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Department of Agriculture

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  2. Agriculture and land
  3. Forestry
  4. Australia's forest policies
  5. Regional Forest Agreements
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  7. Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement

Sidebar first - Forestry

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Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement

The Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) provides a framework for the sustainable management of Tasmania’s public and privately owned forests.

The Australian and Tasmanian governments signed the Tasmanian RFA on 8 November 1997. It was varied on 18 August 2017 to extend its life to 8 November 2037 and to establish an automatic extension mechanism, with subsequent five-yearly extensions contingent on satisfactory completion of five-yearly reviews.

Downloads

2017 Tasmanian RFA variation (PDF 702 KB)
2017 Tasmanian RFA variation (DOCX 89 KB)  

2017 Tasmanian RFA variation - signed copy (PDF 2.0 MB) 

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

For administrative purposes, a consolidated document has been produced that includes all variations to the original agreement to date, including the 2017 variation.

Download

Consolidated Tasmanian RFA (includes multiple variations) (PDF 559 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Extending the Tasmanian RFA in 2017

The Australian and Tasmanian governments have extended the Tasmanian RFA by 20 years as it has proven to be a strong and effective framework for the sustainable management of Tasmania’s forests.

The governments also agreed to introduce a rolling life for the Tasmanian RFA, which means it will be extended by five years if it is found to be successfully sustaining Tasmania’s forests at each of its five-yearly reviews. Please refer to this diagram (PDF [630 KB] for a high-level summary of the rolling extension process.

Extending the Tasmanian RFA gives long-term stability to protections for biodiversity and heritage, and surety of resource access for industry, ensuring the whole community can continue to enjoy the many benefits that Tasmanian forests provide well into the future.

The extension was formalised on 18 August 2017 following extensive assessment, public consultation, independent review and negotiation.

Downloads

High level Tasmanian RFA Review and Extension Process (PDF 630 KB)

Alternative text for High level Tasmanian RFA Review and Extension Process (DOCX 17 KB)  

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

Extending the Tasmanian RFA in 2017: What’s changed?

The extended Tasmanian RFA delivers a number of improvements to the RFA framework:

  • a 20-year extension to the current agreement
  • rolling five-year extensions, subject to satisfactory performance and review
  • a more outcomes focused five-yearly review process
  • strengthened communication between the Australian and Tasmanian governments
  • specific clauses referring to climate change and matters of national environmental significance in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) have been included.

Importantly, the objectives of the Tasmanian RFA have not changed. The comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system will continue, certainty of resource access and supply to industry will be maintained; as well as ecologically sustainable forest management for areas outside of reserves.

The Tasmanian RFA has been further streamlined by bringing any outstanding commitments from the 2005 Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement into the extended Regional Forest Agreement.

Extending the Tasmanian RFA in 2017: Consultation

The Australian and Tasmanian governments sought public submissions when reviewing and extending the Tasmanian RFA on two occasions (from 17 April to 12 June 2015, and from 22 November to 23 December 2016). This was to ensure all voices and needs were considered and represented in the balance of forest use.

Views, feedback and concerns from the public or interested stakeholders about forestry practices were listened to, considered seriously and addressed where needed. These have resulted in continual improvements to the Tasmanian RFA, the Tasmanian forest management system and associated policies and documents during the past 20 years.

For further information about the consultation process and the Tasmanian forest management system, visit the Tasmanian Government Department of State Growth’s website.

Assessment of values – an update to the Tasmanian Comprehensive Regional Assessment

To inform the extension of the Tasmanian RFA, the Australian and Tasmanian governments undertook a further assessment of forest-related environmental, social and economic values in Tasmania. This assessment provided an update to information in the Tasmanian Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA).

Download

Further assessment of matters under the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 (Cth) relating to the 2017 variation of the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (PDF 7.6 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Tasmanian RFA five-yearly reviews

It is a requirement of the Tasmanian RFA that its performance is reviewed every five years by an independent reviewer.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of each five-yearly review, the Tasmanian RFA will now be automatically extended for a further five years. The automatic extension process will begin with the five-yearly review due to commence in 2022.

Further information on each of the Tasmanian RFA five-yearly reviews are available:

  • Tasmanian RFA: First five-yearly review
  • Tasmanian RFA: Second five-yearly review
  • Tasmanian RFA: Third five-yearly review

Annual meetings

On 7 July 2022, officials from the Australian and Tasmanian governments held the 2022 Tasmanian RFA annual meeting.

At this meeting senior officials discussed the implementation of the Tasmanian RFA and issues that had arisen since the previous annual meeting on 21 July 2021, and issued a communique:

  • Tasmanian RFA Annual Meeting of Officials 2022 Communique

Communiques from previous annual meetings are also available:

  • Tasmanian RFA Annual Meeting of Officials 2021 Communique
  • Tasmanian RFA Annual Meeting of Officials 2020 Communique
  • Tasmanian RFA Annual Meeting of Officials 2019 Communique
  • Tasmanian RFA Annual Meeting of Officials 2018 Communique

These annual meetings, to be held in the years between five-yearly reviews, are part of the Australian and Tasmanian governments’ commitment to strengthened communications under the extended Tasmanian RFA.

The 1997 Tasmanian RFA

The Australian and Tasmanian governments signed the original 1997 Tasmanian RFA on 8 November 1997. The agreement was for a duration of 20 years and was set to expire on 8 November 2017.

Download

1997 Tasmanian RFA (PDF 294 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Historical variations to the Tasmanian RFA

A variation to the Tasmanian RFA was signed on 19 July 2001 by the Australian and Tasmanian governments.

A Supplementary Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement was signed by the Australian and Tasmanian governments on 13 May 2005 as part of the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement (TCFA). The Supplementary RFA no longer exists as an administrative document, but all outstanding or ongoing commitments have been incorporated into the extended Tasmanian RFA.

An additional variation to the Tasmanian RFA was signed on 23 February 2007 by the Australian and Tasmanian governments.

Download

2007 variation to the Tasmanian RFA (PDF 200 KB) 

If you have difficulty accessing this file, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Historical publications

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

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

Document File size
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 2001 DOC 167 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 2001 PDF 201 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 2000 DOC 47 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 2000 PDF 197 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 1999 DOC 31 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 1999 PDF 136 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 1998 DOC 27 KB
Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Commonwealth Government Implementation Report 1998 PDF 112 KB

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

Document File size
Inquiry into areas to be reserved under the Tasmania-Commonwealth Regional Forest Agreement – Final Recommendations Report (June 1997) DOC 293 KB
Tasmanian Forest Industry Growth Potential to 2010 and 2020 (March 1997) DOC 593 KB
Tasmanian Forest Industry Growth Potential to 2010 and 2020 (March 1997) PDF 491 KB
Tasmanian Summary Report (November 1996) ZIP 53 KB

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

Document File size
Options for the Tasmania-Commonwealth Regional Forest Agreement: a strategic approach (24 April 1997) PDF 27 KB
Options for the Tasmania-Commonwealth Regional Forest Agreement: a strategic approach (24 April 1997) DOC 55 KB

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

Document File size
Assessment of Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management Systems and Processes – (Independent Expert Advisory Group – Preliminary Report, November 1996) ZIP 588 KB
Assessment of Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management Systems and Processes – (Independent Expert Advisory Group – Final Report, February 1997) DOC 573 KB

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

Document File size
A preliminary assessment of the conservation and reservation status of Tasmanian Bryophytes (December 1996) DOC 226 KB
A preliminary assessment of the distribution and conservation status of some lichens in Tasmania's forests (October 1996) DOC 154 KB
A recovery plan and management guidelines for threatened orchids in Tasmanian forests (February 1997) DOC 477 KB
Habitat modelling of the Forty-spotted Pardalot and recommendations for management (January 1997) DOC 772 KB
Invertebrate Bioregions in Tasmania (December 1996) DOC 387 KB
Management prescriptions for Tasmania's cave fauna (March 1997) DOC 9.5 MB
Management requirements for rare and threatened burrowing crayfish in Tasmania (November 1996) DOC 2.2 MB
Management prescriptions for the swift parrot in production forests (February 1997) DOC 884 KB
Modelling of the Nesting Habitat of the Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax fleayi in Tasmania (January 1997) DOC 79 KB
National Estate Report (February 1997) DOC 3.6 MB
Pilot study of the effects of modern logging practices on the decaying log-habitat in wet eucalypt forests in south-east Tasmania (November 1996) DOC 786 KB

Predicting essential habitat for forest owls in Tasmania (January 1997)

  • Part 1 DOC
  • Part 2 DOC
  • Part 3 DOC

 

4.1 MB

4.9 MB

2.2 MB

Preliminary assessment of distribution and habitat associations of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus) and eastern quoll (D. viverrinus) in Tasmania (November 1996) DOC 1.2 MB
Rare or threatened Tasmanian forest ferns (January 1997) DOC 226 KB
Reservation assessment and habitat requirements of the giant Tasmanian freshwater lobster, Astacopis gouldi (May 1997) DOC 313 KB

Tasmanian Environment and Heritage Report (no date)

  • Volume I ZIP
  • Volume II ZIP
  • Volume III ZIP
  • Volume IV ZIP
  • Volume V ZIP

 

246 KB

333 KB

174 KB

1.1 MB

135 KB

Tasmanian stream macroinvertebrates: Sampling to complete biodiversity assessment and modelling and classification of stream sites (February 1997) DOC 1.6 MB

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

Document File size
Jobs and forest based industries (no date) PDF 11 KB
Protecting CAR values on private land (no date) PDF 10 KB
Tasmanian forests – some facts (no date) PDF 186 KB
The RFA at a glance (no date) PDF 11 KB
The RFA and the environment (no date) PDF 245 KB

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

The Tasmanian Land Tenure Maps identify the extent of the comprehensive adequate and representative reserve system in Tasmania, as of 1997:

Document File size
Land Tenure (November 1997): A2 GIF 144 KB
Land Tenure (November 1997): A0 GIF 439 KB

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

The Tasmanian Land Use Map identifies the area of reserves, private and multiple use land in Tasmania as of 1997:

Document File size
Land Use (no date): A4GIF 28 KB

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

Document File size
Review of the Deep Red Myrtle Resource in Tasmania (April 2002) PDF 1.4 MB

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

Document File size
Tasmanian Social and Economic Report (no date) DOC 3.9 MB
Tasmanian Social and Economic Report (no date) PDF 2.9 MB

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

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Last updated: 12 August 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.