\ a Hon Lily D'Ambrosio mp for Energy, Environment and Climate Change 8 Nicholson Streat for Suburban Development East Melbourne, Vietoria 3002 snone: 3 9537 9504 oxz10096 Senator the Hon Anne Ruston Ret naos00 Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Senator for South Australia Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Dear Senator REGIONAL FOREST AGREEMENTS: COMMONWEALTH FUNDING CONTRIBUTIONS, Thank you for your letter of 8 February 2018 regarding funding for engagement and updated assessment to support the renewal of Victoria's Regional Forest Agreements (RFAS), A process of comprehensive engagement with Victorian communities and updated assessments of forest values is an essential part of the process to modemise Victoria's RFA framework. This reflects the considerable changes in the policy and legislative environment since the establishment of Victoria's RFAs 20 years ago, and the changing socio-economic context within which forest management now occurs. This approach is consistent with the feedback from the Traditional Owners, the timber industry, environmental non-government organisations, local governments and the scientific commurity. Under the RFAs, the Australian Government expressly accredits Victoria's forest management system for each RFA region. It is therefore in the interest of both parties and stakeholders that this forest management system is robust, transparent and effective in meeting the objectives of the RFAS for the next 20 years. The proposed assessment activities are net only core forest management matters, they are also relevant to matters for which the Australian Government has direct responsibiities, including matters of national environment significance, and social and economic development. The RFA also recuires that the Australian Government be concerned with the quality and effectveness of Victoria's forest management system, which includes the core forest management matters to which you refer. The assessments undertaken in the 1990s were extensive and provided a foundation of date and information to inform forest management. These assessments were jointly funded by the parties and came at considerable cost - the Commonwealth contributed $2.3 million in 1998 for old growth forest mapping in the Gippsland RFA region alone. However, many o! these assessments and data have not deen kept up to date and do not reflect cranges in’ science and knowledge, the impacts of major disruptions such as fire, nor changing social values. Moreover, the assessments in Victoria were undertaken prior to the establishment of the Regional Forests Agreement Act 2002 (Cth) and the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and in many cases, should be updated to reflect the recuiremerts of this and other legielation All previous reviews including the State of the Forests report, Victorian Environmental Assessment Council investigations, five yearly reviews of the RFA, and other relevant research and assessments, will provide the starting point for updated assessments. However, adcitional work will be required 10 ensure thal assessments are adequately updated to establish a contemporary RFA framework. This is particularly important given the outcomes of recent reviews of progress to implement the RFAs and itigation challenging the effectiveness of the RFAs in ensuring matters of national environmentel significance are adequately protected.In your letter you refer to the 20-year rolling extension of the Tasmanian RFA, which was based on assessments undertaken using a range of existing information, | am aware of the considerable investment the Australian Government has made in forestry in Tasmania in recent years. In 2011, for example, the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Tasmania entered into the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement which was supported by a government investment of $277 millon, of which only $15.5 million was provided by the Tasmanian Government. The investment by the Australian Government included an investment of $43 million to facilitate protection of new areas of high conservation value forests and an ongoing $7 milion per annum to manage new reserves, in addition to significant funding for industry. Victoria has received no such funding from the Australian Government. | trust that the Australian Government will recognise the value of comprehensive community engagement and updating Victoria's forest assessments, which-has been core to Victoria’s position and our negotiations. | respectfully request that you reconsider how the Australian Government can demonstrate its commitment to a modernised RFA framework for Victoria Yours sincerely D'Ambrosio MP Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister for Suburban Development Si ti& cc. The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for Energy and the Environment ‘The Hon Gavin Jennings MLC, Special Minister of State ‘The Hon Jaala Pulford MLC, Minister for Agriculture mino4o309 Page?