A Chinese delegation visited the Tumut region in New South Wales to gain an insight into forest management, environmental rehabilitation, forest technology and reafforestation techniques. Source: Southern Cross
The group consisted of forest engineers and district and provincial forest managers from the Shandong area.
Institute Forest Industry Training Centre (FITC) manager David Priem said reafforestation of the Shandong region is a major activity for environmental reasons.
“The province wants to establish a large commercial plantation base to encourage the development of a major forest industry,” Priem said.
“Because of the scale and importance of the timber industry in the Tumut region, the forestry delegation from Shandong was interested in viewing the region’s forestry operations.”
FITC trainer, Dr Hans Porada, said the delegation was very interested in the importance of the FITC’s role in delivering competency based as well as technical training across NSW.
“Despite time constraints, the delegation was particularly receptive to what they saw and asked some excellent questions,” Dr Porada said.
“Also of great interest to the delegation was a visit to Sugar Pine Walk where there was still snow on the ground.
“Trees the size of the sugar pines in Bago State Forest are a rarity in China, so walking among trees, whose girth was twice that of the outstretched arms of delegation members, was something very unusual for the visitors.
“Seeing members of the delegation ‘hugging’ these trees to gauge their diameter was something very special.”
