Forestry

Forestry Australia is calling on the Australian Government to ensure that new ACCU Scheme carbon methods developed for managing native forests are truly ‘nature positive’ ... “The proposed method,  Enhancing Native Forest Resilience, is focussed on improving the health and resilience of native forests and encouraging active, adaptive management of native forests across all land tenures to assist Australia in meeting its Paris Agreement targets": Dr Bill Jackson.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has today released Australia’s State of the Forests Report: Synthesis 2023. ABARES Executive Director, Dr Jared Greenville, said the five-yearly report covered all areas of Australia’s forests—public and private forests, forests managed for production and forests managed for conservation…

A cross-section of the nation’s leading minds have converged in Ballarat, to discuss the goal of creating a healthy and resilient future for Australia’s forests and share knowledge and ideas to ensure forests can provide a wide range of benefits for generations to come. Approximately 300 scientists, researchers, forestry professionals and foresters will gather at Forestry Australia’s National Symposium…

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has completed a timber testing trial investigating the best ways to implement technologies verifying claims of species and harvest origin of regulated timber and timber products ... Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy Matt Lowe said globally, it has been estimated that about 15-30 per cent of all wood traded is a product of illegal logging and illicit wood.

The ABARES National Wood Processing Survey 2021–22 shows that in 2021-22 there were a total of 252 mills operating. This is a fall of 47 mills since 2016-17, continuing a downward trend in the number of sawmills operating over the past 30 years.

Virtual reality is set to revolutionise Australia’s $24 billion forestry industry by training workers risk-free, remotely, and much faster. A VR immersive training tool developed by the University of South Australia with the support of the Green Triangle Forest Industry Hub is also expected to save the industry millions of dollars in the long term.

Peter Walsh MP. All roads led to Barmah at the weekend as hundreds of people scrambled for access to hundreds of tonnes of flood-damaged fallen trees rescued for use as firewood. Coming out of the Barmah Forest, the wood was originally pushed into 70 large piles and was going to be burnt by Parks Victoria staff.

Dr Gary Bacon AM. Rare it is to have a definitive historical date and place for the discovery of a natural renewable resource that is the foundation of an industry which prospers to the present day. Tuesday 21 September 1824 is that note-worthy date and we have a precise record of that discovery on the banks of the Brisbane River.

Cattle Australia (CA) has launched its Land Management Commitment (LMC) strategic policy, which emphasises the primacy of agricultural land and includes definitions of deforestation and forest in the Australian context, along with four recommendations for implementation.

Gavin Butcher. Forest sustainability has taken on different meanings in Western Australia – changing depending on the audience. In one corner the Minister for Forestry, Jackie Jarvis, has repeatedly claimed the closure of the native forest industry was necessary because it was unsustainable. In the other corner is Stuart West, the General Manager of the Minister’s agency, the Forest Products Commission, overseeing harvesting operations in the jarrah and karri forests which have been independently certified as being sustainable.

Logging has been stopped by the NSW Forestry Corporation in a Clarence Valley state forest after eggs found in an endangered Coastal Emu nest hatched last week, prompting calls for a wider exclusion zone to protect the species ... The FCNSW spokesperson said SoS program team members have seen the male emu and the chicks in the state forest.

The State Government will invest $250,000, in partnership with the South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) to launch a new forest and timber industries career campaign, titled ‘This Is Wood Work’. Wood Work is a powerful tool promoting the broad diversity of career pathways and job options within the forest and timber industries...

Environment Minister Leanne Linard has announced 54,000 hectares of greater glider habitat in South East Queensland state forest will be transitioned to a new natural capital tenure ... Of the 54,000 hectares, 7,500 hectares are set to be placed into Natural Capital Reserve as a potential strategic advance offset for the critical Borumba Pumped Hydro project.

Acting President of Forestry Australia Dr Bill Jackson says the paper answers questions around active management - and how it relates to forest management - by stating that active management is principally about human engagement in shaping forests and is  deliberate tending of forests by humans for diverse purposes and goals relating to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and function including resilience.

“For too long successive governments have handed a timber or forest industry plan to the industry without any consultation with those businesses and people who effectively live and breathe it every day” said Maree McCaskill CEO of Timber NSW. “The Minns government is demonstrating willingness to listen and consult with those most impacted by any change and we welcome that opportunity.”

The NSW Government is today announcing the appointment of an expert panel to lead consultation on a Forestry Industry Action Plan, which will outline the path NSW will take to ensure a sustainable timber industry that aligns with the government’s key environmental priorities. The Independent Forestry Panel will be chaired by Peter Duncan AM who has more than 40 years’ experience in primary industries, infrastructure and regional NSW.

A rare Coastal Emu nest, containing nine eggs, has been discovered by Forestry Corporation staff in a State forest on the North Coast, giving hope to the future of the endangered population. The discovery near Grafton was made by Forestry Corporation Lead Forestry Officer Kurt Holzhauser during a broad area habitat search for threatened and endangered species.

In view of the Australian Koala Foundation's march in Canberra planned for 1 September 2024, and its advocacy for a federal "Koala Protection Act", Australian Rural & Regional News felt it timely to ask some questions on koala matters and maybe even start up a useful, and very probably robust discussion ... ARR.News approached Dr Brad Law, Vic Jurskis and then Deborah Tabart OAM and the AKF for their response to questions ...

The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to strengthen our illegal logging regime with the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024 currently before the Senate.  This legislation will be supported by new rules to replace the current Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012 when it expires on 1 April 2025 which are now open for comment.  

Forestry Australia is leading an Australian initiative to expand Australia’s carbon credits across all native forest tenures, including State forests, private native forests, forests managed by Traditional Owners, national parks and conservation reserves. The Forestry Australia  ‘Enhancing Native Forest Resilience’  proposal is a forest-sector-led submission to the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee EOI process for Australian Carbon Credits Units (ACCU) Scheme methods.