Shelterbelt funding for Tomahawk

•  The majority of the Trees on Farms grants will go towards planting woodlots around the state.

By Taylor Clyne,
May 04, 2022

Creese North East at Tomahawk is one of eight farms around the state that has received funding through the Trees on Farms grants.

The program is managed by Private Forests Tasmania and partially funded by the state government.

The Tomahawk farm is focussed on beef cattle, prime lambs and potatoes.

Farmer Stephen Creese said the $40,000 grant will cover half of the cost of more shelter belt planting.

The funding will go towards the costs of seedlings, plants, fencing materials and contractors.

Mr Creese said they have been planting shelter belts on the property for the past 15 to 20 years, and the next phase will see 30 hectares of radiata pines planted out across several shelter belts.

“We have tried planting natives in the past but have found it very unsuccessful,” he said.

“ Only way we could get natives to grow was on downwind side of pine.

“There’s some old pine that’s been harvested and the boobyalla has grown amongst that so we’ve got some
boobyalla too.”

Mr Creese said they usually do some shelter belt planting every year, sometimes without funding, but the Trees on Farms grant enables them to do a bit more.

He said they are aiming to plant the new trees in August 2023, after fencing is in place and site preparation is complete.

The majority of the Trees on Farms grants will go towards planting woodlots around the state.

Agroforestry brings direct benefits to farmers through selling wood products, carbon credits and increased farm productivity.

The indirect benefits of integrating trees on farms include improved biodiversity, providing a habitat for native species, addressing salinity, and enhanced land amenity and value.

In addition to the value of the wood, the successful applicants have identified shelter for livestock, reducing the impact of prevailing winds, improved biodiversity values, carbon sequestration and carbon credits, stabilisation of banks and landslip areas and improving water quality through the reduction of sediment runoff as reasons for integrating trees.