Australia Yearbook - 2001

658 Year Book Australia 2001
the NFI was released in December 1998. This
comprehensive publication includes a description
of the public, private, native and plantation forest
resource, forest use and management, and
examination of the social forces framing public
opinion on these issues. Information from the
NFI is used to meet Australia’s national and
international forest-related reporting
requirements.
National Plantation Inventory (NPI)
The NPI describes in detail Australia’s plantation
resource in terms of location, species and
planting date, and forecasts regional and national
wood flows. In 1999 the NPI established a process
for the annual collection and reporting of
Australia’s plantation estate involving key regional
committees, State agencies and growers. Annual
figures will be updated and released each March.
A comprehensive report, including woodflows
along the lines of the 1997 report, will be
published five yearly, with the next report due
in 2000.
National Farm Forest Inventory (NFFI)
A National Farm Forest Inventory has been
established, as a component of the NPI, to
facilitate the collection and capture of data on the
farm forest plantation resource. In 2000 the NFFI
is undertaking a comprehensive review of
Australia’s farm forest resource to provide a
comprehensive picture of Australia’s plantation
resources.
Tropical timber
In June 1992 the Commonwealth Government
announced its International Tropical Forest
Conservation and Sustainable Land Use Policy. A
key aspect of the policy is a commitment to the
year 2000 target set by the International Tropical
Timber Organisation (ITTO), by which date all
tropical timber products entering international
trade should be derived from sustainably
managed forests. Other aspects of the policy
include support for the conservation of
biodiversity, reafforestation through agroforestry
and plantations, and the provision of technical
and scientific assistance to other countries,
largely in the Asia-Pacific region, to promote
better forest management practices.
Pulp mill guidelines
In December 1989, the Commonwealth
established environmental guidelines for the
development of new bleached eucalypt kraft pulp
mills. To ensure that the guidelines remain
current with international developments in
pulping and bleaching technologies, the
Government also announced in December 1989
the establishment of a National Pulp Mills
Research Program (NPMRP). The NPMRP is a
cooperative venture involving the
Commonwealth Government and State
Governments, community interest groups,
industry and the Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The
Commonwealth has released a set of guidelines
based on recent international research under the
Pulp and Paper Research Program and recent
international developments in the wood pulping
industry.
Forest and Wood Products Research and
Development Corporation
The Forest and Wood Products Research and
Development Corporation was established in
1994 as a key initiative under the National Forest
Policy Statement, to assist the forest industries to
improve their international competitiveness and
to realise their growth potential. The Corporation
is jointly funded by industry and the
Commonwealth.
First Approximation Report of the
‘Montreal Process’ Working Group
In June 1997, Australia released its First
Approximation Report on Criteria and Indicators
for the Conservation and Sustainable
Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
(the ‘Montreal Process’). This was the first time
Australia had attempted to report against the
seven criteria and 67 indicators of sustainable
forest management agreed by the Montreal
Process Working Group in 1995. Data for the
report were drawn from the National Forest
Inventory as well as Commonwealth, State and
Territory agencies.
Framework of regional criteria and
indicators
The Commonwealth Government and the State
Governments, with input from other
stakeholders, have developed a framework of
regional criteria and indicators for assessing
sustainable forest management in the RFA
process. The framework is based on the
internationally agreed Montreal Process criteria
and indicators. The development and use of
indicators will be an evolving process that will be
reviewed and adjusted as appropriate to reflect
new research findings, advances in technology,
changes in community values, and developments
in sustainable forest management practices.