Forestry foregoes coupes for bikers
• A new concept plan for Derby will safe guard the biking experience and allow production forests to be harvested.
By Taylor Clyne
January 26, 2022
In a newly released concept plan for Derby, Sustainable Timbers Tasmania will lose access to some resources in a move to maintain the world renowned biking experience.
The plan was developed over six months in partnership between Sustainable Timber Tasmania, Dorset Council and Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.
The purpose is to give a designated boundary line between the mountain bike trails and production forest with extended buffer zones which means harvesting will have no physical or visual impact on the trails.
In order to facilitate this some coupees have been deleted from the harvesting schedule and the boundary of other coupes have been modified to include the buffers.
Mayor Greg Howard said this will guarantee the popularity and amenity of what is considered one of the best trail networks in Australia while allowing production forestry, which is an important part of the Dorset economy, to continue.
“Sustainable Timbers will lose access to some resources, but it just shows again how hugely supportive of the trails they are.
“In the past they have modified coupe boundaries to accommodate existing trails which allowed for another 120km of trails to be built, giving the experience the necessary scale to be a world class attraction,” he said.
General Manager Conservation and Land Management Suzette Weeding said it’s a joint commitment by land managers to work together and foster long-term growth in Derby for the benefit of local communities and visitors.
“To implement the precinct, Sustainable Timber Tasmania will affirm no harvesting operations within the current trail network,” Ms Weeding said.
“Importantly, the plan highlights that all parties acknowledge the shared use of the broader landscape for a variety of purposes, including neighbouring production forest.
“Where forest operations occur in the neighbouring production forest, management actions will be implemented so that forest management operations will not impact on the trails within the precinct,” she said.
Mayor Greg Howard said that without the agreement and assistance from Sustainable Timber Tasmania there would not be a big enough trail network to make Derby as successful as it is today.
“Sustainable Timber Tasmania has been supportive from day one, and this is their initiative to put a protective circle around Derby,” he said.
Community feedback is welcomed and encouraged by March 31, 2022 and can be shared by contacting stakeholder@sttas.com.au.
The Derby Concept Plan can be viewed at https://www.sttas.com.au/forests-you/derby-concept-plan
The plan is a precursor to a long-term Derby Precinct Masterplan that is currently in development.