Plantation Softwoods

Plantation Woodchips

Forest Regrowth

How we can be sure that WA forests are managed sustainably

There is no more important principle in forest management than sustainability. Sustainable management means that the amount of wood harvested from our forests each year is less the amount that grows back. It is also important that the harvesting is done in a way which preserves the environment and the plants, and animals that inhabit it. This way our forests are kept in a natural balance.

So that we can be sure that are forests are sustainably managed, Forest Management Plans are drawn up for all the forest areas. These are open for public scrutiny and comment before being finalised. They are then subjected to independent scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Authority, again with public participation, before being approved by both the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Forest Products.

As part of the recent Regional Forest Agreement process, the WA government appointed an independent panel of experts to check on the sustainability of the level of timber harvest set out in the RFA. The panel consisted of Dr Brian Turner from the Australian National University, Professor Ian Ferguson from Melbourne University, and Mr Noel Fitzpatrick, nominated by the Environmental Protection Authority.

Their report confirmed the sustainability of the WA timber harvest.

You can obtain a copy of this report from the Forest Industries Federation of WA. Click here to email your request.

Forest Management Plans 2004-2013

To make certain that world's best practice is followed in the preparation of the next set of Forest Management Plans, the government has appointed an independent expert committee to advise on Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management and to audit the sustainability of the timber harvest levels. This committee consists of Professor Ian Ferguson from Melbourne University, Dr Stuart Davey from the Bureau of Rural Sciences, Associate Professor Mark Adams from the University of Western Australia, Dr Bob McCormack from the CSIRO, Mr Jack Bradshaw, a professional forester and Dr Joanna Young, a forest pathologist.