Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L00219:body:0:p25
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L00219
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 71648–74655

that occurred within the Forestry Area under the previous management plan that now fall within the area of the park managed under IUCN Category II.

             2.10          Forestry Area

         Our aims
    .
           •      Provide an area for sustainable timber production for the benefit of the Norfolk Island community
           •      Reduce the extent of eucalypt plantation within the park, replacing it with native timber plantations or native forest.
           •      Ensure eucalypt forests are managed in a way that does not lead to a significant increase in fire risk in the park.
           •      Maintain and/or enhance native biodiversity.
           •      Allow for compatible park visitor use.

         Background
         The Forestry Area was originally cleared for banana plantations during the 1930s but after the collapse of the banana industry it developed into a series of dense thickets of weeds, mainly African olive. The area was included in the then Mount Pitt Reserve as an area reserved for forestry purposes in 1955 and was later declared a public reserve under the Norfolk Island Commons and Public Reserves Ordinance 1936 (NI). Some sections adjacent to the western boundary of the Forestry Area were cleared of olive and eucalypt plantations were established.

         The boundary of the Forestry Area, as defined in the first management plan for the park (1984), was based on an assessment of the extent of heavily weed-infested forest using aerial photography. The boundary was surveyed and marked on the ground during 1992–93.

         The primary purpose of the Forestry Area is to produce native species timber for the Norfolk Island community through forestry operations. Under the previous management
         plan, forestry operations were to be carried on by the Norfolk Island Parks and Forestry Service or an outsourced operator (a forestry operator working on behalf of the Norfolk Island Government).

         In 1994 areas of remnant native vegetation in the Forestry Area were surveyed and recommended for preservation due to their high nature conservation values (Davidson, Anderson and Evans 1994). The previous management plans provided that these areas were not to be cleared and weed management be undertaken in and around them by the forestry operator. The area was again mapped in 2010 to determine the vegetation types within the Forestry Area and to consider appropriate future management and use.

         An investigation into the viability of forestry operations was commissioned 2012 by an independent forestry expert. It found that the Forestry Area had little economic value for the island and should be rehabilitated to provide increased opportunities for community recreation and tourism. In this plan, the boundary of the Forestry Area has been adjusted to:

           •      Continue to provide a sufficiently large timber resource of eucalypts and pines to meet the needs of the Norfolk Island community while reducing