The Brumby Government has signed a landmark agreement with HVP Plantations (HVP), permanently protecting more than 20,000 hectares of native forest in Gippsland’s Strzelecki Ranges.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings and HVP’s CEO Linda Sewell announced that under the agreement, native forests across HVP’s entire estate in Gippsland’s Strzelecki Ranges would be protected.
Both parties today finalised the legal agreement, after reaching an in-principle agreement in May.
“This historic accord offers full protection to native forests in the Strzelecki Ranges,” Mr Jennings said. “This historic accord offers full protection to native forests in the Strzelecki Ranges.”
The agreement fulfils — and builds on — a 2006 election commitment to return the 8000 hectare Cores and Links’ area to public ownership and, ultimately, protection as part of the reserve system.
“It will result in the immediate protection of the native forest in the Cores and Links and the eventual protection of all areas of the Cores and Links,” Mr Jennings said.
“1500 hectares of plantation areas within the Cores and Links will be subject to a one-off harvest, with those areas progressively regenerated and placed into public reserves and protection over the next 20 years.”
Importantly, plantation areas adjacent to cool temperate rainforest in the Gunyah and Jack River sections of the Cores and Links will not be harvested. This will effectively place a protective ‘barrier’ alongside these significant rainforest habitats.
“In the native forest surrounding the Cores and Links an additional 15,000 hectares will be protected from timber harvesting in perpetuity,” Mr Jennings said.
The agreement includes $5.5 million in cash and in-kind support for HVP. In agreeing not to harvest the native forest HVP have retained the rights to any future carbon and biodiversity credits derived through the ongoing protection of the areas.
“The result reflects this Government’s commitment to sustainable forest management and the long-term protection of key biodiversity areas in our forests,” Mr Jennings said.