❓ A parliamentary question seeks clarification on the existence, location, and legal protection of forests within Forest Conservation Areas in Western Australia, and the process for designating such areas. The answer clarifies the process for classifying forest as a conservation area and the legal protections against logging, while also mentioning mining impact assessment.
AnsweredQoN 606Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is there any forest formally in Forest Conservation Areas?
(2) If yes, how much and in what locations?
(3) If not, what steps need to be taken before forest will be placed in forest conservation areas?
(4) Does forest in Forest Conservation Areas have any legal protection from logging and mining?
(5) If yes, what is this protection?
(2) If yes, how much and in what locations?
(3) If not, what steps need to be taken before forest will be placed in forest conservation areas?
(4) Does forest in Forest Conservation Areas have any legal protection from logging and mining?
(5) If yes, what is this protection?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 June 2002
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
42 days
(2) Not applicable. (3) Under section 62(1)(da) of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (the CALM Act) forest on land vested in the Conservation Commission can be classified by the Minister as a forest conservation area on the recommendation of the Conservation Commission provided that the classification is in conformity with the objectives of management plans for the land or any management plan for the land. (4) - (5) Commercial harvesting of timber, or logging, will not be permitted in areas of forest classified as forest conservation area. It is an offence under section 103(1) of the CALM Act to log forest vested in the Conservation Commission without lawful authority. Sections 103(2a) and (2b) of the CALM Act place restrictions on the grant of a lawful authority to log in a forest conservation area. Under the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia (the RFA), areas classified as forest conservation area are included in the meaning of 'formal reserve' and are therefore also included in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (the CAR) Reserve System. The RFA commits the State to ensure that proposed mining operations and related infrastructure in the CAR Reserve System will be referred for environmental impact assessment procedures under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 .
(3) Under section 62(1)(da) of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (the CALM Act) forest on land vested in the Conservation Commission can be classified by the Minister as a forest conservation area on the recommendation of the Conservation Commission provided that the classification is in conformity with the objectives of management plans for the land or any management plan for the land. (4) - (5) Commercial harvesting of timber, or logging, will not be permitted in areas of forest classified as forest conservation area. It is an offence under section 103(1) of the CALM Act to log forest vested in the Conservation Commission without lawful authority. Sections 103(2a) and (2b) of the CALM Act place restrictions on the grant of a lawful authority to log in a forest conservation area. Under the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia (the RFA), areas classified as forest conservation area are included in the meaning of 'formal reserve' and are therefore also included in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (the CAR) Reserve System. The RFA commits the State to ensure that proposed mining operations and related infrastructure in the CAR Reserve System will be referred for environmental impact assessment procedures under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 .
(4) - (5) Commercial harvesting of timber, or logging, will not be permitted in areas of forest classified as forest conservation area. It is an offence under section 103(1) of the CALM Act to log forest vested in the Conservation Commission without lawful authority. Sections 103(2a) and (2b) of the CALM Act place restrictions on the grant of a lawful authority to log in a forest conservation area. Under the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia (the RFA), areas classified as forest conservation area are included in the meaning of 'formal reserve' and are therefore also included in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (the CAR) Reserve System. The RFA commits the State to ensure that proposed mining operations and related infrastructure in the CAR Reserve System will be referred for environmental impact assessment procedures under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 .
(3) Under section 62(1)(da) of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (the CALM Act) forest on land vested in the Conservation Commission can be classified by the Minister as a forest conservation area on the recommendation of the Conservation Commission provided that the classification is in conformity with the objectives of management plans for the land or any management plan for the land. (4) - (5) Commercial harvesting of timber, or logging, will not be permitted in areas of forest classified as forest conservation area. It is an offence under section 103(1) of the CALM Act to log forest vested in the Conservation Commission without lawful authority. Sections 103(2a) and (2b) of the CALM Act place restrictions on the grant of a lawful authority to log in a forest conservation area. Under the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia (the RFA), areas classified as forest conservation area are included in the meaning of 'formal reserve' and are therefore also included in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (the CAR) Reserve System. The RFA commits the State to ensure that proposed mining operations and related infrastructure in the CAR Reserve System will be referred for environmental impact assessment procedures under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 .
(4) - (5) Commercial harvesting of timber, or logging, will not be permitted in areas of forest classified as forest conservation area. It is an offence under section 103(1) of the CALM Act to log forest vested in the Conservation Commission without lawful authority. Sections 103(2a) and (2b) of the CALM Act place restrictions on the grant of a lawful authority to log in a forest conservation area. Under the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia (the RFA), areas classified as forest conservation area are included in the meaning of 'formal reserve' and are therefore also included in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (the CAR) Reserve System. The RFA commits the State to ensure that proposed mining operations and related infrastructure in the CAR Reserve System will be referred for environmental impact assessment procedures under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 .
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