HQPlantations is one of 28 forests certified under AS 4708 – Sustainable Forest Management. This standard is used by Australian forest growers to make Responsible Wood and PEFC claims on forest and tree-based products. Underpinning certification is a commitment by forest growers to the management and rejuvenation of forests. Source: Timberbiz
Responsible Wood’s Simon Dorries and Jason Ross were invited by HQPlantations to tour its 85,000 ha Tuan-Toolara Pine plantation on Queensland’s Fraser Coast.
With more than 320,000 ha of forest under management, including 196,000 ha of plantation, from the Queensland border to the Kuranda, HQPlantations is one of the largest plantation growers in Australia.
On the tour, HQPlantations Kate Clapson and Dr Dominic Kain discussed HQPlantations tree improvement and seed production program and the importance of practicing sustainable forest management to protect environmental values for future generations – the principle underpinning HQPlantations annual Forest Stewardship Plan.
This plan highlights HQPlantations contributions to managing landscapes, soil, water, biodiversity, cultural heritage, pollution, waste management and carbon sequestration. It also outlines the company’s commitment to AS 4708 – Sustainable Forest Management, a key component of the Responsible Wood Certification Scheme (RWCS).
The Tuan-Toolara estate is one of Australia’s largest contiguous plantation estates and supports a thriving regional forest sector.
Each year, around 2500 hectares of the Tuan-Toolara estate is harvested and replanted with over 2.4 million seedlings grown in HQPlantations Toolara nursery. Across their entire estate, HQPlantations harvests only 2-3% annually and plant approximately 10 million seedlings a year.
