Information guide

Agency information guide

This information guide outlines in general terms:

  • what our structure and functions are
  • what kind of government information we have
  • what kind of government information we will make available to the public
  • how that information will be made available, and
  • whether or not there is a charge to access specific kinds of information.

Our structure and functions

Forestry Corporation is a state-owned corporation that has been appointed to manage environmental conservation, community access, tourism, fire, land management and renewable timber production across two million hectares of public land on behalf of the NSW Government.

Forestry Corporation manages around two million hectares of multiple-use public native forests, including coastal native forests, cypress forests and red gum forests, approximately 225,000 hectares of softwood timber plantations in the central west, south and north of NSW and just under 35,000 hectares of hardwood timber plantations in north east NSW..

We manage a million hectares of high value forests permanently set aside for conservation, partner with Aboriginal communities to manage and protect cultural heritage, provide community facilities such as free visitor areas and roads, control pests and weeds, manage and maintain a 60,000-kilometre road network and facilitate access for primary industries including apiary, grazing and quarrying. As a statutory firefighting authority, we play a key role in preventing and managing fires and protecting communities as part of the State’s coordinated firefighting response.

Forestry Corporation's forest management is guided by the Forest Management Policy and audited to international standards.

In 1916 the Forestry Act 1916 was enacted and the Forestry Commission established to manage the State's forests. This legislation was replaced by the Forestry Act 2012 and the organisation was corporatised. Today the corporation has offices in a number of regional locations. Our staff report through the following operating divisions:

  • Hardwood Forests Division
  • Softwood Plantations Division
  • Governance and Assurance
  • Finance and Technology
  • People and Safety.

Detailed information about our operations, the area we manage, our organisational structure, senior executive team and Board members is reported annually in our Annual Report and Sustainability Report.

What kind of government information do we have?

The corporation holds the following documents which contain government information:

  • organisational policies
  • planning documents for operations in State forests
  • documents relating to the business and administration of the corporation
  • documents relating to the management of State forests and the use of State forests.

In addition, the following categories of documents are maintained by the corporation:

  • documents prepared for the submission to Cabinet and Cabinet Committees
  • documents prepared for submission to the Executive Council
  • briefing papers for Ministers
  • correspondence with other jurisdictions, Ministers, Members of Parliament and members of the public
  • internal working documents of the corporation
  • business information pertaining to the sale of timber and contracting of services for, among other things, harvest and haulage of timber
  • information on permits and licenses issued by the corporation, and
  • reports, fact sheets, guidelines and procedures.

What kind of government information is available to the public and how?

Open access information

Forestry Corporation makes available, free of charge on its website the following open access information:

Other proactively released information

Forestry Corporation also makes a large range of additional information available on its website. This information includes:

Some hard copy maps are available from Forestry Corporation at a cost.

Information available upon informal request

You may make a request for any other type of information held by the corporation. As a general rule the corporation will provide the following types of information based on an informal request:

  • copies of documents containing your personal information (e.g. a copy of your permit or licence issued to you by the corporation)
  • copies of documents that are already in the public domain
  • copies of individual documents which are readily accessible within the corporation and would not raise any potential concerns in terms of public interests considerations against disclosure.

Please note that in some cases you may be asked to submit a formal request. Conditions may also be imposed in some cases in relation to the use or disclosure of information provided to you under an informal request.

Information available in response to a Formal Access Application

You may apply for access to all other information held by the corporation, with the exception of information that is categorised as 'excluded information' under the Government Information (Public Access) Act (GIPA).

You may write to:

Right to Information Coordinator
Government and Community Relations
Forestry Corporation of NSW
PO Box 100
Beecroft NSW 2119

Or download the application form here.

Please note that any formal applications will be subject to application fees and processing charges in accordance with the GIPA Act.

Information that is not available in response to a Formal Access Application

Although an access application may be made for all other government information held by the corporation, we are unable to release information if there is an overriding public interest against the disclosure of the information.

Some of the information that we are unable to release in response to an access application includes:

  • Cabinet information (as defined in item 2 of Schedule 1 of the GIPA Act)
  • Executive Council information (as defined in item 3 of Schedule 1 of the GIPA Act)
  • Documents that are subject to Parliamentary privilege, such as draft answers to Questions on Notice (item 4 of Schedule 1 of the GIPA Act), and
  • Documents relating to section 146 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act (item 12 of Schedule 1 of the GIPA Act).