As of January 1st, Native Logging in Western Australia Has Ended

As of January 1st, the Western Australia Government’s promise to end logging in native forests became a reality, PS News reported (1-2-24). All commercial native forest logging operations in the state’s southwest, Great Southern, and Peel regions have ceased.

The move fulfills the government’s September 2021 promise to cease operations by 2024 and means 400,000 hectares (988,000 acres) of native karri, jarrah, and wandoo forest will be spared from commercial exploitation. Under the new Forest Management Plan, native timber will only be available through ecological thinning designed to promote forest health and resilience from drought and brushfires or mine site operations.

As part of the end of large-scale commercial logging, the government has committed $80 million (AUD) to a Native Forest Transition Plan overseen by Minister for Forestry Jackie Jarvis, which includes significant industry restructure payments to all eligible sawmills. Funds have also been made available through grants for community development projects, business diversification, and to attract new industries.

The government is also investing $350 million in softwood pine plantations, the timber from which is used extensively in housing construction.