Plantation Management – Regulation and Planning
Western Australia
Legislation
Summary – Western Australian legislation
Two major issues affect the ongoing development of plantations in Western Australia, in relation to local government:
- Uncertainty, length of time taken and associated cost for approvals of new plantations;
- Funding for roading infrastructure for timber extraction and transport to market.
Development of part lot leases must comply with additional planning and registration requirements which add expense and time to the approval and registration of plantations on this type of head lease.
A register of cultural sites exists within the Department of Indigenous Affairs however the level and standard of information contained within it varies widely depending on the nature of the site. In addition, the Act protects all sites regardless of time and whether known or unknown, registered or unregistered. The issue of who to consult, the level required and the costs involved is not always clear.
The lack of legislative support for the Code of Practice for plantation operations does not directly affect investor confidence in the plantation industry in WA, however, with no formal approved minimum standard, as might be represented by a statutory Code, there remains scope for discretionary application of regulation to plantation forestry in WA.
Despite there being no formal ‘right to trade’ legislation in place, WA has seen substantial investment in plantations delivering both wood product and additional (primarily carbon sequestration) benefits. This is expected to continue.
