Northern forests in South Australia could be home for an educational hub to teach agriculture and environmental management. Source: Stock Journal
That is one of the ideas under exploration by the Northern Forests Community Initiatives Group, which is gathering suggestions for the future of the Bundaleer and Wirrabara forests that suffered damage during bushfires in the past two years.
These suggestions were aired at two public meetings at Jamestown and Wirrabara, followed by workshops. a
The Bangor fire of 2014 wiped-out about 80% of the Wirrabara plantation and a 2013 fire damaged about 30% of the Bundaleer forest.
These fires have left one of the region’s major employers, Morgan Sawmills, in limbo as ForestySA considers following-on a review released last year to not replant the two forests.
Group chairman Greg Boston said about 250 people attended in the two meetings.
“The meetings were based around giving communities an update about what has been explored so far and clarifying for them why there are some difficulties,” Mr Boston said.
He said there is a strong feeling in the community that commercial forestry should remain part of the make-up of the forests’ use, but he said there was a need to come up with new ideas to complement that.
Tourism and recreation are among the key ideas.
There was also potential for more emphasis to be placed on the historical significance in the area as the proclaimed birthplace of forestry, with Bundaleer the first plantation forestry in Australia in 1876 and Wirrabara home to the first commercial sawmill nationally, in 1902.
“This is a historical keypoint that has not been promoted,” he said.
Another suggestion was to look at establishing the area as a site for agricultural and environmental education.
“There are a diverse range of agricultural industries already in place,” he said.
He pointed to orchards, beekeeping, nut growing, sheep grazing and cropping as just some of the local enterprises. Environmentally there could be potential for carbon plantations and pest and animal control spaces.
