NATIVE FOREST — LOGGING
1203. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the minister representing the
Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the minister's
response to the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs on
petition 052 on the native logging ban, in which the minister stated that since
the last forest management plan, there had been a significant reduction in the
predicted tonnes per hectare of jarrah sawlog.
(1) Can the minister table the data that supports
these predictions and advise when he first received this advice?
(2) Can the
minister advise of any high-volume coupes, such as Barrabup, Lewin and
Channybearup, that were approved for harvesting but not proceeded with to avoid
confrontation with environmentalists?
(3) Are the minister's statements to the
committee consistent with the government's 2019 commitments under
the extended regional forest agreement?
Hon DARREN
WEST replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the minister representing the
Minister for Forestry I provide the following answer.
(1) The Forest Products Commission and the forest
industry have been aware for some years that the yield of sawlog from coupes has been declining. I am
advised that this issue was highlighted in the process for the mandatory
tender briefings in October 2013 for the 2014–23 forest management
plan. Additionally, this issue was also raised in the 2019 Conservation and
Parks Commission's Mid-term review of performance of the Forest
Management Plan 2014–23.
(2) It is unclear what is meant by ''high-volume
coupes''; these coupes have the same volume per hectare as other coupes.
In respect of the coupes identified in the question, Barrabup 0317 is scheduled
for a fuel reduction burn this year and will not be available for harvest. The
Lewin coupes are karri two-tier coupes that contain large old karri trees that
were removed from harvesting on 8 September 2021 when the government made the
announcement to cease logging of our native forests. Channybearup 02 coupe is
currently being harvested.
(3) Yes.