Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative

Mission

To establish a commercially-focused Cooperative of approximately 1000+ members, producing a sustainable harvest of premium quality plantation blackwood sawlog of approximately 35,000 m³ per year. This requires maintaining a minimum plantation establishment rate of 100 ha.yr^-1 for a full 35 year rotation length, and a final harvest of 300 m³.ha^-1 of sawlog. This annual sawlog volume is three times the current level of blackwood harvest from public native forest, and 10 times the sustainable blackwood harvest from public native forest. At a conservative stumpage of $400 per m³ this equates to a value of $120,000 per ha or a total annual value $12,000,000.

Goal

To create a profitable, market-based, innovative Tasmanian Blackwood Growers Cooperative to meet the needs of domestic and international markets for premium, FSC-certified, plantation-grown blackwood timber.

Objectives

•  The Cooperative will seek landholders in Tasmania to become members in order to establish 100 – 150 ha per year of commercial blackwood plantation. Owners with existing successful blackwood plantations will also be encouraged to join.
• Landholders who have native blackwood forest that they wish to sustainably manage for commercial wood production may also join the Cooperative.
• The initial focus for the Cooperative will be in north-west Tasmania where climate and soils offer the best chance of success, but enquiries from farmers in other regions are welcome.
• Developing a strong sense of community, innovation and support within the Cooperative will be a key objective. This will help strengthen the Cooperative and ensure its survival. 
• Blackwood site requirements will result in plantation areas being small (<10 ha) and widely scattered with a nominal minimum of 2 ha. People who wish to plant smaller areas than this may join, but will receive fewer benefits and no funding support.
• All plantation development will be on already cleared land, or existing plantation sites. No native forest will be cleared.
• The Cooperative will seek FSC certification for all areas managed for commercial blackwood production.
• The Cooperative will provide financial and technical support in establishing and managing the plantations, while landholders will be expected to provide the land, financial and management services.
• Areas nominated for planting will be assessed against a set of site requirements to ensure only the best sites are selected.
• Landholders will also be assessed to determine their current silvicultural knowledge and level of commitment.
• Plantation establishment and management will initially be based on the New Zealand model (Nicholas and Brown 2002), with the objective to simplify this model further in order to reduce costs.
• Landowner support, training and quality assurance will be provided by regular site visits to all plantation areas.
• In order to improve the quality and consistency of plantation-grown blackwood timber, the Cooperative will develop a blackwood breeding program. This will allow the development of improved planting stock for both Cooperative members, and for commercial sale.
• To support the breeding program landholders who have native blackwood they wish to manage for genetic conservation will be encourage to join the Cooperative.
• Performance of the Cooperative will be reviewed regularly using agreed criteria.
• Engagement and support for the Cooperative from the community and industry will be an important goal.
• Partnerships and linkages will be made with industry and research institutions to help support and grow the Cooperative, including the New Zealand blackwood growers group (AMIGO).