Forestry Industry Action Plan

What’s this about?

The NSW Government has established an Independent Forestry Panel to lead consultation on the sustainability of current and future forestry operations in NSW, ahead of the NSW Government developing its Forestry Industry Action Plan. The Forestry Industry Action Plan is intended to outline the path NSW will take to ensure a sustainable timber industry that aligns with the government’s key environmental priorities.

The Independent Forestry Panel is chaired by Peter Duncan AM, with members Professor Mary O’Kane AC and the Hon. Mick Veitch.

The Panel will engage with community, environment, and industry stakeholders to ensure that a broad range of views are appropriately considered by government, including from the timber industry, forest growers, environment groups, unions, Aboriginal communities, local government, business, related industries, tourism, scientific experts and the Commonwealth Government.

Have your say

The Panel is now calling for written submissions from all interested parties that address the following topics: 

• Sustainability of current and future forestry operations in NSW.
• Environmental and cultural values of forests, including threatened species and Aboriginal cultural heritage values.
• Demand for timber products, particularly as relates to NSW housing, construction, mining, transport and retail.
• The future of softwood and hardwood plantations and the continuation of Private Native Forestry in helping meet timber supply needs.
• The role of State Forests in maximising the delivery of a range of environmental, economic and social outcomes and options for diverse management, including Aboriginal forest management models.
• Opportunities to realise carbon and biodiversity benefits and support carbon and biodiversity markets, and mitigate and adapt to climate change risks, including the greenhouse gas emission impacts of different uses of forests and assessment of climate change risks to forests. 

You can make an online submission to the Independent Forestry Panel by following the link under the Online consultation heading below. Submissions will be open from 12 September 2024 to 13 October 2024. 

Your submission will be published on the Panel web page, which is hosted on the Independent Planning Commission website. Find out more information about the Panel and the submission process and procedures. 

The Panel will also undertake other modes of stakeholder engagement during this process. Register to receive email updates on the progress of the Independent Forestry Panel consultations.