1. What is Future Potential Production Forest Land?
Future Potential Production Forest Land (FPPF Land) is the term given to land that falls within the operation of the Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill.
It consists of land that is currently designated Future Reserve Land under the Tasmanian Forests Agreement Act 2013.
2. What is the area of FPPF Land?
398490 hectares, which includes approximately 14000 hectares of land owned by or vested in State-owned companies or Government Business Enterprises (other than Forestry Tasmania).
3. Who will administer FPPF Land?
Crown Land Services will administer the FPPF Land that is Crown Land, while land owned by or vested in State-owned companies or Government Business Enterprises will continue to be managed by those entities. With the exception of previously agreed transitional coupes, Forestry Tasmania will not administer or harvest any areas of FPPF Land while it remains FPPF Land.
4. What restrictions apply to the use of FPPF Land?
No native forest harvesting can be undertaken on FPPF Land, except for approved special species timber harvesting or harvesting of a small number of specified forestry coupes that were previously agreed as being required, or potentially required, as part of the transition of forestry operations out of what was Future Reserve Land and will now be the FPPF Land.
No earlier than 8 April 2020, areas of FPPF Land may be converted to production forest, subject to the approval of the Parliament.
The FPPF Land cannot be sold or transferred. From 8 April 2020, this restriction is lifted from FPPF Land owned or vested in State-owned companies or Government Business Enterprises.
5. Why is provision for the exchange of land between FPPF Land and PTPZ Land required?
The exchange mechanism will allow Forestry Tasmania to better manage the Permanent Timber Production Zone (PTPZ) Land, by providing a means through which potential conflicts between high conservation values and wood production requirements can be addressed. For example, this could include the exchange of areas of PTPZ Land found to have high conservation values (and therefore potentially more restricted for harvesting) for land within the FPPF Land with lower conservation values. This could assist Forestry Tasmania to meet its wood supply requirements, but in a way that appropriately manages high conservation values.
6. What happens to the FPPF Land after 8 April 2020?
Nothing happens to the FPPF Land after 8 April 2020 unless the Minister responsible for the Forests Management Act 2013 requests the Crown Lands Minister to consider the conversion of areas of FPPF Land to permanent timber production zone land.
The Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill establishes a process by which the conversion may take place, including the information the Minister responsible for the Forests Management Act 2013 is required to obtain and have regard to prior to making an application.
No conversion of FPPF Land to production forests can occur without the approval of both Houses of Parliament. With the exception of previously agreed transitional coupes, Forestry Tasmania cannot harvest any land while it remains as FPPF Land.
7. Why not re-start native forest harvesting immediately?
The Government’s priority is to put an end to the reserve making process which would have resulted in so much potential production forest being lost to the industry permanently. The Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill will achieve this.
The moratorium on native forest harvesting within the FPPF Land will provide us with the time required to assess the future needs and priorities for the native forest industry, and to determine whether additional forest resources will be required to meet future demand.
8. What effect will the Bill have on Forestry Tasmania’s application for Forest Stewardship Council Certification?
The legislation has been developed to provide future opportunities for the forest industry, and to reverse the decline in potential resource availability that the Tasmanian Forests Agreement Act 2013 would have achieved. The legislation has been prepared with a view to supporting the wider forest industry, including Forestry Tasmania.
The effect of the Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill on Forestry Tasmania’s application for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification is ultimately a decision for the independent certifying body. However, the Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill does not change the current area of land managed or harvested by Forestry Tasmania, and therefore for which it is seeking FSC certification, for at least six years. If any change of land area was to occur after that, Forestry Tasmania would need to seek certification covering that changed area. The Bill therefore explicitly includes mechanisms to ensure that, if Forestry Tasmania does achieve FSC certification, the implications of any future changes in status of the FPPF Land, or of activities on the FPPF Land, on Forestry Tasmania’s certification are taken into consideration.
The Bill also stipulates that Forestry Tasmania may only undertake harvesting on any land converted to PTPZ Land consistent with the forest management certification it holds at that time. So if Forestry Tasmania does achieve FSC certification, it could only harvest this land converted to PTPZ Land if it was consistent with retention of its FSC certification.
9. What impact will FPPF Land have on mining?
The FPPF Land will have no impact on mining. Current leases and licences are unaffected by any change in the tenure of land over which they have been issued.
New licences and leases will be able to be issued over the land under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 as for any other area of Crown Land.
10. Who can undertake harvesting of special timbers?
The Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill allows any person, other than Forestry Tasmania, to seek authorisation to harvest special species timbers on FPPF Land. A person must have a certified forest practices plan to conduct harvesting on FPPF land, in addition to the authorisation of the Crown Lands Minister.
Forestry Tasmania is excluded from harvesting special species timbers on FPPF Land. Forestry Tasmania’s role will continue to be focussed on the management of, including harvesting of special timbers within, the PTPZ Land under its control.