Have your say

The Tasmanian Government is committed to providing opportunities for community involvement in the development of government policy. We are seeking your input on the Forest Practices Regulations 2017. Your feedback will help us update the Regulations.

The Regulations are made under the Forest Practices Act 1985 and form part of Tasmania's forest management framework.

The Regulations:

  • specify circumstances where a forest practices plan is not required
  • prescribe fees for forest practices plans
  • prescribe fees for the establishment of private timber reserves.

You can view the current Regulations on the Tasmanian Legislation website: www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sr-2017-021

What to expect

To ensure the current regulatory framework continues to operate, the government intends to remake the Forest Practices Regulations 2017 without major change before they expire on 27 April 2027.

Amendments to the Regulations can be made at any time, either before or after remaking.

The extended consultation period will support development of an updated set of Regulations that reflects both stakeholder feedback and any changes from the national environmental law reforms.

The existing Regulations will remain in force while allowing sufficient time to:

  • consider stakeholder submissions
  • assess the implications of Australian Government environmental reforms
  • develop and consult on proposed amendments to the Regulations.

Key dates

  • Consultation closes: 31 March 2027
  • Current Regulations remade without major change: by 27 April 2027
  • Draft updated Regulations released for public comment: second half of 2027
  • Final Regulations expected to be made and gazetted: before 1 July 2028

There will be another opportunity for you to comment on proposed amendments before the updated Regulations are finalised.

We encourage you to contribute your views to help inform the future development of the Regulations.

What feedback are we seeking?

We welcome feedback on any aspect of the Regulations, particularly suggestions that:

  • identify issues arising from the practical application of the Regulations
  • improve the clarity and interpretation of the Regulations
  • improve the practical operation of the Regulations
  • support effective land management while meeting the requirements of the Forest Practices Act 1985
  • reduce unnecessary complexity or administrative burden.

What we can’t consider

We cannot consider matters outside the scope of the Regulations as part of the remaking of the Regulations. However, the department may keep on file any broader issues raised by stakeholders to inform ongoing and future policies and initiatives relating to Tasmania's forest management framework.

How to make a submission

All written submissions on the Forest Practices Regulations must be received by 11:59pm on 31 March 2027.

Submissions can be made by entering comments directly into the Submit Feedback section of this portal or by uploading a written submission.

Alternatively, submissions can be forward to:

Email: forests@building.tas.gov.au

Mail: GPO Box 536, Hobart TAS 7001; Attention: Forest Policy

Other than indicated below, submissions will be treated as public information and will be published on our website at https://www.building.tas.gov.au/about-us/divisions/economic-development/forestry

Submissions will be published once consideration of the feedback provided has concluded, expected to be in July and August 2027.

No personal information other than an individual’s name or the organisation making a submission will be published.

For further information, please contact: forests@building.tas.gov.au

Accessibility of submissions

The government recognises that not all individuals or groups are equally placed to access and understand information. We are therefore committed to ensuring government information is accessible and easily understood by people with diverse communication needs

Where possible, please consider typing your submission in plain English and providing it in a format such as Microsoft Word or equivalent.

The government cannot however take responsibility for the accessibility of documents provided by third parties.

Important information to note

Your name (or the name of the organisation) will be published unless you request otherwise.

In the absence of a clear indication that a submission is intended to be treated as confidential (or parts of the submission), the department will treat the submission as public.

If you would like your submission treated as confidential, whether in whole or in part, please indicate this in writing at the time of making your submission clearly identifying the parts of your submission you want to remain confidential and the reasons why. In this case, your submission will not be published to the extent of that request.

Copyright in submissions remains with the author(s), not with the Tasmanian Government.

The department will not publish, in whole or in part, submissions containing defamatory or offensive material. If your submission includes information that could enable the identification of other individuals then either all or parts of the submission will not be published.

The Right to Information Act 2009 and confidentiality

Information provided to the government may be provided to an applicant under the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI). If you have indicated that you wish all or part of your submission to be treated as confidential, your statement detailing the reasons may be taken into account in determining whether or not to release the information in the event of an RTI application for assessed disclosure. You may also be contacted to provide any further comment.

National environmental law reforms

The Australian Government's reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 may affect aspects of the environmental regulatory framework applying to forestry operations conducted under Regional Forest Agreements from 1 July 2027.

The implications of these reforms for Tasmania are still being assessed. The implications for Tasmania's forest management framework will depend on:

  • the content of new National Environmental Standards
  • any bilateral agreements between the Australian and Tasmanian governments
  • implementation arrangements adopted by the Australian Government.

Recent Australian Government environmental law reforms may affect:

  • the process for updating the Regulations
  • the timing of future amendments
  • the government's ability to respond to stakeholder feedback until the reform framework is clearer.

We may need to review some matters raised through this consultation once the Australian Government reform framework and associated implementation arrangements are finalised.

Need help understanding the current regulations?

The Forest Practices Authority (FPA) provides information and support to landowners and managers regarding their obligations under Tasmania's forest practices system.

Where feedback relates to operational or implementation matters associated with the current Regulations, the department may periodically provide that feedback to the FPA for consideration.