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Allocation to VicForests Amended in the General Gazette – September 2012

Victoria Government Gazette

No. G39 Thursday 27 September 2012

Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004

ALLOCATION TO VICFORESTS (AMENDMENT) ORDER 2012

I, Peter Walsh MLA, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, make the following order to amend the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as already amended).

1. Title

This Order may be cited as the Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2012.

2. Objectives

The objective of the Allocation to VicForests (Further Amendment) Order 2012 is to amend the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (the 2004 Order) as already amended.

3. Authorising provision

This amendment is made under section 17(1)(b) of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004.

4. Amendments

For paragraph 5 of the 2004 Order (as already amended) substitute the following:

In accordance with section 15(1)(b) of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004, VicForests is permitted to harvest and sell, or harvest or sell timber resources in accordance with this Order and is permitted to undertake associated management activities on coupes described in any Timber Release Plan approved by the Secretary in relation to that allocated timber, including:

  • preparation of sites for timber harvesting
  • construction of access roads to coupes
  • site rehabilitation
  • forest regeneration

VicForests is permitted to undertake these activities until timber harvesting operations are completed, and the coupes are adequately rehabilitated and regenerated. 

VicForests is permitted to collect seed from any allocated forest stand for the purpose of regenerating coupes harvested in accordance with this Order.  VicForests is permitted to construct fire trails on State forest within the vicinity of the coupe boundary for fire management purposes associated with the regeneration of harvested coupes to the satisfaction of the Secretary.

VicForests is permitted to harvest wattle (Acacia spp.) within allocated forest stands identified in Tables 1-3, including pure wattle stands. Wattle harvested within areas identified as Ash stands will not be attributed to the available area for timber harvesting.

VicForests is permitted to tend forest stands, including the undertaking of thinning operations in accordance with the most recent version of its Thinning Strategy to produce high value timber resources for the future from the total available area in line with Victoria’s sustainable forest management framework.  The Thinning Strategy should be approved by the VicForests board. The tending of forest stands will not be attributed to the available area for timber harvesting.  The location, approximate timing of forest stand tending operations and the location of associated access roads must be identified in an approved Timber Release Plan.

For paragraph 6 of the 2004 Order (as already amended) substitute the following:

In accordance with section 15(1)(c) of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004, in undertaking authorised activities VicForests is required to comply with the following conditions:

  • VicForests is permitted to harvest up to an additional 2% of the available area of the first two 5-year periods identified in tables 1-3, but must offset any harvest above the available area for a specific period with a corresponding reduction to the available area in the following period.
  • VicForests is permitted to add any available area remaining unharvested in a period to the available area in the following period. Any available area carried over from one period to the next must be harvested before this period ends.
  • Timber harvesting in any part of a timber harvesting coupe on an approved Timber Release Plan will result in the total area (the gross area) of that coupe being attributed to the available area for timber harvesting for that period.
  • The actual area (the net area) harvested in a fire salvage coupe will be attributed to the available area for timber harvesting for that period.
  • In each 5-year period, the actual area (the net area) of roadline operations in a roadline coupe will be attributed to the available area for timber harvesting for that period.
  • VicForests must advise the Secretary to the Department of Sustainability and Environment of the long term sustainable harvest level that it has calculated from the forest stands to which it has access, and provide to the Secretary to the Department of Sustainability and Environment quality assured data, models and assumptions that it has used in making the calculation for the purposes of audit for compliance with the framework for sustainable forest management in Victoria.
  • VicForests must provide data on harvesting extent (logging history) to the Secretary to the Department of Primary Industries by 30 September each year. The quality of this data is to be agreed between VicForests and the Secretary to the Department of Primary Industries by 30 June 2013.
  • VicForests must provide stocking (regeneration) survey results and data to the Secretary to the Department of Sustainability and Environment within 36 months of the completion of timber harvesting in a coupe on an approved Timber Release Plan. The quality of this data is to be agreed between VicForests and the Secretary to the Department of Primary Industries by 30 June 2013.

Dated 17 September 2012

PETER WALSH MLA

Minister for Agriculture and Food Security