Tourism-forestry agreement to benefit the state economy

Bob Gordon
Managing Director

A NEW tourism and forestry protocol agreement signed today will benefit the state’s economic outlook and facilitate increased understanding and communication between the two industries.

The Tourism-Forestry Protocol Agreement 2009 has been signed by Forestry Tasmania, the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, Forest Industries Association of Tasmania and Private Forests Tasmania.

The protocol builds on the 2003 agreement to facilitate communication, consultation and liaison between the parties at both strategic and operational levels.

The new agreement is tailored to meet future challenges and provides a framework and processes for the tourism and forestry to work together.

In Tasmania the big four industries – primary industry, mining and mineral processing, forestry and tourism all have a vital role to play in maintaining our standard of living and quality of life.

In our view we have a social responsibility to work with all these industries to prosper and continue to generate wealth and employment for this and future generations.

Forestry and tourism each contribute more than $1 billion to the economy and have much in common that makes us natural partners.

Both tourism and forestry rely on Tasmania’s greatest natural resource – our forests.

The protocol recognises that Tasmania’s forests are protected by an extensive reserve system as well as having areas for sustainable multiple use, and both are used by Tasmania’s tourism industry.

It also recognises this may result in issues arising between tourism activities and wood production activities.

What really sets this protocol apart is that while it not only continues to build communication and liaison it also contains practical, factual information and specific processes including mechanisms to resolve issues that might arise.

The protocol deals with issues such as planned burns, the visual impact of harvesting, and use of forestry roads by tourists.
 

Click here to download a copy of the Tourism Protocol.