Table of Contents
Members of the committee
List of Abbreviations
Chapter 1
Introduction
Committee's Inquiry
Referral of the Bill
Conduct of the inquiry
Consideration of the Committee's report
Acknowledgments
Chapter 2
Provisions of the Bill
Outline of the Bill
History of the Bill
Provisions of the Bill
Provisions of the Bill as they relate to the matters referred to the Committee
by the Senate
Chapter 3
Background to the RFA Legislation
History of RFA legislation
Consultation
The National Forest Policy Statement
Regional Forest Agreements
Requirements for an RFA
RFA process
Where RFAs are operating
Necessity for the legislation
Chapter 4
Comment on Issues Raised by the Bill
RFAs and confidence in the forest estate
RFAs and ecologically sustainable management
Termination of RFAs
Resource security and RFAs
RFA and employment
RFAs and compensation
Opposed to compensation provisions in the Bill
Support for compensation provisions in the Bill
Review of RFAs
Support for review of RFAs
Opposition to review of RFAs
Review of RFAs - Committee view
Chapter 5
Exemptions From Certain Commonwealth Legislation
Freedom from other Acts
Support for exemptions from the other Acts
Opposed to exemptions from the other Acts
Freedom from export controls
In support of removing export controls
Opposed to the removal of export controls
Transfer of powers to States
Interaction of Commonwealth and State environmental legislation
Chapter 6
Support for the Bill
Support for the Bill
Social and economic importance of RFAs
Benefits of the Bill
Public benefit
Support for the RFA process in Victoria
Support for the Tasmanian RFA
Support Bill with amendments
Wood and Paper Industry Council
Chapter 7
Opposition to the Bill
Opposition to the Bill and to Regional Forest Agreements
Lack of meaningful consultation
In defence of the consultative process
Objections to specific RFAs
Tasmania
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
Queensland
Chapter 8
Constitutional and Legal Issues
Introduction
Principal issues for the Committee's consideration
Mr Brazil's opinion
Opinion of the Office of General Counsel, Commonwealth Attorney-General's
Department
Delegation of legislative authority - Clause 5 of the Bill
Impairment of future parliament - compensation
Section 99 of the Constitution
Other matters - wood chip export regulations
Other issues - matter related to environmental protection (Impact of Proposals)
Act 1974
Other issues - judicial review
Chapter 9
Conclusions and Recommendations
Committee Conclusions
Enactment of the Bill
Future review and scrutiny of RFAs
Wood and Paper Industry Council
Accessibility
Employment
Preliminary Minority Report - Senators Forshaw,
O'Brien and Murphy
Final Minority Report - Senators Forshaw, O'Brien
and Murphy
Dissenting Report - Senators Woodley and Bartlett
Dissenting Report - Senator Brown
Appendix 1 - List of Submissions
Appendix 2 - Witnesses who appeared before the Committee
Appendix 3 - List of Regional Forest Agreements
signed and yet to be signed
Appendix 4 - Legal opinions considered by the Committee
[Appendix 4A]
[Appendix 4B]
[Appendix 4C]