What are Forest Agreements?

The aim of the NSW Government's forest policy since 1995 has been to secure a balanced outcome in the forest regions, an outcome which takes into account conservation issues as well as economic and social issues. The Government has been working towards the development of both a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) reserve system of forests and an ecologically sustainable, value-added and secure native forest timber industry.

Following on from the introduction of the Forestry and National Park Estate Act 1998 (contained in 2 downloadable PDF files: Table of Contents (13k PDF) and the Act (190k PDF) itself), forest agreements were prepared for the Eden, Lower North East and Upper North East regions of New South Wales. These agreements set out the principles and framework for the cooperative management of all forests in the regions. An agreement can only be made for regions which have undergone regional forest assessments (including comprehensive regional assessments).

A forest agreement must contain provisions that promote ecologically sustainable forest management, sustainable timber supply, community consultation on forestry operations and arrangements concerning native title rights and interests or land claims, as well as other provisions the Ministers consider appropriate. Forest agreements must refer to any associated Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (IFOA) that has been or will be granted in association with the agreement.

The Resource and Conservation Assessment Council must have conducted a regional forest assessment before a Forest Agreement can be made. These assessments must include environment and heritage values (including Aboriginal heritage), economic and social values, ecologically sustainable forest management and timber resources.

NSW Forest Agreements are the final outcome of a process of consultation and consensus established between the NSW Government and major forest stakeholders. By detailing the agreed basis for long-term decisions on forest use and management, they provide certainty for industry, conservation and the community and will deliver on the Government's forest policy:

• to protect environmental values in a world class system of national parks and other reserves;
• to encourage the creation of strong and competitive ecologically sustainable forest industries;
• to manage all native forests in an ecologically sustainable way.

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Resource and Conservation Assessment Council (RACAC)
June 1995 - Dec 2003

RACAC presided over the NSW Forest Agreements program
from June 1995 to December 2003.

For continuity this site remains under the name RACAC.
However, project management and monitoring of the
NSW Forest Agreements are now provided by the Resource
and Conservation Unit of the NSW Department of Environment
and Climate Change.