Forestry Policy

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30795, 6 July 1965, Page 14

Forestry Policy

» * * If the Forests Amendment Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives last week, becomes law, a State forest can be declared a State forest park. There will then be three enactments aiming at much the same object—access by the public to specified State forests or parts of specified State forests. In chronological order, these enactments are the National Parks Act, the Reserves and Domains Act, and the Forests Amendment Act (if the present bill becomes law). To the great majority of trampers, hunters, skiers, and picknickers, it matters not a whit whether the “ patch of bush ” they are enjoying is a national park, a scenic reserve, or a forest park; but legislation in triplicate can hardly be good legislation. Provision for the new State forest parks comprises the greater part of the bill. Opportunity has also been taken to amend the principal act (the Forests Act, 1949) in several minor respects and in one important respect. The principal act empowers the Minister of Forests to grant licences, leases, permits, “ and other rights and authorities in respect of “ any State forest land ”, These grants, at present subject to the Tenancy Act, are henceforth to be subject also “to any working plan for the State “ forest land that is affected ”. Provision for working plans to be drawn up for all State forest land is contained in the principal act (and, in this amendment, for the new State forest parks). The working plans are drawn up by the Director-General of Forests and, though subject initially to the approval of the Minister, cannot be altered “save by the “Minister on the recommendation of the Director- “ General”. The working plan for a State forest specifies the annual cut or the total area to be worked during the term of each plan, which may be up to 20 years. But the old act did not require the Minister to have regard to the working plan in granting a licence to a sawmiller to take timber from a State forest. The present Director-General (Mr A. L. Poole), in recent annual reports, has expressed concern at the rapid depletion of stands of native timber. Having failed to persuade the Government to increase substantially the stumpage rates charged sawmillers, he may have convinced his Minister (Mr Gerard) of the need to limit the area to be cut when milling rights are sold. If this is the purpose of this amendment, it is commendable; but if the effect of the amendment were to enable the Minister to blame his Director-General when millers complain of a reduction in their leases, that would be deplorable.