New Zealand Journal of Forestry (2016) 61(2): 16–21
©New Zealand Institute of Forestry

Professional Paper
Monitoring and reporting on sustainable forest management in Victoria, Australia

Shaun Suitor ^*,1, Andrew Haywood ², Andrew Clark ², Andrew Mellor ², Salahuddin Ahmad ² and Barry Denham <sup>2

1</sup> Team Leader, Victorian Forest Monitoring Program, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Email: shaun.suitor@delwp.vic.gov.au
² Team Member, Victorian Forest Monitoring Program, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
^*Corresponding author.

Abstract: Publicly-owned forests in the Australian state of Victoria have been managed intensively for a range of values for more than 150 years (Turner et al., 2011). Over this time, the policy framework within which these forests are managed has evolved in line with changing community values and expectations. From the development of the first Forests Act in 1916, through to the Sustainability Charter for Victoria’s State Forests in 2007, this evolution has seen an increased emphasis over the last 20 to 30 years on monitoring and reporting on sustainable forest management, consistent with global trends. The aim of this paper is to present Victoria’s sustainable forest management monitoring and reporting framework and the recent advances in forest monitoring and reporting in the state, including the Victorian Forest Monitoring Program and the State of the Forests reporting program.
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