2017-10-13 Special Meeting - Hinterland Environmental Conservation Project - Further Report

SPECIAL MEETING REPORT                                                          13 OCTOBER 2017


4.2. Extra PLA areas to be surrendered at the outset of the agreement
HQP have identified some additional parcels in the Ringtail PLA area that can be immediately
excluded from the PLA area and transferred into National Park. One of these in particular will
provide potential better access and linkage to the recently purchased Franz land. Others parcels
to the north of Louis Bazzo Drive can also be immediately transferred to National Park. These are
on separate titles to the other PLA lands in the Ringtail locality. A map identifying these parcels
will be shown to Councillors at the Special Meeting.

4.3. Clarification of hardwood PLA areas to be surrendered at the outset of the agreement
HQP have now identified which hardwood areas can be immediately excluded from the PLA area
and transferred into National Park. This covers almost all of the hardwood areas. The remaining
hardwood areas cannot be surrendered at this stage as they are part of the same title of an existing
pine plantation block and access to the pine is through that hardwood area. None of the hardwood
plantation areas will be cut. A map identifying these parcels will be shown to Councillors at the
Special Meeting.

4.4. Clarification of harvesting practices and pine clearance
HQP have confirmed that they will be bound by the Conservation Handback Guidelines for the
Yurol forest area. This is due to the endangered giant barred frog habitat. However, those
guidelines do not apply to the Ringtail forest area under the HQP PLA. HQP agree that they will
ensure that any native forest species contained in their pine harvest area that is 20cm diameter or
greater will be retained (subject to any WH&S requirements). Their harvest will be of the planted
pine areas, not any pine wildings that have emerged in fallow or buffer areas.

There are also practical issues that will need to be managed through the Transition Committee.
For example, the “Christmas tree” block of pine at the eastern edge of the Ringtail block will not be
of merchantable quality due to the 5 year harvesting period and HQP do not wish to be required to
harvest this block. Options that can be explored through the Transition Committee include early
mulching of this block to allow early remediation access.

There are also other practical matters in the pine harvesting to be considered including leaving
rows of stumps intact along the property boundaries to provide a physical barrier to unauthorised
entry. Further, while the agreement provides that the hardwood areas are not harvested, there
may be some environmental benefits in thinning the hardwood mono-culture. HQP have agreed
that they would consider any request to facilitate the use of their contractors (at normal contract
cost) to undertake this work while their contractors are on site undertaking their pine harvest.
Again, this is a matter that could be addressed via the Transition Committee if required.

5.    The Way Forward - Approved Actions

If Council wishes to proceed with this project in principle, the following actions would be need to
be approved by Council:
     Authorise the CEO to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding generally in accordance
      with the terms of the draft MOU contained in Attachment 1 to the further report to achieve
      the overall project objectives;
     Authorise the CEO to work with the other parties to develop the required transactional
      documents and to report back to a future Council meeting with those transactional documents
      for Council’s consideration;
     Authorise the CEO to remove the confidentiality associated with the two reports to the Special
      Council meeting regarding this project once the project has been publically announced by
      the Minister for the Environment.




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