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In the market for Rainforest |
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| Beauty, biodiversity and business... Maleny
offers buyers the perfect blend. By Julie Olsen Like many secret love affairs, it begins with weekend visits; innocent walks along leafy streets, scenic drives down quiet country roads, glimpses into other people's lives and the familiar declaration - there it is! The 'perfect' little farm nestled in amongst the rainforest… it's no wonder more city folk are moving to Maleny. The good news is that rainforest properties are no longer incredibly rare. In recent years, local landcarers have been hard at work, investing a lot of time, effort and money breathing new life into what had become an 'ecologically tired' landscape and the results are impressive. These days, few visitors can pass through Maleny without noticing the transformation. There is a myriad of natural delights; from soothing views over weed-free forests to lushly vegetated gullies, cared for creeks and prized pockets of rainforest. But beauty isn't the only inducement. Many properties feature planted stands of native timber that have been carefully - even lovingly - tended to over the years. When harvested, experts say a well-chosen timber could bring a net return of $300 000 per hectare. "Maleny is one of the premium tree-growing districts in Southeast Queensland due to its fertile soils and high rainfall," says Laurie Capill, a local advisor with Private Forestry Southern Queensland. "A forest may be worth from half to double this ($300 000p/hr), depending on the productive capability of the land, the species grown, the quality of the forest management, the efficiency of the processing and quality of marketing." One of the good aspects of forest growing, says Mr Capill, is the flexibility. "You can often fit management activities around other life activities. Trees aren't as demanding as livestock or horticultural crops!" Anyone interested in local real estate will have noticed the small but growing number of forest investment properties being released onto the market. Could this be the start of a new 'green' era for local real estate? "One owner of a former dairy farm at Mount Mee has been subdividing his property for lifestyle properties," says Mr Capill. "He noticed that lots with stands of forest returned significantly higher prices, to such an extent that he has been actively planting forests on the clear lots in order to increase their worth." Local landholder, Craig Hosmer says he, too, knows a number of dairy farmers who are now undertaking farm forestry plots. "And some that are going into eco-tourism with cabins and rainforest walks," he said. Of course, not everyone with planted forest will want to harvest the timber. According to Mr Capill, Some growers come to appreciate the beauty and lifestyle values that the trees provide, such as privacy, shade and shelter and habitat for birds and other wildlife. Whatever their decision, he says, properties with forest cover are often much less trouble than cleared land. "Cleared land can be very prone to weed invasion, especially if the owner is disinclined to manage livestock. This saving in time management is valuable, especially for busy people." The dedication of Maleny landcarers and effort put into weed removal was highlighted in a recent article featured in The Range News. "Properties with the biggest weed infestations are often those cleared of their original rainforest," says Kelvin Davies, Executive Officer of Rainforest Rescue. "Buyers should be prepared to pay more for properties that have been managed for weeds and where efforts have been made to restore some of area's natural, ecological values." "Weed seedlings, for example, may have been painstakingly removed over a long period of time to encourage natural regeneration. Or where original rainforest is missing, trees may have been planted - hundreds, even thousands." Responsible farm forestry also claims to enhance a property's natural values. Codes of practice are currently being developed to ensure these forests are managed in an ecologically sustainable way. For buyers considering purchasing such a property, chances are a good deal of planning and market research will have already been done thanks to the influence and support of the local landcare and farm forestry networks. "It typically costs around $5000 per hectare to establish plantations and do the essential maintenance for the first couple of years," says Laurie Capill. "This includes some allowance for your own labour." Aside from the relatively untapped potential for conservation and nature-based enterprise, clearly there is something else luring buyers to Maleny. In her book about inspiring people in rural Australia, Ordinary People Extraordinary Lives, author Margaret Carroll describes the Maleny community as 'an empowered mob'. "What a special area Maleny is for its beautiful setting, its community spirit, and its people and their care for the natural environment," she says. Boasting an incredible seventeen co-operatives (the second largest number in the world), she argues that Maleny's people value self-reliance, support local initiatives and strive for a sustainable future, rather than rely on - or blame the lack of - new outside businesses and government initiatives to stimulate growth. Barung Landcare is just one of these co-operatives. For a number of years, its members have been actively promoting farm forestry and other conservation-based ventures. The Maleny Wood Expo, 'From Chainsaw to Fine Furniture', is a great example of a highly successful event that features innovative products grown and crafted by local people. "Marketing timber through a co-op is a very useful approach to ensure growers get the best possible prices for their wood," says Laurie Capill. According to Mr Capill, the nearest forestry cooperative serving the Maleny District is Cooloola Forest Growers at Gympie. "Forest owners should also consider joining a farm forestry support group," he says. "There are a number of these around Southeast Queensland, including Barung Landcare's Farm Forestry Sub-committee." "Private Forestry Southern Queensland, a regional industry development organisation based in Maleny, has a very informative website (www.pfsq.org) and a free magazine." When asked how buyers and real estate agents might ascertain the value of a forest, Mr Capill recommends employing a qualified and experienced forester to advise on its current value. "The value depends not only on the age of the forest, but also on the type of forest and its management condition," he says. According to a local real estate agent, those clients who have sought such advice have found it very useful. "I personally believe that wood will become recognised as 'the' environmentally friendly material of the 21st Century," says Mr Capill. "There is a growing appreciation of the intrinsic and aesthetic qualities of our range of native timbers, and recognition of timber being one of the most environmentally sound building materials." "Escalating energy costs are pricing conventional building materials such as bricks, steel and concrete out of the market. One can expect that timber prices in thirty years time will be worth significantly more than today." And if future profit isn't your motivation, then perhaps the environment is. For many Maleny landholders, the idea that a beautiful, more natural landscape will be around for future generations is investment enough. In the meantime, they enjoy the birds, the beauty of their trees and reflect on the value of their hard work. "Right now, there is a feeling of optimism as more like-minded people choose to support biodiversity on their Maleny properties," says Kelvin Davies from Rainforest Rescue. "In terms of real estate, I think the true value of conservation properties will very soon be realised." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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