Background to the flawed West Regional Forest Agreement

What is an RFA process?

The Regional Forest Agreements/Disagreements (RFA) was a process that was meant to provide the final solution to the forest debate in Australia.

For the Otways, the West RFA process was signed off in March 2000. This process was imposed on the community by both the State and Federal Governments, bureaucracies and woodchip companies.

The RFA terms of reference were always set to guarantee continued clearfell logging and woodchip driven logging in State Forests for a 20 year period. The bonus for the Commonwealth Government was the RFA process freed the Federal politicians from the troublesome problem of setting export woodchip licence each year, a process which always created a lot of controversy especially in an election year.

The RFA process provides a convenient public relations tool for industry groups to dismiss further public criticism of native forest management.

Summary of West RFA Otway outcomes

The Otways was covered by the West RFA. Outcomes were more political than scientific.

The native forest logging industry used their political influence to protect self interest and succeeded. No new reserves were created in the Otways as an outcome of the RFA process.

A flawed reserve system called the Comprehensive and Adequate(CAR) Reserve System was implemented for the Otway State forest. The CAR Reserve System is made up of Special Protection Zones, and Special Management Zones.

However there were a few good outcomes for the Otways, mainly the immediate reduction in sawlog and woodchip quotas by 38%.

After the West RFA was signed by the State and Federal Governments, the State government initiated further studies into hydrology and tourism values. The fact that this research was done after the signing of the West RFA, demonstrates that the RFA terms of reference would allowed for only a logging outcome.

West RFA has been cancelled

In November 2002, the West RFA was cancelled when the Victorian Premier Steve Brack announced a new policy to end all logging in the Otways by 2008 and create a new expanded Otway National Park. See more detail.

Don't know the meaning of a word? Check the glossary.