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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Agriculture and land
  3. Forestry
  4. Australia's forest policies
  5. Regional Forest Agreements
  6. About RFAs
  7. RFAs: Why?

Sidebar first - Forestry

  • About RFAs
    • The RFA Process
    • Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management
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    • People jobs and communities - Social assessments
    • Protecting our Forest Environment
    • RFAs: Outcomes
    • RFA History
    • RFAs: How?
    • RFAs: Why?
    • Where are the regions

RFAs: Why?

​​​In 1992, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments joined forces to work towards a shared vision of Australia's forests. Their NFPS​ was a first, major step towards resolving years of conflict and dispute over forest use. The policy statement upholds the principle that Australia's forests should be managed for everyone.

The NFPS sets out broad national goals to be pursued at regional levels. It uses a framework that integrates environmental, social and commercial objectives to ensure we obtain a balanced return from all forest uses. This enables the governments to achieve cooperatively their vision for sustainable management of Australia's forests.

RFAs were a key element in the National F​orest Policy Statement's approach. They sought a reasonable balance between conserving Australia's forest estate and its enduring use for economic production and recreation.

The Commonwealth Government's role is to coordinate a national approach to environmental and industry-development issues. State and Territory Governments have Constitutional responsibility for forest management.

The 20-year agreements try to balance the full range of environmental, social, economic and heritage values that forests can provide for current and future generations.

Scientific Comprehensive Regional Assessments of forest values and uses, and consultation with stakeholders were at the heart of the process. Together, they resulted in a world-class forest conservation reserve system to protect biodiversity, old-growth forests and wilderness, secure access to wood resources and provide certainty for the industry's future.

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Page last updated: 04 November 2019

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

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