Forest Practices Act 1985

Where the Authority, after considering the effect of 2 or more three-year plans lodged by different persons, is of the opinion that more effective use of routes for the transportation of timber could be achieved or that the plans indicate an excessive concentration of harvesting in a particular location, it may arrange for a conference to be held between it, any person who may be invited to attend the conference pursuant to subsection (2), and the persons who lodged those plans for the purpose of varying those plans.

The Authority may invite a representative of any local authority and the owner of any land from which timber is intended to be harvested to attend a conference arranged by it under subsection (1).

Where a person who lodged a plan fails without reasonable excuse to attend a conference arranged by the Authority under subsection (1), the Authority may – where that person is harvesting timber in accordance with a certified forest practices plan or certified forest practices plans, suspend the operation of all or any of those plans; or where that person has submitted a forest practices plan for certification pursuant to section 18, refuse to consider that plan for certification – until that person attends a conference arranged by it.

The Authority may, at the conference arranged by it under subsection (1), make a decision requesting a person attending the conference to vary the proposals in a three-year plan lodged by him or her in order to make better use of routes for the transportation of timber or to reduce the concentration of harvesting in a particular location.

In making a decision to request the variation of a three-year plan under subsection (4), the Authority shall take into account the cost to be incurred by the person who lodged the three-year plan in implementing that plan in accordance with the variation.

Where a person fails without reasonable excuse to vary the proposals specified in the three-year plan lodged by him or her in accordance with the request of the Authority, the Authority may – where that person is harvesting timber in accordance with a certified forest practices plan or certified forest practices plans, suspend the operation of all or any of those plans; or where the person has submitted a forest practices plan for certification pursuant to section 18, refuse to consider that plan for certification – until that person varies the proposals in that plan in the manner requested by the Authority.

The Authority may approve or refuse to approve the variation of a three-year plan at any time.