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  Click here to access information on NPI regions Click here to access information on studies undertaken to identify land capable and suitable for commercial timber plantations in Australia Find out more about plantation tree species The National Plantation Inventory provides REPORTS and information on existing plantations and projected plantings in Australia Work out areas of plantations in selected regions Make your own maps of plantations in any location View and print existing maps of plantation areas Display Help Page  
 
  Project: The Commercial Environmental Forestry (CEF) project  
  Outline
The Commercial Environmental Forestry (CEF) project is an integrated research and policy development program designed to develop and optimise forestry plantations for profitability, environmental benefits and regional community development. The program is focussed on low to- medium rainfall zones typical to many parts of Australia. Its aim is to quantify the environmental benefits of plantations, to provide greater certainty around prediction of plantation productivity and to increase financial returns for growers and processors.

It is a joint program between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, CSIRO-ENSIS and the Bureau of Rural Sciences. It was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust program.

 
  Bureau of Rural Sciences broad national scoping study
Thre Bureau of Rural Sciences was asked to identify regions in Australia, using existing regional information, where farm forestry or plantation developments could provide both salinity benefits and commercial outcomes. Details are provided in the BRS report and scientific paper. Results indicate that there are significant potential opportunities for Commercial Environmental Forestry in many regions of Australia.

The information is presented through the Plantation Information Network website. These can be displayed in the Make your own maps section of this website by checking the box for Areas with CEF potential. However, to make investment decisions will require additional financial evaluation tools and further, more detailed bio-physical analysis at a localised scale, using finer scale information and modelling techniques as has been done in the case study below. 		 
  Case study One: The south-west Goulburn Broken catchment, Victoria
The Commercial Environmental Forestry project has been tested in the south-west Goulburn Broken catchment. The catchment ranges in rainfall from about 600 mm to 850 mm per annum, has large areas of high salinity risk and is a National Action Plan priority catchment.

The Scenario Planning and Investment Framework (SPIF) and tool was developed for investors in forestry projects such as forestry companies, natural resource managers, landholders and others to investigate where to establish new forests or to assess the commercial and environmental outcomes from project proposals. The SPIF tool is available from CSIRO_ENSIS to run from a CD on a personal computer.

For more information see the following reports, or go to the CSIRO-ENSIS web page on the project:
CSIRO-ENSIS Commercial Environmental Forestry (CEF) project in Goulburn Catchment (Vic)

 
  PDF Reports
BRS report on opportunities for Commercial Environmental Forestry in Australia
CEF-GrowthandCarbonAccounting
Ensis SPIF Tool_BRS
CEFTechReportScreenFINAL
 
  Maps
 
 
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