David Littleproud
The three New South Wales Regional Forest Agreements have been renewed by the Federal and State Governments, giving the timber industry access to the state’s native forests for another 20 years. The agreements were signed off by the federal Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud; the Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck; and the NSW Minister for Lands and Forestry, Paul Toole, on Friday. Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz
Full details of the RFAs will be available after the agreements are tabled in State Parliament.
The ministers said in a joint statement that the improvements and the 20-year extension to the RFAs provided long-term confidence and sustainability to the state’s $2.4 billion wood product manufacturing industry.
“We understand certainty matters to business and that’s what we delivered,” Mr Littleproud said.
In NSW, there are more than 22,200 employees in the forestry and wood products manufacturing sectors.
Senator Colbeck said the forest industry was the backbone of many regional communities and could provide even more opportunities under the extended RFAs.
“Timber is the building material of the 21st Century, with global demand expected to quadruple by 2050,” he said.
“Australia has a recognised world-class forest management system and one covered by multiple internationally recognised sustainability certifications.
“This gives assurance to consumers that their beautiful native species floors, furniture and feature pieces are sourced with the highest ethical standards.”
Mr Toole said the renewed agreements ensured the continued sustainable management of the state’s forests, while providing critical protection of the environment and threatened species.
The RFAs will be underpinned by the NSW Government’s $7.2 million forest monitoring program that focuses on adaptive management and fine-tuning in NSW’s management of the forest estate.
Timber NSW and the Australian Forest Products Association welcomed the renewed RFAs. Timber NSW general manager, Maree McCaskill, said forest and timber industry stakeholders in NSW had been waiting a long time for this extension.
“It’s important that forestry and timber businesses are given certainty to plan for the future,” Ms McCaskill said.
“The extension is also a vote of confidence from both governments of the importance of forest and timber industries across the state, but particularly in NSW’s rural coastal regions.”
AFPA chief executive, Ross Hampton, said the decision was a strong endorsement of timber as the ultimate renewable.
“Under NSW law, replanting and regeneration occurs whenever and wherever trees are harvested under RFAs. This means that actually more trees have been planted that have been harvested since the original agreements came into being,” he said.
“The trees replanted at the beginning of the last RFA period are well on their way to harvesting age when they too will be replaced by more planting and the cycle can continue indefinitely.”
