Pre harvesting
Legislation
INS removal on our scale is regulated by the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018 Division 2 Moderate impact clearing of Invasive Native Scrub under the Local Land Services Act.
We need to obtain a 'Code compliant certificate' from LLS and for that we need a Property Vegetation Plan
In some cases a PvP is not required LLS only needs to be notified you are undertaking the INS clearing. Check out this link:
Vegetation mapping
Using high resolution satellite imagery we identify the vegetation communities (species) and densities and we then come out to see you and check what is on the maps is what is on the ground.
This is for the plan and for our harvesting scheduling in the future.
Property Vegetation Plan (PvP)
Many of the older PVPs are still in force and INS is identified in these. Some PVPs are set to expire in the next couple of years and we will be working with you to get these extended if possible so the approvals process for INS removal is simpler.
If you do not have a PVP or it has expired without extension we will use our vegetation survey, available soil maps and your knowledge of your land to develop any documentation required by the Government to gain approvals.
Approvals
You apply to Local Land Services (with any help you want from us) for the approval to clear the INS.
It is their job to check that the application and the PVP complies with all the relevant legislation such as the Biodiversity Act, Endangered species, Environment Protection Act, Soil Conservation and they also consult their Scientific Section.
They may not require any changes depending on how good a job we did.
However, they may ask for changes to land use boundaries or extra protections for sensitive species and habitats.
Harvesting
Scheduling
We schedule your property according to your INS species, volume and distance from the Cobar Biohub. Sorry if the time frame is not as soon as you would like but margins are tight so must be efficient about out inputs and costs.
You will know many months or even years in advance when we can be on your property to get rid of your INS for you.
Prior to commencement
Our Harvesting Manager and probably some of the crew, will come to see you to go over access, roads and tracks, any trailer transfer areas for the road transport, possibly a campsite for the harvesting crews and so on.
They will answer any questions and will set up any special considerations as part of the operating procedures on your property.
Clearing the INS
Local clearing contractors (who you probably know already) will push out the INS with dozers and chains and push the biomass in to loose windrows. They then leave you property.
Wood Removal
This team comes in with one excavator, a loader a prime mover and trailers. They pick the wood we want out of the windrows and transport it out to the main road trailer transfer point where it gets picked up by the road transport. When they are finished they leave your property.
Biomass Removal
Once the wood is removed we send in a humongous mulcher, excavator and loader and they remove the remaining INS.
