IN very exciting news for the local business sector, Michael and Anne Platts of ‘Khalassa’ in the Bombala district have been named the 2014 Australian Forest Growers NSW Tree Farmers of the Year.
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The award honours landowners who, by their personal efforts, have established or are maintaining areas of forest for the purposes of either sustainable commerce from timber products, protection of either catchments or crops and for reasons of preservation of biodiversity or a particular forest ecosystem.
Michael and Anne have begun to transform their Southern Monaro property through the integration of native tree lines and woodlots.
The couple also run the Monaro Native Tree Nursery, allowing their horticultural knowledge to complement their agroforestry projects through tree and shrub composition using a wide range of locally sourced endemic species.
“Sustainability and productivity of farming operations have to increase together and hopefully we have demonstrated this,” Michael says.
“For example, shelterbelts not only have the potential for future timber production, but they also provide stock shelter, reduce evapotranspiration of pastures, as well as increasing farm biodiversity.”
Michael and Anne now go in the running for the National Tree Farmer of the Year award, which will be announced at the AFG National Conference in Lismore at the end of October.
