Private Native Forestry at Warrazambil
The Hurford Group is a family forestry and hardwood timber business.
Timber from Private Native Forestry, including Hurford's own properties, plays a critical role in the company's timber supply planning for the long term.
The Hurford Group uses ecologically sustainable management practices in its Private Native Forests, supported by advice and approvals from Local Land Services.
“We see Private Native Forestry as the sustainable management of forests, maintaining all the values of the forest, the biodiversity and the animals that live there and the beauty of the forest but also managing it to produce a valuable, renewable resource.”
- Andrew Hurford, Director, Hurford Hardwood
Property Snapshot
The Hurford Group is a family forestry and hardwood timber business that started on the NSW North Coast in the 1930s. It now has manufacturing operations in northern NSW and Queensland, along with distribution centres in all Australian mainland states, employing just over 300 people in forest management, farming, manufacturing, sales and distribution. Warrazambil is one of the Hurford properties.
Location: NSW Border Ranges near Kyogle
Enterprise: Beef cattle and Private Native Forestry
Size: 800 hectares
“ Private Native Forestry is critical to us because it gives us flexibility to be able to meet our customer demand in terms of species mix and specification of products in demand at that point in the market. Hurfords employs specialist foresters because private native forestry is such a critical part of our supply and we want to get the management of forests right and we want to make sure the forests that we’re involved with, whether we’re working with a third party or a farmer, we want to assist them to get the best outcome on their property.”
- Andrew Hurford, Director, Hurford Hardwood
Use of Private Native Forestry
Harvesting from Private Native Forests makes up about half of the timber supplied to Hurfords Hardwood. Timber from State Forests makes up the remainder. The private native forestry timber is supplied from Hurford Forests’ own properties as well as from other landholders.
The main species sourced by Hurford Hardwood from Private Native Forests in northern NSW are Blackbutt, New England Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, Ironbark, Tallowwood and Sydney Blue Gum.
Hurford’s produces high quality kiln dried products such as flooring, external cladding and decking as well as joinery.
Hurford Forests employs foresters to manage its own Private Native Forests using ecologically sustainable forest
management practices.
Private Native Forestry, is critical to Hurford Group’s timber supply planning for the long term. A sustainable supply of native hardwoods enables Hurfords to meet its customer needs.
Benefits of Private Native Forestry
Timber from Private Native Forestry is sourced through negotiation with individual landholders during each harvest which offers Hurford Hardwood flexibility in timing and species choice.
In comparison, the volume and type of timber sourced from Forestry Corporation is determined by long-term contracts. Private Native Forestry is a more flexible, on-time option for the business.
Many of the Private Native Forestry licence holders who supply Hurford Hardwood are farmers such as cattle producers and small landholders. Harvesting of timber from their Private Native Forests provides benefits such as extra income in difficult seasonal times such as drought and can also assist in times of retirement and family succession planning.
Fact file:
- Mixed farming and forestry property which is part of the Hurford Group, an 80 year old family business
- Hurford Group operations include farming, silviculture, timber milling, processing and distribution
- Employing around 300 people
- Private Native Forestry is a critical source of timber, making up about half of Hurford Hardwood’s supply
- Timber from Private Native Forestry is sourced from Hurford’s own forests and other local landholders
- Tmber is mainly used for high quality kiln dried products such as flooring and joinery
- Main species sourced from Private Native Forestry in northern NSW are Blackbutt, New England Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, Ironbark, Tallowwood and Sydney Blue Gum
- Hurford Forests practices ecologically sustainable forest management that values the full range of commercial and conservation values of the natural forest
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