AIMS
FFORNE plantations aim to supply logs that yield high quality timber & provide residual wood. The plantations also serve the environment on farm & benefit the local community. Trees remain the only few scientifically proven methods of storing carbon.
The goal is to produce an annual yield of 200,000 m3 of high quality logs by harvesting 1000 ha per year from an estate of 20,000 ha which will give FFORNE a sufficient level of market power and be attractive as a supply source for major sawmills.
Main objectives of FFORNE are:
- to establish 1000 ha of new plantations on farms annually for the next 20 years; and
- to attract at least 25 landowners each year (with 40-50 ha of suitable land, smaller areas may be considered);
- to become involved in the carbon credit industry
There are more than 800,000 ha of suitable land in the North East capable of growing Eucalypt plantations.
FFORNE needs less then 2% of this land to achieve sufficient supply to sawmills.
There are several wood processing centres including: 1. Wodonga, 2. Wangaratta-Myrtleford-Benalla and 3.Seymour.
The current age of FFORNE plantations means that they will not have a significant quantity of logs to sell for 13 years. However, FFORNE has alerted log buyers (especially those requiring high quality logs) to the Co-op’s operations so that entry into the market can be maximised.
FFORNE will be offering to market the logs of its members to maximise returns.
At a time when it appears there is a critical shortage of future timber resources from Victorian Native Forests, the FFORNE project has the potential to:
- Reduce the hardwood sawlog industry dependence on those Native Forests
- Increase employment and skills in the region
- Add diversity to rural production, and
- Bring industry opportunities to the region.
FFORNE promotes plantations as being an integral part of a diverse farming business, rather than advocating a broadacre monoculture with associated negative environmental and community issues.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The FFORNE Board of Directors,November 2007
Back row, left to right: Mr Chris Tuck, Mr John Woodley, Dr Tony Richardson
Front row, left to right: Mr Angus Howell, Mr John Goldsmith (Chairman), Ms Philippa Noble
In absentia, see below : Mr Peter Houghton (secretary), Mr Andrew Walpole
 
Peter Houghton (Secretary, left) and Andrew Walpole ( right)
John Goldsmith. Chairman of FFORNE Hardwood Co-operative Ltd.
John is a Director in the Stockbroking firm of EL & C Baillieu and is also a hardwood plantation grower in the Mansfield area in North East Victoria. John brings knowledge of the finance and investment industry to the co-op.
Peter Houghton. Secretary of FFORNE Hardwood Co-operative Ltd.
Peter with his wife Kate, created and developed their own successful furnishing textiles business which trades on a National & International basis. Peter & Kate also farm near Benalla in North East Victoria and are experienced hardwood plantation growers. Peter has a knowledge and experience of business, of imports & exports and of the needs of rural people.
John Woodley. Board Member of FFORNE.
John is a Silviculture contractor, Forest owner, Forestry Joint Venture partner, and Company Director. He has been involved in the Forest Industry since 1981, learning his craft in New Zealand before moving to Australia in 1981. He worked for fifteen years as a hardwood forest operator in the Victorian Alpine forests before setting up a silviculture contracting business to provide services to growers to manage their plantations for high quality pruned sawlog production. His farm at Taggerty in North East Victoria was bought in 1994 and is a demonstration unit on forestry integrated into the farming landscape.
Philippa Noble. Board Member of FFORNE.
Philippa with her husband Simon runs a mixed farming business including commercial tree cropping near Rutherglen in North East Victoria. Philippa is also employed by the Victorian Department of Primary Industry as Private Forestry Industry Development Officer and in that role has been researching a variety of issues related to growing, processing and marketing farm grown timber. Over the last twelve years she has been providing farm forestry information, advice and support to farmers in North East Victoria.
Andrew Walpole. Board Member FFORNE.
Andrew is a Medical Practitioner who has also been a tree farmer for many years in North East Victoria. Although coming from a farming background, Andrews’ off farm career has still convinced him of the wisdom of investing in tree farming on his own property, and he brings the knowledge and experience he has gained over the last twenty years.
Chris Tuck. Board Member FFORNE.
Chris spent over 20 years in R&D and Operations Management with a leading multinational food company both in Australia and Europe before conducting his own business management company based in Melbourne. He now farms full time at Alexandra Victoria. His farm consists of a stone fruit orchard and beef cattle operation, as well as a hardwood timber plantation. Chris was the inaugural Chairman of the FFORNE Hardwood Co-operative Ltd and steered the group through it’s formation.
Chris brings clear analytical thinking and planning skills to this project.
Angus Howell. Board Member FFORNE.
Angus was chosen by the Victorian Department of Conservation & Environment in 1995 to design and implement this farm based plantation scheme. Angus managed the FFORNE Project, which established 1700ha of hardwood plantations on approximately 120 farms across North East Victoria. The Victorian Government spent some $3million on that project and landholders contributed some $2million cash plus land.
Angus subsequently was employed as Field Manager for EPFL a Japanese consortium operating in North East Victoria establishing hardwood pulp plantations on farms.
Angus with his partner Diana also runs a grazing and commercial tree growing operation on their farm near Benalla. Angus brings experience in the design and application of joint venture agreements with landholders, experience in project management in regard to establishment and management of plantations on farms, and a long developed understanding of the way rural landholders operate.
Tony Richardson. Seconded to the Board of FFORNE.
Tony with his partner Rita run an Urban Transport consulting business in Melbourne, providing advice and information to State and Local Governments on urban transport solutions. Tony & Rita have recently established a program called TreeSmart, which matches carbon emitting transport users with an opportunity to have those emissions catered for through the establishment and use of existing plantations. The car, or other transport users pay a fee which TreeSmart then uses to pay an annual fee to plantation growers for locking up carbon. Tony & Rita are also hardwood plantation growers and thus bring a very broad range of expertise to this project.
FFORNE MANAGEMENT
Graeme Stoney, General Manager of FFORNE, and Georgie Connan, Research Assistant, in the Mansfield FFORNE office.
CHAIRMANS REPORT 2007
Welcome to the annual general meeting.
The past twelve months has seen your board attempting to take Fforne to its next stage of development. Where we have failed is trying to get additional land under plantation timber to grow the resource to a level that will sustain an offtake to enable a continuous supply of sawlog timber. In this respect we decided to bite the bullet and advertise for a manager to co-ordinate a land bank, farmers who will participate in the growth of timber or lease their land to investors, and become a viable business in the years ahead.
I am happy to announce that we have found a suitable person for the job and Graeme Stoney has been appointed to fill the position. My thanks to Chris Tuck who has been the driving force in getting to where we are today. This is an exciting period for us all and you are encouraged to talk to your neighbours and friends to see if they have interest.
Last week Philippa Noble and I attended a Forestry Conference which included a day trip to Gippsland to observe the plantation activities on mostly Hancock's Victorian Forests. This is a very large operation indeed. We also saw a video outlining Forest Enterprises Australia's Eco Ash operation in Tasmania where this company is milling eleven year old nitens for the building industry. This does renew the enthusiasm and I would hope this new move will gain momentum for the Fforne Hardwood Co op.
Finally, my thanks to our board for their efforts over the past twelve months. As you are aware, this is a voluntary role and we were helped by the additional resources of John Woodley and Andrew Walpole who joined the Board during the year.
Thank you
John Goldsmith
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