Issues discussed included logging quotas, targets and methods, indigenous consultation, tropical timber imports and the value of WA’s forests for bio-diversity and carbon storage.

Primary aims of the meeting were to establish positive communications, state positions on various issues and to explore a way forward for a win-win outcome for

forest conservation and timber production.

As a member group of the WA Forest Alliance, MRREC is committed to ending logging, thinning and clearing in WA’s forests and woodlands including Margaret River’s Chester Forest. The group also supports shifting all logging operations into diverse farm forestry and plantations to ensure a future for the timber industry.

“We envisage an agency that would be called Plantations or Timber Products Commission to replace the current agencies that oversee the industrial logging of WA’s forests,” MRREC forest spokesperson David Rastrick said.

“Native forests would then be preserved for biodiversity and carbon storage values. As our Federal Government is telling neighbouring Papua New Guinea to stop logging their native forests we must lead by example.”

Following the meeting there was some debate between conservationists and logging industry representatives as to whether there are enough native hardwood plantations to provide for timber industry requirements, especially in milling quality timber – a subject to be discussed in future meetings.

The meeting is expected to be followed by others aiming to discuss and resolve at least some areas of disagreement on forest issues and to find ways forward.