The 2025 NSW RFAs Annual Meeting of Officials took place via videoconference on – 15 December 2025. The meeting was attended by officials from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the NSW Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, NSW Local Land Services, the NSW Environment Protection Authority and the NSW Natural Resources Commission.
The meeting and this communique satisfy the requirements of clauses 8B and 8C of the three NSW RFAs for the Eden, North-East and Southern regions:
8B: The Parties agree to hold annual officials-level, bi-lateral meetings in the years between each five-yearly review to monitor the implementation of the Agreement and discuss any matters or issues that arise.
8C: An online statement will be made publicly available on the outcomes of the meeting.
Officials heard updates on key forest-related policies being progressed by the Parties over the last year. Australian Government Officials provided an update on the work underway to progress the review of the National Forest Policy Statement and the reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), related to RFAs. NSW Officials also provided updates on matters relating to the NSW Forest Management Framework. This included the NSW Forestry Industry Action Plan, and the consultation and assessment process to establish a Great Koala National Park. NSW Officials also provided an update on additions to the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) reserve system over the last year.
Officials discussed current research priorities and recent developments in forest-related monitoring, including work underway with the RFA Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) Plan, Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (IFOA) monitoring program and the Private Native Forestry MER Framework overseen by the NSW Forest Monitoring Steering Committee, and chaired by the NSW Natural Resources Commission. Officials reviewed and endorsed the current and research themes and priorities (as outlined in the RFAs), discussed the advantages of aligning Commonwealth and state research activities to ensure well-informed research monitoring and reporting, and agreed to consider the potential need for short-term prioritisation of research themes and priorities.
Officials received updates on threatened species management at both the state and federal level, including the preparation and implementation of conservation advice for Listed Species and Communities. The NSW Environment Protection Authority provided an update on compliance and auditing activities including a summary over the last year under the Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals and the Private Native Forestry Code. Officials also received an update on the progress on the five‑yearly review of the NSW Regional Forest Agreements, noting the recent EPBC Act reforms.
Agencies will continue to meet throughout the year to discuss forestry matters relating to the implementation of the RFA, including interactions with the RFA EPBC Act reforms, in the spirit of ongoing communication between the Parties (per clause 8A(a) of the RFAs). The next annual meeting will be held no later than 20 December 2026.