A Busy Forest

HVP’s mission is to manage the  plantation estate in a safe and sustainable way to optimise the return to our investors whilst balancing the needs of our employees, customers and local communities. HVP Plantations is the manager of 170, 000 ha of plantation across Victoria. The forest is a busy workplace, with operations occurring within our plantations every day. These activities that take place year in, year out over the planting, growing and harvest rotation, all across our estate. Some of these are highly visible like harvesting and transport; others like fertilisation are less visible.

Calendar of Activities (general indication of when activities take place)

Summer

• The land is prepared for planting
• Fire break & track maintenance
• Fire suppression (seasonal fire crews)
• Harvesting and transport
• Weed control including mechanical and chemical control
• Road construction & maintenance
• Fertilizing
• Establish Sirex wasp trap tree plots

Autumn

• Land preparation is still occurring.
• Broad scale weed control (planting preparation)
• Track weed control (mechanical & chemical control)
• Fertilising
• Harvest residue burning
• Fuel reduction burning
• Harvesting and transport
• Previous planting year survival counts
• Sirex wasp nematode application
• Aerial plantation health assessment
• Road construction & maintenance

Winter

• Planting
• Harvesting and transport
• Foliar (pine needles) sampling for nutrient assessment

Spring

• Weed control (post planting chemical)
• Noxious weed control (mechanical & chemical control)
• Fertilising
• Fire preparedness
• Fire training
• Harvesting and transport
• Road construction & maintenance