Kangaroo Island growers band together

Kangaroo Island’s 12 plantation forest growers are working together to maximise the benefits of the forestry industry for the community of Kangaroo Island.

At a recent meeting in Parndana, most of the Island’s Independent Timber Growers (blue gum and pine) met with KIPT to discuss a Memorandum of Understanding for harvest and haulage work.

KIPT has committed to work with growers so that those who wish to use its harvest and haulage systems will be able to do so. It has developed a Memorandum of Understanding, now signed by growers representing about 95% of the plantation timber on the Island.

The growers will also be able to participate in the marketing agreement with Mitsui, which has contracts with KIPT to markets its entire timber resource.

KIPT Director – Operations, Graham Holdaway, said he was pleased to be able to work with the growers so that they could see an outcome for their trees.

“We’ve agreed to work with the other growers on an open-book basis, where we will pass through the revenue and the costs in a transparent way when we are dealing with their trees,” he said.

At the Parndana Hotel, from left, Lucy and Malcolm Boxall, Hugh Watters (PF Olsen), Graham Holdaway, John and Cheryl Lewis, Erica Birks, Kristina Holdaway, Mark Pettit (Mitsui), Stephen Watts, Alex Stone, Lester Noble, Andy Noble, Bill Roper.