Timber Release Plans

Timber resources in State forests are allocated to VicForests for the purposes of harvesting and/or selling through the Allocation to VicForests Order 2004 (as amended). The Allocation Order specifies the extent and location of the forest stands to which VicForests has access under this Order. VicForests must prepare a Timber Release Plan for allocated areas.

Timber Release Plans (TRPs) are publicly available documents that must include: a schedule of coupes selected for timber harvesting and associated access road requirements; details of the location and approximate timing of timber harvesting in the proposed coupes; and details of the location of any associated access roads. There are currently two approved TRPs, the 2011-2016 TRP for the Central, Central Gippsland, Dandenong and Benalla-Mansfield Forest Management Areas (FMAs) and the 2009-2014 TRP for the East-Gippsland, Tambo and North-East FMAs.

TRPs are prepared by VicForests in accordance with Part 5 of the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004, and may be reviewed and changed in accordance with section 43. The Act requires that VicForests submit new TRPs, and changes to existing TRPs, to the Secretary to the Department of Environment and Primary Industries for approval. TRPs must not be inconsistent with the Allocation Order and any Code of Practice relating to timber harvesting.

On the publication of a notice of the approval of a TRP in the Victoria Government Gazette, the timber resources to which the approved TRP applies is vested in VicForests.

The most recent approved notification and amendments to a TRP are listed in the following documents:

2006-2011 Timber Release Plan

Whilst the 2006-2011 TRP expired on 30 June 2011, the objective of this change to the 2006-2011 TRP (as already changed) is to document the finalisation of coupes via the Coupe Finalisation process.

• General Victoria Government Gazette G46 dated 17 November 2011 (PDF) 
• Change to the 2006-2011 TRP 17 November 2011 [PDF File - 543.0 KB]
• Change to the 2006-2011 TRP 17 November  2011 [MS Word Document - 152.0 KB]

2009-2014 Timber Release Plan

• General Victoria Goverment Gazette G46 dated 17 November 2011 (PDF)
• Change to the 2009-2014 TRP 17 November 2011 [PDF File - 631.1 KB]
• Change to the 2009-2014 TRP 17 November  2011 [MS Word Document - 180.0 KB]  

2011-2016 Timber Release Plan

• General Victoria Government Gazette G25 dated 23 June 2011 (PDF)
• Notification of the 2011-2016 TRP 23 June 2011 [RTF File - 3.1 MB]

Maps showing the extent and spatial location of coupes and coupe driveways associated with these planned timber harvesting operations can be viewed on the VicForests website or by using DEPI's Forest Explorer Online.