Forest Fact File - Whats Left

Australia Forest Cover Pre Euro post Euro (1989 data)

Forest Cover Pre European 69 million ha
Forest Cover Post European 43 million ha
percentage Reduction: 38%

60% of Remain Forest is Eucalypt Dominated
60% of Remain Forest is Regrowth from past logging.

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (May 1993) Forest Changes, Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources. Sourced from Resource Assessment Inquiry into Timber and Forests.

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Australia Forest Cover - Resource Assessment Commission

Forest Cover - 42.2 million ha

Reference: RAC Forest and Timber Inquiry Draft Report 1991.

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Australian Woodland Cover

92 million ha

Reference: Forest Industries Leaflet, "Australian Native Forests", by Turnbull Fox Phillips, Canberra.

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Australian Forest Tenures - Resource Assessment Commission

Private Ownership 11.3 million ha - 27% of total
State Forests 11.5 million ha - 27% of total
Conservation Reserves 8.8 million ha - 21% of total
Other Crown Land 10.6 million ha - 25% of total
Total area of Forests Cover - 42.2 million ha

Reference: RAC Forest and Timber Inquiry Draft Report 1991.

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Australian Forest Tenures

Private Ownership 11 million ha - 26% of total
State Forests 11.5 million ha - 27% of total
Conservation Reserves 9.8 million ha - 23% of total
Other Crown Land 10.6 million ha - 25% of total

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1993) "Forest Changes", Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources.

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Australia Availability of logging

7 million ha - 16% of total Aust - or 22% of publicly owned forests
Note - That this ignores areas that are excluded from logging, under current logging practices ie, stream buffers, step gradients, unecconomicalabilty and inaccessibility, this is of course subject to change. These areas are often adjacent to logging areas and are effected by the logging

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1993) "Forest Changes", Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources.

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Victoria Forest Cover

1869 - 20.0 million ha 88% of the State
1972 - 8.1 million ha 36% of the State
1987 - 8.0 million ha 35% of the State
Percentage Reduction: 53%

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1993) "Forest Changes", Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources.

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Victoria Forest Cover of Public Land, and its .c2.Reservation Status

4.8 million Ha or 59% of Victoria's total public land is forested.

1.7 million ha or 35% is in National Parks and Other Reserves
3.2 million ha or 65% is in State Forest
1.3 million ha or 27% is available for harvesting
1.8 million ha or 38% in generally not included for timber harvesting on economic or environmental reasons

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1994) "Talking Trees" Dept Cons. Nat. Resources, Melbourne.

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Victorian Land Mass, Total, Freehold, Private

Total area of Victoria - 22,787,694 ha
Total area of Public Land Vic 1987 - 7,546,073 ha
Total area of Freehold Vic 1987 - 15,241,621 ha

Note from page 23, 45, and 47 of Anna-Louise Allen (1993) "Forest Changes Book" , this reference also provides regional data for forest changes. Also note the area of Victoria has expanded 12,694.

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Victoria's Rate of Forest Loss

1972 - 1987 15,000 ha per annum. (Deduced from satellite imagery to calculate loss per year)

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1993) "Forest Changes", Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources.

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Victoria's Rate of Forest Harvesting Public

DCNR currently managers harvesting of over 10,000 ha per year.

Reference: CNR, (1993), "A Research and Development Plan For Victoria's Native Forests, Draft No.2"

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Victoria's Land Area and Land covered by Forests

22.8 million ha land area - 5.4 million ha forest cover 1989.

Reference: Anna-Louise Allen, (1993) "Forest Changes", Published by Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources.

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