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Timber Allocation Order

The allocation of Victoria's timber resources in State forests is set out in the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (Allocation Order). The Allocation Order is supplied by the Minister for Agricultural and Food Security (previously the Minister for Environment and Climate Change) to VicForests for the purpose of harvesting and selling timber resources.

The Allocation Order is for a period of 15 years (divided into three five-year periods) and may be varied and/or extended. The Allocation Order is a publicly available document published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

The Allocation Order describes:

  • the forest stands to which VicForests has access
  • the location of those forest stands
  • the total extent and available areas of those forest stands
  • the maximum area available for timber harvesting in each five-year period of the Allocation Order
  • any additional activities that VicForests is permitted to undertake
  • the conditions with which VicForests must comply in carrying out its functions under the Allocation Order.

On making of the Allocation Order, VicForests must carry out its functions in accordance with the Order.

Extent and Location of Forest Stands to which VicForests has Access

Map showing the extent and location of forest stands to which VicForests has Access; Click to view a larger version of the map.

Click on the image to view a larger version of the map

The Extent and Location of Forest Stands to which VicForests has Access is a map that shows shaded areas of ash and mixed species throughout the East and North East regions of Victoria.

The areas are allocated to VicForests for the purpose of harvesting and selling timber resources.

The areas are roughly 50 to 60 kilometres to the east and north-east of Melbourne. They spread to the towns of Bairnsdale, Omeo, Lakes Entrance and Orbost, and Alexandra, Mansfield, Bright and Corryong, and the surrounding areas of those towns.

There are some smaller areas in the South East region of the state, particularly south of the town of Traralgon.

The shaded areas of mixed species forest stands are greater than the shaded areas of ash forest stands.

Allocation to VicForests Order 2004

The first Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 was published in the Victoria Government Gazette S 176 dated 29 July 2004. This Order has been amended. Details of the amendments are provided below.

The Consolidated Working Document for Allocation Order (as at 27 September 2012) incorporates these amendments.

Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) 2007

As a result of the Great Divide fires in 2006-2007, an amendment was made to the Allocation Order to enable VicForests to undertake salvage harvesting of trees killed by the fires. The Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) 2007 amendment was published in the Victoria Government Gazette S 57 dated 21 March 2007

Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) Order 2010

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change approved an amendment to the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as already amended) on 30 April 2010. This amendment followed a five-year review of the Allocation Order undertaken in accordance with section 18(1) of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004.

Allocation to VicForests Order Review 2009

The Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) Order 2010 was published in the Victoria Government Gazette S 166 dated 5 May 2010.

Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2010

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change approved a further amendment to the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as already amended) on 8 September 2010. This amendment followed a review of the Allocation Order undertaken in accordance with section 18(2) of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004. The Minister approved the review following the decision by VicForests that it would not assume management of the small native forest timber industry in western Victoria from the Department of Sustainability and Environment for the foreseeable future.

The Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2010 was published in the Victoria Government Gazette S 387 dated 23 September 2010.

Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) Order 2012

The Minister for Agriculture and Food Security approved a further amendment to the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as already amended) on 2 April 2012. The Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2010 requires for Working Forest Plans to be prepared by VicForests. This condition to produce a Working Forest Plan derives from the Timber Industry Strategy 2009 (TIS). The government's Timber Industry Action Plan (TIAP), which superseded the TIS in December 2011, does not require the production of Working Forest Plans and the Allocation Order has been updated to reflect this.

The Allocation to VicForests (Amendment) Order 2012 was published in the Victoria Government Gazette S 119 dated 11 April 2012.

Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2012

The Minister for Agriculture and Food Security approved a further amendment to the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as already amended) on 17 September 2012. The Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2012 makes the following changes to the Allocation Order:

  •  Remove the one-off obligation to prepare maps of contiguous harvesting units (coupes).
  • Introduce a mechanism to allow VicForests to harvest up to 2% greater than the allocated area in any 5-year period providing this is offset in the following period.
  • Introduce a mechanism that allows VicForest to carry-over any unharvested area in a period to the following period.
  • Remove the requirement for Wattle species harvested within the working forest area to be counted against the allocated area.

The Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2012 was published in the Victorian Government Gazette G39  dated 27 September 2012.