Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.69
The committee recommends that the Australian Government expedite the necessary changes to the Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) framework to ensure that that the framework delivers operational certainty for the native forestry industry.

Recommendation 2

2.70
The committee recommends that the Australian Government expedite amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 which introduce a test of judgment—similar to the test which applies to company directors under the Corporations Act 2001—in order to appropriately balance environmental protection with the operational realities of the field-based operations of the native forestry industry.

Recommendation 3

2.71
In the event that the Federal Court decision of 10 May 2021—in relation to VicForests’ appeal to the decision in Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum Inc v VicForests (No. 4) [2020] FCA 704—is appealed and at that time the Australian Government has not legislated the outcome required by Recommendation 1, the committee recommends that the Senate pass the bill.
2.72
2.73

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About this inquiry

The Bill seeks to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002, to clarify that forestry operations covered by a Regional Forest Agreement are exempted from Part 3 of the EPBC Act.



Past Public Hearings

19 Apr 2021: Canberra