1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2007

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/05/2004

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Contents >> Forestry >> Forestry initiatives >> Regional Forest Agreement, 1997

Following the 1992 National Forest Policy, the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) was signed between the Commonwealth Government and the Tasmanian Government in November 1994. In January 1999, in association with this agreement, the two governments signed the joint Statement on Sustainable Forest Management. The first of its kind in Australia, the statement provides assurance to domestic and international customers that the wood has been harvested in Tasmania in a manner where environmental values are well protected, both in reserves and through appropriate sustainable forest management practices in wood production forests.

The RFA covers the whole State, including all public and private forests. Key components of the RFA include:

the establishment of a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system that meets nationally agreed criteria;

improved certainty of access to production forests for the wood-based industries with resource maintained at least at current levels;

a program of intensive forest management on State forests to increase the supply of wood and boost employment in the industry;

provision for future growth and development of Tasmanian industries associated with forest and timber products;

improvements to the systems for the ecological sustainable management of Tasmania’s forests;

assistance with developing forest-based tourism and recreational opportunities based on Tasmania’s environmental advantages; and

further development of forest-based research.

The RFA funding package allocated to Tasmania was $110m over 5 years. Of this, Forestry Tasmania applied $57m to Intensive Forest Management (beyond the minimum required to ensure regeneration) and implementing State Government policy in relation to forest resource expansion.

A progress report on the implementation of the RFA was published by the Resource Planning and Development Commission in September 2002.

Map showing area of Tasmania's National Parks, Reserves and World Heritage Area in 1992.

Map showing area of Tasmania's National Parks, Public Reserves and post Regional Forest Agreement Reserves in 2001.

Source: Forestry Tasmania.