Great Forests National Park a win for Victoria

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have found the creation of a Great Forest National Park would deliver the best environmental and economic returns to Victoria from its Central Highlands. They found the economic benefits of the native forests outweighed the economic benefits of native timber production from the tall, wet forests of the Central Highlands. Lead researcher Dr Heather Keith from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society said changing forest management to conservation would be better economically, as well as for the environment. "We used the international standard System of Environmental-Economic Accounting to understand the relationship of environmental and economic factors in the region," Dr Keith said. "The current mix of benefits and costs, and potential trade-offs between land use activities, are revealed by the accounts. This allows policy makers to reconsider how the area is managed." Dr Keith measured the value of native timber production as well as the impact of logging on water supply, climate abatement and threatened species. She found the forests are worth $12 million in native timber production each year.