The Australian and Tasmanian Governments have today agreed to extend the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) for a further two decades.
Tasmania’s forests have long been the lifeblood of the state, providing jobs and economic opportunities to thousands.
However protecting the state’s unique environment has always been important to ensure that Tasmania’s forests can continue to be enjoyed by the community for generations to come.
The Tasmanian RFA strikes the right balance between economic development and environmental protection.
The agreement provides long term job security for thousands of Tasmanian families who rely on a sustainably managed forest industry for employment.
More than 3600 Tasmanians are currently employed by the forestry industry and we want to ensure it continues to create more employment opportunities for future generations.
Critically, this deal ensures the whole community can still continue to enjoy the immeasurable benefits of Tasmania’s forests.
Threatened species and the rich wilderness of Tasmanian forests continue to be protected through a comprehensive system of reserves covering more than half of Tasmania’s land area, delivering some of the highest biodiversity protection in the world.
The extended agreement will deliver a number of improvements to the RFA framework, including:
- rolling five-year extensions, subject to performance and review
- a more outcomes-focused review process—in line with international indicators and consistent with Australian and Tasmanian government State of the Forests Reports
- the inclusion of clauses on matters of national environmental significance, as defined by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).
The Turnbull and Hodgman Governments are committed to securing and creating job opportunities for all Tasmanians while ensuring the protection of the state’s rich environment.
For more information visit the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website.