Page 3046 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 June 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
(7) Does the TAMS website note that Canberrans are generally not permitted to keep wood from street trees because of concerns about spreading wood pests and disease; if so, do such concerns prevent TAMS from chipping and using that material within urban areas; if so, what happens to that material.
(8) Does TAMS have any plans to increase the use of wood material in land remediation and supporting biodiversity, such as in the Mulligans Flat - Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment.
(9) Are there any other projects that use wood material from the urban forest other than the project referred to in part (8) and what liaison is undertaken with the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate in this regard.
Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) TAMS generates approximately 30,000 cubic metres of mulch as a by-product of its tree maintenance activities and bushfire operational planning each year. Several thousand tonnes of log by-product is also generated. This equates to about 12,000 tonnes of material.
a) The bulk of this mulch is used in the urban landscape on garden beds to suppress weeds, help retain soil moisture and to act as a soil conditioner as the material decomposes.
b) It is not possible to provide a breakdown of volumes for each use as the material is not individually weighed. The majority of the woodchip is used as mulch.
(2) TAMS is aware of other options for the sustainable use of tree maintenance by-products, including mulch and solid logs, and is investigating those options. These options include on selling suitable logs for:
- use as furniture;
- firewood;
- processing as boiler fuel; and
- processing into value added products such as ‘euccie mulch’ and compost.
Other options being investigated include using the by-product for generating electricity and bio-char. TAMS has generally utilised the bulk of the tree maintenance by-product as woodchips. Other options have become more apparent in recent years and are being considered.
(3) Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 tonnes of solid log by-product is generated each year by tree maintenance activities. The economies of scale encourage this material to be stockpiled and then processed in bulk into mulch.
(4) In recent years a small volume of suitable logs have been made available to schools, wood workers, the equestrian park at Yarralumla for jumps, Stromlo Forest Park and the National Zoo and Aquarium for use in enclosures. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of volume for each use as the logs are not individually weighed.
(5) No.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video