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