1. The Carbon Sink. Ngarak Press has commenced planting trees on the 10 hectare property known as Blowhard, Ensay North as a means of offsetting carbon produced by its business operations. The proprietor of Ngarak Press has been planting trees on his house block of about 24 acres for 30 years. Prior to the commencement of the Ngarak Carbon Neutral Plan in 2007 there were about 500 living trees on the block, plus a further 45 dead black wattles still standing, plus the stump and root systems of a further 25 trees of this species.

Ngarak is planting and protecting a number of trees each year calculated to offset the carbon produced in the preceding year by the business. The plantings to offset the carbon produced in the 2006/7 financial year are as follows a) electricity used in the shop and office that creates approximately 4 tons of CO2(1) emissions calculated at 20 trees b) fuel used by van in Ngarak operations(2) of approx. 10000ks calculated at 20 trees.(3)

The trees planted in 2007 were * 70 White Box trees (Eucalyptus Alba) a slow growing native species * planted on land cleared before 1990 * protected against damage by pests and stock It is intended to a) replace any mortalities. b) to prune and trim trees as part of a fire protection plan and c) graze around and under the trees with horses for the same reason. Sheep may eventually be admitted to the system where the trees are well established.

A further number of black wattles (Acacia mearnsii) have self sown or been transplanted and there is some debate about the value of these trees as a carbon sequester as they are short lived. The proprietor of Ngarak Press has been planting and transplanting this species for a number of years because of their capacity for fast growth and the provision of firewood for home use. Even with this use he maintains a) that the firewood is at least carbon neutral as it is from trees that he has planted that have since died. b) that when this wood is removed a substantial amount (about half) of carbon is still sequestered in the stump and root systems underground. If the dead tree is left standing then most of the carbon it has sequestered will be stored there. Using a web calculator it is estimated that one living wattle had stored to this date 1549kg of CO2. The estimation for the CO2 stored in the ground of a fairly large member of this species which died in the 1998 storms is approximately 1422kg (2,845kg / 2)

Still to be arranged is a legal entity such as a covenant that will protect the trees from irresponsible removal or clearing so that the carbon is stored on a permanent basis. This will not negate the proper use of a very small proportion of the timber in which the carbon remains stored.

2. Most products dealt with by Ngarak are recycled products. Any new products are now printed on fully recycled paper.

3. Paper used in all office operations (and discarded stock) is recycled.

Over 500 trees have been previously established by the Ngarak proprietor between 1975 and 2007. Prior to this there was one tree on the whole block.

Both the black wattles and the kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus) trees in this picture were planted in 1986. The wattles grew into substantial trees of 5-8m height and either died naturally or were blown over in the storm accompanying the 1998 floods. It is estimated that half the carbon these trees sequestered remains in the ground. The Kurrajongs by contrast are extremely slow growing but have improved their rate of growth with a)the removal of the wattles and b) favourable seasons.

 

The black wattle (acacia mearnsii) is a species favoured because it is an easily established, rapid growing local species which can grow to quite a large size in suitable areas and with favourable seasons. It has a number of other attributes including its attraction for wildlife, and is a valuable quick burning firewood.

 

A local species White Box (Eucalyptus Alba) planted in the winter 2007 mulched with newspaper and protected from grazing by rabbits and hares by a discarded auto tyre. This protection possible also improves the microclimate for the tree.

 

Rows of the same species white box planted after the 1998 floods. These trees have been pruned and grazed under as protection from both the 2003 and 2007 bushfires. 

 

Notes
(1) from true energy bills estimate revised upwards to round figures
(2) of approx. 2200 litres of standard petrol estimated at average price $1.30 pl
(3) energy to trees calculator http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm

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