Forestry Ministers Meetings - Department of Agriculture

Forestry Ministers Meetings are a forum for ministers with responsibility for forestry from Australian, state and territory governments to discuss and share approaches to a range of issues of importance for the future of forest and wood products industries. The relevant New Zealand minister has also been invited.

The Department of Agriculture provides secretariat support services for Forestry Ministers Meetings.

The meetings were established in 2016 by Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, to share information and ideas, progress policies, and implement a recommendation made to the Australian Government by the Forest Industry Advisory Council.

The discussions at meetings to date have focused on:

the recommendations made by the Forest Industry Advisory Council
the status and future of Regional Forest Agreements
implementation of the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation
the introduction of a plantation methodology for the Emission Reduction Fund
the development of a joint ministers statement of support for the forestry industry (see below)
forest industry levies
wood encouragement policies.

Communiques issued to date are at:

Communiques for 31 March 2017 and 30 August 2017 meetings

Implementation of the ministers’ commitment in the communique for the 31 March 2017 meeting to develop and issue a joint ministers statement of support for the forestry industry was advanced in part through out-of-session consideration by officials of each jurisdiction and an exchange of letters. Senator Ruston wrote to her state and territory counterparts on 15 June 2017 seeking their agreement to a draft finalised by officials. The text was agreed at the ministers meeting of 30 August 2017 and issued on 12 September 2017.