Forestry Corporation has been appointed by the NSW Government as land manager for approximately two million hectares of native and plantation forests. Approximately half of this land is permanently set aside for conservation and around one per cent is selectively harvested and regrown each year.
There has been no increase in timber harvesting operations on the north coast. An annual plan of operations is published on our website and the volume of timber from these operations is well within the independently verified level which can be sustainably harvested and regrown.
Operations within the areas available for timber production take place in line with the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (CIFOA), which has detailed requirements established by expert scientific panels and is independently audited by the Environment Protection Authority.
In each renewable timber harvesting operation, protections are put in place for koala habitat and every tree harvested is regrown. The conditions designed to protect koalas and their habitat were developed by expert scientific panels based on the needs of the species and peer-reviewed scientific research continually demonstrates that koalas occupy forests where timber harvesting takes place at the same rate as unharvested forests.
The NSW Government has committed to establishing a Great Koala National Park, after seeking scientific advice, consulting with all stakeholders, and carrying out an independent economic assessment of the park's impact on local jobs and communities. The conditions in place in all forestry operations ensure koalas and their habitat remain protected while the NSW Government carries out its process to assess and establish a Great Koala National Park.
Financial position of Forestry Corporation
It is incorrect to conflate the cost of forest management for a range of purposes with the cost of individual operations. Forestry Corporation is a public land manager that invests in managing more than 60,000 kilometres of public roads, providing free recreation and tourism facilities, carrying out fire hazard reduction and firefighting, controlling weeds and pest animals and providing access for activities such hunting, grazing and apiary. Revenue from timber production helps cover the considerable cost of managing the entire estate for the public benefit, as this is only partially funded by the NSW Government.
Like all public land managers, Forestry Corporation has experienced significant additional costs in recent years to repair roads and other infrastructure damaged in the 2019-20 fires and subsequent flooding events.
