4025-24 Honour the commitments of the South East Queensland Region Forest Agreement
Eligibility - Residents of the State of QueenslandPO Box 383
REDCLIFFE QLD 4020
Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House the State Government's commitment to phase out native hardwood logging within the South East Queensland Regional Plan area by 31 December 2024 under the South East Region Forest Agreement, (RFA), 25 years ago. And more recently, the announcement by then Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in 2019 to dedicate 20,000 hectares of state forest to the conservation estate prior to 31 December 2024.
On 24 August 2023 then Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Meaghan Scanlon announced that 2,550 hectares of approximately 70,000 hectares of State forest within the South East Queensland Regional Plan area, (SEQRPA), had been dedicated to the conservation estate. This resulted in the creation of just three new conservation parks and the addition of some relatively small areas to two existing conservation parks and one existing national park.
As of December 2024 it is understood that all native hardwood logging operations were scheduled to be completed within the SEQRPA, excluding Deongwar State Forest. Whilst the timber industry has largely realised the commitments made under the RFA the promises made to Queensland residence for the dedication of the outstanding portion of approximately 70,000 hectares within the SEQRPA to protect ‘Nature’ remains unfulfilled.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to bring the outstanding commitments to the Premier so as to ensure fulfilment of the commitment by 2024.