Resource Assessment of the Tidal Wetland Vegetation of Western Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland, Report to Ocean Rescue 2000

A project to allow the resource assessment of tidal wetland vegetation of western Cape York Peninsula, in north Queensland, was undertaken as part of the longterm assessment of the coastal fisheries resources of Queensland. The project incorporated a littoral invertebrate fauna component. Extending from May 1993 to December 1994, fieldwork was undertaken in May 1993, November 1993 and April 1994. The aims of this project were to: • obtain baseline information on the distribution of marine plants of western Cape York Peninsula; • commence a preliminary assessment of the littoral invertebrate fauna and their habitat requirements with a view to extending knowledge of their biogeographic affinities; • perform biogeographic classification of the tidal wetlands at a meso and local scale for marine conservation planning; • evaluate the conservation values of the areas investigated from the viewpoint of fisheries productivity and as habitat for important/threatened species. Dataset URL Link: Queensland Coastal Wetlands Resources Mapping data. [Dataset]

Plantation hardwood resource specifications required for planning small log sawing infrastructure investment in Queensland.

Improved information on the product quality of the plantation resource is needed to allow businesses to consider investing in the development of value-adding processing facilities. These facilities are likely to require customised design that optimises the utilisation of future small diameter plantation hardwood logs. This log resource will become available as wood supply in Queensland transitions from native forests to 100% from sustainable plantations. This resource will be controlled by plantations established prior to 2000. A survey of the three main growers (former Forest Enterprises Australia Pty Ltd, former Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, Hancock Queensland Plantation Pty Ltd) revealed that C. citriodora subsp.variegata – CCV (28.0%), Eucalyptus dunnii (27.5%), E. pilularis (23.0%), E. grandis (11.3%) and E. cloeziana –GMS (7.1%) were the most widely planted species in the southern Queensland and northern New South Wales subtropical hardwood estate and would potentially dominate the supply of plantation hardwoods to sawmill processing facilities.