degree of impact in relation to the volume and value of timber lost, the impact on the timber supply chain, haulage operators and harvesting crews is yet to be determined." D & R Henderson has also been badly impacted by the fires with an estimated 415 hectares of final harvest plantations burnt. The company also lost remaining unharvested area of the Mt Alfred plantation and the entire Price Hill Lane plantation with any salvage potential still being assessed. Agriwealth also had 1785 hectares of plantation impacted by fires. There have been 25 timber harvesting plans submitted in 2019-20 to date with Towong Shire with 12 of those being bushfire salvage inspections. Extensive initial infrastructure repair and establishing safe access for forestry operations have taken place before site preparation and rehabilitation activities are due to begin next month. They will continue through to May next year and will be determined by salvageable timber volumes, age of impacted plantation, access, resources required and their availability. Volume and value of timber lost may not be known until 2030.
Towong Shire residents have been put on notice about a significant increase in log truck traffic on the Murray Valley Highway for the next 12 months due to the recent devastating bushfires.
Hancock Victorian Plantations have been one of the hardest hit with an estimated 3000 hectares of timber badly burnt in the recently planted, first and second thinning and final harvest plantation stages.
In response, HVP has restructured its harvesting schedules with five harvesting crews presently working in the Burrowye, Jingellic and Koetong areas with impacted timber only able to be retrievable for 6-12 months after the fires..
HVP also lost 1500 tonnes of logs stock-piled for collection at various coupes with Towong Shire providing the company with a waiver for the 28-day notification period for timber harvesting plans.
The bushfires' impact on the timber industry was revealed in a forestry report compiled by forestry officer Ken Whitehead and tabled at last week's council meeting.
"The recent fire event will have an immediate and long term impact on the plantation industry in Towong Shire along with industries that are reliant on timber both in the shire and throughout the state," Mr Whitehead said.
"The degree of impact in relation to the volume and value of timber lost, the impact on the timber supply chain, haulage operators and harvesting crews is yet to be determined."
D & R Henderson has also been badly impacted by the fires with an estimated 415 hectares of final harvest plantations burnt.
The company also lost remaining unharvested area of the Mt Alfred plantation and the entire Price Hill Lane plantation with any salvage potential still being assessed.
Agriwealth also had 1785 hectares of plantation impacted by fires.
There have been 25 timber harvesting plans submitted in 2019-20 to date with Towong Shire with 12 of those being bushfire salvage inspections.
Extensive initial infrastructure repair and establishing safe access for forestry operations have taken place before site preparation and rehabilitation activities are due to begin next month.
They will continue through to May next year and will be determined by salvageable timber volumes, age of impacted plantation, access, resources required and their availability.
Volume and value of timber lost may not be known until 2030.
