Environmental Management
Environmental impact/management
Willmott Forests' ongoing expansion of the plantation estate under management is providing a key platform for the redress of environmental impacts from carbon emissions. The sequestration of carbon in the trees under management and the finished wood products that are generated from the plantations create an increasing important source of off-set in the world-wide battle to avoid further long term climate damage.
Willmott Forests' environmental management policies operate inconjunction with our Timber Plantations Practices Code and Plantation Establishment Plans. The Company has an extensive planning procedure that takes into account the environmental, social and cultural impact of the plantation resources that we establish and manage. Willmott Forests is involved with many industry associations including A3P, and, in recent years has become increasingly involved in the process of redefining the regulatory environment under which many parts of the Company operate.
The following are some of the Acts that govern plantation management:
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;
- National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (regarding aboriginal cultural heritage sites);
- Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995;
- Native Vegetation Act 2003;
- Plantations and Reafforestation Act 1999;
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; and
- Planning and Environment Act 1987.
Willmott Forests' field operations cover a wide range of environmental activities including control of salinity, erosion and applications of herbicides and fertilisers. Willmott Forests endeavours to adopt best practices in all plantation activities ensuring conformance with relevant Acts and Codes of Practices, some of which are outlined above. The Company continues to be widely regarded as a leader in this field due to its commitment to maintain responsible forestry practices and sustainable resource management.
Willmott Forests takes into account labour standards and environmental, social and ethical considerations as part of its day to day operations.
Environmental sustainability
Willmott Forests' sustainability policy operates in conjunction with our timber plantations practices code and plantation operations plans. The Company has an extensive planning process that considers the environmental, social and cultural impacts of the plantation resources that we establish and manage. Plantation forestry is starting to receive long overdue recognition for its sustainable environmental benefits to society such as producing clean air, clean water, storing atmospheric carbon and improving soil health.
Willmott Forests' growing plantation estate under management sequesters atmospheric carbon every single day. The carbon stored in finished wood products is another important carbon sink, but one that is not yet recognised by carbon accounting rules and policies. Wood-based carbon sinks are an important part of the solution to the problem of increasing levels of atmospheric carbon that causes climate change. Long-rotation forestry is a better carbon sink than short-rotation forestry, although the use of short-rotation, plantation grown biomass to replace fossil energy sources is an environmental winner. Willmott Forests is proudly establishing both kinds of plantation forestry and is heavily committed to renewable bioenergy projects.
Advanced technology
Willmott Forests utilises the latest technology to manage our forestry operations and business operations. The Private Plantation Management Information System (PPMIS) provides Willmott Forests with a state-of-the-art decision-support system. The system has been assembled and is operated by Willmott Forests and uses remote sensing satellite/aerial photography which is geo-referenced against a number of layers such as cadastre data (title boundaries, road infrastructure etc.), elevation and rainfall data.
The PPMIS assists Willmott Forests to:
- identify suitable land for plantations;
- evaluate properties prior to plantation establishment;
- streamline the approvals process for planning applications;
- prepare accurate allocation plans for Growers;
- monitor contractor progress and performance; and
- monitor existing plantation performance.
The satellite technology is able to provide photographic evidence of any variations in plantation quality. This is a major advantage because such variations may not have been detected by human inspection techniques. As a result, Willmott Forests is able to identify, evaluate, monitor and, if required, act upon such variations to enhance plantation health and performance.
Willmott Forests invests in our broader business technology that ensures we have the hardware and software to capture and maintain real time data for our business.
