FAQs

• Why should I login to the platform?

  The Trees on Farms platform allows landowners and farmers to indicate to potential investors areas of land that may be suitable and available for growing trees.

  The platform can be used without logging in to explore the potential benefits of integrating trees on your land.

  However, you are required to log in if you wish to register your property to connect with potential investors via the platform. Logging in is a way to confirm that landowners and investors are legitimate entities – or at least that they have a valid email.

  Please note: There is no obligation for landowners using the platform to actually grow trees or for investors to invest in the planting of trees.

• What should I do if my property has more than one ‘parcel’?

  If your property has more than one land parcel you can select multiple parcels if you would like to make up one larger area. 

• What are the potential benefits and how are they calculated?

  The 'investment potential score' provides an estimation of how suitable your land is for growing trees to increase biodiversity, for capturing carbon, or for producing timber (pulp and sawlog potential).

  The biodiversity index is based on estimates of the number of native species (flora and fauna) that would re-establish on land parcels after 50 years following revegetation with previously existing native flora species.

  The carbon index is based on the Maximum Potential Biomass dataset (MaxBio) which is an estimate of the maximum above-ground biomass that potentially would exist if native vegetation was present under current climatic conditions.

  The timber investment potential score takes into account land availability and suitability. It is calculated based on the estimated net returns from trees for softwood production of sawlogs (e.g. pine (pinus radiata) used for construction, buildings etc), and hardwood (e.g. Blue Gum) grown for woodchips and pulp. The estimated net returns from planting trees for timber production is based on productivity (the rate of tree growth X the value of the product) less the cost of haulage to processing facilities less the harvest costs.

  More information about what these scores mean and how they were developed can be found on the Calculating Potential Investment Scores page.

  To find out about the biodiversity, carbon and timber benefits from growing trees on your property follow the links to the platform, locate and click on your property. More information about how to do this can be found here.

• What does ‘making the property publicly shown on the map’ mean and why should I do it?

  Making the property publicly shown on the map means other landowners and investors will be able to see that you are interested in growing trees on your property. 

  Seeing that other landowners in your area are also interested in growing trees means you may be able to 'aggregate' to ‘join together’ with other landowners to get benefits from economies of scale, for example reducing overall costs by increasing the area of planting or harvesting.

• Why should I show reasons for growing trees?

  Showing what reasons for growing trees are important to you will help connect you with potential investors who have similar objectives. Potential investors include Catchment Management Authorities, Greening Australia, forest industries, farm forestry initiatives, carbon brokers and Landcare groups. For example, indicating that income from carbon or trees is important to you will help match you to investors who are also interested in growing trees for this reason.

• What does slope mean and why is it important?

  Slope refers to how steep the land is where the trees are to be planted. Slope is usually expressed as a ratio representing the difference in vertical height at two points divided by the horizontal distance between the points. For example, if the height of the land increases by 15m over a distance of 1000m, then the slope can be calculated as 15m divided by 1000m, or 0.015. This can then be expressed as a percentage by multiplying by 100, i.e. the percentage slope in the example is 0.015 X 100, or 1.5%.

  The slope of the land is important when growing trees for timber. Slope affects harvest costs and influences the types of equipment that can be used to harvest the trees.

  Planting and harvesting trees on steep slopes can also affect other plantation design and harvesting considerations, such as the risk of erosion, operator safety, drainage lines and track construction.

   

• How important is the 'percentage area'?

  The area of trees planted affects establishment costs, and also affects harvesting and other management costs if the trees are grown for income. For example, the area and shape of the planting affects the cost of fencing. Harvesting costs per tree are influenced by the area of trees to be harvested – generally the larger the area to be harvested, the lower the total harvesting costs per tree. For example, the cost of floating harvest machinery to a site remains the same whether the area to be harvested is 1ha or 50ha.

   

• Who are the potential investors?

  Potential investors who may wish to invest in growing trees on your land include Catchment Management Authorities, not-for-profit organisations such as Greening Australia and Greenfleet, forest industries, farm forestry initiatives, carbon brokers and Landcare groups.

• Is my information safe?

  The Trees on Farms platform is deployed on secure servers at the University of Melbourne in a data centre with restricted (physical) access. All access and use of the data is strictly monitored. The project leverages many years of experience in security-oriented systems development of the Melbourne eResearch Group (www.eresearch.unimelb.edu.au

  For security reasons this prototype of the Trees on Farms platform requires you to log in using use your Google ID to confirm who you are. When you have finished using the platform make sure you log out of your Google Account to protect your privacy.

  Logging in to the platform allows Growing Carbon Landscape limited 'Third party access' to information you have made publicly available in your Google Account, as well as being able to see and download your Google Account email addresses.

  If you wish to remove the Third Party access go to your Google account, scroll down to click Security – scroll down to 'Third party apps with account access'. Click on 'Manage third party access' – select Growing Landscape Carbon – select Remove access.

  You can also login in using Incognito mode (Chrome) or a New Private Window (Firefox) if you do not want your login details to be remembered.

  Remember: When you have finished entering information on the Trees on Farms make sure you sign also out of your Google Account.

• I have registered my property, what happens next?

  Once you have registered your property you will receive a confirmation email. The information you have provided about your reasons for growing trees, details of the land where you would like to plant trees, and your email details will be available to potential investors. You may also contact potential investors directly if you wish.

  Hint:  Check your spam folder if you haven't received a confirmation email

• What should I do if I don’t have a Google ID?

  You need to have a Google ID to use the current Trees on Farms platform. Google IDs are freely available and can be created by anyone. See Google support for how to create a Google account. The Google account can be linked with other email accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Outlook or other email account.

• Can I contact investors without using the tool or registering my property?

  Yes, you can contact potential investors about growing trees on your land without registering the property. However registering and showing your property on the map provides opportunities for aggregating to get benefits from joining together smaller areas to achieve economies of scale.

• What if I add my property but change my mind?

  You can easily change the details you have entered  or delete the property details by simply logging in to locate your property and clicking on the property 'pin'. This will open the dialogue box and you can make the changes you would like.

• What do potential investors see about my property?

  When potential investors log into the platform they will see the location of properties where the landowner has registered an interest in growing trees. Potential investors can click on a property to see which reasons for growing trees are important to the landowner (e.g. for income from timber or carbon, for on farm benefits such as shade and shelter, or for conservation reasons). They will also see information the landowner has registered about the slope and area of the land available for growing trees. Potential investors have a range of different reasons for investing in growing trees on private land. Having access to the information about what is important to the landowner allows potential investors to locate landowners wanting to grow trees for similar reasons.

  

   

   

• Why can't I see information about my property?

  You may not be able to view information or register your interest if your property is outside the area covered by the current platform. This platform is a prototype and is being tested as a 'proof of concept'. At this stage the platform can only provide information about land in south east and south west Victoria. It is anticipated the area covered by the platform will be extended in future versions of the platform.

  If your property is outside the scope of this current platform it is recommended you contact the relevant organisations listed in 'Contacts' if you would like information about growing trees on your land.

• How do I change the login details I have already entered on the platform?

  For security reasons this prototype of the Trees on Farms platform requires you to log in using use your Google ID to confirm who you are.

  To change your login details log out of your Google Account when you have finished using the platform. When you next log in you will be asked to choose an account or to use another account. Selecting Use another account will let you enter details for a different Google account.

  Logging in to the platform allows Growing Carbon Landscape limited 'Third party access' to information publicly available in your account. If you wish to remove the Third Party access go to your Google account, scroll down click Security – scroll down to 'Third party apps with account access'. Click on 'Manage third party access' – select Growing Landscape Carbon – select Remove access.

  You can also login in using Incognito mode (Chrome) or a New Private Window (Firefox) if you do not want your login details to be remembered.