Today, the RFAs are legally uncertain and fail in practice. Their problems cannot be solved under the FRG, as agreements are based on incremental changes and not on catastrophic events. They do not contain any mechanism to completely change the terms of the agreement to restore the balance between conservation and production required by fires. Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) are agreements between the state and Commonwealth governments. There are five in Victoria for different regions. They are expected to resolve the conflict over local forest logging, but they have not done so this year, and by 2022, Victorians will continue to have the opportunity to contribute to the current forest management reform agenda, which includes the development of a national forest management strategy and regional forest management plans to improve the way we grow and manage our forests. Regional forest agreements are intergovernmental agreements between the Commonwealth and the government of Western Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria. These agreements seek to address the competing demands of indigenous forests for resource extraction and industrial security, on the one hand, and conservation on the other. The Major Event Review (MER) provides a strong framework in which Victorian and Australian authorities can assess and respond to the impact of major events on our forests, such as the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020.
Authorities in the state of the Former Czech Republic and Australia have set up an independent impact assessment and the identification of corrective measures. MER is overseen by an independent body and is informed by science, traditional owners` knowledge and public consultation. For more information, see www.delwp.vic.gov.au/regional-forest-agreements The agreements are based on a mix of community and industry consultation in scientific research. While the agreements are supported by forestry, they are widely criticized by environmental groups. To protect Australia`s unique forests and wildlife from more frequent and intense bushfires, governments must lay out FFA and stop the exploitation of native forests. During the lifetime of AIF, tens of thousands of hectares of critical habitat have been recorded for forest-threatened species, including the leadbeater possum and the large sailboat. In the context of the recent fires, there is an urgent need to advance the Victorian government`s industrial transition from indigenous forests, planned for 2030, and to immediately implement the immediate protection zones and the old measures to protect growth on the ground. As PROs are intergovernmental agreements, the modernization process, which began in 2018, involved detailed negotiations between the Victorian and Australian governments. Modernized FRGs are an important step in transforming forest management and use. The Victorian community will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of strategies and plans that will make this transformation a reality. RSFs have been updated to recognize the effects of climate change and, in particular, that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather events and disturbances that will affect a large number of forest values.
They recognize that climate change is an ongoing and threatening process for some animals and vegetation listed in Victorian legislation.
