Commercial forest trial on mining land

Coal & Allied believes looking after the land surrounding our operations for future generations to enjoy is vital to building a sustainable future.

In the upper Hunter Valley, Coal & Allied has been working with Forests NSW to investigate the viability of a commercial forest plantation on a plot of land that buffers Hunter Valley Operations.

If successful, the forest will help increase ecosystem diversity on what was previously grazing land, while potentially removing around 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Tens of thousands of eucalypt seedlings were planted on the 80 hectare site in November 2007 by Forests NSW, which will manage the site for the first three years, with the rest of the 80,000 seedlings to be planted in April 2008.

RTCA Health, Safety and Environment general manager Rory Gordon said it was one of the first large-scale trials of its type in the upper Hunter Valley and offered an opportunity to assess the viability of forestry further west than would be traditionally undertaken in the area.

"In the coal industry we are familiar with tree planting due to our rehabilitation and screening work, and in the past we have planted out trial forestry plots of three, four and five hectares," Mr Gordon said.

"This is our largest to date and is specifically aimed at determining whether a commercial size forest is viable in the Hunter Valley, where low rainfall of 600 to 700 millilitres a year and relatively poor soils mean tree growth rates are less than those on the coast and coastal range.

"A key part of this project will involve regular monitoring of growth rates."

The Mayor of Muswellbrook, Councillor John Colvin said he was delighted that Coal & Allied had committed to the commercial forestry trial.

"Such trials are valuable, not only for their carbon offset potential, but if successful, it could lead to the establishment of a commercial forest industry in the Upper Hunter, which could provide work opportunities post mining," Cr Colvin said.

"The Muswellbrook Council has been working for many years to encourage the establishment of commercial forests in the Upper Hunter, and so we applaud Coal & Allied's initiative."