❓ WA Parliamentary Question regarding compliance with the Regional Forest Agreement. The Minister confirms improvements to forest management and reviews related to competition principles have been undertaken.
AnsweredQoN 5348Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to clause 95 of the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of Western Australia, and I ask -
(1) Pursuant to clause 95(b), have improvements been made to Western Australia's Forest Management system including audits as outlined in clause 42?
(2) If yes to (1), please provide full details?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) If no to (1), when will this requirement be fully implemented? Please provide full details.
(5) Pursuant to clause 95(c), have reviews been undertaken in accordance with the Competition Principles Agreement outlined in clause 87?
(6) If yes to (5), will the Minister please provide full details?
(7) If no to (5), why not?
(8) If no to (5), when will this requirement be fully implemented? Please provide full details.
(1) Pursuant to clause 95(b), have improvements been made to Western Australia's Forest Management system including audits as outlined in clause 42?
(2) If yes to (1), please provide full details?
(3) If no to (1), why not?
(4) If no to (1), when will this requirement be fully implemented? Please provide full details.
(5) Pursuant to clause 95(c), have reviews been undertaken in accordance with the Competition Principles Agreement outlined in clause 87?
(6) If yes to (5), will the Minister please provide full details?
(7) If no to (5), why not?
(8) If no to (5), when will this requirement be fully implemented? Please provide full details.
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
15 May 2012
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Forestry
Response time
56 days
(1) Yes.
(2) The Forest Products Commission (FPC) has had an internationally accredited (ISO 14001) and externally audited environmental management system (EMS) covering the majority of its operations since July 2001. The EMS is compliant with the key principles of an outlined in Attachment 13 of the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of WA.
In July 2007 FPC demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement by extending the scope of its EMS certification from the Operations Division to the entire organisation.
FPC has also been certified to the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (AS 4708) since August 2008. This independent, third-party certification demonstrates that wood production is managed in accordance with a set of clearly defined environmental, economic, social and cultural performance indicators.
To maintain certification, the FPC is subject to a regular program of internal audits, in addition to being externally audited against both standards by our certification body on a nine-month rotation. These audits (as per the standards) review FPC's compliance with the Forest Management Plan (FMP) and with 'legal and other requirements', including legislative requirements and any codes of practice, manuals and standards that the FPC subscribes to.
Audits of the FPC's compliance with the FMP are also undertaken by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Conservation Commission of Western Australia.
(3)-(4) Not applicable.
(5) Yes.
(6) Following is a brief summary of the reviews that have been undertaken:
1. Legislative Review - Conservation and Land Management Amendment (CALM) Act 2000 and Forest Products Act 2000
This review was completed by Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd (ERM) in November 2000, shortly before the CALM Act Amendment Bill and the Forest Products Bill were enacted.
The review identified eight possible restrictions to competition, three in the
CALM Act
and five in the
Forest Products Act.
All restrictions were found to be in the public interest.
2. Competitive Neutrality Review- Native Forest Operations
The Competitive Neutrality Review Of Native Forest Operations was also conducted by ERM and was completed in December 2001.
This review identified two competitive advantages and four competitive disadvantages for the FPC's native forest operations by virtue of its Government ownership. In fact, it identified a net disadvantage to the Commission. However, it concluded that the disadvantage was small in comparison to revenues, would have a small impact on Commission costs, and therefore on the prices of forest products, and that
"removal of these particular competitive advantages and disadvantages may therefore give rise to a public cost without any commensurate benefit".
As a result the recommendation was
"that competitive neutrality not be applied to the Commission's native forest operations in so far as this would involve removing or negating the competitive advantages and disadvantages identified in this review".
3. Competitive Neutrality Review- Plantation Operations
The Competitive Neutrality Review Of Plantation Operations was completed in December 1999 by Forestry Pacific Pty Ltd (FORPAC) as part of its wider review of what were then Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Plantations Business Unit activities.
The review identified a number of competitive advantages and disadvantages of varying levels of importance, that applied to plantation operations, and made several recommendations with regard to reform mechanisms, including commercialisation, corporatisation, or privatisation.
Commercialisation, through the establishment of the FPC, together with other steps taken since the review, has addressed the major issues raised in the review.
(7)-(8) Not applicable.
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(2) The Forest Products Commission (FPC) has had an internationally accredited (ISO 14001) and externally audited environmental management system (EMS) covering the majority of its operations since July 2001. The EMS is compliant with the key principles of an outlined in Attachment 13 of the Regional Forest Agreement for the South-West Forest Region of WA.
In July 2007 FPC demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement by extending the scope of its EMS certification from the Operations Division to the entire organisation.
FPC has also been certified to the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (AS 4708) since August 2008. This independent, third-party certification demonstrates that wood production is managed in accordance with a set of clearly defined environmental, economic, social and cultural performance indicators.
To maintain certification, the FPC is subject to a regular program of internal audits, in addition to being externally audited against both standards by our certification body on a nine-month rotation. These audits (as per the standards) review FPC's compliance with the Forest Management Plan (FMP) and with 'legal and other requirements', including legislative requirements and any codes of practice, manuals and standards that the FPC subscribes to.
Audits of the FPC's compliance with the FMP are also undertaken by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Conservation Commission of Western Australia.
(3)-(4) Not applicable.
(5) Yes.
(6) Following is a brief summary of the reviews that have been undertaken:
1. Legislative Review - Conservation and Land Management Amendment (CALM) Act 2000 and Forest Products Act 2000
This review was completed by Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd (ERM) in November 2000, shortly before the CALM Act Amendment Bill and the Forest Products Bill were enacted.
The review identified eight possible restrictions to competition, three in the
CALM Act
and five in the
Forest Products Act.
All restrictions were found to be in the public interest.
2. Competitive Neutrality Review- Native Forest Operations
The Competitive Neutrality Review Of Native Forest Operations was also conducted by ERM and was completed in December 2001.
This review identified two competitive advantages and four competitive disadvantages for the FPC's native forest operations by virtue of its Government ownership. In fact, it identified a net disadvantage to the Commission. However, it concluded that the disadvantage was small in comparison to revenues, would have a small impact on Commission costs, and therefore on the prices of forest products, and that
"removal of these particular competitive advantages and disadvantages may therefore give rise to a public cost without any commensurate benefit".
As a result the recommendation was
"that competitive neutrality not be applied to the Commission's native forest operations in so far as this would involve removing or negating the competitive advantages and disadvantages identified in this review".
3. Competitive Neutrality Review- Plantation Operations
The Competitive Neutrality Review Of Plantation Operations was completed in December 1999 by Forestry Pacific Pty Ltd (FORPAC) as part of its wider review of what were then Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Plantations Business Unit activities.
The review identified a number of competitive advantages and disadvantages of varying levels of importance, that applied to plantation operations, and made several recommendations with regard to reform mechanisms, including commercialisation, corporatisation, or privatisation.
Commercialisation, through the establishment of the FPC, together with other steps taken since the review, has addressed the major issues raised in the review.
(7)-(8) Not applicable.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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