Maximising Returns

PFSQ Native Forest Stand Products and Marketing Guide

The intent of this guide is to provide information on the range of timber products that may be available from your native forests and the options you have to sell them. What are stumpage, farm gate/ramp price and mill gate price? What is the Timber Product Value Hierarchy? What forestry products will give you the best return on your timber?
To download the full guide Click here
(pdf document, require acrobat reader or similar)

On Farm Value Adding. A cost comparative study.

In March 2001, a trial was implemented to compare the costs, returns and processes from value adding a percentage of the logs harvested (ie on-farm milling, processing and sales) from a block to the returns from the remainder of the logs sold by the landowner as a conventional sale. The aim of this trial was not to advocate value adding, but to test the process from stand management through to harvest, processing and sales, examining the systems
used and then completing an economic analysis of the results.To download the full report Click here
(pdf document, requires acrobat reader or similar)

Maximising Returns From Private Native Forests.

Sam Slack wanted a sawmill from an early age. He attended field days and farm management courses from when he was eleven and formed his philosophy on timber production from a broad field of information. As the family farm had large areas of standing timber, value adding that resource and broadening the enterprise base of the family business was a logical progression. Sam quickly realised the importance of good forest management in maintaining productivity to ensure their future resource and has incorporated this philosophy into a business the whole family is involved in.

Timber Stand Improvement – An Australian Timber Editorial

In 2005 PFSQ‘s Southern Regional Manager Ken Matthews wrote an editorial for Australian Timber regarding stand improvement. “Timber stand improvement is a concept that has been in existence for many centuries and yet as native forests decline in productivity these concepts have been significantly eroded.” Click here to download the full article.
(pdf document, requires acrobat reader or similar)

Thinning a Regrowth Forest. A cost comparative study.

This report discusses the rationale for thinning the forest, the potential productivity of the
stand, pre- and post-harvest. It also discusses the future management that may be adopted
by the owner and provides an analysis of the costs and benefits of thinning and looks at
the products from the thinning operation and their marketing.

This report discusses the rationale for thinning the forest, the potential productivity of the stand, pre- and post-harvest. It also discusses the future management that may be adoptedby the owner and provides an analysis of the costs and benefits of thinning and looks at the products from the thinning operation and their marketing.The results of this trial clearly show the need for thinning for this stand to be productive,
and indicates the considerable cost/benefits in the operation.

To download the full report Click here
(pdf document, requires acrobat reader or similar)

Investigating Techniques to Restore Productivity in a ‘High Graded’ Dry Eucalypt Forest SEQ.

Management involving private native forests in Queensland varies widely, with ‘High
Grading’ being the most common form practiced ie. harvesting all merchantable stems to
a tree diameter limit, usually 35cm.

This commonly occurs when the landholder is in need
of a cash flow, not when the forest or the market dictates. Indeed the industry is so used to
this mode of operation it is often difficult to convince contractors to harvest to a set of
rules, particularly if it requires leaving quality stems to grow on to a higher value product
in favour of the removal of lower quality stems that are in decline.

To investigate some of these management issues a demonstration/experimental site was established in a dry sclerophyll (tall open) forest at Miva in South East Queensland.

To read a full case study Click here
(pdf document, requires acrobat reader or similar)

Private Native Forest Productivity, is it the Key to the Future of Queensland’s Timber Industry?

This paper discusses the history of PNF management, their current condition and the processes, both physical management and those involving information exchange, needed to bring these forests back into productivity. It also discusses the impacts of removing private native forests out of the timber production equation and the naive notion of replacing it solely with plantation grown hardwoods.

This paper discusses the history of PNF management, their current condition and the processes, both physical management and those involving information exchange, needed to bring these forests back into productivity. It also discusses the impacts of removing private native forests out of the timber production equation and the naive notion of replacing it solely with plantation grown hardwoods.To download the full report Click here
(pdf document, requires acrobat reader or similar)

Managing Fire

Below are two tools to assist land managers to dealt with fire in Forestry environments

To download the Fire Drought Rating calulator Click here(excel spreadsheet)
To download a zipped version of the Fire Danger Index Click here(zip file requires winzip or similar)