The Federal and Victorian governments expect to sign Australia's first regional forest reserve plan - for East Gippsland - by the end of the month after missing two deadlines to finalise the agreement. But the deal, is likely to anger conservationists after it was confirmed yesterday that a "green-friendly" Regional Forest Agreement put forward by the Environment Minister, Senator Robert Hill, had been rejected.
Senator Hill proposed to preserve 10 times more forest in East Gippsland than under the RFA plans, but the Resources Minister, Senator Warwick Parer, and the minister for Primary Industries, Mr John Anderson, objected to his proposal. The forest industry and Liberal backbenchers In Victorian logging seats also opposed Senator Hill's proposal which had strong support from conservationists.
The four RFA options under consideration will reserve about 0.6 per cent more forest than at present. Senator Hill's "fifth option" advocated reserving 6 per cent more forest. A spokesman for Senator Hill said the RFA would be signed as soon as the Prime Minister Mr John Howard, and the Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, could arrange a meeting. The national RFA process, initiated by the previous Labor Government was designed to set aside a comprehensive system of native forest reserves totalling about 15 percent of each forest type at the time of European settlement.
The East Gippsland RFA will be the prototype for a series of agreements around the country to be negotiated before the end of next year. The RFA system has angered many green groups because it will allow mineral exploration and mining in native forests considered of "lesser conservation value".
Conservationists have threatened vigorous protests in East Gippsland if Senator Hill's proposal is rejected. A spokeswoman for the Wilderness Society, Ms Virginia Young has praised Senator Hill this year for his 'fifth option" on East Gippsland. She warned that the defeat of his proposal would herald a return to the "forest battlegrounds of old".