Coastal IFOA operations post 2019-2020 wildfires




Status:

Advice provided

Advice date:

November 2024


The Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval (Coastal IFOA) outlines the conditions and settings for harvesting timber on NSW state forest and Crown timber land, including provisions for the protection of the environment and for threatened species conservation.

In December 2023 under terms of reference, the Minister for Environment and Minister for Agriculture via the Premier asked the Commission to provide supplementary advice to its former advice on pathways back to Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) operating under standard Coastal IFOA prescriptions as the NSW public forest estate recovers from the 2019-20 wildfires.

Former advice – 2021

The 2019-20 wildfires burnt 4.8 million hectares of land in NSW and were unprecedented in their scale, severity, and duration. In 2020, the former NSW Government asked the Commission to advise on whether forestry operations could resume under standard operating conditions after the 2019-20 wildfires.

Our 2021 advice remains in confidence at the request of the then former Government.

Supplementary advice – 2024

The NSW Government asked the Commission for supplementary advice. The request asked us to rerun our recommended risk assessment outlined in our former advice. The request asked us to use contemporary post-fire stability index data and other relevant data.

Our final report outlines its findings and advice to Government. The report in summary:

  • Strengthen regulatory response to address major events – we found that the Government’s options for mitigating the risks of harvesting in severely fire-affected landscapes like those following the 2019-20 wildfires are limited and should be expanded. We recommend the NSW Government amends the Coastal IFOA to include a new force majeure condition and protocol setting out a codified and agreed approach after a major disturbance event.
  • Adopt a risk-based approach - we recommend the Government adopt our updated post-fire risk reassessment framework and a set of additional protections and measures to focus on areas of highest ongoing concern. The framework adopts a precautionary approach to prevent irreversible damage to the environment. Importantly, the framework requires detailed ecological surveys before harvesting can be approved.
  • Risks have reduced since 2021 - we found a general reduction in risk across the landscape after three years of canopy recovery and forest regeneration based on satellite data. Recovery was driven by above average rainfall after the fires. Around 7 percent of the total state forest area in the Coastal IFOA region is flagged as continuing to warrant high levels of risk mitigation (high and extreme risk ratings). This is down from 35 percent of the total state forest area with high and extreme initial impact risk ratings we reported in 2021.
  • Potential impacts to industry are likely to vary by region - we do not expect our advice would have a significant additional impact on wood supply or the forestry industry on the north coast. However, the advice could materially impact the south coast given some areas still contain high and extreme risk ratings. The report recommends the Government consults with the forestry industry to determine an accurate estimate on impacts should the Government adopt our advice.

The Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Agriculture have acknowledged our advice. FCNSW have advised the NSW Government that it will not harvest in state forests classified as extreme risk as advised by us. The Minister advised the EPA will monitor and undertake appropriate regulatory controls if needed. Other recommendations will be considered by the Government as part of the Forestry Industry Action Plan and the Coastal IFOA review.

Key documents