About Ballarat Region Treegrowers
The two presidents: David Fisken, AFG; Phil Kinghorn, BRT.
Ballarat Region Treegrowers (BRT) is the local branch of Australian Forest Growers (AFG), the national body representing farm foresters and private native forest owners in Australia. In 2004, the BRT hosted the AFG Biennial Conference with the theme of ‘Integrating Forestry into Farms, Communities and Catchments’, which aimed to illustrate the potential of increased tree cover in rural Australia in providing economic, social and environmental benefits. In 2006, BRT held several regional workshops on the theme of 'planting for sustainable landscapes', sponsored by the Central Victorian Farm Plantations Committee and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority. One of these on 'Boosting biodiversity' led to BRT commissioning Teesdale nurseryman Stephen Murphy to write Recreating the Country, which was then published in May 2009 by AFG.
Environmentally, rural Australia is staring in the face of a catastrophe that only revegetation on a large scale can prevent. That won’t happen without the integration of commercial treegrowing into farm and catchment management plans. New plantings would act as carbon sinks, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Economically, the nation continues to bleed with a paper and wood products industry sector deficit of almost $2 billion a year. Downstream processing and greater value adding needs to occur within Australia if this ongoing sore is to be staunched.
Socially, 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast and the rural drift continues unabated. The traditional Anglo European models of farming and rural enterprise are unprofitable, unsustainable and uninspiring. What they offer are long, grinding hours and increasing land degradation for little return. No wonder rural youth are leaving for the coast.
What we need are new Australian forestry models adapted to indigenous resources, which work within the vagaries of our climatic and fragile natural systems. The BRT believes that the biorich plantation, as a sub-set of analogue forestry, is one such model.
This website is managed by Gib Wettenhall and Ian Penna, who are executive members of BRT, and who were responsible for commissioning, editing and producing Recreating the Country. Gib can be contacted for further information by submitting an email below.
Environmentally, rural Australia is staring in the face of a catastrophe that only revegetation on a large scale can prevent. That won’t happen without the integration of commercial treegrowing into farm and catchment management plans. New plantings would act as carbon sinks, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Economically, the nation continues to bleed with a paper and wood products industry sector deficit of almost $2 billion a year. Downstream processing and greater value adding needs to occur within Australia if this ongoing sore is to be staunched.
Socially, 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast and the rural drift continues unabated. The traditional Anglo European models of farming and rural enterprise are unprofitable, unsustainable and uninspiring. What they offer are long, grinding hours and increasing land degradation for little return. No wonder rural youth are leaving for the coast.
What we need are new Australian forestry models adapted to indigenous resources, which work within the vagaries of our climatic and fragile natural systems. The BRT believes that the biorich plantation, as a sub-set of analogue forestry, is one such model.
This website is managed by Gib Wettenhall and Ian Penna, who are executive members of BRT, and who were responsible for commissioning, editing and producing Recreating the Country. Gib can be contacted for further information by submitting an email below.
