Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 3:30:45 to 3:35:51
Discussion on the requirement for accredited foresters to certify that plantation sites are in economically viable locations for timber production and harvesting.
Topics: Forestry, Agricultural productivity, Land management
Speakers: Hon Richard Colbeck, Guy Bursle, Unknown Speaker
in ter the guidelines talk about uh all the proposed plantation forest sites are in an economically viable location for wood production and timber harvesting and processing. How was that
>> Uh sorry, do you mind repeating the question, Senator?
>> So I'm just looking through the the guideline reference material for the grant program. it goes through a number of things in terms of eligibility criteria at least 20 hectares. Uh provide a plantation management plan. Provide a plantation management plan cover sheet mandatory template provided. Um and that is supposed to endorse that all the proposed plantation forest sites are in an economically viable location for wood production and timber harvesting and processing.
was that assessed? Uh so the principal mechanism for for us is the program requires uh the development of a a project management plan or a plantation management plan uh which is certified or signed off by an accredited forester. Um so the uh the program looks to the management uh the the proposed management and that you've got sufficient expertise about the ongoing management and viability of a plantation in that location at that site. So it's the development of detailed plans that are uh signed off by an an accredited
looking through the documents that have been provided through the OPD, there were a couple of iterations of that forest management plan. Uh an updated one was submitted partway partway through the process. Is that
>> Uh you're testing my recollection, Senator, but yes, I believe that's the
So, can you point to um uh point to me point me out point out to me where in the forest management plan it describes what the productivity of the plantations will be.
I I don't have the documents in front of me, apologies, Senator, but perhaps we can take that on notice.
>> Can I put it to you that it doesn't?
>> I'd have to take it on notice. I don't have the documents in front of me.
>> There is no reference to the productivity of the site in that for in either version of that forest management
>> Yeah, Senator, we'll take that on
>> So, how did you assess it? Because you had a document that says we're going to grow trees here.
>> Uh again, it's an it's an eligibility assessment. Uh so we look to that that the project proponent has engaged sufficient expertise and that is a and a >> they have a detailed forest management plan or plantation management.
>> This is where we got into trouble with MIS schemes 20 years ago where the the the push to put trees in the ground meant that trees ended up in the wrong places with low productivity and became stranded assets. And there's a lot of that around Western Australia, some parts of Tazzay, um other parts of the country where MIS schemes were because of the pressure just to put trees in the ground, properties were bought, trees were planted, and plantations failed, which is so it's pleasing to see that they need to be economically viable locations, surely if there's that should be demonstrated in the forest management
>> Yeah, you're testing my recollection of the of the documents as part of the process, but we can we can take that on notice. I I guess the distinguishing feature I suppose between this program and programs like MIS is that uh we've specifically targeted long rotation forestry. Most of our projects also are combined with uh carbon credit units. So the program does does target projects that are there for a long-term market. Uh that's not about a tax incentive. It's about the the end product as well as in many cases uh carbon credits along the way.
>> But the fact that there's a requirement for an economically viable location demonstrates a desire to make sure that you get what you're expecting at the other end. And surely that should be demonstrated as a part of the forest
management plan. Uh, as I said, I I can't recall uh the key elements of the forest management plan, so we'll take