You are here: Home > Native vegetation > Forest assessments, agreements and approvals

NSW forest assessments, agreements and approvals

Helping trees and jobs live together

The Forestry and National Parks Estate Act 1998 provides for carrying out regional forest assessments and establishing NSW forest agreements. NSW forest agreements set out the principles and strategic framework for the co-operative management of forests by the EPA and Forests NSW.

Forest agreements contain provisions for promoting ecologically sustainable forest management, sustainable timber supply, community consultation and Aboriginal involvement in forest management (including native title rights).

The NSW forest assessment and agreement process has resulted in:

• region by region assessments of forest resources and forest values
• over 1.8 million hectares of new national parks, and more than 500,000 hectares of informal reserves created in NSW
• Security of timber supply to industry, and creation of new jobs
• funding for industry development assistance and restructure
• ecologically sustainable forest management enshrined in legislation.

The map below identifies:

• the four NSW forest agreements covering eastern areas of NSW (also the area covered by the regional forest agreements) 
• the area of the western regional assessment of the Brigalow and Nandewar bioregions.
• South Western Cypress region
• Riverina Red Gum region

 

Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals are in place for all of these regions. In recognition of the comprehensive studies and substantial reservations, native forestry activities in regional forest agreement areas are exempt from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). Forestry operations in areas subject to Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals are also exempt from certain NSW planning controls.