Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Commonwealth environmental legislation that, together with the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002, gives legal effect to the native forest logging exemption from requiring Commonwealth approval if covered by an RFA.

National Forest Policy Statement (NFPS). The 1992 inter-governmental agreement that underpins RFAs. A key agreement is to conserve the full suite of values that forests can provide for current and future generations. These include biological diversity, and heritage, Aboriginal and other cultural values.

One Stop Chop. The exemption for logging and other forestry operations, carried out in accordance with an RFA, from the need to obtain Commonwealth approval where they impact on  threatened species and other matters of national environmental significance. The Commonwealth accredits State approval processes and delegates its responsibility.

Possums Case. Federal court case brought by Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, represented by Environmental Justice Australia, against VicForests in 2017. It challenges the exemption for RFA logging from the EPBC Act. (Federal Court file number VID1228/2017)

Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs). 20 year Commonwealth state-agreements made in the 1990s on the basis of which state logging regimes were accredited. Native forest logging carried out ‘in accordance with’ an RFA is exempt from needing Commonwealth approval.

Wielangta Case. Federal court case brought by Senator Bob Brown in 2005 against Forestry Tasmania on the basis that logging was not in accordance with the RFA because it was having a significant impact on the Swift Parrot, Wielangta Stag Beetle and Tasmanian Wedgetailed Eagle.