FORESTRY REPORT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 126, 1 May 1925, Page 5

FORESTRY REPORT

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA. DESCRIBED AS DISQUIETING. (By Electric Telegraph .—Copyright.) Received May 1, 11.5 a.m. SYDNEY, May 1. A comprehensive report submitted by Mr C. Lane Poole, Commonwealth Forestry Adviser, to the_ Minister of Home Territories, Senator Pearce, states: “We are importing 42.18 per cent, of our timber requirements, a figure, which in view of the youth of Australia and its relatively small population, is very disquieting. Tho position is rendered still more alarming when the nature of our imports and local productions are" examined.” Mr Poole asserts that the importance of the industry is quite overlooked in the Commonwealth. The only State with an apparent surplus of timber is West Australia which, in 1923-24, exported 133,500,000 super feet, of which about one-third went to the other States, and the balance overseas. “But West Australia,” the Forestry Adviser states, “is cutting out her yarrah and kauri forests six times as fast as they are growing. Were she to cut out according to the forestry rules—that is, to cut only tho increments of her forests—she would have no timber to export.” While the area of forests of the Commonwealth is set out in the Year Books as 69,064,000 acres, the forester’s estimate of true forest land place it at 24,500,000. Instead, however, of producing 12,000,000,000 super, feet these forests are producing only 587,500,000 super, feet. The inadequacy of our hardwood forests is due to the gross overcutting that has taken place in the past and to the very paltry efforts the State have made to restore their forests and so manage them as to get the maximum yield per acre. The condition of our forest heritage of 24,500,000 acres is that it is mainly covered with a bad growth of uneven, aged timber, which has grown up more or less haphazardly after the sawmillers have picked the best out, and their increment has been cancelled by loss through fire and other causes. The area actually dedicated as forest is only 10,502,634 acres. Only in two States—New South Wales and Victoria' —are the financial resources at the disposal of the forestry authorities in any way commensurate with tho work to be carried out. There they are also lacking in trained foresters.”—Press Association.