Sustainable Agricultural Communities Australia

Plantations in Australia (2004)

Plantations are often stated to only account for a small percentage of the Australian land mass. While this is true, it is important to note that the percentage is much greater in high rainfall areas. This reduces the availability of high rainfall land for agriculture and also significantly reduces water runoff for irrigation districts. 
    

Plantations in Tasmania

The percentage of land used for plantation forestry is greatest in Tasmania. As illustrated above, plantations have generally been located in high soil quality and high rainfall areas which would otherwise be the most valuable food production areas. This is a result of the MIS subsidy (image source: DAFF, DPIW - courtesy Mike Bolan).
      

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