Preparation of Nanangroe Plantation

January 21, 2000 Tumut & Adelong Times

State Forests is calling tenders for the site preparation at Nanangroe prior to the planting of pines under contract for one of the world's largest power companies, the Japanese owned The Tokyo Electric Power Company Inc (TEPCO).

An area of approximately 540 hectares is available on the State Forests owned land at Nanangroe for the site preparation. State Forests is to prepare and plant the land on behalf of TEPCO. Besides the local pine planting a similar holding of hardwood is to be planted by the Japanese company on the north coast.

TEPCOs plans to establish the forest plantings to combat global warming and gain carbon credits were outlined to members of the State Forests Board during their visit to the Tumut area last November.

The Board members, former Federal Minister for Primary Industries and Energy John Kerin, Neill Inall, Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers and State Forests' Chief Executive Bob Smith, were informed the Japanese company intends to increase its pine plantation within NSW by up to 20,000 ha over the next ten years, together with a matching amount of hardwood plantation.

The Board was told that whilst the initial pine investment by TEPCO would be on land being made available by State Forests, it was anticipated land for the additional new greenhouse forests would be leased from rural landowners, generating new income and employment opportunities.

The Nanangroe property, 45 km north-east of Tumut, covers an area of around 3600 ha, of which 1060 ha has already been planted.

A field inspection of the site for this year's planting will be conducted on February 9, when interested contractors are urged to attend the inspection.