Issue No. 5 - Resource and Conservation Assessment Council - July 1997 In this number: NSW Forests What's Happening in Eden Forest Forums 24 watch on forest wildlife A comprehensive look at NEW SOUTH WALES FORESTS... Detailed assessments of the attributes and values of our forests are now underway in New South Wales. Fauna habitat are being mapped, local heritage is being identified, and the economic status and social make-up of local communities is being examined. The assessments will take into account the impact of change on the environment, the townships, their economies and their people. This issue of RACAC News looks at some of the work which has been done so far this year. ©Arthur Mostead Director of RACAC, Rex Bowen, and Chair of the Southern Regional Forest Forum, Peter Kanowski, at the first meeting of the forum held in Queanbeyan. Peter Kanowski is Professor of Forestry at ANU. The comprehensive regional assessments (CRAs) are being conducted jointly by New South Wales and the Commonwealth. Government agencies -- including the National Parks and Wildlife Service, State Forests of New South Wales, Environment Australia, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) and the Bureau of Resource Sciences (BRS) -- and consultants with a broad range of expertise are carrying out the work. The local community is also involved, both through regional forest forums as well as through volunteer work in the field (see stories inside). The technical committees established at the commencement of the CRA process are presently meeting at least once a month. The committees are conducting a large number of projects which are well underway in the regions. When these projects are completed the committees will be assessing and compiling their findings into reports for each region. Fifty three projects have so far been approved by the joint State-Commonwealth Steering Committee, including: reports on timber and other forest industries aerial photographic interpretation (API) of forest growth stages major fauna surveys history and cultural heritage assessments regional economic and social impact studies and resource data collection and analysis. Rex Bowen, Director of NSW's Resource and Conservation Division (the newly established division absorbs the former RACAC Secretariat), said the data being compiled and analysed for the CRAs is unprecedented in both its breadth and detail. "The extent of the biological, economic and social information we are gathering will ensure the RFAs are built on foundations of scientific credibility and detailed research," he said. Towards the RFAs... what happens next Integrating the assessments into forest options When the scientific assessments have been completed, a process termed "integration and options development" will take place. Using the Commonwealth/State Scoping Agreement and established criteria, the Steering Committee will define statewide objectives for the CRAs and consider regional objectives proposed by the forest forums. The Steering Committee will analyse the outcomes of the various assessments, taking into account their economic, environmental and social implications and input from Regional Forest Forums. RFA options will then be developed and compiled into a draft report which will go on public exhibition. Submissions from stakeholders and the community will be considered in the development of a preferred option which will go before the Commonwealth and State Governments for their final decision. What's Happening in Eden The Commonwealth and NSW Governments are scheduled to sign a Regional Forest Agreement for Eden in December. Before the agreement is signed, however, the comprehensive regional assessments for Eden will be completed and their outcomes compiled in a draft report which will be publicly exhibited. The community's submissions on the report will be taken into account before the State and Commonwealth Governments sign the agreement. Eden's forest surveys Local forest stakeholders are taking part in forest surveys in the south east, with volunteers on survey teams including local timber workers and farmers. Dr Jim Shields, Wildlife Manager of State Forests of NSW's Southern Region, coordinates two teams of five people surveying forests north and south of Merimbula. "The fact that people from all sectors of the community are contributing their experience and expertise makes the survey all the more worthwhile. The CRAs are all about broad stakeholder involvement and it is gratifying to see it happening at the level of raw data collection," Dr Shields said. CRA Manager with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Queanbeyan, Nic Gellie, explained the methods of data collection the teams were using. "To get a thorough understanding, we are conducting both a general survey and also a survey which targets species thought to be rare, or hard to find, or both. "These species, such as the smoky mouse, regent honeyeater and southern brown bandicoot, can require special effort to locate," Mr Gellie said. "Methods depend entirely on the type of animal which is being identified. For example, when surveying for owls we may play for a set period pre-recorded owl calls on a megaphone in the forest and wait for them to respond. For ground mammals, we may use hairtubes to catch the disitnctive hairs of the animals investigating the smell of bait." Survey teams in the Eden region have come up with new findings of threatened species, including a giant burrowing frog - which is as big as the palm of a man's hand and is covered in bright yellow spots - in the Yambulla State Forest near the Victorian border. Heritage workshops Workshops have been held throughout the Eden area to find out what the locals think about their forest heritage. Dr Sandy Blair from the Common-wealth's Environment Australia coordinated the workshops, which she said were extremely successful. "Participants (20 to 30 for each workshop) included representatives from community interest groups as well as individuals with a particular interest in or knowledge of the heritage values of the forests," Dr Blair said. "We are looking for forest places which may have special meaning to the local community. This could be for historical reasons - the remnants of an old saw mill, for example - or simply because it is a particular beauty spot or local land-mark that you return to year after year." "It's only through getting together with the community itself that we can really find out the meaningful and significant places in an area. The workshops were held in June in Bombala, Wyndham, Bemboka, Cobargo, Candelo, Bega and Eden. Social assessment workshops The first phase of the social assessment process in Eden is almost complete, with community workshops held at Bega, Eden-Merimbula, Cobargo, Wyndham, Womboyn Lake, Pambula and Bombala. In some instances, second workshops were held to present information from community participants. This information will be included in the social assessment report. Surveys of forest users were also completed by many different groups such as timber workers, contractors, State Forests and National Parks employees, beekeepers, craftwood and firewood collectors, tourist operators and people with grazing and mining permits in the region. This information will provide a good idea of the people who depend on forests for their livelihood and where they go for their community and business services. A random telephone survey about general attitudes to forest use and management issues is also being carried out. If you have been contacted as part of this phone survey, thank you for taking the time. If you are contacted in the near future, you are encouraged to participate. For all those people who have given up their valuable time and effort to participate, Sue Richards, the Commonwealth's coordinator of the workshops, along with the CRA/RFA Steering Committee, would like to give a heartfelt thank you. forest forums: making sure the CRAs are regional... The first forum meetings were held during May and June in four of the five CRA regions. These meetings saw the ground rules set for regional participation in the comprehensive regional assessments (CRAs). Made up of regional representatives with a stake in the future of the forests, the forums have been established to act as a communication channel between the community and the State/ Commonwealth Steering Committee for the CRAs. These forums will feed into the CRA process by providing a regional perspective. With the establishment of the forums, the community is now being more closely and directly involved in the decision-making process on forest issues. Nominations for regional represent-atives on the forums were sought from over twenty peak groups. This means there are now more than 80 community representatives providing input to Government decisions through the Regional Forest Forums. Forum members were briefed by NSW Director, Rex Bowen, Manager of the Resource and Conservation Division, Ian Cranwell, and NSW project leader for the Commonwealth Forests Taskforce, Richard Webb. They emphasised the critical role of the forums in the forest assessments and the need for consensus among members about their common goal: to achieve a balanced outcome which benefits all the community. The forums provide a unique opportunity for stakeholders to sit together on one table and debate regional forest issues from a range of viewpoints and to seek common ground. A steady exchange of information between the forums and the Steering Committee enables the community to be well-informed on the CRA process. It also ensures that the Steering Committee knows exactly what the community issues are in the region. The communication flow between forums and the Steering Committee is being facilitated by the newly appointed Regional Liaison Officer, Helma Brandlmaier. Helma will be based at the Resource and Conservation Division in Sydney but will be spending a good deal of her time in the regions. ---------------- Chairpersons have been appointed for the four CRA regions. They are: Upper North East - Councillor Max Boyd Lower North East - Councillor Les Brown Southern - Professor Peter Kanowski Eden - Mr Kerry Pfeiffer Newly appointed Liaison Officer for the Regional Forest Forums, Helma Brandlmaier.RACAC news Issue No. 5 24 Hour Watch on Forest Wildlife ©Stephanie Horton Seven year old Beau Horton-Hunter, son of botanist Stephanie Horton, with the Lismore muttonwood. Flora and fauna surveys in the north east and the south east forests have unearthed some unexpected findings, including one plant, the Lismore muttonwood, which was thought to be extinct. The surveys are among more than 50 projects being undertaken for the comprehensive regional assessments. Around the clock, teams of volunteers, scientists and technical staff from both State Forests of NSW and National Parks and Wildlife Service combined their knowledge and expertise to develop a systematic picture of the region's native fauna. The surveys are looking at all terrestrial vertebrates (animals with backbones that live on land) which include not only large ground and tree marsupials but also bats, frogs, snakes and birds. Some rare plants have also been the focus of botanists' searches. Director of RACAC, Rex Bowen, said the surveys were covering some previously unsurveyed areas and were using varying methods of record collection depending on the species being identified. The research and methodology has been open to the scrutiny of the scientific community as well as to stakeholders. "With these comprehensive surveys we are learning in greater detail what is out there, where it lives, and in what numbers," Rex Bowen said. "The surveys will fill in many gaps in existing data, allowing a species assessment for national parks and State forests in the north and south east of the State." "This information will be vital for the successful future management of these areas." The surveys are being conducted principally on public land. Private landholders interested in having fauna surveys on their land would be helping the survey to arrive at the most accurate picture possible. Mr Bowen said ground surveys for the CRAs would only occur with the full and voluntary agreement of owners. Private landholders wishing to participate in surveys should contact the Resource and Conservation Division on 02 9228 4153. RACAC members Mr Gerry Gleeson, Chair Mrs Gabrielle Kibble, Director-General, Department of Urban Affairs and Planning Mr Roger Wilkins, Director-General, The Cabinet Office Dr Bob Smith, Acting Director-General, Department of Land and Water Conservation Ms Robyn Kruk, Director-General, National Parks and Wildlife Service Mr David Ridley, General Manager, Forest Policy and Programs, State Forests of NSW Dr Neil Shepherd, Director-General, Environment Protection Authority Mr Alan Coutts, Department of Mineral Resources Mr Geoff Scott, Director-General, Department of Aboriginal Affairs Mr Ossie Cruse, NSW Aboriginal Land Council Mr Richard Webb, Commonwealth Representative Professor Andrew Beattie, Scientific Representative Mr Col Dorber, Industry Representative Mr Gavin Hillier, Union Representative Mr Dailan Pugh, Conservation Representative Mr Mark Blecher, Conservation Representative Dr Ian Wallace, State Minerals Advisory Council For more information RACAC News is an occasional publication. It will keep you up to date with information, including CRA progress and community participation. If you wish to be placed on the RACAC News mailing list, please call the Resource and Conservation Division on (02) 9228 4153, or write to: The Director Resource and Conservation Division Department of Urban Affairs and Planning GPO Box 3927, Sydney NSW 2001 Phone (02) 9228 3166 Fax (02) 9228 4967 DISCLAIMER Any representation, statement, opinion or advice, expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith but on the basis that the State of New South Wales, its agents and employees are not liable (whether by reason of negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any representation, statement, or advice referred to above. © Crown copyright July 1997 Resource and Conservation Assessment Council ISSN 1325-5045 July 1997
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