The RFAs involve 10 plans in four states, five in Victoria, three in NSW and one each in WA and Tasmania. Source: AAP and Sydney Morning Herald
Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio’s concern that the science in the RFAs needed to be updated is echoed by NSW Labor.
“Labor will not sign off on a rollover of the RFAs until there is a proper independent scientific assessment of their outcomes, and the assumptions of the original RFAs are revisited,” Penny Sharpe, NSW Labor’s environment spokeswoman, said.
“Importantly, the RFA assessment must include climate change as a consideration,” she said.
“Given the key role of forests for carbon storage, no RFA should be renewed without investigating their impact on climate change.”
Paul Toole, NSW’s Minister for Lands and Forestry, said his government was committed to renewing Regional Forest Agreements in 2016.
“Consultation has recently concluded on the renewal of Regional Forest Agreements, including how they can be improved and what changes need to made to the existingagreements that were developed close to 20 years ago,” Mr Toole said.
“It is proposed that the new RFAs will be able to respond to emerging issues and to be modified over time as new science or new information becomes available,” he said.
