Forestry Corporation manages more than two million hectares of State forests for a wide range of different uses. Multiple use forest management balances environmental conservation, community recreation, timber production and access for primary industries like beekeeping.

As a manager of public land, Forestry Corporation strives to provide communities and stakeholders with opportunities for effective, culturally appropriate, meaningful, and timely engagement.

Engaging with communities

Forestry Corporation recognises the positive contribution that stakeholders make to forest management and works to facilitate and encourage meaningful engagement of stakeholders.

Our stakeholder engagement policy is available online and our commitment to stakeholder engagement is also set out in our Forest Management Plans.

Engaging with First Nations communities

Forestry Corporation acknowledges that First Nations people should determine the significance of their heritage and how to maintain and protect it. The involvement of First Nations people is fundamental to understanding First Nations people, their connection to land and water and formulating management responses to culturally significant areas.

Our dedicated Aboriginal Partnerships Team works to foster positive partnerships with local Aboriginal communities and we also implement specific operational guidelines for Aboriginal cultural heritage management.

More about Aboriginal Partnerships.

Read our Operational Guidelines for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management - a Due Diligence Code of Practice.

Improving stakeholder engagement

In late 2022, we engaged representative stakeholders in a series of workshops to discuss our stakeholder engagement and identify opportunities for improvement. Based on feedback from stakeholders, we are:

• upgrading and improved our Plan Portal to enhance information and transparency around operations
• reviewing our stakeholder engagement guidelines
• commencing a program of improvements to  enhance opportunities for engagement based on stakeholder feedback.

Updates to Plan Portal

Based on feedback from the community, we have made some changes to the map view in Plan Portal to improve the information available for anyone using this system to find out about our upcoming operations.

The map you see when you open the Plan Portal now shows you current operations, those likely to start within the next six months, those likely to start within six to 18 months, completed operations, and those which have been temporarily suspended. his updated map provides clearer information for stakeholders on the proposed timing of operations.

On this map you can also see the area of public forest permanently managed for conservation, while hovering over the compartment will display a pop-up box showing you key details on the plan type and name, as well as the area permanently managed for conservation within each operational area.

Whilst we make every effort to follow our planned operational schedule, occasionally weather, fire or other conditions may necessitate a rapid change to this plan. We will always update our maps and schedules ahead of these changes being made.

If you want more information you can still click on any plan for more details and to view the planning documents.

No changes have been made to the operational or compliance registers.

Visit our Plan Portal or watch the video below for more information about the harvest planning process.

Review of stakeholder engagement guidelines

We have developed updated stakeholder engagement guidelines and welcome feedback from the community.

View our updated draft stakeholder engagement guidelines.

Contact us with your feedback by 30 November 2023.

Ongoing improvements

Our stakeholder workshops identified a range of improvements that community members would like to see. These improvements will continue to be explored and include

• Updating Plan Portal
• Enhancing information on our website
• Reviewing notification practices, including information provided, timeframes and opportunities for feedback
• Carrying out wider communication before starting forestry operations, including social media, engaging with local media and email distribution lists
• Greater face to face engagement
• Reviewing policies and guidelines
• Working with staff and contractors to provide ongoing training in community engagement and code of conduct.