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Love of timber a family tradition
Greg Litherland was only 7 years old when his grandfather showed him how to cut
down a tree with a tomahawk.
He discovered a lifelong passion for timber, working first as a carpenter, then
sawmill owner and now grower of rainforest trees on his 250 acre property at Mothar
Mountain, near Gympie.
“I’ve always loved rainforest and its timber, and that’s really why I bought
this property,” he
explained.
“It runs in the family – my father use to cut cypress pine on Stradbroke Island
and my great grandfather and his brother cut Red Cedar and Brown Pine at Mt Mee
in the late 1800s.”
But there is a conservationist streak in the family too – one of his ancestors
was responsible for returning an area around Skene Ck to a state conservation
reserve. And he doesn't just have a passion for timber – his early years were
spent often on hikes and extended trips with the local bushwalking club.
Mr Litherland said he bought the first block of land at Mothar Mountain in 1976
as a potential alternative source of timber for his sawmill, and for the 'special
feel' the forest had.
“I started milling cypress and Blackbutt from Stradbroke Island which was being
bulldozed and burned by the sand mining company,” he said.
“At the time, we were unsure how long I would be milling on the island, and were
after a nice forest retreat with timber potential, so I started looking for properties
and we eventually found this one.”
Since then, he and his wife Lois have bought adjoining blocks of land, but so
far, none of the forest has been logged.
“There are some large cabinet timbers on our property and the nearby forest reserve,
including Cedar and Hoop pine, but it's steep and very hard to get out,” he said.
“The terrain has been a saving grace for the forest - many areas have not been
logged since bullock days.”
Part of the property was originally cleared for dairy cattle and around 50 head
are currently agisted by a neighbour.
Mr Litherland said the biggest problem was managing weeds.
“The paddocks were covered in Groundsel at first – you couldn’t even walk through
it. Some of the stems were 6 inches thick and when the white fluffy seeds came
off, the ground was just like snow. We found out that if you cut at the right
time, when it is flowering, you get an 80-90% kill rate.”
"We eventually got rid of most of it by spraying from a helicopter and also with
the gall insect which worked very well as a biological control.”
Mr Litherland’s son Shane and daughter Lenore also have a strong interest in
the property's timber and conservation potential, and are taking up the reigns
for managing the property.
“I believe a sustainable balance can be struck between timber production and
conservation,” Shane said. “More and more, sustainable farm properties are realising
how these aspects benefit their farm viability”.
“Over 205 native plant species have been identified, we have 8 of the 9 species
of native figs in the region and rarely seen birds like the black and gold coloured
Regent Bowerbird - it’s very special to us.”
He said that incentive schemes like Healthy Habitats and the Vegetation Incentive
Program made it easier to do conservation works.
“We want to fence stock from the gullies and the steep areas to improve the rainforest,
connect up some patches and in the long term, plant good timber species, bush
foods and small crops.”
He said a large portion of the property is being placed in a Nature Refuge.
“We are currently finalising the details with the Environment Protection Agency,
but it means the remnant forest will be further protected, whilst still allowing
sustainable agriculture or
forestry practices.”
The Litherland family’s work was recognised last year under an award from the
Burnett Mary Regional Group for Ecological Restoration Excellence.
Chairman of the Group Russell Stewart said the award recognised the family’s
long term commitment to protecting their Mothar Mountain property.
“The family has been a source of inspiration to all landowners in the Conservation
Partnerships program, and I congratulate them for their efforts and enthusiasm,”
he said.
The public are invited to visit the Litherland property at a special open day
to be held on June 13th. Bookings can be made by contacting Healthy Habitats
officer Marc Russell on 5482 4766 or marc@mrccc.org.au. The plant list for the
property can be viewed by clicking here.
Greg Litherland (centre) with wife Lois and son
Shane at their Mothar Mountain property
Shane sees “great potential” for timber and conservation
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