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AUSTRALIA'S FIRST ACACIA PLANTATION Is
this the beginning of a new industry for Northern Australia In
our March 1998 issue of the Savannah Newsletter, we ran a story about a new
plantation program in the Northern Territory, commenced in 1997 by Sylvatech Pty
Ltd. This greenfield development on the Tiwi Islands immediately to the North of
Darwin is now into its third season and already they have established over 2,000
hectares of fast-growing Acacia mangium; with a further 30,000 hectares to
be established over the next five years. When harvested, this acacia hardwood
will be sold as chips to a growing market nearby in Southeast Asia. In 1997,
a 200 hectare pilot program was established, to identify the suitability of
large-scale plantation forestry on selected sites and to identify the
silvicultural operations required to make the program feasible. Extensive trials
of A.mangium, as well as large areas of other species, including several
eucalypts, were planted out. Soils have proved ideal for plantation
establishment, being deep, well-drained red sandy soils, with some
decomposed granite and laterite gravel intrusions. With a very pronounced wet
and dry season in the North, drainage in the wet season is critical and
water-holding capacity during the dry season is an important factor.
Growth on the trial plots has been very encouraging, particularly with the
A.mangium trials, where 12 month old trees are now 67 metres in height. Investment
for the project has been derived from several sources, including a Public
Prospectus in 1999 and several private investors. A new Prospectus is scheduled
for publication in March 2000, with individual investors able to purchase lots
in multiples of one hectare. Sylvatech have negotiated long-term leases
with the traditional owners of the land, the Tiwi Islander people, who are also
utilised as a willing labour force within aspects of the program. A nursery has
been built which is run by Tiwi women and in 1999 this nursery produced over
600,000 seedlings for the project. Sylvatech usually employ over forty extra
people on the project during the planting season. As well as this, the Tiwi also
provide a contracting service to the project, where their tractors, graders and
dozers are hired to perform much of the required mechanical operations.
Once the project reaches full capacity, which will probably be in the 2000 season, over 5,000 hectares will be prepared and planted each year. To achieve this, both Savannah and Sylvatech will be looking at more innovative equipment to speed up production and we are in the design stages for the construction and trial of two row plows and matching two-row planting machines for use on the project in coming years. If the project proves to be as successful as it appears from results to date, much more development of a similar nature can be expected along the top-end of Australia. Huge areas of undeveloped land, with good soils and rainfall, exist within easy reach of the port of Darwin; land that is far better suited to tree-growing than other agricultural pursuits. Both the local graziers and traditional landholders are keenly watching to see whether this first plantation project up on the Tiwi Islands is a success.
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