Timber industry strategy
Overview
Victoria has approximately 1.3 million hectares of native forest used for timber production, in addition to extensive areas of pine plantations. These resources supply a large proportion of Victoria's timber needs and provide significant State revenue in the form of timber royalties. The introduction of the Victorian Timber Industry Strategy, in 1986, set a new framework for the management of these timber resources and established new directions for the Victorian timber industry. The Report is not aimed at questioning the merits of the objectives and targets established within this major Government strategy but is aimed primarily at providing an assessment of the progress achieved, to date, in its implementation. The overall objectives of the audit were to evaluate the extent to which: key policy directions of the Strategy have been achieved by the Government; the Strategy has been implemented with due regard to economy; and efficiency systems and procedures within the Department have provided an adequate accountability framework for implementation of the Strategy.