NSW Regional Forest Agreements

384 Pages·2017·11.45 MB·English

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NSW Regional
Forest Agreements
A report on progress with implementation of the New
South Wales Regional Forest Agreements

Second and third five-yearly reviews
July 2004 to June 2014
A report on the implementation of the North East, Eden and Southern Regional
Forest Agreements
November 2017
© 2017 State of NSW and Environment Protection Authority
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Authority, are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and
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The NSW Government, acting through the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), and the Australian
Government, acting through the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR), have
compiled this report in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. No representation is made
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© State of New South Wales and Environment Protection Authority 2017.
Published by:
Environment Protection Authority
59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000
PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232
Phone: [phone] (switchboard)
Phone: 131 555 (environment information and publications requests)
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ISBN 978 1 925688 31 3
EPA 2017P0296
November 2017
Contributors:
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (Australian Government)
Department of the Environment and Energy (Australian Government)
Department of Industry (NSW Government)
Department of Planning and Environment (NSW Government)
Environment Protection Authority (NSW Government)
Forestry Corporation of NSW
Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW Government)
The recommended reference for this publication is:
NSW EPA 2017, A report on progress with implementation of the New South Wales Regional Forest
Agreements: Second and third five-yearly reviews, July 2004 to June 2014, NSW Environment
Protection Authority, Sydney.
Cover: Bellangry State Forest, North West of Wauchope; Photographer: Brent Mail
Contents
List of tables ............................................................................................................... v
List of figures ............................................................................................................ viii
List of maps ................................................................................................................ix
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. x
Executive summary .................................................................................................. xiii
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Duration ......................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Five-yearly reviews ........................................................................................ 1
1.4 Implementation report for the first review period ............................................ 2
1.5 This combined second and third review ........................................................ 2
1.6 Review process ............................................................................................. 3
1.7 Structure of this report ................................................................................... 3
1.8 Significant issues and events between implementation reports ..................... 4
2 Progress against milestones and commitments ................................................. 6
2.1 Principles of the Agreement ........................................................................... 7
2.2 Functioning of the Agreement ........................................................................ 8
2.3 Ecologically sustainable forest management ............................................... 19
2.4 The CAR reserve system ............................................................................. 46
2.5 Industry and regional development .............................................................. 52
2.6 Aboriginal heritage ....................................................................................... 68
2.7 Other forest uses ......................................................................................... 72
2.8 Competition principles ................................................................................. 74
2.9 Research ..................................................................................................... 75
2.10 Data access and archiving ........................................................................... 79
2.11 Legally binding rights and obligations .......................................................... 80
3 Progress against milestones and commitments listed in attachments to the
RFAs ................................................................................................................ 85
3.1 CAR reserve system .................................................................................... 85
3.2 Threatened flora and fauna and ecological communities ............................ 90
3.3 National Estate values ................................................................................. 92
3.4 Public reporting and consultative measures ................................................ 93
3.5 Improvements to the NSW Forest Management System ............................. 99
3.6 Private lands .............................................................................................. 114
3.7 Employment initiatives ............................................................................... 115
iii
4 Recommendations from the first five-yearly independent review ................... 119
5 Results of monitoring sustainability indicators ............................................... 140
Criterion 1 Conservation of biological diversity ................................................... 140
Criterion 2 Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems ................ 157
Criterion 3 Maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality ................................... 164
Criterion 4 Conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources ............. 165
Criterion 5 Maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles ............... 170
Criterion 6 Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple
socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of societies ............................. 172
Criterion 7 Legal, institutional and economic framework for forest conservation
and sustainable management .................................................................... 190
Appendix A Status of milestones and commitments .............................................. 196
Appendix B Forest management in NSW ............................................................... 214
Appendix C Forest-based industries’ contribution to regional and state industries 223
Appendix D Improvements to the NSW Forest Management System .................... 230
Appendix E Status of management plans – NSW conservation reserve system .... 243
Appendix F Forest management zoning ................................................................. 261
Appendix G Forest Resource and Management Evaluation System (FRAMES) ... 265
Appendix H Additions to the CAR reserve system ................................................. 271
Appendix I Threatened flora and fauna .................................................................. 277
Appendix J NSW Landscapes in RFA sub-regions ................................................ 300
Appendix K Timber production in NSW RFA regions ............................................. 309
Appendix L Chronology of priority setting in the changing R&D environment ........ 320
Appendix M Forest health and biosecurity selected publications list ...................... 324
References ............................................................................................................. 351

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NSW Regional Forest Agreements Implementation Report 2004–2014
List of tables
Table 1: RFAs – date of signing, date of expiry and five-yearly review periods ...... 2
Table 2: NSW national parks estate contribution to CAR ...................................... 50
Table 3: Changes in wood supply volume commitments over the reporting
period ...................................................................................................... 60
Table 4: Hardwood plantation area successfully established and funding
allocations under the long-term hardwood sawlog supply
supplementation strategy ...................................................................... 113
Table 5: Status of response to recommendations from the Period 1
independent review ............................................................................... 119
Table 6: Area of forest by broad forest category, June 2011 ............................... 141
Table 7: Area of native forest by crown cover class, June 2011 ......................... 141
Table 8: Forest area by forest type, June 2006 and June 2011 .......................... 142
Table 9: Area of native forest by tenure, June 2011 ............................................ 143
Table 10: Areas of forest in RFA regions by region, June 2011 ............................ 143
Table 11: Areas of forest in RFA regions by forest tenure, June 2011 .................. 143
Table 12: Area of native forest types managed by FCNSW .................................. 144
Table 13: Lands managed by FCNSW .................................................................. 144
Table 14: Public land in the NSW RFAs contributing to the CAR reserve system
as at June 2014 ..................................................................................... 145
Table 15: Private land conservation mechanisms that contribute to the CAR
reserve system in NSW (June 2016) ..................................................... 146
Table 16: Number of forest dwelling vertebrate species 1 ..................................... 148
Table 17: Number of forest dwelling vascular plant species .................................. 148
Table 18: Number of forest ecological communities1 in NSW listed under the
EPBC Act .............................................................................................. 149
Table 19: Threatened species sightings (reported and surveyed) by FCNSW ...... 150
Table 20: Individual sightings of threatened species by group and status 2013–
14 (monitoring by FCNSW) ................................................................... 150
Table 21: Monitoring of forest dwelling species by FCNSW and/or DOI ............... 152
Table 22: Example forest dwelling species monitoring by OEH and NPWS in
NSW RFA regions ................................................................................. 153
Table 23: Level of monitoring of taxonomic groups for which representative
species are being monitored, June 2011 ............................................... 154
Table 24: Harvestable areas and area harvested over time in NSW public native
forests.................................................................................................... 158
Table 25: Glossary of common and scientific names for plantation species in
NSW ...................................................................................................... 159
Table 26: Harvest volumes by FCNSW for NSW1 ................................................. 161
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NSW Regional Forest Agreements Implementation Report 2004–2014
Table 27: Area and proportion of harvested multiple-use public native forest
effectively regenerated in NSW RFA regions 2004–05 to 2013–14 ...... 162
Table 28: Public softwood and hardwood plantation planting in NSW, 2004–
2013 ...................................................................................................... 163
Table 29: Forest areas burnt in NSW by planned and unplanned fire, 2004–05
to 2010–11 ............................................................................................ 165
Table 30: Soil and water management – area of land protected, 2005–2014 ....... 166
Table 31: FCNSW, Hardwood Forests Division, expenditure on harvest-related
planning and compliance, area harvested, and penalty infringement
notices, 2005–2014 ............................................................................... 166
Table 32: Area of multiple-use public forest where disturbance activities were
planned, proportion assessed for risk of soil erosion, and assessed
category, 2010–11 ................................................................................. 167
Table 33: FCNSW calculations of the carbon balance of hardwood state forests
as at 30 June 2014 ................................................................................ 171
Table 34: Value and volumes of log production in NSW ....................................... 172
Table 35: Selected forest products for NSW (includes low volume wood
products and areas outside RFA regions) ............................................. 173
Table 36: Number of international and domestic visitors to forest nature-based
tourism destinations in NSW, 2009 and 2010 ........................................ 174
Table 37: Recycling of forest products in NSW ..................................................... 176
Table 38: Expenditure on forest management in NSW state forests ..................... 177
Table 39: Area and cost of plantings in state-owned plantations managed by
FCNSW ................................................................................................. 178
Table 40: Area and proportion of forest available for general recreation and
tourism on public land for NSW and Australia by tenure class .............. 179
Table 41: State forest managed by FCNSW for recreation and visual aesthetics . 179
Table 42: Number of permits issued by Forests NSW for organised recreational
activities in NSW state forests ............................................................... 180
Table 43: Facilities provided by FCNSW for more than 130 designated
recreational visitor sites ......................................................................... 181
Table 44: Area of land in NSW, including forest land, under Aboriginal
ownership and management, Aboriginal management, Aboriginal co-
management and other special rights ................................................... 182
Table 45: Area of forested land on sites included in the Non-Indigenous
Heritage Sites of Australia dataset ........................................................ 183
Table 46: Characteristics of NSW Statistical Local Areas with more than 4%
employment dependence on, and more than 20 workers employed in,
the forest and wood products industries ................................................ 187
Table 47: Forestry worker characteristics in NSW SLAs with more than 4%
employment dependence on, and more than 20 workers employed in,
the forest and wood products industries, 2006 and 2011 ...................... 188
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NSW Regional Forest Agreements Implementation Report 2004–2014
Table 48: Characteristics of Indigenous communities and workers in NSW
regions with more than 0.4% of the Aboriginal workforce employed in
forest and wood products industries 2011 ............................................. 190
Table 49: Summary of Parties’ progress implementing NSW RFA commitments
as at June 2014 ..................................................................................... 196
Table 50: Summary of Parties’ progress implementing NSW RFA commitments
(in clauses or attachments) by RFA region as at June 2014 ................. 197
Table 51: Status of the Parties’ progress implementing NSW RFA commitments
as at June 2014 ..................................................................................... 198
Table 52: Area of new plantations authorised in NSW RFA regions ..................... 224
Table 53: Area of plantation development and reforestation in the North East
region by FCNSW ................................................................................. 225
Table 54: FCNSW plantations by RFA region (2001, 2005, 2011) ........................ 225
Table 55: Estimated visitor numbers to selected tourism facilities in selected
state forests ........................................................................................... 228
Table 56: Regional and NSW tourism awards for NSW state forest destinations,
2011–2015 ............................................................................................ 229
Table 57: Alignment of OEH’s EMS with the Australian EMS Standard (ISO
14001:2004) .......................................................................................... 231
Table 58: Status of conservation reserve system management plans – Eden
RFA ....................................................................................................... 243
Table 59: Status of conservation reserve system management plans – North
East RFA ............................................................................................... 243
Table 60: Status of conservation reserve system management plans – Southern
RFA ....................................................................................................... 256
Table 61: Forest management zones for Eden ..................................................... 261
Table 62: Forest management zones for South Coast sub-region ........................ 262
Table 63: Forest management zones for Tumut sub-region .................................. 262
Table 64: Forest management zones for Lower North East .................................. 263
Table 65: Forest management zones for Upper North East .................................. 264
Table 66: Threatened species list – flora ............................................................... 278
Table 67: Threatened species list – fauna ............................................................. 295
Table 68: NSW Landscapes in the Lower North East RFA sub-region ................. 300
Table 69: NSW Landscapes in the Upper North East RFA sub-region ................. 303
Table 70: NSW Landscapes in the Eden RFA region............................................ 304
Table 71: NSW Landscapes in the South Coast RFA sub-region ......................... 305
Table 72: NSW Landscapes in the Tumut RFA sub-region ................................... 307
Table 73: Timber volumes produced (m3 p.a.) from UNE sub-region by financial
year from July 2004 to June 2014 ......................................................... 315
Table 74: Timber volumes produced (m3 p.a.) from LNE sub-region by financial
year from July 2004 to June 2014 ......................................................... 316
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NSW Regional Forest Agreements Implementation Report 2004–2014
Table 75: Timber volumes produced (m3 p.a.) from South Coast sub-region by
financial year from July 2004 to June 2014 ........................................... 317
Table 76: Timber volumes produced (m3 p.a.) from Tumut sub-region by
financial year from July 2004 to June 2014 ........................................... 318
Table 77: Timber volumes produced (m3 p.a.) from Eden region by financial year
from July 2004 to June 2014 ................................................................. 319
Table 78: Chronology of R&D priority setting ........................................................ 320
Table 79: Chronology of R&D compendium progress ........................................... 323
Table 80: NSW DPI research papers .................................................................... 339
Table 81: NSW DPI – Forest research technical papers ....................................... 341
Table 82: NSW DPI – Technical publication series ............................................... 344
Table 83: NSW DPI – Forest resources series ...................................................... 345
Table 84: NSW DPI – Forest & Wood Products Research & Development
Corporation (FWPRDC) technical publications ...................................... 346
Table 85: NSW DPI – Research notes .................................................................. 346
Table 86: NSW DPI – Technical publications ........................................................ 349
Table 87: NSW DPI – Forest protection manual (leaflets) ..................................... 350
Table 88: NSW DPI – Online publications ............................................................. 350

List of figures
Figure 1: Available timber volume over time in the North East RFA region
differentiated by source ......................................................................... 114
Figure 2: Forest management framework in NSW................................................ 215
Figure 3: NSW Forest Agreement areas showing UNE, LNE, Southern and
Eden ...................................................................................................... 218
Figure 4: Major elements of the FCNSW Forest Management System ................ 232
Figure 5: FCNSW annual area harvested by silviculture type .............................. 242
Figure 6: FRAMES structure – information flow ................................................... 266
Figure 7: High quality large and high quality small timber production from North
East RFA region combined from July 2004 to June 2014 ..................... 310
Figure 8: High quality large and high quality small timber production from UNE
sub-region from July 2004 to June 2014 ............................................... 310
Figure 9: High quality large and high quality small timber production from LNE
sub-region from July 2004 to June 2014 ............................................... 311
Figure 10: High quality large and high quality small timber production from South
Coast sub-region combined from July 2004 to June 2014 .................... 312
Figure 11: High quality large and high quality small timber production from Tumut
sub-region combined from July 2004 to June 2014 ............................... 312
Figure 12: High quality large and high quality small timber production from Eden
region combined from July 2004 to June 2014 ...................................... 314
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NSW Regional Forest Agreements Implementation Report 2004–2014
List of maps
Map 1: Upper North East sub-region of the North East RFA region – CAR
reserve system additions ....................................................................... 272
Map 2: Lower North East sub-region of the North East RFA region – CAR
reserve system additions ....................................................................... 273
Map 3: Eden RFA region – CAR reserve system additions ............................... 274
Map 4: Tumut sub-region of the Southern RFA region – CAR reserve system
additions ................................................................................................ 275
Map 5: South Coast sub-region of the Southern RFA region – CAR reserve
system additions .................................................................................... 276

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