Gauteng Smallholder December/ January 2018 | Page 29

ALIEN SPECIES
What happens to all that alien wood?
T
he Smallholder
frequently highlights
problems caused by
alien vegetation, but the Dept
of Environmental Affairs
(DEA), in partnership with
Working for Water and the
Dept of Basic Education, has
implemented a programme
which puts cleared invasive
trees to good use.
The Eco-Furniture programme
was established in 2012 with
the intention to make optimal
use of the biomass cleared
through the Working for
Water programme, as well as
creating work opportunities,
to make products that will
assist the government to meet
its needs.
The programme also involves
the SA National Parks Agency
(SANParks).
It was proposed that 18
factories be established
throughout the whole
country. So far, six have been
built, including two in
Gauteng, in Heidelberg and
Ga-Rankuwa.
The six factories in total have
created 1 120 job opportuni-
ties and various skills develop-
ment interventions. Skills
training provided for factory
employees includes carpentry,
chainsaw training, machine
maintenance, tree felling and
first aid.
Invasive species such as
Poplar, Eucalyptus, Pine and a
small amount of Blackwood
are harvested, initially in
for the Dept of Basic
locations near established
Education.
factories. The trees are
Production starts with the
harvested on municipal and
initial clearing and timber
private land.
harvesting. Teams comprising
Each factory comprises a wet four to eight people employ
mill, dry mill,
value-added
workshop and
a storage
facility.
The current
production
focus to date
has been an
order for
primary and
secondary
school desks
Chainsaw skills are among the benefits.
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conventional or low-level
mechanised harvesting
techniques that mainly
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