Commonwealth of Australia Bills Commonwealth of Australia Bills[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]
This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
1998-1999-2000-2001
The
Parliament of the
Commonwealth of
Australia
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
Presented and read a first
time
Regional
Forest Agreements Bill 2001
No. ,
2001
(Forestry and
Conservation)
A Bill for an Act relating to
Regional Forest Agreements, and for other purposes
Contents
A Bill for an Act relating to Regional Forest Agreements,
and for other purposes
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
This Act may be cited as the Regional Forest Agreements Act
2001.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), this Act commences on a day to be
fixed by Proclamation.
(2) If this Act does not commence under subsection (1) within the
period of 6 months beginning on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent,
it commences on the first day after the end of that period.
The main objects of this Act are as follows:
(a) to give effect to certain obligations of the Commonwealth under
Regional Forest Agreements;
(b) to give effect to certain aspects of the Forest and Wood Products
Action Agenda and the National Forest Policy Statement;
(c) to provide for the existence of the Forest and Wood Products
Council.
In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:
comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system, in
relation to an RFA, has the same meaning as in the RFA.
Forest and Wood Products Action Agenda means the Action
Agenda for the Forest and Wood Products Industry that was announced by the
Minister for Forestry and Conservation on 1 November 2000.
forest and wood products industry means:
(a) the forest products industry; and
(b) the wood products industry.
National Forest Policy Statement means the National Forest
Policy Statement signed on behalf of the Commonwealth and each of the States
(other than Tasmania) in December 1992, and on behalf of Tasmania in April
1995.
plantation means an intensively managed stand of trees of
either native or exotic species that is created by the regular placement of
seedlings or seed.
RFA or Regional Forest Agreement means an
agreement that is in force between the Commonwealth and a State in respect of a
region or regions, being an agreement that satisfies all the following
conditions:
(a) the agreement was entered into having regard to assessments of the
following matters that are relevant to the region or regions:
(i) environmental values, including old growth, wilderness, endangered
species, national estate values and world heritage values;
(ii) indigenous heritage values;
(iii) economic values of forested areas and forest industries;
(iv) social values (including community needs);
(v) principles of ecologically sustainable management;
(b) the agreement provides for a comprehensive, adequate and
representative reserve system;
(c) the agreement provides for the ecologically sustainable management and
use of forested areas in the region or regions;
(d) the agreement is expressed to be for the purpose of providing
long-term stability of forests and forest industries;
(e) the agreement is expressed to be a Regional Forest
Agreement.
RFA forestry operations means:
(a) forestry operations (as defined by an RFA as in force on
1 September 2001 between the Commonwealth and New South Wales) that are
conducted in relation to land in a region covered by the RFA (being land where
those operations are not prohibited by the RFA); or
(b) forestry operations (as defined by an RFA as in force on
1 September 2001 between the Commonwealth and Victoria) that are conducted
in relation to land in a region covered by the RFA (being land where those
operations are not prohibited by the RFA); or
(c) harvesting and regeneration operations (as defined by an RFA as in
force on 1 September 2001 between the Commonwealth and Western Australia)
that are conducted in relation to land in a region covered by the RFA (being
land where those operations are not prohibited by the RFA); or
(d) forestry operations (as defined by an RFA as in force on
1 September 2001 between the Commonwealth and Tasmania) that are conducted
in relation to land in a region covered by the RFA (being land where those
operations are not prohibited by the RFA).
For the purposes of paragraph (b), the East Gippsland RFA (as in force
on 1 September 2001) is taken to include a definition of forestry
operations that is identical to the definition of forestry
operations in the Central Highlands RFA (as in force on 1 September
2001).
RFA wood means processed or unprocessed wood (including
woodchips) sourced from a region covered by an RFA, but does not include wood
sourced from a plantation in a State unless:
(a) a code of practice for that State has been approved under regulation
4B of the Export Control (Unprocessed Wood) Regulations; and
(b) that approval has not been revoked under regulation 4C of those
regulations.
State includes the Australian Capital Territory and the
Northern Territory.
This Act binds the Crown in right of the Commonwealth.
(1) RFA wood is not prescribed goods for the purposes of the Export
Control Act 1982.
Note: The Export Control Act 1982 regulates the
export of “prescribed goods”.
(2) An export control law does not apply to RFA wood unless it expressly
refers to RFA wood. For this purpose, export control law means a
provision of a law of the Commonwealth (other than the Export Control Act
1982) that prohibits or restricts exports, or has the effect of prohibiting
or restricting exports.
(3) The effect of RFA forestry operations must be disregarded for the
purposes of section 30 of the Australian Heritage Commission Act
1975.
(4) Part 3 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 does not apply to an RFA forestry operation that is
undertaken in accordance with an RFA.
The termination of an RFA by the Commonwealth is of no effect unless it
is done in accordance with the termination provisions of the RFA, being those
provisions as in force:
(a) at the time of commencement of this Act; or
(b) at the time the RFA comes into force;
whichever is later.
(1) The Commonwealth is liable to pay any compensation that the
Commonwealth is required to pay to a State in accordance with the compensation
provisions of an RFA, being those provisions as in force:
(a) at the time of commencement of this Act; or
(b) at the time the RFA comes into force;
whichever is later.
(2) The Commonwealth’s liability incurred under subsection (1)
while an RFA is in force continues even though the RFA may subsequently have
expired or been terminated.
(3) Compensation that the Commonwealth is liable to pay under this
section:
(a) may be recovered as a debt in a court of competent jurisdiction;
and
(b) is payable out of money appropriated by the Parliament.
(1) As soon as practicable after an RFA is entered into, the Minister must
publish a notice in the Gazette:
(a) stating that the RFA has been entered into; and
(b) giving details of the region and the date when the RFA comes into
force or came into force.
(2) As soon as practicable after an RFA ceases to be in force, the
Minister must publish a notice in the Gazette:
(a) stating that the RFA has ceased to be in force; and
(b) giving details of the region and the date when the RFA ceased to be in
force.
RFAs
(1) The Minister must cause a copy of an RFA to be tabled in each House of
the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after:
(a) the commencement of this section; or
(b) the RFA is entered into;
whichever is later.
(2) Subsection (1) does not require an RFA to be tabled in a House of
the Parliament if the RFA was tabled in that House before the commencement of
this section.
Amendments of RFAs
(3) The Minister must cause a copy of an amendment of an RFA to be tabled
in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House
after:
(a) the commencement of this section; or
(b) the amendment is made;
whichever is later.
RFA annual reports
(4) The Minister must cause a copy of an RFA annual report to be tabled in
each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House
after:
(a) the commencement of this section; or
(b) the report is provided to the Minister;
whichever is later.
(5) Subsection (4) does not require an RFA annual report to be tabled
in a House of the Parliament if the report was tabled in that House before the
commencement of this section.
RFA review reports
(6) The Minister must cause a copy of an RFA review report to be tabled in
each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House
after:
(a) the commencement of this section; or
(b) the report is provided to the Minister;
whichever is later.
Definitions
(7) In this section:
RFA annual report means an annual report about the
achievement of milestones under an RFA during one of the first 5 years of
operation of the RFA.
RFA review report means a report of the 5 yearly review of
the performance of an RFA.
(1) The Minister must take all reasonable steps to ensure that, at all
times, there is in existence a committee that is:
(a) known as the Forest and Wood Products Council; and
(b) established under the executive power of the Commonwealth.
Objects
(2) The main objects of subsection (1) are as follows:
(a) the provision of a forum by which the Minister and stakeholders in the
forest and wood products industry may:
(i) consult together; and
(ii) exchange advice and information; and
(iii) participate in the formulation of advice in relation to the Forest
and Wood Products Action Agenda;
(b) the promotion of co-operation between different sectors of the forest
and wood products industry.
Functions
(3) The Minister must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the
functions of the Council include the following:
(a) to act as a means of liaison between the Minister and stakeholders in
the forest and wood products industry, and between different sectors of that
industry, in matters relating to that industry;
(b) to facilitate co-operation between different sectors of the forest and
wood products industry;
(c) to give advice and information to the Minister in relation to the
implementation of the Forest and Wood Products Action Agenda;
(d) to carry out tasks allocated to the Council under the Forest and Wood
Products Action Agenda;
(e) to do anything else conducive to the achievement of the objects
mentioned in subsection (2).
(4) The Council may perform its functions only to the extent that they are
not in excess of the functions that may be conferred on the Council by virtue of
any of the legislative powers of the Parliament and, in particular, may perform
its functions:
(a) in relation to matters arising in the course of, or that
concern:
(i) trade or commerce with other countries, or among the States;
or
(ii) the activities of a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the
Constitution applies; or
(b) for purposes in relation to any or all of the Territories.
Meetings
(5) The Minister:
(a) may convene a meeting of the Council at any time; and
(b) must convene a meeting of the Council on receipt of a written request
from a majority of members of the Council.
(6) The Minister must ensure that the Council meets at least twice in
every calendar year.
Review by the end of 2004
(7) During the period beginning on 1 July 2004 and ending on
31 December 2004, the Council must conduct a review of whether the Council
should continue to exist and, if so, what should be the Council’s
functions and procedures.
(8) In conducting a review under subsection (7), the Council must
consult stakeholders in the forest and wood products industry.
(9) The Council must:
(a) prepare a report of a review under subsection (7); and
(b) give the report to the Minister.
(10) The Minister must cause copies of the report to be tabled in each
House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the receipt
of the report.