Page 5 - Towards better compaction v0.5

Towards Better Compaction

As operators, we cannot change the type of wood we are loading, how the woodchips were cut, the
moisture content of the woodchips, or how long they have been left out in the open. We can only
control the way we load the woodchips to provide a consistently high compaction rate to benefit
both the shipper and the customer.

From Tree to Wharf

Plantations
Plantations are a managed forest (trees are planted rather
than relying on natural regeneration) which produce trees of
the same size, age and type to provide a consistent product at
harvest time.
Planted trees allow access for mechanised harvesters and for
seed types to be chosen to suit the climate, soil and
conditions.

Hardwood pulp, mixed with some softwood pulp (for quality),
is used for print quality paper.

Woodchippers only use the heartwood/sapwood for chipping
as the bark does not contain enough fibre.

Harvesting
Contractors harvest plantations and then transport the product to a processing facility.
Following harvesting, the plantation is re-seeded ready to produce another crop.
Tasmanian harvest timber generally comes from one of four different forest types.

1. Wet eucalypt
Clear felling is the preferred method for harvesting wet eucalypt forests, mimicking the
actions of the large bushfires used by nature to allow regeneration. In some cases,
aggregated retention (where patches of forest, greater than 1 hectare, are left for at least 80
years) is used to provide essential habitat connectivity between surrounding forests and the
regenerating one.

2. Blackwood
Clear felling is used for the same reasons as for wet eucalypt forests.

3. Dry eucalypt
Harvesting of dry eucalypt forests uses a range of different, partial harvesting methods.

4. Rainforests
Harvesting in rainforests is heavily limited and selective harvesting techniques are used to
minimise habitat damage

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