The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in Western Australia has recommended a 10 year plan for conservation and logging quotas in South West forests be approved. Source: ABC News
The Forest Management Plan for 2014 to 2023, sets out how the Conservation Commission and Department of Parks and Wildlife will manage the two-and-a-half million hectares of forest in the region.
The plan sets aside 62% of forests for conservation while the remaining 38% will be available for timber harvesting.
EPA chairman Paul Vogel said the plan includes better monitoring of harvesting activity as recommended in a recent Auditor General’s report.
“We’ve paid attention to the planning implementations through saying look if there’s no legislative change you’ve got to fix the system as it exists and make it work better,” he said.
“And, I think the AG’s report is very useful in drawing attention to those things which can be done better.”
Dr Vogel said although last week’s Auditor General’s report criticised the management of state forests, he is confident this plan will be adhered to.
“It’s a fairly complicated regulatory regime,” he said. “But, I think now with the information they have from the AG, the information from the EPA report and from external consultants, I think the agencies can sit down and work out what is a sensible and effective and transparent regulatory regime for ensuring that the whole forest is managed sustainably.”
Environmental groups have lashed out at the recommended approval.
The WA Wilderness Society’s Peter Robertson said the plan is full of inconsistencies and is a step backwards.
“The EPA is recommending approval for a plan that will see potentially a significant increase in logging in the south-west forest,” he said. “And, that’s in contradiction to their own advice from a couple of years ago when they recommended that large areas of the forest should be withdrawn from logging.”
