Australia’s Victoria State-Owned Government Forest Authority – VicForest – Officially Out of Business
It’s Official: VicForests is Dead, What’s Next for Aussie Timber?
It is official, as of Monday, July 1st, 2024, Australia’s Victoria’s state-owned government authority – VicForest no longer exists. The few remaining staff members are being absorbed into the Victorian bureaucracy as of today.
The demise of VicForest comes after the then-Andrews government announced in May 2023 that all harvesting on native forests would cease on January 1, 2024, before VicForests was de-registered as a state business corporation in September, paving the way for full wind-down.
Before the ban, VicForests managed 3.2 million hectares of certified native forests, with about 0.04% (or four trees in every 10,000) felled and turned into building products, paper, or wood chips, which were then sold in retailers such as Bunnings and Officeworks.
In March, the ABC revealed that VicForests has been operating on a contractual basis (up to June 30) following the January 1 closure. The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action forest management operations now manage the forests, including removing timber under fire management protocols.
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