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How does Australia's Forest Management Compare with the Rest of the World?
Australia's forest management is among the best in the world in terms of conservation reserves, and codes of practice for production forests.
Australia has 13 per cent of its 164 million hectares of native forest set aside in conservation reserves, including 44 per cent of our rain forests. In total, more than 60 per cent of our publicly owned forests (excluding leasehold) are managed solely for conservation purposes, where timber harvesting is not permitted.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the World Heritage governing body, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have suggested 10 per cent of current forest cover as a conservation target. The Australian reserve criterion for protecting 15 per cent of each forest type under Regional Forest Agreements - as existed before European arrival - exceeds the IUCN/WWF target. The target is greatly exceeded in many regions because the Australian criterion takes account of past forest clearance while the IUCN/WWF target does not.
Australian forest management for timber production is well regarded internationally. Many international forest experts consider Australia a leader in sustainable forest management practices.