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New South Wales North East Regional Forest Agreement

​​​The North East Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) is one of three RFAs in New South Wales, and comprises two sub regions: Upper North East and Lower North East. The Australian and New South Wales governments signed the North East RFA on 31 March 2000.

The North East RFA was varied on 28 November 2018 with an extension until 26 August 2039, as it has proven to be a strong and effective framework for the sustainable management of North East RFA region’s forests. The extension was formalised following assessment, public consultation and independent review.

The North East RFA now has a 20-year rolling life, so at any point in time the North East RFA will be between 15 and 20 years from expiring, depending on the satisfactory completion of the five-yearly reviews.

Extending the North East RFA gives long-term surety of resource access for industry, ecologically sustainable management and use of forested areas and an extensive system of conservation reserves.

The North East RFA variation includes two Annexures: Annexure 1 is the RFA marked up; Annexure 2 is a ‘clean’ version of the RFA as varied without the mark up.

Download

Document Pages File size
2018 North East RFA variation PDF  346 5.4 MB

This report may not meet Australian Government accessibility guidelines. The report has not been prepared by the department.

The North East Zoning Map - Upper (2018) (PDF625 KB) and North East Zoning Map - Lower (2018) (PDF 596 KB) identified the extent of the comprehensive adequate and representative reserve system in the North East RFA region at the time of signing.

For details on the process for extending the North East RFA please see the New South Wales Regional Forest Agreements webpage.

The 2000 North East RFA

The Australian and New South Wales governments signed the North East RFA on 31 March 2000. The agreement was for a duration of 20 years and was set to expire on 31 March 2020.

Download

Document Pages File size
North East RFA PDF  151 1.1 MB
North East RFA DOC  151 1.7 MB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

The North East Zoning Map - Upper (2000) (PDF 332 KB) and North East Zoning Map - Lower (2000) PDF 358 KB) identified the extent of the comprehensive adequate and representative reserve system in the North East RFA region at the time of signing.

New South Wales RFAs five-yearly reviews

It is a requirement of the North East RFA that its performance is reviewed every five years. The details of the North East RFA review process is outlined in the agreement.

The Australian and New South Wales governments have reported on the three NSW RFAs collectively:

  • NSW RFAs: first five-yearly review
  • NSW RFAs: second and third five yearly review

Historical Publications

Many historical publications informed the development of the North East RFA and continue to underpin the management of forests covered by the agreement.

There are also historical statewide publications that informed the development of the three RFAs in New South Wales.

[expand all]

Comprehensive Regional Assessments:

Document Pages File size
Strategic Inventory (August 1999) PDF  199 551 KB
Strategic Inventory (August 1999) DOC  199 498 KB
Project Summary DOC  2 33 KB
Appendix A: Field Procedures for Eucalypt Plantation - MARVL Inventory DOC  25 463 KB
Appendix B: MARVL System Analysis DOC  46 342 KB
Appendix C: Strategic Inventory - Field Manual DOC  30 220 KB
Appendix D: Strategic Inventory Project Auditing Methodology Outline DOC  10 65 KB
Appendix E: Strategic Inventory Audit Report (UNE and LNE) DOC  11 67 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Cultural and Heritage Reports:

Document Pages File size
Assessment of Places of Aesthetic Significance within the forested areas of NSW CRA regions (Statewide) Stage 2 Lower North East Region (November 1998) PDF  31 94 KB
Assessment of Places of Aesthetic Significance within the forested areas of NSW CRA regions (Statewide) Stage 2 Lower North East Region (November 1998) DOC  31 210 KB
Assessment of Places of Aesthetic Significance within the forested areas of NSW CRA regions (Statewide) Stage 2 Upper North East Region (November 1998) PDF  28 67 KB
Assessment of Places of Aesthetic Significance within the forested areas of NSW CRA regions (Statewide) Stage 2 Upper North East Region (November 1998) DOC  28 126 KB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate - Part A Natural Values Lower North-Eastern NSW CRA Region (February 1999) PDF  175 3.6 MB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate - Part A Natural Values Lower North-Eastern NSW CRA Region (February 1999) DOC  151 962 KB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate Values in Lower North-Eastern NSW CRA Region – Part B Cultural Heritage Values (July 1999) PDF  70 3.3 MB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate Values in Lower North-Eastern NSW CRA Region – Part B Cultural Heritage Values Maps (July 1999) PDF  4 7.3 MB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate Values in Upper North-Eastern NSW CRA Region – Part A Natural Values (February 1999) PDF  181 6.9 MB
Identification, Assessment and Protection of National Estate Values in Upper North-Eastern NSW CRA Region – Part B Cultural Values (July 1999) PDF  75 2.1 MB
Identification of Places of Natural History Significance in New South Wales Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) Forest Regions (September 1999) PDF  122 393 KB
Identification of Places of Natural History Significance in New South Wales Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) Forest Regions (September 1999) DOC  122 927 KB
JANIS and Natural National Estate Conservation Requirements (May 1998) PDF  157 660 KB
JANIS and Natural National Estate Conservation Requirements (May 1998) DOC  157 2.4 MB
Places of Geoheritage Significance in New South Wales Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) Forest Regions (June 1998) PDF  104 507 KB
Places of Geoheritage Significance in New South Wales Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) Forest Regions (June 1998) DOC  104 507 KB
Protective Mechanisms for Cultural Heritage – Lower Northeast Region: A project undertaken as part of the NSW Comprehensive Regional Assessments (September 1999) PDF  67 1.4 MB
Thematic forest history and heritage assessment (non-Indigenous) UNE/LNE CRA Regions (September 1998) DOC  98 385 KB
Appendix 1 DOC  5 22 KB
Appendix 2 DOC  57 174 KB
Appendix 3 DOC  52 164 KB
Thematic forest history and heritage assessment (non-Indigenous) UNE/LNE CRA Regions (September 1998) PDF  98 294 KB
Appendices PDF  114 227 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Directions or Options Report:

Document Pages File size
North-East CRA/RFA Project Summaries (August 1999) PDF  75 165 KB
North-East CRA/RFA Project Summaries (August 1999) DOC  75 609 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management Reports:

Document Pages File size
Criteria, Indicators, Targets and monitoring processes of Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management for the Upper North East and Lower North East RFA Regions (July 1999) PDF  46 92 KB
Criteria, Indicators, Targets and monitoring processes of Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management for the Upper North East and Lower North East RFA Regions (July 1999) DOC  46 136 KB
ESFM Project: Water Quality and Quantity for the Upper and Lower North East, Southern RFA Regions (November 1998) PDF  162 1.4 MB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Environment Reports:

Document Pages File size
Application of the Protective Measures and Forest Practices into a Quantitative Database (July 2000) PDF  55 246 KB
Collection of Vegetation Data from Historical Portion Plan Surveys (May 1999) - Project Summary PDF  1 7 KB
Collection of Vegetation Data from Historical Portion Plan Surveys (May 1999) - Project Summary DOC  1 21 KB
Collection of Vegetation Data from Historical Portion Plan Surveys (May 1999) - Report PDF  19 62 KB
Collection of Vegetation Data from Historical Portion Plan Surveys (May 1999) - Report DOC  19 111 KB
Derived forest ecosystems: an evaluation of surrogacy value and internal biological variation (July 1999) PDF  32 97 KB
Derived forest ecosystems: an evaluation of surrogacy value and internal biological variation (July 1999) DOC  32 136 KB
Forest Ecosystem Classification and Mapping for the Hunter Sub-Region in the Lower North East Comprehensive Regional Assessment (March 1999) PDF  36 74 KB
Forest Ecosystem Classification and Mapping for the Hunter Sub-Region in the Lower North East Comprehensive Regional Assessment (March 1999) DOC  36 119 KB
Forest ecosystem classification and mapping for Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (January 1999) - Report (up to and including Appendix 3) PDF  127 339 KB
Forest ecosystem classification and mapping for Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (January 1999) - Report (up to and including Appendix 3) DOC  127 600 KB
Forest ecosystem classification and mapping for Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (January 1999) - Appendix 4 PDF  30 41 KB
Forest ecosystem classification and mapping for Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (January 1999) - Appendix 4 DOC  30 177 KB
Mapping of Forest Management History Report (August 1999) PDF  63 334 KB
Modelling areas of habitat significance for vertebrate fauna and vascular flora in north east NSW (April 1999) DOC  96 627 KB
North East NSW Wilderness Assessment (June 1999) PDF  28 75 KB
North East NSW Wilderness Assessment (June 1999) DOC  28 136 KB
Old-growth Forest Related Projects - UNE / LNE Regions (February 1999) PDF  109 297 KB
Old-growth Forest Related Projects - UNE / LNE Regions (February 1999) DOC  109 1.1 MB
Response to Disturbance of Forest Species (August 1999) PDF  233 945 KB
Response to Disturbance of Forest Species (August 1999) DOC  233 5.9 MB
Review of statewide protective measures and forest practices (August 1999) PDF  327 1.3 MB
Threatened Plants Project (August 1999) PDF  47 261 KB
Threatened Plants Project (August 1999) DOC  47 560 KB
Vertebrate Fauna Survey (December 1998) PDF  222 2.2 MB
Vertebrate Fauna Survey (December 1998) DOC  222 8.2 MB
Wilderness assessment project - UNE and LNE (December 1998) PDF  77 165 KB
Wilderness assessment project - UNE and LNE (December 1998) DOC  77 333 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Factsheets:

Document Pages File size
Background to the RFA (no date) PDF  2 27 KB
Background to the RFA (no date) DOC  2 56 KB
Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management (no date) PDF  2 26 KB
Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management (no date) DOC  2 53 KB
Environment and heritage (no date) PDF  3 19 KB
Environment and heritage (no date) DOC  3 63 KB
Jobs and forest industries (no date) PDF  3 18 KB
Jobs and forest industries (no date) DOC  3 66 KB
North East Information Kit (no date) PDF  8 3 MB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Resource Reports:

Document Pages File size
Assessment of Mineral Resources in the Upper North East CRA Study Area (November 1999) PDF  219 9.5 MB
Map 1 – Upper North East NSW Comprehensive Regional Assessment (Geology) PDF  1 2.0 MB
Map 2 – Upper North East Region Comprehensive Regional Assessments (Mineral Deposits, Occurrences and Major Faults) PDF  1 881 KB
Map 3 – Upper North East Comprehensive Regional Assessments (Composite Mineral Potential) PDF  1 5.1 MB
Map 4 – Upper North East Comprehensive Regional Assessments (Cumulative Mineral Potential) PDF  1 6.5 MB
Map 5 – Upper North East Comprehensive Regional Assessments (Weighted Composite Mineral Potential) PDF  1 5.2 MB
Map 6 – Upper North East Comprehensive Regional Assessments (Weighted Cumulative Mineral Potential) PDF  1 6.6 MB
A Report on Forest Wood Resources for the Upper and Lower North East NSW CRA Regions (July 1999) PDF  56 170 KB
A Report on Forest Wood Resources for the Upper and Lower North East NSW CRA Regions (July 1999) DOC  56 612 KB
Private Forest Management Intent Survey - Northern NSW CRA Regions (July 1999) PDF  29 85 KB
Private Forest Management Intent Survey - Northern NSW CRA Regions (July 1999) DOC  29 164 KB
Soil and Regolith Attributes for CRA/RFA Model Resolution (August 1999) PDF  31 3.4 MB
Strategic Yield Scheduler (January 2000) PDF  92 431 KB
Yield Simulator (May 2000) PDF  100 409 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Social and Economic Reports:

Document Pages File size
An Economic Assessment of Water Values Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (February 1999) PDF  62 160 KB
An Economic Assessment of Water Values Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (February 1999) DOC  62 297 KB
A Report on the Profile and Economic Assessment of Grazing in State Forests: Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (October 1998) PDF  50 121 KB
A Report on the Profile and Economic Assessment of Grazing in State Forests: Upper and Lower North East CRA Regions (October 1998) DOC  50 441 KB
Benefit Transfer Threshold Value Analysis of Non-Use Values of Forest Preservation Upper and Lower North East Regions (October 1998) PDF  35 69 KB
Benefit Transfer Threshold Value Analysis of Non-Use Values of Forest Preservation Upper and Lower North East Regions (October 1998) DOC  35 114 KB
Forest-based Tourism and Recreation in the Upper and Lower North East Regions of NSW (December 1998) PDF  95 157 KB
Forest-based Tourism and Recreation in the Upper and Lower North East Regions of NSW (December 1998) DOC  95 288 KB
Forest Industry Development Options (October 1998) PDF  106 1.2 MB
Identification of Commercial Timber Plantation Expansion Opportunities in New South Wales (March 2000) PDF  136 418 KB
Regional Impact Assessment – Lower North East CRA Region (May 1999) PDF  124 582 KB
Regional Impact Assessment – Lower North East CRA Region (May 1999) DOC  124 1.5 MB
Regional Impact Assessment – Upper North East CRA Region (April 1999) PDF  124 780 KB
Regional Impact Assessment – Upper North East CRA Region (April 1999) DOC  124 5.6 MB
Report on Apiary in NSW – Lower North East Region (September 1999) PDF  25 97 KB
Report on Apiary in NSW – Upper North East Region (September 1999) PDF  25 85 KB
Review of NSW Forest Industry Mitigation Measures (October 1998) PDF  36 110 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) PDF  329 1.5 MB
Social Values of Forests Part B figures 18 & 19 PDF  4 30 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Cover Page DOC  3 29 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Contents DOC  4 44 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Executive Summary DOC  19 83 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Introduction DOC  3 34 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Methodologies DOC  9 122 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Post Impact Studies DOC  20 1.1 MB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Regional Profile DOC  80 611 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Social Values of Forests A DOC  79 473 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Social Values of Forests B DOC  44 869 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Mitigation Review DOC  1 35 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Local Impact DOC  29 503 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Forest Modelling DOC  27 266 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - References DOC  2 41 KB
Social Assessment Report Lower North East NSW (September 1999) - Social Values of Forests Part B figures 18 & 19 DOC  4 24 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) PDF  291 1.2 MB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Cover Page DOC  3 30 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Executive Summary DOC  17 223 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Introduction DOC  4 36 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Methodologies DOC  10 57 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Post Impact Studies DOC  16 92 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Regional Profile DOC  66 330 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Social Values of Forests A DOC  102 578 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Social Values of Forests B DOC  40 514 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Mitigation Review DOC  2 20 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - Local Impact DOC  28 220 KB
Social Assessment Report Upper North East NSW (September 1999) - References DOC  2 25 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

Annual Reports:

Annual Reports were required for the first five years of each RFA.

Document Pages File size
Progress on the implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement for the North East Region (1 July 2004 – 30 June 2005)    
Progress on the implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement for the North East Region (1 July 2003 – 30 June 2004) PDF  12 100 KB
Progress on the implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement for the North East Region (1 July 2002 – 30 June 2003) PDF  14 92 KB
Progress on the implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement for the North East Region (1 July 2001 – 30 June 2002) PDF  12 204 KB
Progress on the implementation of the Regional Forest Agreement for the North East Region (1 July 2000 – 30 June 2001) PDF  12 198 KB

If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.

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Page last updated: 03 August 2023

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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