Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers Ltd. (KIPT) almost completes clearance of plantation trees alongside power lines on Kangaroo Island, Australia, and crews are preparing to move into the harvest proper, starting with the fire-damaged pine plantations.
KIPT has worked closely with SA Power Networks to clear blue gums and pines trees along about 48 km of power lines through the plantations.
The trees were planted by previous owners with 20m clearance of the lines but are now well past their harvest date as KIPT awaits approval for its export facility at Smith Bay. Most are now taller than 20m and fire damage makes them more likely to fall, posing a potential risk for damage to power infrastructure.
HarvestCo has won the tender to harvest the first 200,000 tonnes of pine and was able to mobilise equipment to also complete the power line clearance.
The first few rows of trees adjacent to the power lines are being cut and then laid down in the footprint of the plantation for collection later.
Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers is Australia’s only listed timberland company. It manages a wholly-owned portfolio of hardwood and softwood forestry plantations, growing on former agricultural land on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
