The Tree Pull Scheme was a government initiative implemented in Australia during the 1970s to reduce apple production and address an oversupply in the market. The scheme responded to economic and market pressures on the apple industry, reducing national apple tree numbers from 7.22 million in 1973 to 5.34 million by 1977. [1] Tasmania, which produced 30 percent of Australian apples, [1] was heavily impacted, especially in the Huon Valley region, historically known as the "Apple Valley." [2]
Tasmania became a global apple producer in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to ideal growing conditions, innovations in agriculture, and favourable trade arrangements. The temperate climate and fertile soil of regions like the Huon Valley and Channel region made Tasmania particularly suitable for apple production. By the 1880s, Tasmania had established itself as a major supplier of apples to the British Empire, where the fruit was highly prized. [3]
Tasmania’s reputation for high-quality apples was strengthened by government-backed export initiatives and advances in shipping, including refrigerated transport. Known as the "Apple Isle," Tasmania came to dominate Australia’s apple industry, with apples becoming one of its most significant exports. [4] At its peak, the apple industry accounted for 60% of Tasmanian agricultural exports, with the United Kingdom as its primary market. [5]
In 1973, the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community, which limited Tasmania’s access to its largest export market. This, combined with rising production costs and increased global competition, created a surplus and economic crisis for the apple industry. [6]
The Australian Government, in collaboration with the Tasmanian Government, introduced the Tree Pull Scheme to stabilise apple prices and support struggling farmers. Through this program, farmers were offered financial incentives to uproot apple trees and reduce orchard sizes. Payments were provided to help orchardists transition to other forms of agriculture or retire from apple farming. [5] The scheme, which ran from 1972 to 1975, led to the removal of approximately 1.88 million apple trees and reduced the number of orchardists in Tasmania by around 700. [7]
The Tree Pull Scheme had significant economic, cultural, and social effects on the Tasmanian apple industry and local communities. Tasmania, once known as the "Apple Isle," experienced a steep decline in apple production, which altered the identity and heritage of regions like the Huon Valley that relied on apple trade. [8] Many apple varieties, some unique to Tasmania, were lost as orchards were dismantled, and regional biodiversity declined. [9]
The reduction in apple production also caused economic hardship for rural communities, with declines in employment and local business activity. Farmers who participated in the Tree Pull Scheme faced challenges transitioning to other industries, and some left farming altogether. [10] Between 1977 and 1986, Tasmania fell from Australia's largest producer of apples to its third. [11]
The Tree Pull Scheme has been criticised for its impact on Tasmania’s apple industry, but it also prompted discussions about sustainable agriculture and diversification in Tasmanian farming. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in heritage apple varieties, and local initiatives promote apple tourism and cider production as economic alternatives. [12] Today, Tasmania’s apple industry is smaller but focuses on niche markets, heritage apple varieties, cider production, and apple-based tourism.
Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 kilometres to the south of the Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 1000 islands. It is Australia's smallest and least populous state, with 573,479 residents as of June 2023. The state capital and largest city is Hobart, with around 40% of the population living in the Greater Hobart area. Tasmania is the most decentralised state in Australia, with the lowest proportion of its residents living within its capital city.
Devonport is a port city situated at the mouth of the Mersey River on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Positioned 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Burnie and 98 kilometres (61 mi) north of Launceston, its harbour manages over half of Tasmania's imports and exports, standing as the busiest freight port on the island. Devonport also plays a central role in Tasmania's trade sector, supporting industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. The City of Devonport's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $3.5b in 2023.
Burnie is a port city located on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately 325 kilometres (202 mi) north-west of the state capital of Hobart, 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-west of Launceston, and 47 kilometres (29 mi) west of Devonport. As of the 2021 census, Burnie has a population of 19,918, with a municipality area spanning 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi), administered by the City of Burnie. Founded in 1827 as Emu Bay, the township was renamed in the early 1840s after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, and proclaimed a city by Queen Elizabeth II on 26 April 1988.
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HuonvilleHYOO-on-vil is a town located on the banks of the Huon River in the Huon Valley, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. It serves as the administrative centre of the Huon Valley Council and is the largest town in the Huon Valley region. Situated approximately 38 kilometres south of the state capital, Hobart, Huonville acts as a gateway to Tasmania’s wilderness areas and the Southwest National Park.
New Norfolk is a riverside town located on the River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasmania’s fourth-oldest European settlement and ranks as the twelfth oldest in Australia. Initially founded by evacuees from Norfolk Island, New Norfolk has a population of 6,153 as of 2021 and serves as the main township of the Derwent Valley region. It lies 32 kilometres (20 mi) northwest of Hobart, along the Lyell Highway, and is encompassed within the Greater Hobart statistical area.
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South Hobart is one of Hobart's inner suburbs. It is bound by Dynnyrne, Fern Tree, West Hobart and the Hobart City Centre.
The Huon River is a perennial river located in the south-west and south-east regions of Tasmania, Australia. At 174 kilometres (108 mi) in length, the Huon River is the fifth-longest in the state, with its course flowing east through the fertile Huon Valley and emptying into the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, before flowing into the Tasman Sea.
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The Huon Valley, or simply the Huon, is a valley and geographic area located in southern Tasmania, Australia. The largest town is Huonville, with other smaller towns spread across the area. It includes Australia's most southern permanent settlement at Southport. The Huon Valley Council area had a population of 15,140 in 2011. The Huon Valley is known for its apple growing industry and its role in Tasmania’s aquaculture and tourism sectors.
Bolton Stafford Bird CMG was an English-born Australian Congregationalist clergyman, farmer and politician.
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The Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme is an Australian Government scheme to provide financial assistance to shippers of freight between Tasmania and mainland Australia. The scheme aims to assist in alleviating the sea freight cost disadvantage incurred by shippers of eligible non‐bulk goods moved between Tasmania and the mainland of Australia. It provides a freight subsidy to producers selling into Australian domestic markets, but not for exports outside of Australia.
In the Australian state of Tasmania, there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names. Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Furneaux Islands, the coastline, or the Central Highlands. Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as a viticulture land use. Tasmania is divided by numerous regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different government agencies are coterminous and are often cited by the Australian and local media that tend to distinguish between North West, West Coast, Southern, and East Coast.
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