John O’Donnell has released the final paper on “Potential opportunities and strategies for improved bushfire pine and hardwood plantation protection and management across Australia“, June 2021. Source: Timberbiz
“After the large bushfires killing considerable areas of pine plantations in recent years, it is opportune to review potential protection arrangements inside and outside pine plantations across Australia,” Mr O’Donnell said.
He said the final document had been issued to “aid progression of this important issue”. I understand that there has been use of the document by businesses in northern and SE Australia.
It is up to pine plantation owners, investor and boards to develop opportunities to best protect plantations from bushfires inside and outside plantations and to best protect personnel involved in fighting bushfires within the plantations.
“The document focusses on potential opportunities and strategies but doesn’t get into detail re specifics to any great degree. Some of this is covered in some of the guideline documents listed in this document,” he said.
“It is also opportune to pull together information in the current guideline documents, the majority over five years old, this has been completed, as noted, but doesn’t get into detail re specifics to any great degree.”
Mr O’Donnell said it was also opportune to review plantation fire salvage, to explore opportunities to maximise pine salvage, maximise timber value associated with fire salvage and integrate plantation bushfire protection and salvage strategies.
The paper can be downloaded Pot opportunities for pltn prot Aust Final.
