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Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...

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VI<br />

within the NSW forest agreements. There were also a number <strong>of</strong> significant achievements this year.<br />

Some <strong>of</strong> this year’s highlights are described below.<br />

Private native forestry<br />

The Private Native Forestry Code <strong>of</strong> Practice (the Code) came into effect on 1 August <strong>2007</strong> under the<br />

Native Vegetation Act 2003. With the introduction <strong>of</strong> the Code, all harvesting <strong>of</strong> native timber for the<br />

purposes <strong>of</strong> private native forestry requires:<br />

approval through a property vegetation plan (which can last for up to 15 years), or<br />

an existing consent under the Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 or the Soil Conservation<br />

Act 1938, or<br />

consent under the Native Vegetation Act 2003.<br />

The Code requires that private forestry operations improve or maintain environmental outcomes by<br />

protecting l<strong>and</strong>scape features such as old growth forests, rainforests, steep l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> drainage features.<br />

Site-specific biodiversity <strong>and</strong> habitat features are also protected through compulsory retention <strong>of</strong> hollow<br />

bearing <strong>and</strong> feed trees, <strong>and</strong> by limiting harvesting techniques.<br />

Conservation reserve management <strong>and</strong> additions<br />

The total number <strong>of</strong> reserves since the last reporting period increased. Additions to the DECC reserve<br />

system for <strong>2007</strong>–<strong>2008</strong> included new areas resulting from the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy (National<br />

Park Estate (Lower Hunter Region Reservations) Act 2006.<br />

Joint strategy to facilitate an employment <strong>and</strong> development program for Aboriginal people<br />

In <strong>2007</strong>–<strong>2008</strong>, 8% <strong>of</strong> the DECC workforce were Aboriginal people. This represents a total <strong>of</strong> around<br />

300 people. Aboriginal employment in DECC is above the NSW Government benchmark <strong>of</strong> 2%.<br />

In <strong>2008</strong>, DECC established an additional seven Aboriginal cadetships, making a total <strong>of</strong> 17 Aboriginal<br />

cadetships in the agency. In <strong>2007</strong>–<strong>2008</strong>, 5% <strong>of</strong> the Forests NSW workforce were Aboriginal people,<br />

which is not significantly different to the previous period.<br />

Reduced direct <strong>and</strong> indirect employment in the forest sector<br />

The estimated total direct <strong>and</strong> indirect employment in the forest sector, by Forests NSW, totalled<br />

5 493 equivalent full-time (EFT) positions across all FA regions for <strong>2007</strong>–<strong>2008</strong>. This was a reduction <strong>of</strong><br />

477 from the previous reporting period (2006–<strong>2007</strong>) 1 .<br />

A key reason for the drop was a continuing trend <strong>of</strong> rationalising businesses in the regions. This may<br />

have been compounded by the affects <strong>of</strong> drought conditions that proceeded this period over a large<br />

area.<br />

1 These figures are estimates rather than census or survey data.<br />

NSW FOREST AGREEMENTS AND INTEGRATED FORESTRY OPERATIONS APPROVALS

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