Exotic pine

Forestry Plantations Queensland’s exotic pine resource supports a large softwood industry that uses all the softwood we grow.

Species

Our 145,000-hectare exotic pine estate is 73 per cent of our total plantation area. Species include Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis), Slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) and an advanced hybrid of both.

This hybrid combines the best attributes of both trees, including slash pine’s straightness, wood density and tolerance of wetter sites and Caribbean pine’s excellent growth, minimal branching and evenly textured wood. It is planted in coastal south-east Queensland exotic pine plantations and in central Queensland on poorly drained soils.

Uses

Exotic pine uses include house framing, flooring, mouldings, beams, plywood, medium density fibreboard, paper and landscaping.

A better environment

Our exotic plantations support a network of water quality monitoring stations as part of our environmental management system and are used by scientists for environmental research into soil and watercourse management and the impacts of harvesting, heavy vehicles, road construction and residue retention.

Locations

Our exotic pine plantations are mainly in four areas of the state:

• South-east Queensland at Beerburrum; Fraser Coast (Tuan and Wongi near Maryborough and Toolara near Gympie) and Elliott River (near Bundaberg);
• North Queensland on the Hinchinbrook Coast and at Atherton;
• Central Queensland at Byfield (near Yeppoon)
• Inland from the south-east coast at Passchendaele and Gambubal (near Warwick), Pechey (near Crows Nest) and Esk.

Last updated 29 February 2008