3 Prepared by the Forest Practices Board 30 Patrick Street Hobart, Tasmania, 7000 phone (03) 62 337966 fax (03) 62 337954 e-mail: [email protected]www.fpb.tas.gov.au Forest Practices Board Annual Report 1999–2000 A report on the operations of the Forest Practices Board to the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources and to be laid before each House of Parliament as required under section 4 of the Forest Practices Act 1985.
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7.1 General .......................................................................................... 177.2 Certification of compliance .......................................................... 177.3 Independent audit of forest practices plans ................................ 187.4 Comments on the audit of forest practices plans ........................ 207.5 Monitoring of the permanent forest estate .................................. 20
8 Enforcement ........................................................................................... 228.1 Notices and prosecutions ............................................................. 228.2 Investigation of complaints .......................................................... 23
10 Training and Education ......................................................................... 2611 Self regulation ......................................................................................... 2612 Funding ................................................................................................... 27
12.1 Self-funding of activities conducted by industry ........................ 2712.2 Self -funding of activities conducted by the
Forest Practices Board .................................................................. 2712.3 Funding of the Forest Practices Board from Parliament ............. 28
13 Report on the activities of the Research and Advisory Program ......... 2913.1 Archaeology .................................................................................. 2913.2 Botany ........................................................................................... 3013.3 Geomorphology ............................................................................ 3113.4 Soils and Water ............................................................................. 3113.5 Visual Landscape .......................................................................... 3213.6 Zoology.......................................................................................... 32
Part 2 Financial Statements ........................................................................ 35
Appendix 1a Publications and reports .......................................................... 46Appendix 1b Major reference documents related to forest practices .......... 47Appendix 2 Audit form for the assessment of forest practices plans ........ 48Appendix 3 Results of the 1999/2000 audit of forest practices plans ....... 53Appendix 4 Monitoring of the maintenance of the
The year 1999/2000 saw the introductionof amendments to the Forest Practices Actthat extend and improve the operation ofthe Act. The Board became a separatestatutory authority, and was given theresponsibility to monitor and report on themaintenance of a permanent native forestestate. The first report on this functionjoins the five other statutory reportingfunctions.
The Board is pleased to report, inaccordance with Section 4E(1)(a) of theForest Practices Act, that the forest practicessystem in 1999/2000 satisfied theprinciple of self-funding. The Board alsonotes with pleasure that the ForestIndustries Association and ForestryTasmania have established a joint researchfund to support projects that have a highpriority for advancing the scientificknowledge that underpins the forestpractices system.
The Board reports that the independentregulatory functions of the Board werefunded by the income received under s.44of the Forest Practices Act in 1999/2000. Onan accrual basis there was a $7,000 deficit
in funding for these activities during1999-00.
The Board undertook independentmonitoring of the effectiveness of a sampleof forest practices plans. Threeexperienced Forest Practices Officers wereemployed to independently audit arandom sample of 15 per cent of all
commercial forest practices operations onCrown and private land.
The Board reports under s.4E(1)(b) of theForest Practices Act that the implementationand effectiveness of forest practices planswas generally above the nominatedstandard. However, the Board notes that asubstantial improvement in sitepreparation standards is required in someareas, particularly for plantationoperations on State forest. Continuingimprovement is also required within otherareas of planning and implementation.
The Board reports under s.4G of the Actthat there was good compliance with theAct and the Forest Practices Code. Noticesto make good under s.41 of the ForestPractices Act effectively dealt with mostinstances of non-compliance. A total of 29notices was issued by Forest PracticesOfficers. The Board dealt with three mattersthrough the imposition of penalties unders.47 B of the Forest Practices Act.
The Board reports under s.4C(fa) of theForest Practices Act that Tasmania’spermanent native forest estate has beenmaintained at a level equivalent to 98.4%of the forest area that existed in 1996. TheBoard reports that the forest area is well inexcess of the minimum thresholds withinall regions. However, the Board notes thatthresholds are being approached for threeindividual forest communities within twoIBRA regions. The Board is taking actionto ensure the maintenance of thesecommunities in accordance with the policyon the maintenance of the permanent forestestate.
Many years of research and review havecontributed to proposed substantialimprovements to the Forest Practices Code.The Code is the centre of Tasmania’s forestpractices system, which continues toreceive international recognition for itsexcellence and continuing development.
Ken FeltonChair, Forest Practices Board
Forest Practices Board members, left to right;Peter Volker, Ross Waining, Ken Felton ( Chairman),
Roger Chalk and Kim Evans.
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Report of the Chief ForestPractices OfficerThe year 1999/2000 marked a milestonein the continuing evolution of Tasmania’sforest practices system. Notable among thechanges to the Forest Practices Act that cameinto effect on 1st July 1999 were-• The establishment of the Forest
Practices Board as a separate statutoryauthority;
• The replacement of Timber HarvestingPlans with Forest Practices Plans, toensure that the Forest Practices Codeapplies not only to forest harvesting,but also to forest roading, quarries andreforestation activity (includingplantations);
• The introduction of a requirement forcompliance certificates to be lodgedwith the Board upon the completion ofall operations. The intent of thisrequirement is to ensure that alloperations will be inspected by a ForestPractices Officer during and at thecompletion of operations to ensure thatthe plan is fully complied with and thatany problems are recognised andcorrected in a timely manner.
In addition to the legislative changes, theyear culminated in the release of a draftrevised Forest Practices Code for publiccomment. The draft Code follows severalyears of independent reviews and publicsubmissions. One of the major outcomesfrom the review process relates to the needfor better information on the effectivenessof buffer strips along streams. It is pleasingto note that the forest industry (ForestryTasmania and the Forest IndustriesAssociation of Tasmania) has recognisedthe need for increased research funding tosupport the continuing improvement of theForest Practices Code. The immediatepriority for the research funds providedby the industry in 1999/2000 has been toinitiate studies into the effectiveness ofbuffers on Class 4 streams.
Careful consideration during the reviewof the Code was also given to issues raisedin relation to the current increased rate ofplantation establishment. Many of these
issues relate to social and economic factorsthat are not directly within the purview ofthe Forest Practices Act. The draft revisedCode extends the consideration of off-siteenvironmental effects on neighbours, withan approach designed to complement the‘good neighbour’ initiatives that have beendeveloped by forest mangers in associationwith landowner groups.
Other notable developments during theyear include:• A review of procedures for compiling
Three Year Plans of operations underthe Forest Practices Act. A working groupof industry, Board and local governmentrepresentatives has agreed on improvedprocedures that emphasise consultationbetween industry and local governmentwith respect to forward plans for thelocation of operations and the use ofinfrastructure such as roads andbridges.
• Input into the Private Land ReserveProgram under the RFA.
• The development, in conjunction withthe Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment, of agreedprocedures for managing threatenedspecies within wood production forests.
• The development of procedures forassessing and managing the risk topublic safety from trees that are retainedunder the forest practices system.
The important structural improvements tothe forest practices system were matchedby the continuing high standards ofprofessionalism and dedication shown bythe people who apply the system in theforest. In particular, I would like to recordmy appreciation of the outstandingcommitment shown by the Forest PracticesOfficers and by the specialists and otherstaff who provide expertise and support forthe operation of the forest practices system.
Graham WilkinsonChief Forest Practices Officer
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
Part 1: report on the Board’sstatutory functions
1. Administration of ForestPractices
1.1 Forest Practices Board
The Forest Practices Board is anindependent body set up by the ForestPractices Act (1985) that has responsibilityfor advancing the State’s forest practicessystem and fostering a cooperativeapproach in developing policy andmanagement in forest practices matters.The objective of the State’s forest practicessystem is to achieve the sustainablemanagement of public and private forests.The forest practices system is based upona self-regulatory approach that is backedup by independent oversight by the ForestPractices Board. The Board reports to theMinister for Infrastructure, Energy andResources.
The membership of the Board wasamended by changes to the Forest PracticesAct that took effect on 1st July 1999.Members appointed during 1999/2000were:
(a) Secretary of the Department responsiblefor the Environmental Management andPollution Control Act 1994; Kim Evans
(b) Director of Private Forests Tasmaniaappointed under s.8(1)(c) of thePrivate Forests Act 1994 (being aperson with expertise in forest orrelated sciences); Peter Volker
(c) Director of Forestry Tasmaniaappointed under s.12E(1)(b) of theForestry Act 1920 (being a person withexpertise in forest or related sciencesand knowledge of and experience inforestry); Ken Felton (Chair)
(d) a person having expertise andknowledge of local government, whois a representative of a municipal areain which forestry is a major land use;Roger Chalk
(e) a person having expertise in theharvesting and processing of timber;Ross Waining
The Chief Forest Practices Officer attendsall meetings of the Board.
The Board had 10 meetings during theyear. The Board also attended a field daywith the Executive of Forestry Tasmania toview issues related to forest planning andplantation establishment.
The Board reviewed and updated itsStrategic Plan during the year. Majorpolicy issues that were dealt with by theBoard during the year included:• the regulation of tree clearing that is
currently outside the control of theforest practices system;
• delegations to Private Forests Tasmaniawith respect to the administration ofPrivate Timber Reserves;
• public access to information withinForest Practices Plans;
• compensation for landowners refuseda Private Timber Reserve;
• proposed amendments to the ForestPractices Regulations;
• management of Aboriginal sites withinwood production forests;
• plantation establishment on clearedland;
• the review of the Forest Practices Code.
1.2 Forest Practices Advisory Council
The functions of the Forest PracticesAdvisory Council are to advise the Boardon: reviews of the Forest Practices Act andCode; financial matters including selffunding and the effectiveness of forestpractices administration; operations andresearch.The membership of the Council changedon 1st July 1999 as a consequence ofamendments to the Forest Practices Act.
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Reforestation of native forests• State forest - Approximately 58% of
harvesting operations involvedreforestation to native forest by partiallogging or clearfelling techniques. Afurther 40% of operations involvedreforestation to plantations of eithereucalypt (17%) or pine (23 %). Theremaining 2% of operations involvedactivities such as clearing fortransmission lines.
• Private forest - Approximately 47% ofharvesting operations involvedreforestation to native forest by partiallogging (40%) or clearfelling (7%)techniques. A further 40% ofoperations involved reforestation toplantations of eucalypt (37%) or pine(3%). The remaining 13% ofoperations involved conversion toagriculture or non-forest land-use.
• A substantial additional area ofplantation was established on non-forested land.
Private Timber Reserves• A total of 184 new Private Timber
Reserves covering about 47,000ha wasgazetted during the year. Three PTRswere revoked at the request of thelandowners. The net area of forestedprivate property now dedicated asPrivate Timber Reserves isapproximately 288,000ha. This arearepresents approximately 28% of thetotal area of private forests within theState.
• The previously held interpretation ofthe legal relationship between PrivateTimber Reserves and local planningschemes was changed by a decision ofJustice Crawford in the Supreme Courton 16 March 1998. As a result of thisdecision, a large number of PrivateTimber Reserves were rendered legallyinvalid. State Cabinet has agreed tointroduce legislation to retrospectivelyvalidate these Private Timber Reservesand to clarify the intended relationshipbetween Reserves and local planningschemes.
Members of the Council in 1999/2000were:
(a) the chairperson of the Board, or thatperson’s nominee; Ken Felton (Chair)
(b) a person with knowledge of the State’sresource management and planningsystem, nominated by the Secretary ofthe responsible Department in relationto the Environmental Management andPollution Control Act 1994; John Pretty
(c) a person with knowledge ofadministration and legislation inrelation to private forests, nominatedby Private Forests Tasmania; PeterTaylor
(d) a person with knowledge ofadministration and legislation inrelation to multiple use forests,nominated by the Forestry corporation;Dr Hans Drielsma
(e) a person with expertise in, andexperience of, forest issues in relationto harvesting and processing; AndyCorbould
(f) a person with expertise in, andexperience of, forest issues in relationto forest conservation; Dr AlistairRichardson
(g) a person with expertise in, andexperience of, tree growing on privateland; Mark Leech
The Chief Forest Practices Officer attendsall meetings of the Advisory Council.
Five meetings were held during the year.The major issues dealt with by Councilduring the year included:• the review of the Forest Practices Code;• procedures for the management of
threatened species in wood productionforests;
• three year plans;• Forest Practices Regulations;• procedures for assessing the safety of
trees retained under the forest practicessystem.
1.3 Chief Forest Practices Officer
The Chief Forest Practices Officer (CFPO)is responsible for overseeing the day to dayadministration of the forest practicessystem. The CFPO is appointed under s.4Jof the Forest Practices Act as a person whomust have -(a) extensive expertise in forestry; and(b) extensive experience in forest
operations; and(c) knowledge of the sustainable
management of forests; and(d) management skills.
Graham Wilkinson is the current ChiefForest Practices Officer.
The CFPO attended and produced papersfor consideration at all meetings of theBoard and Advisory Council. He alsoserved on a number of committees,including: the CAR Advisory Committee forthe Private Land Reserve Program underthe Regional Forest Agreement; the StateBiodiversity Committee; the RFAImplementation Group; and the NativeVegetation Management Group. DuringAugust 1999, the CFPO undertook a studytour to California, Oregon, Washington andBritish Columbia. He produced a reporton trends in the implementation of forestpractices systems within those regions, andon the implications for the improvement ofthe forest practices system in Tasmania.
1.4 Forest Practices Act
Major changes to the Forest Practices Act tookeffect on 1st July 1999. The major changesare-1. Changes to the membership of the Forest
Practices Board.• The inclusion of a representative of
local government on the Boardprovides improved opportunities forcommunity input and for closerintegration of the complementaryplanning processes under the Land UsePlanning and Approvals Act and theForest Practices Act.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
• The inclusion of expertise in harvestingand processing on the Board providesexpertise to help the Board achieve abalance between environmentalprotection and the commercial use offorests.
• The exclusion of the position of theManaging Director of ForestryTasmania from the Board removes theperceived conflict of interest associatedwith having Forestry Tasmania as botha commercial enterprise and aregulator.
2. Creation of the Board as a separate,independent statutory body.Prior to 1st July 1999, the Board wasadministratively placed withinForestry Tasmania, although the Boardfunctioned in an independent capacity.Formal legal separation of the Boardfrom Forestry Tasmania has removedany perceived potential conflict ofinterest from the previousadministrative arrangements. As from1st July 1999, the Board is created as anindependent statutory body. TheBoard is placed under the umbrella ofthe Department of Infrastructure,Energy and Resources foradministrative support.
3. Removal of exemptions for ForestryTasmania from legal action under theprovisions of the Forest Practices Act (s.17,21 and 41).The exemptions reflected the earlieradministration of the Forest PracticesAct by the predecessor of ForestryTasmania (the Forestry Commission).The exemptions were no longerappropriate given the separation of theregulatory functions of the Board fromthe commercial functions of ForestryTasmania.
4. Changes to the composition of the ForestPractices Advisory Council.These changes modify the membershipof the Council to provide for betterrepresentation of the key stakeholdergroups. Representation, particularlywith respect to industry bodies,
industrial organisations, privatelandowners, scientists andconservation interests has been furtherextended through formally constitutedconsultative committees establishedunder the existing provisions of s.4Hand s.37D of the Act.
5. Defining the operation of a forest quarryas a forest practice that requires a certifiedplan.Forest quarries are an integral part offorest road construction andmaintenance. Administrativearrangements between the ForestPractices Board and the Departmentof Primary Industries, Water andEnvironment require the preparationof plans. This amendment formalisesthe administrative arrangements andensures that forest quarries willcomply with the requirements forenvironmental protection under theForest Practices Code.
6. Replacing ‘Timber Harvesting Plans’ with‘Forest Practices Plans’ to ensure that allforest practices involving roading,quarries, harvesting and reforestation arecovered by certified plans and that suchplans require certification of compliance.Timber harvesting plans wereintroduced in 1985 and coveredactivities associated with the harvestingof timber. Since then, the forestpractices system has introducedseparate plans for roading andquarries. In addition, there has beenacceleration in plantationestablishment on cleared land, forwhich a timber harvesting plan wasnot legally required. The introductionof Forest Practices Plans will ensurethat plantation development isconsistent with the Forest PracticesCode. All plans now require a formalsign off through the lodgement of acertificate of compliance by a ForestPractices Officer upon the completionof operations.
7. Including Forestry Tasmania, contractorsand timber processors as persons responsible
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for ensuring that forest operations arecovered by an certified plan.Exemption of Forestry Tasmaniaunder the previous legislation was nolonger appropriate given the role ofForestry Tasmania as a commercialenterprise. Similarly, changing roleswithin the industry mean thatcontractors and processors are nowoften the persons responsible forinitiating forest practices.
8. Providing the Forest Practices Board withthe discretionary power to approve thepurchase or acquisition of timber whichhas been subject to legal proceedingsunder the Act.The Board may now approve theutilisation of timber which has beenunlawfully harvested and has beensubject to legal proceedings under theAct.
9. Providing that no activities can beundertaken which are contrary to theprovisions of an certified plan during theterm of the plan.A Forest Practices Plan now applies toall activities conducted within an areaof land during the term of the plan.This was necessary to close a legalloophole whereby a person could forexample clear trees from a streamsidereserve for the purposes of“agriculture”, rather for the purposes“associated with the harvesting oftimber” as defined within the Act.
10. Ensuring that Forestry Tasmania isrecognised as the landowner of publicforests that are managed by ForestryTasmania.Forestry Tasmania is recognised as alandowner for the purposes of s.21 ofthe Act.
11. Amending s.47B(2) by: deleting “but thecircumstances do not merit the impositionof a penalty” to clarify that the Board mayimpose penalties as an alternative toprosecution for any offence.The Board’s powers to deal with somebreaches through the imposition of afine have been extended.
12. Providing that fines paid under s.47B maybe paid into a fund administered by theBoard.Fines are to be used by the Board forthe purposes specified under s.44 of theAct.
13. Amending the provisions for three yearplans so that they include details onreforestation.Improvements to the Three Year Planprocess address commitments givenby the State in the Regional ForestAgreement for a higher level ofmonitoring of reforestation on privateland.
14. Extending the power of Forest PracticesOfficers to enter upon lands where forestpractices may have been carried out.Previous powers were restricted tolands where operations “are beingcarried out”, thus precluding correctiveaction being taken if the operations hadceased.
15. Extending the period for the issue of noticesfor failure to comply with an certified planor provisions of the Act to up to 12 monthsbeyond the expiry date of a plan.Notices may now be issued to requirecorrective action to be taken ifenvironmental problems are detectedfor a reasonable period beyond theexpiry date of a plan.
16. Providing for the Board to undertakemonitoring and reporting functions for thepurposes of implementing provisionswithin the RFA which relate to themaintenance of a permanent native forestestate.The RFA commits the State to themaintenance of an extensive andpermanent Native Forest Estate. Themaintenance of the permanent NativeForest Estate will be delivered underprocesses involving three year plansand Forest Practices Plans as part of theforest practices system. The ForestPractices Board is required to monitorand report on the achievement of thereforestation targets and themaintenance of the Native Forest Estate.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
2. Private timber reserves
• The rationale for dedicating privateland as a Private Timber Reserve (PTR)is to ensure that activities on the landthat are related to the establishment,growing or harvesting of timber aresubject to a single, consistent, State-wide system of planning andregulation through the Forest PracticesAct, and not to variable systems thatmay be applied under differentplanning schemes through the Land UsePlanning and Approvals Act.Details on PTR applications during1999/2000 are summarised below. Thenet area of forested private propertynow dedicated as Private TimberReserves represents approximately31% of the total area of private forestswithin the State.
• Two decisions made by the Board weresubject to appeals under section 9 ofthe Act (refer to section 6 of this reportfor further details).
3. Forest practices plans
• All forest practices on private propertyand Crown land must be carried outin accordance with approved forestpractices plans, with minor exceptionsfor small operations as providedunder the Forest Practices Regulations1997. Forest practices plans mustcontain specifications in connectionwith the harvesting of timber, includingroading and reforestation whereappropriate. Such specifications mustbe in accordance with the ForestPractices Code. The Code requiresspecial provisions where necessary toprotect natural and cultural values,including flora, fauna,geomorphology, soils and water,cultural heritage and visual amenity.As reported above, amendments tothe Act that take took effect on 1 July1999 have resulted in the followingchanges-
• Timber harvesting plans have beenreplaced by Forest PracticesPlans (FPPs), which arerequired to cover:1. Harvesting of timber2. Establishment offorests (including those
established on cleared land)3. Road construction and quarrying
associated with the above activities.• The applicant for a FPP must lodge a
Certificate of Compliance prepared bya Forest Practices Officer upon thecompletion of a FPP. The intent of thisrequirement is to ensure that alloperations will be inspected by a ForestPractices Officer during and at thecompletion of operations to ensure thatthe plan is fully complied with and thatany problems are recognised andcorrected in a timely manner.
as at 30/6/99 1999/2000 Total to 30/6/2000PTR approvalsPTRs revoked
1,10118
2107
1,31125
Total Area (ha) 292,691 27,074 319,765
Members of the Forest Practices Board and senior officers of ForestryTasmania inspect current logging technology in the Southern Forests.
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3.1 Details for forest practices plans approved in 1999/2000
(a) Number of forest practices plans approved in 1999/2000 by type and certifying Forest Practices Officer (FPO) forprivate forests (PP) and State forest (SF)
(b) Native forests - area (hectares) of operations covered by Forest Practices Plans approved in 1999/2000 byharvesting method, future land use and tenure
Partiallogging 1
Clearfelling followed by: Total
Regeneration Plantation Non-forestby seeding Eucalypt Pine land use2
State forest 3,600 2,400 5,600 2,200 500 14,300
Private Land 11,200 2,100 4,500 1,100 1,900 20,800
Total 14,800 4,500 10,100 3,300 2,400 35,100
1 retention of advanced growth, seedtrees, or shelterwood; or group or single tree selection2 clearing, primarily for agriculture and infrastructure
(c) Plantations - area (hectares) of operations covered by Forest Practices Plans approved in 1999/2000 by harvestingmethod, future land use and tenure
Existing plantationsThinning Clearfelling followed by
3.2 CommentsIn previous years, data have beenpresented on the proportion of operationsbased on the number of approved plans.The proportion of operations by numberof approved plans has generally beenregarded as an approximate guide to theproportion of operations by area. This year,data on operations by area (hectares) areavailable. Although not directlycomparable with previous years, the plansapproved in 1999/2000 reflect continuinghigh levels of plantation establishmentwithin Tasmania. Reforestation of nativeforest to plantation declined from about42% of operations in 1998/99 to about 38%of operations in 1999/2000. Areas ofplantation established on cleared landwere not required to be reported throughthe forest practices system prior to 1999/2000.
4. Three Year Plans• The Forest Practices Act 1985 provides
for lodgement with the Board of threeyear plans for private propertyoperations showing their location,volumes to be harvested and the cartingroutes for each location. Such plansare required to be produced bycompanies harvesting or causing to beharvested more than 100,000 tonnes inthe preceding year. Summaries of theplans are sent to relevant localgovernment authorities as a basis forconsultation and negotiation on thelocation of planned harvesting.
• The 1999 amendments to the ForestPractices Act include new requirementsfor reporting on proposedreforestation, as part of the strategicthree year planning process.
• During the year, the Board establisheda working group of representativesfrom local government and forestmanagers to review the efficacy of thecurrent format of the three year plans.The working group recommendedseveral improvements to ensure betterconsistency in the presentation of the
information. The group alsorecommended a system of formalbriefings by forest managers to localgovernment in order to improvecommunication and consultation withrespect to the plans. The Board hasendorsed the recommendations forimplementation.
5. Forest Practices CodeIn 1997, the Board commissioned anindependent expert panel under theChairmanship of Dr Peter Davies to reviewthe soil and water quality provisions of theCode. Public comment on a draft reportwas received during 1998 and a final reportwas produced in 1999. The final reportwas considered and recommendations onchanges to the Forest Practices Code wereendorsed in principle by the ForestPractices Advisory Council and the Board.
During 1999/2000, the recommendationsof the soil and water review, together withthe recommendations from previousreviews into the steep country provisionsof the Code and the safety aspects of theCode, were incorporated into a draft revisedCode. The draft revised Code was releasedfor a three month period of public commentduring April –June 2000.The Board expects that a revised Code willbe issued later in 2000.
6. Forest Practices Tribunal• The Forest Practices Tribunal provides
an independent mechanism for thedetermination of appeals lodged underthe Forest Practices Act by aggrievedparties. Appeals may be lodged inrelation to applications for privatetimber reserves, forest practices plansor three year plans.
• Members of the Tribunal are appointedby the Governor in accordance withs.34(1) of the Forest Practices Act.Members within the categories unders.34 in 1999/2000 were as follows -
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a) barristers or legal practitionerswho have practiced for at leastfive years -Keyran Pitt, PeterRoach.
b) persons with a sound andpractical knowledge of forestry,road construction in forests, andharvesting of timber - RichardBowden, Gordon McCutchan,Barry Kingston, RichardRichardson, Duncan Grant.
c) persons with tertiaryqualifications and substantialpractical experience in thesciences appropriate to land andforest management - Ian Swan,Bernard Walker, Robert Ellis,Bruce Leaver.
d) persons with a soundknowledge of, and at least fiveyears practical experience in,agriculture and forestry - IanDickenson, Peter Downie, IanSmith, Ian Chalk.
e) persons with a soundknowledge of, and at least fiveyears practical experience in,conservation science - PeterDavies, Timothy Kingston,Gintaras Kantvilas.
The Chief Chairman of the Tribunal in1999/2000 was Mr Keyran Pitt QC.
• Three appeals were heard during theyear.
6.1 Appeals in relation to applicationsfor Private Timber Reserves
1. PTR Application 943. An applicationfor Private Timber Reserve (PTR)number 943 was refused by the ForestPractices Board primarily on thegrounds under s.8(2)(e) of the ForestPractices Act. The Board’s decisionwas that it would not be in the publicinterest to declare the land as a PrivateTimber Reserve because of thepresence of highly significant karst
values that might have been damagedby forestry activities. The Board’sdecision also noted that there weregrounds for refusal under s.8(2)(b) inthat parts of the area are unsuitable fordeclaration as a PTR because of steepand rocky ground, and under s.8(2)(d)because of the presence of threatenedspecies, which are protected under theThreatened Species Protection Act.Thelandowner appealed against therefusal of the PTR. The Forest PracticesTribunal upheld the decision of theBoard to refuse the application.However, the Tribunal found that thesole basis for refusal should be that itis against the public interest to grantthe application under s.8(2)(e) of theForest Practices Act. The landownersubsequently lodged a claim forcompensation pursuant to s.16 of theForest Practices Act.
2. PTR Application 1206 - The applicationwas granted by the Board on thegrounds that the application met all ofthe statutory requirements fordeclaration of a PTR. In reaching itsdecision, the Board noted that approvalfor a plantation had already beengranted by Meander Valley Councilunder its planning scheme. MeanderValley Council lodged an appeal onpublic interest grounds on the basisthat the land was adjacent to aresidential zone. The Tribunaldismissed the appeal and upheld theBoard’s approval of the PTR. In itsdecision, the Tribunal found that it wasnot satisfied that the land is not suitablefor declaration as a Private Timber Reserve;or that it would not be in the public interestto grant the application; or that an ownerof residential land within 100 metres ofthe subject site, would be materially anddirectly disadvantaged if the applicationwas granted.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
6.2 Appeals in relation to the issue ofnotices under s.41 of the Forest PracticesAct
Notices under section 41 of the ForestPractices Act were issued by a ForestPractices Officer to a landowner directingthat forest roadworks cease until a ForestPractices Plan had been prepared andcertified. The landowner appealed to theTribunal, arguing that he was simplyrestoring an existing road and notconstructing a new road. In its decision,the Tribunal found that the appellant wasconstructing an improved road to enablethe carriage of harvested timber,substantially in excess of the 100 tonnesthreshold prescribed in the Forest PracticesRegulations. The Tribunal thereforedismissed the appeal and confirmed thenotices issued by the Board.
7. Monitoring of compliance
7.1 General• Supervision and monitoring of the
forest practices system are based uponthe application of self-regulatorymechanisms by the forest industrytogether with independent monitoringby the Board.
• Under the principle of self-regulation,Forest Practices Officers are employedby Forestry Tasmania, Private ForestsTasmania, forest companies, co-operatives and as consultants tosupervise and monitor forestryoperations and ensure that they complywith the Forest Practices Act. Many forestmanagers undertake formal in-housemonitoring, often as part ofenvironmental management systemsconsistent with standards such asISO14001.
• Formal reporting on compliance is nowrequired upon the completion of allForest Practices Plans under s.25A ofthe Forest Practices Act.
• Independent monitoring is carried outby:
− an annual audit of about 15% of allforest practices plans byindependent Forest PracticesOfficers in conjunction withspecialist staff of the Board;
− audits of Private Timber Reserves byindependent Forest PracticesOfficers;
− the Chief Forest Practices Officerand other staff of the Board in thecourse of routine inspections,assessments of the standard of ForestPractices Officers, andinvestigations arising fromcomplaints and alleged breaches ofthe Code;
− monitoring of natural and culturalvalues by the Board’s specialist staff.
7.2 Certification of compliance
Changes to the Forest Practices Act from 1st
July 1999 introduce a requirement for acertificate of compliance to be lodged withthe Board within 30 days of the completionof operations prescribed within a ForestPractices Plan. These certificates must becompleted by a Forest Practices Officer andlodged by the person who applied for thePlan. The Board resolved that the newrequirement should be phased in,recognising an overlap period in whichsome existing plans were prepared andapproved prior to the changes to the Actbeing introduced. The requirement to lodgea certificate of compliance will affect allplans certified since 1st July 1999. Inaddition, for existing plans that werecertified prior to 1st July 1999, a certificateof compliance will be required for thoseplans that expire after 1st July 2000.
The Board will report on compliancethrough this process in future AnnualReports.
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7.3 Independent audit of forest practicesplans• In accordance with s.4 of the Forest
Practices Act, the Board undertakes anindependent audit of a sample ofForest Practices Plans on privateproperty and State forest. The audit isa random sample that is stratified toensure that the activities of all forestryorganisations and Forest PracticesOfficers are sampled. The audit coversplans for forest harvesting, roading,quarrying and site preparation atvarious stages of completion. Inaddition to the assessment ofoperational performance, the auditchecks the standard of the plan,including all assessments andprocedures required by the forestpractices system.
• Forest Practices Officers Bill Manning(Forest Practices Board), PeterLockwood (Private Forests Tasmania)and Rod Smith (independentconsultant) conducted thisyear’s audit.
• The audit provides an importantbasis for continuousimprovement in forest practicessince the results from individualoperations are discussed indetail with the relevantorganisation in order to effectfuture improvements.
• The 1999/2000 audit coveredthe questions detailed inAppendix 2. Not all of thequestions necessarily relate tomandatory provisions of theForest Practices Code.Assessment is based upon thescoring system detailed inAppendix 2, with scores of 1and 2 considered to representwell implemented operations.The State-wide performancerating is determined as theproportion of the total sample ofoperations that achieves a scoreof 1 or 2. The Board has set a
performance target for all elements tobe at or above a rating of 85%.
• It is important to note that the auditresults are a measure of the qualitystandards set by the Board, and are nota measure of compliance per se. Resultsbelow the nominated standard indicateareas where the Board believes thatimprovements should be made in orderto fully achieve best practice. Anymatters that involve non-compliancewith the Code are separatelyinvestigated and addressed (see section8 of this report).
• The full results of the audit are detailedin Appendix 3. Figure 1(a) providessummaries of the standards achievedacross the State, calculated as theweighted mean of questions withineach of the categories. Figure 1(b)provides summaries of the standardsachieved on State forest and on privateproperty by the large companies and bythe smaller, independent operations.
Forest Practices Officers and staff of Forestry Tasmania dicuss karstmanagement issues with Senior Geomorphologist Dr Kevin Kiernan.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
Figure 1 Proportion of forest practices plans (THPs) assessed to haveachieved the nominated standard within various assessment categories in1999/2000(The Board’s target in 1999/2000 was for at least 85% of operations to achievethe nominated standard
Figure 1(b) Results for operations on State forest and on private property(PP) by large companies and by independent operators
40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Landscape
Cultural Heritage
Geomorphology
Fauna
Flora
Local Government
Forest Practices Plan
Site Preparation
Stream Reserves
Landings
Snig Tracks
Harvesting
Bridges
Roading
Ca
teg
ory
Proportion of sample that achieved the
nominated standard (%)
State Forest
Independent PP
Company PP
Figure 1(a) State-wide results (mean values with standard deviation)
75
80
85
90
95
100
Land
scap
e
Cul
tura
l Her
itage
Geo
mor
phol
ogy
Faun
a
Flor
a
Loca
l Gov
ernm
ent
Fore
st P
ract
ices
Pla
n
Site
Pre
para
tion
Stre
am R
eser
ves
Land
ings
Snig
Tra
cks
Har
vest
ing
Brid
ges
Roa
ding
Proportion of sample that achieved the nominated
standard (%)
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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7.4 Comments on the annual audit offorest practices plansThe Board is pleased to note that thenominated standard of forest practiceswas achieved for 93 of the 120 factorsassessed. However, the Board reports thatthe nominated standard was not achievedin a number of factors, including drainageof temporary tracks and snig tracks,stockpiling of soil on landings, contourploughing, and the application ofprescriptions for flora, fauna and culturalheritage. Site preparation operations onState forest were on average well below thenominated standard. The results showsome problems arising from the recentchange in emphasis from native forestoperations to plantation establishment insome areas. The Board, through ForestPractices Officers and specialist staff, willwork closely with forest managers toensure that improvements are made inthese areas.
The Board reports under Section 4E(1)(b)of the Forest Practices Act that theimplementation and effectiveness offorest practices plans was generallyabove the nominated standard. However,the Board notes that a substantialimprovement in site preparationstandards is required in some areas,particularly for plantation operations onState forest. Improvement is alsorequired within other areas of planningand implementation.
7.5 Monitoring of the Permanent ForestEstate
• Section 4C(fa) of the Forest PracticesAct provides that the Board willmonitor and report on harvesting andreafforestation activity in relation to themaintenance of a permanent forestestate. The policy relating to thepermanent forest estate is outlined inthe Regional Forest Agreement. Thepermanent forest estate policy (PFEpolicy) prescribes that the area of nativeforest will be retained above minimumthresholds, expressed as a percentageof the native forest estate assessed in
1996 under the Regional ForestAgreement. The State-wide thresholdis 80%, with other thresholds set bybioregions (IBRA) and by forestcommunities.
• During 1999/2000 the Boardestablished the administrativemechanisms necessary to monitor andreport on the permanent forest estate.Part of these mechanisms includescollation of information on the plannedharvesting and reforestation activitiesthat are authorised under the ForestPractices Plan process that came intoeffect on 1st July 1999.
• Data on planned changes to the nativeforest estate by forest community withinthe IBRA regions of Tasmania areprovided in Appendix 4. The datashould be interpreted with somecaution for a number of reasons. First,the data relate to planned operations,some of which may not yet havecommenced or been completed. Second,the mapping of RFA communities is stillsubject to ongoing review, verificationand modification. Third, areas givenwithin Forest Practices Plans aregenerally gross areas that do notexclude reserves such as streamsidereserves. The areas shown to have beencleared are therefore likely to be an over-estimate. Finally, the data do not includeareas of non-commercial clearing,which is currently not subject toregulation under the Forest Practices Act.Such clearing is not considered to beextensive within the commercial foresttypes, but could be locally significantin the drier forests and woodlands thatare suitable for conversion toagriculture.
• Overall, the planned reduction in thearea of the native forest estate amountsto approximately 50,800ha or 1.6% as aresult of clearing for plantations andagriculture over the three year periodfrom 1997/98 to 1999/2000. Summaryresults for the maintenance of the nativeforest estate by IBRA region arepresented below.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
IBRA Region Native forest estate asat 30/6/00 (as %retention of 1996 area)
Individual forest communities that appear to be rapidly approaching regionalthresholds are as follows -
Other forest communities in which total area has been reduced by more than 7% are:
Forest community IBRA region area of forest retained(as % of 1996 area)
E. amygdalina forest on dolerite Woolnorth 90%Tall E. delegatensis forest Woolnorth 90%E. regnans forest Woolnorth 85%Inland E. amygdalina forest Ben Lomond 87%E. amygdalina forest on sandstone Ben Lomond 88%Dry E. obliqua forest Ben Lomond 90%
E. regnans Ben Lomond 87%Shrubby E. ovata Ben Lomond 92%
E. viminalis/E. ovata/E. amygdalina/E. obliquadamp sclerophyll forest Midlands 90%E. pauciflora on Jurassic dolerite Midlands 90%
E. regnans forest Freycinet 88%Grassy E. globulus forest D’Entrecasteaux 93%E. regnans forest D’Entrecasteaux 92%
Forest community IBRA region area of forest retained(as % of 1996 area)
Inland E. amygdalina forest Freycinet 76%Wet E. viminalis on basalt Ben Lomond 74%
E. viminalis/E. ovata/E. amygdalina/E. obliquadamp sclerophyll forest Ben Lomond 63%
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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The Board reports under s.4C(fa) of theForest Practices Act that Tasmania’spermanent native forest estate has beenmaintained at a level equivalent to 98.4%of the forest area that existed in 1996. TheBoard reports that the forest area is wellin excess of the minimum thresholdswithin all regions. However, the Boardnotes that thresholds are beingapproached for three individual forestcommunities within two IBRA regions.The Board is taking action to ensure themaintenance of these communities inaccordance with the policy on themaintenance of the permanent forestestate.
8. Enforcement
8.1 Notices and Prosecutions• The forest practices system is primarily
based upon the principle of self-motivation, which is achieved byeducation, training, cooperation andfostering a commitment to sound forestpractices. The maintenance of highstandards of forest practices is also anessential part of the commercialbusiness of forestry, with internationalcertification and many contractualarrangements dependent uponcompliance with the Forest Practices Actand Code.
• Where problems arise, the Act providesfor action to be taken in several ways.1. Forest Practices Officers may give
verbal or written notification (underSection 41(1)) in order to informpersons that they must comply withthe Act or a forest practices plan.Where this notice is not compliedwith, a Forest Practices Officer mayissue a second notice (under Section41(2)) to direct the person to ceaseoperations and carry out any workrequired to ameliorate any damageincurred as a result of the breach.Failure to comply with the secondnotice may lead to prosecution.
Most problems or instances of non-compliance are resolved by the noticesystem.
2. The Board may also prosecute forfailure to have operations covered bya forest practices plan (Section 17)or for failing to comply with a forestpractices plan (Section 21).
3. The Board may impose fines as analternative to prosecution (Section47B).
• The following legal enforcementoccurred in 1999/2000.
Notices issued by Forest Practices Officers 29Fines imposed by the Board 3
Complaints laid with the Director of Public Prosecutions 0Prosecutions pending 1
• Three cases were dealt with by theimposition of a fine by the Board unders.47B of the Forest Practices Act.1. A case in a State forest coupe at
Taranna 15 involved -• Incorrect marking of a Class 2
streamside reserve, resulting inthe reserve width being reducedfrom 30m to less than 16m alongone section. As a result, loggingand site preparation activitieshad been carried out to within16m of the stream. This, coupledwith excessive soil disturbanceto very wet soils, had directlycaused sediment to enter thestream.
• Serious soil damage to largeareas of the coupe caused by sitepreparation machinery workingon very wet soils and withindrainage lines.
The Board regarded these offencesto be very serious. It was ofparticular concern that the errorswhich contributed to the offenceshad not been detected until themajor operations were virtuallycompleted and substantialenvironmental damage had alreadybeen done.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
The Board believed that theenvironmental outcomes in coupeTA15 constituted serious offencesunder s.21 of the Forest PracticesAct. The Board acknowledged thatForestry Tasmania initiated andfully co-operated withinvestigations into the offences.The Board also took intoconsideration the fact that ForestryTasmania and the contractor hadtaken corrective action in relationto the rehabilitation of thedamaged areas within the coupe,and had implemented newprocedures in order to prevent arecurrence of the problems.Forestry Tasmania and thecontractor, Hazell Bros, each paida prescribed fine of $5,000 underthe provisions of s.47B of the ForestPractices Act.
2. The second case involved aharvesting contractor working onprivate land. The offences relatedto –• Harvesting beyond the
harvesting boundary shown inthe THP;
• Harvesting within a class 3streamside reserve;
• Crossing and snigging across aclass 3 stream;
• Landings not corded;• Harvesting boundaries not
marked;• Bark on landings not heaped.
The Forest Practices Board believedthat the above constituted seriousoffences under s.21 of the ForestPractices Act. The Board took intoaccount the cooperative attitudeshown by the contractor withrespect to the investigation andsubsequent actions to carry outremedial works. The contractor,Mr Gary Garth, agreed to pay aprescribed fine of $2,000 unders.47B of the Forest Practices Act.
3. The third case involved a firewoodcontractor on private land. The offencerelated to the harvesting of timberwithout an approved Forest PracticesPlan and without the consent of thelandowner.
The Forest Practices Board took intoaccount the fact that the volume of woodharvested was low and that there hadbeen no environmental harm.Nevertheless, the Board believed thatharvesting without a Plan and withoutthe consent of the landowner was a veryserious offence under s.17 of the ForestPractices Act. The Board noted thatseparate action had been taken by thepolice with respect to other partiesinvolved in this matter and imposed afine of $750 on the firewood contractor,Mr Stanley Redburn.
8.2 Investigation of Complaints• The Board requires all complaints to be
adequately investigated. The Boardbelieves that under the principle of self-regulation, all parties have aresponsibility to respond to complaints.Wherever possible, the Board asksForest Practices Officers to investigatealleged breaches and to deal withpublic complaints. Formal legalinvestigations are undertaken into allserious breaches.
• A total of 77 formal complaints aboutforest practices was received by theBoard from adjoining landowners, thepublic, local government and industry.This figure does not include complaintsmade directly to landholders orindustry personnel, unless they weresubsequently referred to the Board. Allof these matters were investigated andwere dealt with as detailed in thefollowing table.
• There were 44 complaints that relatedto instances of non-compliance. Thisfigure is less than the 53 instances ofnon-compliance reported in 1998/99.
A = No breaches of the Act or Code.B = Warnings given for marginal breaches, no serious environmental damage.C = Notices issued under the Forest Practices Act.D = Financial penalty imposed under s.47B.E = Alleged offences subject to legal investigation or legal action.
* includes 9 complaints in relation to one operation
9. Administration
9.1 Forest Practices Officers• The Forest Practices Board appoints
Forest Practices Officers under s.38 ands.39 of the Forest Practices Act. ForestPractices Officers have powers andresponsibilities under the Act, and theBoard may delegate furtherresponsibilities in relation to functionssuch as the certification of forestpractices plans and the laying ofcomplaints under the Forest PracticesAct. Forest Practices Officers areemployed by forest companies, ForestryTasmania, Private Forests Tasmaniaand as consultants to plan, superviseand monitor forest practices and ensurethat operations comply with the ForestPractices Act.
• The prerequisite qualifications forappointment as a Forest PracticesOfficer are:
Forest Practices Officer (Planning) - adegree in forestry or equivalent academicqualifications or demonstrated personalexpertise together with at least five yearspractical forestry experience in planningand supervision of forest operations;
Forest Practices Officers (Inspecting) - atertiary qualification or equivalenttechnical expertise and at least five yearsexperience in supervising forestoperations.
In addition, a person who wishes to beappointed as a Forest Practices Officermust successfully complete a trainingcourse consisting of a number of teachingsessions, field trips, practical exercises invarious parts of the State and a formalexamination. Periodic refresher coursesare also obligatory. Forest PracticesOfficers (Inspecting) may be appointed asForest Practices Officers (Planning)following further training andaccreditation for appropriate experiencein forest planning.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
9.1.1 Forest Practices Officers
As at 30/6/99 Current as at 30/6/00FPO(Planning)- industry 36 53- independent consultants 19 14- Forestry Tasmania 46 49- Forest Practices Board 4 4- Private Forests Tasmania 8 10Total FPO (Planning) 113 130FPO(Inspecting)- industry 27 21- independent consultants 3 6- Forestry Tasmania 24 30- Private Forests Tasmania 1 1Total FPO (Inspecting) 55 58TOTAL 168 188
9.1.2 Disciplinary action• Forest Practices Officers deliver an integral part of the forest practices system and the
Board expects very high standards to be maintained. The Board has a disciplinarypolicy for instances of unsatisfactory performance by Forest Practices Officers. TheBoard is pleased to report that there were no matters requiring disciplinary action in1999/2000.
9.2 Staff
Graham Wilkinson B.Sc.(For.)(Hons), M.Sc. Chief Forest Practices OfficerResearch and AdviceBruce Chetwynd B.A.(Env.Des.),Grad.Dip
• The Board completed a Forest PracticesOfficer training course for 19 peopleand commenced a new course for 27people.
• Briefings on the proposed amendmentsto the Forest Practices Code wereconducted for all Forest PracticesOfficers.
• A four day course on the operation ofthe forest practices system wasconducted by the Board in conjunctionwith Forestry Tasmania for 17operational supervisors employed byForestry Tasmania and the industry.
• A two day course in the certification ofForest Practices Plans for quarries wasconducted for 15 Forest PracticesOfficers.
• In house training has been done by mostForestry Tasmania districts and bymajor companies. The training of majorcompany contractors and operatorswas undertaken by the largercompanies and by Hollybank TrainingCentre.
• The Forest Practices Board providedassistance to training programs intechnical forestry conducted byHollybank.
• Specialist courses wereconducted in the followingareas-- Plant identification
- Greening AustraliaMaster Tree GrowersCourse for 12landowners;
- Three Forest BotanyCourses for 60 staffwithin ForestryTasmania, industry, andprivate landowners.
- A fauna course was
conducted for over 30 forest officers.- A symposium and field day on the
conservation and management ofnative grasslands was held at SurreyHills for 25 people from ForestryTasmania, North Forests, DPIWE,and community groups.
• Numerous presentations were given onthe forest practices system, including tothe national conference of the Instituteof Foresters of Australia, and to aregional meeting of Pacific nations inVanuatu.
11. Self Regulation
• A major objective of the forest practicessystem of Tasmania is to achieve a highdegree of self regulation by the forestindustry (Schedule 7 Forest Practices Act1985).
• Self regulation is implemented throughthe following processes within theforest practices system:− Preparation of forest practices plans.
Section 18 of the Forest Practices Actprovides that any person mayprepare a forest practices plan.However, in practice, most plans areprepared by Forest Practices Officerswho have the skills and knowledge
Senior Soil Scientist Dr Peter McIntosh discusses soil issues with students during afield exercise for a Forest Practices officer course.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
necessary to ensure that plansachieve the high standardnecessary for approval. The largercompanies and Forestry Tasmaniagenerally employ sufficient staff tomeet their own requirements for thepreparation of plans. Smallercompanies and private landownersare generally serviced byconsultants.
− Certification of forest practices plans.Forest practices plans are certifiedby selected Forest Practices Officerswho hold delegated powers fromthe Board. These Forest PracticesOfficers are appointed by theBoard from suitably qualified staffemployed by forestry consultants,forest companies, ForestryTasmania and Private ForestsTasmania.
− Supervision and inspection of forestpractices. Forest practices aresupervised by Forest PracticesOfficers and other staff employedby the forest industry. ForestPractices Officers have the powerto issue notices under Section 41 ofthe Forest Practices Act in order toensure that operations complywith the Act or with the conditionsof an approved forest practicesplan.
− Internal environmental audit. Someof the major companies haveformal environmental auditsystems that are consistent withstandards such as ISO 14001 inplace. Operations on State forestare also subject to internal auditprocedures by Forestry Tasmania.
− Reporting on compliance under s.25Aof the Forest Practices Act -Certificates of compliance must belodged with the Board within 30days of the expiry of a ForestPractices Plan. Such certificatesmust be completed by a ForestPractices Officer.
The Board reports that a satisfactory levelof self regulation has been maintained onState forest and on most of the private landthat is subject to operations undertakenby the major companies. Newrequirements for compliance certificationthat were introduced from 1st July 1999have led to an improvement in themonitoring and correction of problems byForest Practices Officers across thosesectors that were previously poorly servedby Forest Practices Officers.
12. Funding
• The objective of the Tasmanian forestpractices system is to deliversustainable forest management in away that is as far as possible selffunding (Schedule 7 Forest Practices Act1985). The Act also provides underSection 44 that certain functions of theBoard will be paid out of moneyallocated by Parliament.
• Full financial details for the year 1999/2000 are presented in part 2 of thisreport (Financial Statements).
12.1 Self-funding of activities conductedby industry• The industry has been self funding in
implementing the Forest Practices Actby providing the following services:− preparation and certification of
forest practices plans;− supervision of forest practices;− training and education of
contractors, operators and ForestPractices Officers;
• The Board estimates the value of theseservices to be $7 million p.a. in 1999/2000.
12.2 Self-funding of activities conductedby the Forest Practices Board• The self-funding activities of the Board
are primarily related to the direct costof the services provided by the Board’sResearch and Advisory Programs (seesection 13 of this report). The funding
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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for these activities of the Board is basedupon the following arrangements:− 50% of the funding is contributed
for operations on publicly ownedforests by a voluntary contributionfrom Forestry Tasmania;
− 50% of the funding is contributedfor operations on privately ownedforest owners by a voluntarycontribution from woodprocessors. The Forest IndustriesAssociation of Tasmania (FIAT)collects the levy on behalf of itsmembers, who process over 85%of the total volume harvested fromprivate property. The balance ofthe contribution from the privatesector is paid by the forestcompanies North Forest Productsand Boral.
- In addition to the direct funding ofthe Research and AdvisoryProgram, the Board receivesincome from research grants andconsultancy work.
• Total revenue received under the self-funding activities of the Board in 1999/2000 amounted to $1.1 million.
The Board is pleased to report, inaccordance with Section 4E(1)(a) of theForest Practices Act, that the forestpractices system in 1999/2000 satisfiedthe principle of self-funding. The Boardalso notes with pleasure that the ForestIndustries Association and ForestryTasmania have established a jointresearch fund to support projects thathave a high priority for advancing thescientific knowledge that underpins theforest practices system.
12.3 Funding of the Forest PracticesBoard from Parliament• Section 44 of the Forest Practices Act
provides that the costs and expensesincurred for the following activities areto be paid out of monies provided byParliament:a) annual assessment of the forest
practices system and forest practicesplans;
b) preparation of the Annual Report toParliament under s.4F;
c) detection and investigation ofbreaches of the Act;
d) laying of complaints andprosecuting offences;
e) payment of compensation for therefusal of Private Timber Reserves;
f) remuneration of the Chief ForestPractices Officer;
g) administrative support for the ChiefForest Practices Officer;
h) exercise of the Board’s powers andfunctions.
• Total revenue received for theindependent regulatory functions ofthe Board in 1999/2000 amounted to$380,000.
The Board reports that the independentregulatory functions of the Board werefunded by the income received under s.44of the Forest Practices Act in 1999/2000.On an accrual basis there was a $7,000deficit in funding for these activitiesduring 1999-00.
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13. Report on the activities ofthe Research and AdvisoryProgram• The forest practices system draws on
a large pool of scientific expertiseavailable within the Forest PracticesBoard, Forestry Tasmania, forestcompanies, CSIRO, Parks and WildlifeService, other Governmentdepartments and Universities.
• Senior scientists in archaeology,botany, geomorphology, soil science,visual landscape and zoology areattached to the Research and AdvisoryProgram of the Forest Practices Board.
• Services provided by the Board includethe following.− Contributing to comprehensive
and scientifically based inventoriesand databases and the updating ofthese databases through additionalresearch and surveys. Suchdatabases show the occurrence orpotential occurrence of values thatmay require reservation or specialmanagement.
− Developing and maintaining up todate manuals to document theknowledge that under-pins theForest Practices Code and toprovide additional guidelines forthe practicalmanagement ofspecific valueswithin woodproduction forests.
− U n d e r t a k i n gresearch to test theeffectiveness of theprovisions of theForest PracticesCode and proposingamendments ifnecessary.
− Training, educationand liaison withForest PracticesOfficers and landmanagers.
− Providing advice to land managerson general management issues andon the practical conservation andmanagement of significant featureswithin wood production forests.
− Monitoring the implementation ofthe Forest Practices Code andmanagement prescriptionsinvolving specific values.
− Conducting or supervising surveysthat require special expertise.
• Highlights of activities carried out bythe Board’s Research and AdvisoryProgram are provided below. TheProgram is reviewed on an annualbasis as at 31st March each year. A fullcopy of the Annual Report for theResearch and Advisory Program isavailable from the Board upon request.Publications by staff of the Board areincluded in Appendix 1.
13.1 ArchaeologyThe Aboriginal Heritage Officer assisted byarchaeologically trained staff completed385 surveys for Aboriginal sites. TheAboriginal Heritage Officer completed 225of these. Archaeologically trained staff andthe Senior Archaeologist completed theremainder. New Aboriginal sites werelocated on 58 coupes. Sixty-four newhistoric sites were reported in this period.
Senior Geologist Denise Gaughwin and officers of MineralResources Tasmania and the Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment evaluate the heritage value of the Anmchormine site within State forest near St Helens.
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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The Senior Archaeologist completed a totalof 43 inspections. Of these, 20 related toissues on private property and 23 relatedto land administered by ForestryTasmania.Research projects and assistance included:… the completion of a project on the
timber industry of the Upper Derwent;… input into the management plan for
the historic Van Dieman’s Land Co.sites;
… species trial plantings and arboreta inTasmania and mining sites in woodproduction forests.
Liaison occurred with appropriateorganisations, including: the Departmentof Primary Industries, Water andEnvironment; Tasmanian Aboriginal LandCouncil; Tasmanian Heritage Council andMineral Resources Tasmania.
13.2 BotanyFormal advice was provided to ForestPractices Officers for about 300 sites.Approximately 110 field surveys wereundertaken, with 70% being on privateproperty.About 70 occurrences or potentialoccurrences of 38 threatenedplant species were identified(by survey or from databases) inproposed operational areas.Many of the occurrences werelocated in the field by ForestPractices Officers, others werelocated in the course of botanicalsurveys. There was liaison withspecialists of the ThreatenedSpecies Unit for all occurrences,as required by the ForestPractices Code and theThreatened Species Protection Act.In most cases, protection of thespecies was achieved bynegotiated managementprescriptions. In the case ofsome species, whereprescriptions included someform of disturbance, follow-upmonitoring of the efficacy of the
prescriptions will be required.Draft Forest Botany manuals wereproduced for 4 of the 7 regions, and a draftof the general manual was also prepared.Research and project work included:… the Mersey District Management Plan;… the National Framework for
Management and Monitoring ofAustralian Native Vegetation;
… the Tasmanian Vegetation ManagementStrategy;
… inventories and management plans forvegetation on King Island, the JordanRiver catchment, Mersey Rivercatchment and Meander Valley;
… research into the establishment of Pinusradiata in native forest (with KatrionaHopkins);
… research into the distribution andconservation of Eucalyptus radiata (withKatriona Hopkins);
… management planning for the nativegrasslands on State Forest in MerseyDistrict (with Brooke Craven) ;
… flora surveys of State Forest plantationsites and reserves.
Liaison occurred with appropriateorganisations and the Senior Botanist
Field day on management of native grasslands at Surrey Hills. Management planningfor grasslands managed by North Forest Burnie and Forestry Tasmania wasundertaken by Brooke Craven, through the Forest Practices Board.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
worked closely with the Private LandReserve Program and contributedexpertise through the Scientific AdvisoryCommittee.
13.3 GeomorphologyThe Senior Geomorphologist responded toover 80 written requests for informationon geomorphological andgeoconservation issues with respect toforest operations. About half the writtenenquiries necessitated field inspections.Environments: karst 63%; periglacial14.0%; glacial 9.5% fluvial 9.6 other 3.9(overlap)Issues: geohazards ~85.0%;geoconservation: ~15.0%.Activity: native forest 54%; plantation36.5%; roading 4.8%; quarrying 3.2%; firemanagement 1.5%Research work included:… the mapping of some slope deposits
and landforms in Florentine,Humboldt and Tyenna valleys todifferentiate both rapid and slow massmovement features;
… the alluvial history of the Dazzler
Range;… the completion of the first intensive
phase of data gathering for a karstprocess study via undergrounddata loggers;
… monitoring of the biologicalcomponent of the Little Trimmerkarst studies;
… publication of results on karst, upliftand sedimentation;
… input to the proposed book onTasmanian palaeoenvironments;
… a new project on soils in karst areaswas initiated during the year,jointly with the FPB Senior Scientist(Soils and Water).
Liaison occurred with, and advice wasgiven to, DPIWE and ForestryTasmania, British Columbia ForestService, the IUCN regarding an externalexpert review for a new World HeritageArea nomination (Vietnam), and severalrelevant NGOs of which the SeniorGeomorphologist is a member(Australasian Cave & KarstManagement Association;International Geographical UnionCommission on SustainableDevelopment and Management ofKarst Terrains; and the IUCN WorldCommission on Protected Areas).
13.4 Soils and waterA total of 171 notifications and enquireswere received, chiefly from ForestPractices Officers, in relation to slopestability, soil erodibility, landslidehazard and soil/hazard management.Approximately half of these enquiries(83) required field inspections of coupesand a full report.
Research work and other projectsincluded:… the publication of guidelines for
forestry operations on soils formedin basalt talus and for soils formedin dolerite talus;
… assistance to CSIRO and ForestryTasmania staff for a joint trial of soilindicators at Warra LTERM site;
Scientific Officer Nathan Duhig analyses watersamples from a long-term study of processeswithin karst systems.
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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… ten new soil profiles were describedand analysed in a cooperative projectwith Forestry Tasmania to bettercharacterise soils formed in granite,and write a guide to their management
… commencement of a project to developa guide to soils in karst areas;
… description and analysis of 20 new soilprofiles;
… a reconnaissance survey of forms ofcarbon in different soil types formedin granite as part of a study to relatetopsoil carbon quality to siteproductivity;
… establishment of research sites toretrospectively investigate the effect offorestry on the quality of Class 4streams. Sites near Beulah and BenNevis were selected;
… presentation of results from a study ofthe Fish River Road landslide, MerseyValley, (by McIntosh, Duhig andHawkes) to the Second Forest ErosionWorkshop, Warburton, Victoria.
Close liaison was maintained withscientists within Forestry Tasmania,CSIRO, universities and industry researchbodies.
13.5 Visual LandscapeRequests for adviceincreased by 25% fromlast year and haveswung over toplantations from nativeforest coupes(proportion is now 122to 90). Plantationsd e v e l o p m e n t spotentially raise moreissues with respect toscenic values. Visualmanagement of thisnew wave of plantationestablishment willrequire diversesolutions to match eachsituation and region.Guidelines for new andexisting plantations
have been promoted in most districtsand companies and implemented whereappropriate. Some of these guidelines/principles have been included inrevision of the Forest Practices Code.During Long Service Leave theLandscape Planner attended a seminarin Europe on simulations (computerbased) and visual perceptions, a publicparticipation workshop for planning ofa forested highland valley in Scotlandand, two training courses on plantationforest visual management conducted bythe UK Forestry Commission. Also visitswere made to Coillte, the Irish forestryagency and the Irish Forest Service whoare currently experiencing majorinvestment and expansion in plantationforestry, with new research anddirections on forest visual valuesmanagement. Published material hasbeen complied to assist with developingimproved plantations landscapemanagement policy and guidelines
13.6 ZoologyThe Senior Zoologist and ScientificOfficer provided advice for 372 ForestPractices Plans (see summary tables
Students on a Forest Practices Officer training course studying soilprofiles.
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below). Of these, approximately 40involved site visits, on both State andprivate property.Table 1. Number of notifications for eachspecies for the period 1/4/99 to 31/3/00.(NB. the total number of advice requestsdoes not equate to the number ofnotification forms received as somenotification forms are for several species)
Collaborative work continued in 1999/2000 into the development of publicauthority management agreements forthe conservation of Simsons stag beetle,north-west velvet worm, giant velvetworm and Mt Mangana stag beetle in Stateforest.
The threatened fauna locality databasewas updated during revision of the FPBThreatened Fauna Manual.Research work and other projectsincluded:…priority coupe surveys for Hoplogonus
bornemisszai (Bornemisszas stagbeetle) and H. vanderschoori(Vanderschoors stag beetle) in north-east Tasmania (personnel: KarenRichards);
…testing the prediction for low prioritycoupes for simsons stag beetle(personnel: Karen Richards, JeffMeggs);
…investigating the effectiveness ofmanagement prescriptions for theretention of swift parrot foraginghabitat in production forests inTasmania (personnel: Karen Richards,Jeff Meggs, Sarah Munks, RayBrereton);
…studying the long term mortality rates ofretained habitat trees in state forestcoupes (personnel: Nathan Duhig,Sarah Munks, Mark Wapstra, RobTaylor);
…assessing the implementation of ForestPractices Code provisions relating tothe retention of hollow bearing trees inproduction forests in Tasmania(personnel: Mark Wapstra, SarahMunks);
Table 2. Summary of advice requests by tenure for the period 1/4 to 31/3 for the last four years.Note: private property includes industrial freehold and other private land; State forest includes allpublic tenures (e.g. HEC, Crown, State forest)
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…describing the characteristics andoccurrence of nesting habitat utilisedby hollow-dependent birds inTasmania’s production forests(personnel: Mark Wapstra);
…assessing habitat suitability for juvenilefreshwater lobster (Astacopsis gouldi)and the impact of logging in Class 3and 4 streams (personnel: P.E.Daviesand L.Cook);
…studying the distribution and impactof cable harvesting on hydrobiidsnails (personnel: P.E.Davies andL.Cook);
…describing the foraging habitatrequirements of the grey goshawk,Accipter novaehollandiae inTasmania.(personnel: Sarah Munks,Simon Plowright and Nick Mooney);
…studies into the ecology and habitat
requirements of the platypus in anupper catchment lake system(personnel: Mr Philip Bethge, Dr SarahMunks, A/Professor Stewart Nicol, MsHelen Otley);
…co-supervising University of TasmaniaM.Sc. students (stag beetle habitat andconservation management,occurrence and characteristics ofhabitat utilised by hollow-dependentbirds in Tasmanian productionforests) and a Ph.D. student (platypuseco- physiology);
…monitoring two long term studies ofthe impact of forest practices on twothreatened invertebrates ie., Simsonsstag beetle and the Scottsdaleburrowing crayfish;
…establishing a long-term monitoring sitefor the Mt Arthur burrowing crayfish.
Excellent example of contour ploughing for plantation establishment on farmland near Wilmot.
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Habitat tree, Eucalyptus viminalis in the Eastern Tiers. The ForestPractices Code makes provision for the maintenance of biodiversityin wood production forests through the retention of reserves,wildlife strips and habitat clumps.
OPERATING STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2000
Note 1999-00
$'000
OPERATING REVENUE 2
Industry Contributions 852
State Government Appropriation 361
Grants 184
Fines and Fees 13
Other Revenue 73
Total Operating Revenue 1,483
OPERATING EXPENSES
Salaries and Related Expenses 1,008
Advertising and Promotion 12
Communications 26
Consultancies 4
Depreciation 1(e) & 4 ....
Information Technology 46
Rental of Accomodation 47
Other Accomodation Related 14
Travel and Transport 134
Other Operating Expenses 139
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 1,430
Operating Surplus/(Deficit) before Extraordinary Items 53
Extraordinary Items ....
Operating Surplus/(Deficit) after Extraordinary Items 53
Notes 1-9 form an integral part of these accounts.
Part 2: Financial statements
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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OPERATING STATEMENT BY ACTIVITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2000
1999-00Note SELF-FUNDING
ACTIVITIESINDEPENDENT
REGULATIONACTIVITIES
TOTAL
$'000 $'000 $'000
OPERATING REVENUE 2 Industry Contributions 852 .... 852 State Government Appropriation .... 361 361 Grants 184 .... 184 Fines and Fees .... 13 13 Other Revenue 67 6 73Total Operating Revenue 1,103 380 1,483
OPERATING EXPENSES Salaries and Related Expenses 734 274 1,008 Advertising and Promotion 6 6 12 Communications 20 6 26 Consultancies 3 1 4 Depreciation 1(e) & 4 .... .... .... Information Technology 30 16 46 Rental of Accomodation 37 10 47 Other Accomodation Related 11 3 14 Travel and Transport 105 29 134 Other Operating Expenses 97 42 139TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 1,043 387 1,430
Notes 1-9 form an integral part of these accounts.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2000
Note 1999-00 1998-99
$'000 $'000
CURRENT ASSETS
Operating Account Balance 3 & 7(a) 320 323
Receivables and Prepayments 75 ....
Total Current Assets 395 323
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Property, Plant and Equipment 4 .... ....
Total Non-Current Assets .... ....
TOTAL ASSETS 395 323
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Creditors and Accrued Expenses 10 ....
Employee Entitlements 5 107 100
Total Current Liabilities 117 100
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Employee Entitlements 5 113 111
Total Non-Current Liabilities 113 111
TOTAL LIABILITIES 230 211
EQUITY
Accumulated surplus 6 165 112
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 395 323
Notes 1-9 form an integral part of these accounts.
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STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2000
1999-00
Note $'000
Inflows
(Outflows)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Payments
Payments to creditors, other suppliers and employees (1,412)
Receipts
Contributions 782
Other 627
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities 7(b) (3)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Receipts from disposal of assets ....
Payments for purchase of non-current assets ....
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities 0
Net increase (decrease) in cash held (3)
Cash at the beginning of the year 323
CASH AT THE END OF THE YEAR 3 & 7(a) 320
Notes 1-9 form an integral part of these accounts.
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annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(a) Basis of Accounting
The Forest Practices Board of Tasmania is a body corporate, established by the Forest PracticesAct 1985. The financial statements have been prepared on an accrual accounting basis inaccordance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards and all relevant legislation.
The accounts are drawn up in accordance with the convention of historical costs, and thereforedo not reflect changes in the purchase power of money or current valuations of non-monetaryassets, except where otherwise stated.
(b) Operations of the Board
The role of the Forest Practices Board is to advance the objective of the State’s forest practicessystem and to foster a cooperative approach towards policy development and management.The Board facilitates self-regulation through the training and oversight of the work done byForest Practices Officers employed within the forestry sector. This is underpinned by researchand advisory services that promote continuing improvement. The Board also independentlymonitors, enforces and reports to Parliament on the standards achieved and on the degree ofcompliance with the Forest Practices Code and Forest Practices Act 1985.
(c) Statutory Matters
Under the requirements of the Forest Practices Act Amendment 1999 the Board is required for thefirst time to produce accrual financial statements, starting from 1 July 1999.
(d) Valuation of Non-Current Assets
Non-Current Assets are recorded at their historical costs. In accordance with Treasurer’sInstructions the asset capitalisation threshold adopted by the Board is $5,000. Assets valuedat less than $5,000 are charged to the operating statement in the year of purchase.
(e) Depreciation on Non-Current Assets
All non-current assets having a limited useful life are systematically depreciated over theiruseful lives in a manner that reflects the consumption of their service potential.
(f) Employee Entitlements
Employee entitlements include entitlements to wages and salaries, annual leave, sick leave,long service leave and superannuation benefits.
Liabilities for wages and salaries and annual leave are recognised, and are measured as theamount unpaid at the reporting date at current pay rates in respect of employees’ services upto that date. The liability for sick leave is not material and has not been recognised.
A liability for long service leave is recognised, and is measured as the present value of expectedfuture payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reportingdate. Consideration is given, when assessing expected future payments, to expected futurewage and salary levels plus on costs, experience of employee departures and periods ofservice. On-costs include payroll tax and employer superannuation contributions and excludeworkers’ compensation premiums and fringe benefits tax. Expected future payments arediscounted using interest rates attaching, as at the reporting date, to Commonwealth
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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Government guaranteed securities with terms to maturity that match, as closely as possible,the estimated future cash outflows.
A superannuation provision is maintained in the Special Deposits and Trust Fund for allpublic sector entities. During the reporting period, the Board paid to the provision, eleven (11)per cent of salary in respect of contributory members and the appropriate SuperannuationGuarantee Charge in respect of non-contributors. Under these arrangements the Board hasno further superannuation liability for the past service of its employees.
(g) Comparative Figures
As this is the first year that the Board has been required to produce accrual financial statementscomparative figures are limited to reporting for 1998-99 the cash balance and employeeentitlements in the Statement of Financial Position. No other comparatives are provided inthis report but will be provided in future years reports.
2. FUNDING OF THE BOARD’S OPERATIONS
The functions of the Board can be divided into two main areas, namely:
• Self-funding Activities
These activities comprise the Research and Advisory program which is supported by industryfunding and other individual projects supported by either industry funding, Commonwealthgrants, or RFA funding.
The Board reports in accordance with Section 4E(1)(a) that the forest practices system in 1999-00 satisfied the principle of self-funding. The Board notes with pleasure that negotiationswith the private sector have resulted in voluntary agreement on equitable and securearrangements for funding.
• Independent Regulation Activities
These activities are primarily supported by State Government funding. On an accrual basisthere was a $7,000 deficit in funding for these activities during 1999-00.
To reflect these separate activities an additional operating statement has been prepared which breaksup the operating revenue and operating expenditure between each of the activities.
From 1 July 1999 the Board’s financial services have been provided by the Department of Infrastructure,Energy and Resources. The Board’s funds are separately accounted for within the Department’soperating account which is held with the Department of Treasury and Finance. The balance of theBoard’s funds held within this account as at 30 June 2000 was:
In accordance with the capitalisation threshold adopted the Board does not have any assets valued atover $5,000 to report on.
5. EMPLOYEE ENTITLEMENTS2000 1999$’000 $’000
Accrued Salaries 26 14Provision for Annual Leave 61 67Provision for Long Service Leave 133 130
Total 220 211
Classified as:
Current 107 100Non-current 113 111
220 211
6. EQUITY
Equity represents the residual interest in the net assets of the Board.
Changes during the 1999-00 financial year include an operating surplus from operations totalling$53,000.
2000 1999$’000 $,000
Balance at the beginning of the period 112 n/aOperating surplus/(deficit) from operations 53 n/aBalance at the end of the period 165 112
7. CASH FLOWS
(a) Reconciliation of Cash
For the purposes of the Statement of Cash Flows, the Forest Practices Board considers cash toinclude cash held on its behalf within the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and ResourcesOperating Account. Cash at the end of the financial year as shown in the Statement of Cash Flows isreconciled to the related items in the Statement of Financial Position as follows:
2000 1999$’000 $,000
Operating Account balance 320 323
annual report 1999–2000Forest Practices Board
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(b) Reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to Operating Surplus
2000$’000
Net cash flows from operating activities (3)
(Increase)/Decrease in employee entitlements (9)(Increase)/Decrease in creditors and accruedexpenses
(10)
Increase/(Decrease) in receivables 75
Operating Surplus/(Deficit) 53
(c) Tax Status
The activities of the Forest Practices Board are exempt from taxation, including an exemptionfrom sales tax under Item 74 in the First Schedule to the Sales Tax (Exemptions and Classifications)Act. From 2000-01 the Board will be subjects to the requirements under the Goods and Services Taxregime.
(d) Credit Arrangements
The Forest Practices Board does not have any credit stand-by arrangements or loan facilities.
8. ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS DISCLOSURES
8.1 Interest Rate Risk Exposures
There was no interest rate applicable on Forest Practices Board balances held within the Departmentof Infrastructure, Energy and Resources Operating Account for the year ended 30 June 2000. Exposureto interest rate and credit risks is considered to be minimal.
8.2 Credit Risk Exposures
Credit risk represents the loss that would be recognised if counterparties failed to perform as contracted.
The credit risk on financial assets, excluding investments, of the Forest Practices Board which havebeen recognised on the balance sheet, is the carrying amount, net of any provision for doubtful debts.
The Forest Practices Board extends 30 day credit terms for sundry receivables, and receives standardcommercial credit terms for sundry creditors.
The Forest Practices Board is not materially exposed to any individual overseas country or individualcustomer.
8.3 Net Fair Values of Financial Assets and Liabilities
The carrying amount of operating account balances, receivables and prepayments, creditors andprovisions for employees’ entitlements approximates the net fair value because of the short term tomaturity.
Future lease payments, rentals and commitments not provided in these statementsinclude:
1999-00 1998-99 $’000 $’000
Not later than 1 year 93 n/a Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years 22 n/a Later than 5 years … n/a
115 N/a
The Forest Practices Board leases are represented by land and building rental costs and vehicle leasecosts.
Contingent rental costs relate to the land and building leases, and in the main comprise local governmentcharges and the periodic escalation of leases by the Consumer Price Index.
Since Contingent rentals cannot be reliably determined, they have been excluded in the calculations ofTotal Lease Commitments. There is no difference between the value of minimum lease payments andthe value of Total Lease Commitments.
The Board does not have any purchase rights flowing from the lease of the land and buildings.
The minimum lease payment for vehicles is based on the average age of the vehicle fleet and a standardlease period of 24 months.
Comparative figures for 1998-99 are not available due to 1999-00 being the first accrual report requiredto be prepared by the Board and it also being the first year of application of the revised standard AAS17 - Leases.
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Appendix 1(a)
Publications and reports by staff or associates of the Board *
Bonham, K. (2000). Assessment of the impacts of forest practices (clearfell and thinning) on terrestrialsnails; a long term monitoring project. Initial report to Forest Practices Board.
Craven, B., Duncan, F. and Miller, G. (2000). Grasslands and grassy woodlands of significance in MerseyDistrict, Forestry Tasmania. Report to Mersey District of Forestry Tasmania.
Doran, N.E., Kiernan, K., Swain, R. and Richardson, A.M.M. (1999). Hickmania troglodytes, the Tasmaniancave spider, and its potential role in cave management. Journal of Insect Conservation 3: 257-262.
Duhig,N., Munks,S., Wapstra,M. and Taylor,R (2000). Mortality rates of retained habitat trees in State forestcoupes: a long-term monitoring project. Report to Forestry Tasmania and Forest Practices Board.
Forest Practices Board (2000). Threatened Fauna Adviser (revised). Expert System Program.Forest Practices Board (2000). Threatened Fauna Manual for Production Forests in Tasmania (third edition),
Hobart.Forghani, A. and Gaughwin, D., 2000. Identification of a Road Network in an Archaeological Site Using an
Integrated GIS and RS Technique. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on GeospatialInformation Agriculture and Forestry Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA, 10-12 January 2000, pp. 1-6.
Gaughwin, D. 1999. Species trials and arboreta in Tasmania. In: Dargavel, J & B. Libbis (eds) Australia’sEver Changing Forests. Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Australian Forest History. Pp329-341.Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University and theAustralian Forest History Society Inc, Canberra
Hickey, J.E. and Wilkinson, G.R. (1999). Long-term regeneration trends from a silvicultural systems trialin lowland cool temperate rainforest in Tasmania. Tasforests 11:1-22.
Hickey, J.E. and Wilkinson, G.R. (1999). The development and current implementation of silviculturalpractices in native forests in Tasmania. Aust. For. 62:245-254.
Hopkins, K. (2000). Description, distribution and management of Eucalyptus radiata. Report to MerseyDistrict of Forestry Tasmania.
McIntosh, P.D. and Bunce, S. (2000). Preliminary investigation of long-term recovery of minor streamsafter logging. Pp. 17-19 in: “Current activities in Tasmanian Soil Science”; Workshop, Tasmanian SoilsTechnical Working Group, Proceedings, 25 July 2000 (B. Cotching, editor). DPIWE, Launceston.
Meggs, J.M. and Munks, S.A. (1999). Conservation management of three threatened species of stag beetlein production forests in Tasmania. Society for Conservation Biology . Proceedings Abstract.
Munks, S.A. (1999). Nest Use By The Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus In Teatree ScrubOn Flinders Island. Tasmanian Naturalist.
Munks, S.A. and Taylor, R.J. (1999). Conserving threatened fauna in production forests: the Tasmanianprocess. In: Nature Conservation in Production Environments: Managing the Matrix (In Press).
Neyland, M.G., Wilkinson, G.R. and Edwards, L.G. (1999). The Forestier silvicultural systems trial:Alternatives to clearfelling. Tasforests 11:35-48.
Otley H, Munks, S A, Hindell, M. (2000). Ecology of platypus in a sub-alpine Tasmania lake; activitypatterns, movements and burrows. Aust J Zool (submitted)
Richards, R (1999) Occurrence of Hoplogonus bornemisszai (Bornemisszas stag beetle) and H.vanderschoori(Vanderschoors stag beetle) in priority coupes, north-east Tasmania. A report to Forestry Tasmania andthe Forest Practices Board.
Wilkinson, G.R. (1999). Codes of forest practice as regulatory tools for sustainable forest management.In: Ellis R.C. and Smethurst P.J. (Eds), Practising Forestry Today, Proceedings of the 18th BiennialConference of the Institute of Foresters of Australia, Hobart, Tasmania, 3-8 October 1999, pp. 43-60.
Wilkinson, G.R. (1999). Implementing a code of forest practice – the Tasmanian experience. In: SairusiBulai, Tang Hon Tat, Kanawi Pouru and Bernadette Masianini (Eds), Proceedings of RegionalConsultation on Implementation of Codes of Logging Practice and Directions for the Future, 12-16 July,1999, Port Vila, Vanuatu, pp.192-200.
Wilkinson, G.R. (2000). Trends in forest practices – north-west America. IFA Newsletter 41(1) 13-15.
(* staff or associates of the Board are indicated in bold type)
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Appendix 1(b)
Major reference documents related to forest practices
TITLE PUBLISHEDAn Atlas of Tasmanian Karst 1995Fauna Conservation in Production Forests in Tasmania 1991Forest Practices Act 1985 (as amended 1994, 1998, 1999) 1985Forest Practices Code 1993 1993Forest Practices Fauna Manual 1990Forest Practices Archaeology Manual 1991Forest Practices Soils Conservation Manual 1993Forest Practices Geomorphology Manual 1990Forest Practices Botany Manuals 1991-95Forest Soils of Tasmania 1996Threatened Fauna Manual for Production Forests in Tasmania 1998A Manual for Forest Landscape Management 1990Native Forest Silviculture Technical Bulletin series 1990-1999Rehabilitation Guidelines for Forest Construction 1990