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• Growth; this is very site specific, with several influential factors such as the suitability of the
species to the site.
• Depth of accessible soil profile or the presence of a permanent fresh water table within
rooting depth could have a substantial impact on the trafficability of the site.
• Competition between mallees is a significant issue, with high density blocks and belts with
more than two rows on shallow soils being principal concerns (Peck et al 2011; Bartle et al,
2011).
In future plantings should be surveyed by differential GPS at the time of planting which would
expedite data management and allow harvesting to be guided by autosteer from the first harvest. The
existing resource will need to either be surveyed prior to harvest or surveyed by the harvester using
manual guidance for the first operation. Visibility on the harvester is limited as the machine is
smaller than the crop plants, and harvester operation will be a complex task making autosteer an
important capability for the medium to long term.
In relation to harvest planning and resource management, the GIS capability combined with existing
scheduling software from the sugar industry will make an important contribution to harvest efficiency
and transport logistics. GIS will also enable better planning for resource expansion. Establishing new
sites in the vicinity of existing plantings will make subsequent operations more efficient and may also
be a way of bringing currently stranded assets into a harvesting programme.
Resource location in relation to biomass processing facilities is a significant factor for reducing road
transport costs. However given that the land resource is all privately owned by farmers who will
continue to make most of their income from annual cropping, the ability of planners in the mallee
industry to significantly influence resource location will be limited. The industry will have to select
from the land that is offered. Industry planners will be able to demonstrate through GIS-based
planning how alternative locations and layouts will impact upon farmer payments for harvest and
haulage. 1 In this way the very significant cost of harvester to roadside haulage can be minimised to
the farmers’ benefit.
Sugar system
The sugar industry is a mature industry that has been operating and adapting over many years to
optimise supply efficiency. Current supply areas have been mapped and detailed GIS records are
available industry wide for planning harvest and planting operations. Milling companies consolidate
mapping information on a supply area basis to assist in resource management and planning. In most
cases field layouts have been rationalised and information is available on potential new land for
expansion. Contraction in the industry has taken place especially where urban encroachment has
increased land value or where alternative high value crops (eg horticulture) have provided
diversification opportunities. This has in some cases resulted in rationalisation of the number of mills
serving a supply area.
1.4.2 Determination of seasonal supply volumes
1 Harvest and haulout, plus road transport, will be paid by the farmers, either directly if the operations are
contracted by the farmers, or indirectly through the stumpage payment if the operations are contracted to
the biomass purchaser. In forestry systems, stumpage payment is the residue left after all supply chain costs
have been deducted.
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