Forest Practices Act 1985.

This Act, consisting of 50 sections divided into six Parts and completed by seven Schedules, it establishes a State's forest practices system and the Forest Practices Authority. The objective of the State's forest practices system is to achieve sustainable management of Crown and private forests with due care for the environment and taking into account social, economic and environmental outcomes while delivering, in a way that is as far as possible self-funding (a) an emphasis on self-regulation; and (b) planning before forest operations; and (c) delegated and decentralised approvals for forest practices plans and other forest practices matters; and (d) a forest practices code which provides practical standards for forest management, timber harvesting and other forest operations; and (e) an emphasis on consultation and education; and (ea) an emphasis on research, review and continuing improvement; and (eb) the conservation of threatened native vegetation communities; and (f) provision for the rehabilitation of land in cases where the forest practices code is contravened; and (g) an independent appeal process; and h) through the declaration of private timber reserves – a means by which private land holders are able to ensure the security of their forest resources.
The Board has, inter alia, the following functions: (a) to advise the Minister on forest practices policy in respect of both Crown land and private land; (b) to issue and maintain the Forest Practices Code; (c) to oversee standards for forest practices plans; (d) to oversee the administration of private timber reserves by Private Forests Tasmania; (e) to monitor and report to the Minister on harvesting and reforestation activity in relation to the maintenance of a permanent forest estate; etc. The Minister, on the recommendation of the Board, shall appoint a person appointed or employed under the Tasmanian State Service Act 1984 to be chief forest practices officer. A person who wishes to have any land owned by him declared as a private timber reserve may make application to the Board (sect. 5). The Governor may, on the recommendation of the Board made pursuant to section 10, by notice published in the Gazette, declare any land specified in the notice as a private timber reserve (sect. 11). Where land has been declared as a private timber reserve in accordance with section 11(1), it shall be used only for establishing forests, or growing or harvesting timber in accordance with the Forest Practices Code and such other activities which the Board considers to be compatible with establishing forests, or growing or harvesting timber (sect. 12). Notices declaring private timber reserves shall be registered by the Board. A person who is responsible in relation to any land must not carry out any activity specified in section 17 on that land unless a certified forest practices plan exists in respect of that land. The Board shall, after consulting with Private Forests Tasmania, issue a draft Code on the conduct of forest practices (sect. 30). The Forest Practices Code shall prescribe the manner in which forest practices shall be conducted so as to provide reasonable protection to the environment. The Act further provides for the establishment of the Forest Practices Tribunal and for the Forest Practices Advisory Council.