Great Southern Limited has begun its annual tree planting program that will see more than 22 million seedlings planted across the country, including 1.3 million seedlings on Kangaroo Island.

Both Tasmanian bluegum (Eucalyptus globulus) and Shining gum (Eucalyptus nitens) will be planted as part of the national program which is expected to take three months to complete.

Great Southern’s general manager for forestry, Gavin Ellis said the company’s policy was to use local contractors wherever possible, indirectly creating employment opportunities and therefore boosting the local economy.

“All up, we will be using 23 different nurseries to supply the seedlings, which will be planted by hand. The island’s unique location has seen the seedlings transported by ferry and delivered by truck, with about 100,000 seedlings each truck load,” he said.

“We’ve experienced early rains this year, creating ideal planting conditions that will allow us to maximise growth before the onset of the summer,” he said.