The Minister for Environment and Conservation, the Hon Sherryl Garbutt MP, recently released a major policy statement titled "A New Framework for Sustainable Forest Management In Victoria".

The statement sets out revised processes for the preparation of Regional Forest Agreements (RFA), as well as some longer term initiatives to ensure a sustainable future for native forests and to ensure that all community stakeholders are heard by government in deciding that future.

The two remaining RFA for Victoria, to be completed by 31 March 2000, will cover Gippsland and Western Victoria.

Independent Panels

A key element of the new RFA process is the introduction of independent panels to review public submissions in response to published Consultation Papers (which are to replace ‘Directions Reports’ under the former RFA process). The Consultation Papers will outline draft proposals for the future management of forests in the Gippsland and Western Victoria RFA regions.

The independent panels will conduct public hearings where individuals or groups indicate that they wish to have the opportunity to speak to their written submissions.

The terms of reference of the panels will involve a clear listening brief and a responsibility to advise the Steering Committee of the key issues raised by the public submissions, and their possible implications.

The chairs of the panels will become ex officio members of the joint Commonwealth Victorian RFA Steering Committee during its deliberations on the public responses and on the ultimate contents of the RFA. This will ensure that the RFA Steering Committee has a direct linkage to the consultation processes of the panels.

The following outlines how these revised RFA processes will operate in practice for the Gippsland and Western Victoria RFA.

Panel Members

The following panels will conduct the public hearings:

Gippsland RFA

Robert Fordham (Chair)

Jenny Love

……….

Western Victoria RFA

Christine Forster (Chair)

John Henshall

Alison Teese

A summary of the skills each of these people will bring to the public consultation process is included as an attachment to this document.

Key Dates

The public consultation process will occur over a 7 week period, as follows:

17.1.00 to 25.2.00 A Consultation Paper for each region will be available for public review.

28.2.00 to 3.3.00 The panels will conduct public hearings for those submittors who ask to be heard in respect of their written submission.

 

Public Submissions

The final date for the lodging of written submissions will be 25.2.00. However, where submittors wish to speak to the independent panel about their submissions, they must lodge their submissions by 18.2.00.

Location of Hearings

Hearings will be conducted in both regions as well as in Melbourne. Details of venues will be advised in due course. It is likely that some submittors may wish to be heard by both panels and the scheduling of hearings will be structured to accommodate this.

Feedback to Submittors

After finalisation of the RFAs, the Steering Committee will provide written advice about the stance it ultimately took on all of the matters raised in submissions and its reasons for doing so.

Further Details

Executive officers have been appointed to service each of the panels and will be the primary point of contact for submittors.

For the Gippsland RFA, the Executive Officer is George Butman (Telephone 03 9637 8252 Email george.butman@nre.vic.gov.au) and for the Western RFA. Kath Murray (Telephone 03 9637 8255 Email kathleen.murray@nre.vic.gov.au). Queries can be directed to these Executive Officers from 5 January 2000.

Details of these arrangements, together with information about where to obtain copies of the Consultation Papers from 17 January and where to lodge written responses, will appear in metropolitan and regional newspapers. They will also be available on the Department’s internet site www.nre.gov.au

Ministerial Statement

Copies of the Ministerial Statement can be obtained by telephoning 03 9637 8426 or by email irene.andrade@nre.vic.gov.au until 4 January and thereafter by contacting one of the executive officers. The Statement will also appear on the Department’s internet site with the detailed arrangements for the RFA consultation processes.

INDEPENDENT PANEL MEMBERS

 

Robert Fordham is a former Deputy Premier of Victoria. He is a board member of Gippsland Development Ltd, a member of the Council of the East Gippsland Institute of TAFE and Chairman of the Lakes and Wilderness Tourism Association Inc. He is involved in promoting training in value-adding in forest industries as Chairman of Gippsland Timber Development Inc which runs ‘Forestech’.

Christine Forster has had 30 years experience related to the water industry and catchment management, including chairing the Rural Water Commission. She is a member of the Victorian Catchment Management Council and a past Director of the Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation. She is a wool grower in Western Victoria and involved in regional development issues. She is a sessional member of the Minister for Planning’s independent planning panels.

John Henshall is the principal of Essential Economics Pty Ltd. He has significant experience in the areas of economic development and the role of small towns and their hinterlands. Approximately 50 per cent of the firm’s work is in regional Victoria. John was the lead consultant in preparing the Small Towns Study (1988) for the (then) Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, a publication still a popular reference in the economics of small town communities.

Jenny Love has a Masters in Environmental Science. She has been a member of the Planning Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (now VCAT) and is a sessional number of the Minister for Planning’s independent planning panels with a particular expertise in Environmental Effects enquiries. She was an adviser to the Hon Evon Walker MLC when he was Minister for Conservation. She has also worked as a senior policy adviser at the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (now Melbourne Water).

Alison Teese has 28 years experience in rural land use, planning and conservation, served on the Land Conservation Council of Victoria for eight years and is currently serving on the Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committees & Panels, Australian Landcare Council, Council for Sustainable Vegetation Management, State Assessment Panel for Natural Heritage Trust and Funding Agreements. She chairs the Victorian Bushcare Reference Group. Alison is an agriculture scientist and a partner in a mixed farming property in North-Central Victoria, and a member of the Victorian Catchment Management Council. She is a sessional member of the Minister for Planning’s independent planning panels.