❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the Forest Products Commission's sandalwood management costs and sustainability claims, questioning high management costs relative to profit and the lack of a current management plan. The Minister responds by detailing cost components and referencing existing management programs.
AnsweredQoN 1063Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Further to question without notice 844 and question on notice 2479, given that the Department of Conservation and Land Management is responsible for the management of sandalwood on CALM estate, such as timber reserves and conservation reserves, and on private property, and carries out licensing as part of its responsibility to manage sandalwood as a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950, will the minister provide details of the expenditure on management by the Forest Products Commission to show why it took - (a) management costs of $7.05 million to generate a profit of $2.969 million in 2001-02; (b) management costs of $8.371 million to generate a profit of $2.198 million in 2002-03; and (c) management costs of $8.53 million to generate a profit of $2.326 million in 2003-04? (2) On what basis does the FPC make the claim that current pulling of sandalwood is sustainable, especially as there is no current management plan? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Chrissy Sharp for some notice of this question. (1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(b) management costs of $8.371 million to generate a profit of $2.198 million in 2002-03; and (c) management costs of $8.53 million to generate a profit of $2.326 million in 2003-04?
(c) management costs of $8.53 million to generate a profit of $2.326 million in 2003-04?
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Chrissy Sharp for some notice of this question. (1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
I thank Hon Chrissy Sharp for some notice of this question. (1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(b) management costs of $8.371 million to generate a profit of $2.198 million in 2002-03; and (c) management costs of $8.53 million to generate a profit of $2.326 million in 2003-04?
(c) management costs of $8.53 million to generate a profit of $2.326 million in 2003-04?
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank Hon Chrissy Sharp for some notice of this question. (1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
I thank Hon Chrissy Sharp for some notice of this question. (1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(1) The Forest Products Commission’s sandalwood management costs are related directly or indirectly to its sandalwood harvesting operations and include production, cartage, processing, marketing, regeneration, supervision, administration, inventory and research. (2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
(2) As also indicated in the response to question on notice 2479, there is currently no statutory basis for management plans related to management of specific species of flora or fauna. Annual harvest level is maintained within the criteria set out in CALM’s 1991 wildlife management program “The Management of Sandalwood”. In addition, the Forest Products Commission has significantly improved its utilisation standards through the harvest of roots so that a correspondingly lower number of trees are harvested to produce the annual harvest level. To further enhance sustainability, the Forest Products Commission is researching and implementing improved regeneration and inventory techniques. I would be pleased to arrange a briefing for the honourable member on the research that is being done.
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