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The Comprehensive Regional Assessment identified 347 000 hectares of old- growth in the State's South-West, within 19 forest ecosystems. The RFA protects 232,800 hectares of this in the Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) reserve system - an increase of 45,700 hectares. If all informal reserves are included, the level increases to 245,500 hectares. Old growth is defined as forest that is ecologically mature and which has been subjected to negligible past disturbance.
Under the RFA:
- More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of Western Australia's old-growth forest in the South West will be protected. The nationally agreed target of 60 per cent for old-growth protection in each ecosystem has been met or exceeded.
- Where old-growth is rare or depleted, 100 per cent will be protected where possible on public land.
- A total of 67 per cent of remaining old-growth forest will be protected in the CAR reserve system. Additional areas will also be included in informal road, river and stream reserves. This means that a total of 71 per cent of old growth karri and 70 per cent of old growth jarrah will be excluded from timber harvesting.
Examples of where there has been substantial increases in the levels of protection of old growth forest include:
| Forest Ecosystem |
JANIS target |
Current Reservation |
RFA outcomes |
Additional reservation |
| Jarrah Blackwood |
60% |
28% |
60% |
32% |
| Jarrah Mt Lindesay |
60% |
49% |
79% |
30% |
| Jarrah North East |
100% |
42% |
86%* |
43% |
| Jarrah Yellow Tingle |
60% |
36% |
61% |
25% |
* Deficit involves land which occurs in forest areas covered by mining leases with pre-existing legal rights.
In relation to Tingle forest ecosystems, the protection of old growth is:
| Forest Type |
Target |
CAR reserves |
All reserves |
Hectares
(all reserves) |
| Jarrah Rate's Tingle |
100% |
100% |
100% |
1020 |
| Jarrah Red Tingle |
100% |
100% |
100% |
210 |
| Jarrah Yellow Tingle |
60% |
61% |
64% |
4630 |
| Karri Rate's Tingle |
100% |
100% |
100% |
670 |
| Karri Red Tingle |
100% |
100% |
100% |
3280 |
| Karri Yellow Tingle |
60% |
60% |
65% |
4500 |
Biodiversity
The Regional Forest Agreement includes measures to further safeguard Western Australia's plant and animal life.
Most importantly, the reserve design improves the protection of forest ecosystems currently under represented in the reserve system and protects areas of high flora species richness and diversity, as well as fauna refuges.
The RFA:
- Captures areas identified in the Comprehensive Regional Assessment as 'hotspots' for endemic species, plant species richness and species important because of evolutionary biology. This includes areas along the Blackwood River valley, the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge, the forests between the Frankland and Hay Rivers and areas east of Perth on the Darling scarp.
- Incorporates populations of the rare sunset frog, orange-bellied frog and white-bellied frog into the formal reserve system, as well as capturing many populations of rare and threatened species in new reserves.
- Identifies priority areas of research, for example the description and documentation of biological diversity (establishment of a collaborative resource centre for taxonomic information on flora); the protection and conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of natural resources; and development of tree crops as integral components of sustainable land management systems.
- Builds on the comprehensive assessment carried out at both the ecosystem and species levels for the Comprehensive Regional Assessment. Twenty seven ecosystems and 312 vegetation complexes were mapped.
Extensive flora and fauna databases were also developed. The RFA region contains 462 plant species of conservation significance. Recovery planning for 58 species of threatened flora is under way.
The region also has 123 terrestrial and aquatic animals of conservation significance. Recovery plans or interim recovery plans have been prepared for the twelve species of threatened fauna identified.
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