Harvest Security and Investing in your Private Native Forests and Woodlands

Harvest security for forestry where it is an existing use was significantly improved with the introduction of the Integrated Planning Act in 1997.  Although this improved certainty about local government regulation of forestry, many landholders were concerned about their rights to practice forestry during the early years after the introduction by the State government of the Vegetation Management Act in 1999.  However, the subsequent release of the Native Forest Practice Code for Freehold Land in 2005 across Queensland provided land holders and the timber industry with a clear understanding of their responsibilities for addressing environmental protection during forest operations. Since its introduction, landholders and the timber industry have generally found the Code to be workable in the field.

In 2006 AgForests commissioned an international forestry consultant (Poyry Forest Industry Pty Ltd) and legal firm (Phillips Fox) to conduct a study into the harvest security issue and look at increasing investment into Queensland’s private native forests 'The Options for increasing Harvest Security and Investment in Private Natural Forests in Queensland - Summary of findings and recommendations'. The study found that although harvest security can never be guaranteed, the legislation in place in Queensland does deliver a reasonable level of certainty about future harvest rights.