Hon Steve Martin questions the Minister for Forestry regarding ecological thinning trials and timber volumes following the native logging industry closure. The Minister confirms trials and clarifies that ecological thinning prioritises forest health over timber production.

AnsweredQoN 486Legislative Council
Asked
11 May 2023
Portfolio
Forestry

QuestionView source ↗

NATIVE FOREST —
ECOLOGICAL THINNING
486. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the uncertainty for
timber contractors around future ecological thinning practices as a result of
the McGowan government's closure of the native logging industry.
(1) Has the
Forest Products Commission undertaken trials of ecological thinning to inform
the next forest management plan?
(2) If trials
have been conducted, what did those trials indicate about the volumes of timber
to be produced by ecological thinning?
(3) Will industry
be informed of calculations to determine ecological thinning volumes before the
forest management plan is released?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice
of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) Volume varies by forest type,
machinery used and the silvicultural prescription applied.
(3) Under the Forest
management plan 2024–33 , the driver for ecological thinning will be
forest health, not the production of particular volumes of timber.

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