Plantation Management – Regulation and Planning
New South Wales
Legislation
Summary – New South Wales legislation
The P&R Act and Code provide a streamlined approval process and a guaranteed right to harvest for authorised plantations. Assistance and guidance for plantation proponents is available from Industry & Investment NSW (II NSW) regional plantation officers (located at Wollongbar, Coffs Harbour, Albury and Port Stephens).
The P&R Act and Code were designed to assist II NSWin provision of consistent service delivery of the Act across the state.The Code contains the provisions which must be adhered to for the consideration as a complying plantation. These will be discussed by II NSW officers during the assessment process. This process has the potential to significantly assist the plantation industry where a holistic approach to regional development, encompassing plantations as a viable land use, is adopted. This will in turn deliver a balanced approach to achieving the NSW Government’s regional development, environmental and economic objectives.
NSW’s legislation relating to separation and sale of the land, trees and their products, specifically carbon, provides investors in these products with the confidence that the legislative framework to underpin investment is in place. While plantations are not ‘as of right’ use in NSW, the P&R Act and Code introduces harvest guarantee certainty.
As for all plantation regions in Australia, the cost of developing and maintaining transport infrastructure is an impediment to plantation and industry development. The NSW P&R Act provides for the levying of infrastructure contributions, however to date this has not been invoked. The question of infrastructure contribution is being considered as part of the P&R Act review.
The operation of the P&R Act has assisted in the establishment of plantations in NSW. Up to June 2009 some 169 000 ha of plantations have been authorised under the P&R Act. This area consists of 126 000 ha of newly established plantations and the remainder (43 000 ha) being plantations that have been authorised, but existed prior to the introduction of the regulations. This area includes 8 400 ha of environmental plantings, mainly for carbon offsets.
The areas of increased plantation establishment over this period are north coast NSW and the Murray and Murrumbidgee catchments, however activity has declined over 2009/09 due to the global financial crisis.
A further area of over 650 000 ha was accredited under the Timber Plantations Harvest Guarantee Act 1994, which is now taken to be authorised under the P&R Act.
