Future of State forests

The Victorian Government established the independent Great Outdoors Taskforce and Eminent Panel for Community Engagement from 2021-2025 to advise on the management of state forests in eastern Victoria, including state forests previously available for timber harvesting. The Taskforce and the Panel Members went to the regions, spoke to thousands in communities across eastern Victoria and heard from experts and user groups.

Both the Taskforce and Panel recommended significant transformations to the government’s management of state forests to increase access to our forests, enhance tourism and recreation experiences, keep our forests healthy, and to do this in partnership with communities and Traditional Owners.

It’s an integrated plan for healthier forests, outdoor recreation and regional tourism outcomes.

We’re protecting and enhancing Victoria’s natural assets, so they remain rich in biodiversity, strong in culture, and healthy and resilient for the future – as well as a treasured resource for outdoor recreation and enjoyment.

The reports are available at Great Outdoors Taskforce and Eminent Panel for Community Engagement.

Across the period from 2021 to 2025, the Great Outdoors Taskforce and Eminent Panel for Community Engagement spoke to thousands of Victorians through regional forums and statewide workshops and received detailed submissions and public survey responses from almost 20,000 people. The Taskforce and the Panel partnered with Traditional Owner Groups to ensure their voices, and the needs of Country, were at the heart of their considerations.

The Panel and Taskforce listened deeply, developed a thorough understanding of issues and opportunities for state forests, and delivered recommendations with community perspectives at their centre.

Through these processes, government has heard the views of stakeholders with interests in the environment, tourism, recreation, industry and policy, from local communities and bush user groups to statewide peak bodies and land management agencies. The Taskforce and the Panel’s work shows there is more  common ground than differences between stakeholders, and a strong desire for people to work with each other and government to ensure that land is appropriately managed for a range of values.

With the end of large-scale commercial native timber harvesting, the Victorian Government delivered landmark protection for precious biodiversity and endangered species. Since 2024, we have regenerated over 1,200 hectares of forests and rebuilt our seed store – critical to restoring forests after major disturbance.

Victoria is taking action to look after our ecosystems, protect habitat and manage threats like invasive species, fire, and climate change. We are also prioritising investment to remove pests and weeds to safeguard and enhance our native flora and fauna. The government has taken the following actions to provide longevity to its policy to cease large-scale native timber harvesting in State forests:

• Abolishing VicForests, which was responsible for all timber harvesting on public land.
• Repealing the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004, which provided the legislative framework for timber access and harvesting in State forests.
• Terminating Regional Forest Agreements, which enabled streamlined regulatory processes for native timber harvesting. New RFAs cannot be created due to legislative limitations.

Tree planting and regeneration are most powerful when communities are part of it. We’ll be working alongside our passionate community volunteers, Traditional Owners and environmental groups to regenerate local forests. By working side by side with volunteers, we’re helping people connect deeply with the places they love and take ownership of their future. Volunteers aren’t just helping us plant trees – they're shaping the landscape for generations to come. Volunteer-driven regeneration lets us achieve more, faster – restoring more land, supporting biodiversity, and creating stronger community ties.

From tall mountain forests and dry woodlands to coastal scrub, estuaries and lakes, our native bushland, waterways and forests support thousands of species of flora and fauna – many found nowhere else on Earth. This biodiversity is precious. While we’re maintaining access, it will be underpinned by responsible management – protecting biodiversity, cultural heritage, and our environmental legacy.

In response to the Eminent Panel’s recommendations, the government will expand the Yarra Ranges National Park to include Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve. The expansion of the Yarra Ranges National Park will enhance existing environmental protections for one of Victoria’s important water supply catchments. As a closed water catchment, this area is already closed off to the public and will not change public access and use. The additions to the National Park will continue to be managed in accordance with a closed water catchment to protect the high-quality drinking water and the diverse flora and fauna it sustains. These arrangements will be made through future legislation.

Additional signs with ‘cues to care’ will also be placed in national parks to encourage new visitors, and remind frequent visitors, to look after our great outdoors. Behavioural signage helps visitors understand how their actions impact fragile ecosystems – from staying on tracks to managing waste or not feeding wildlife. Signage also helps us communicate respect for Country, cultural protocols, and the stories that deepen visitor understanding of the landscape.

The government is modernising legislation to protect what the community values most about our public land while supporting economic growth, tourism, and the efficient delivery of essential services.  We will introduce a brand-new Public Land Act to sit alongside and complement the National Parks Act.

The new Public Land Act will provide a contemporary framework for the management of public land, including state forests, while not changing any existing activities or restrict community access. This includes:

• legislating management purposes for the 3.2 million hectares of state forests to ensure they are managed for multiple outcomes, including community recreation, and providing a modern planning framework to support the development of Healthy Forest Plans
• streamlining processes and approvals to make it easier to do things on public land where it makes sense
• introducing a new outdoor recreation facilities sub-category with longer lease terms to support investment in nature based tourism; and
• enabling Traditional Owner collaborative governance, planning and management of forests, including enabling the creation of Cultural Reserves and the formal recognition of Cultural Landscapes.

Victoria’s forests thrive when the community can come together to set directions for how they are managed. Victorians care about our forests and want to make sure they are healthy, accessible, and managed in line with the needs of communities and Country.

We’re taking a step forward by piloting Healthy Forest Plans in key areas of the state, to keep our forests resilient, valued, accessible and open for all to enjoy.

Healthy Forest Plans were a core recommendation of the Great Outdoors Taskforce and will enable communities to guide where and when land managers prioritise management activities, including forest restoration, recreation, economic development and cultural heritage.

They will be developed collaboratively by relevant government agencies, local communities and user groups, and Traditional Owners. Healthy Forest Plans are a new approach to collaborative planning, governance and managing forests for multiple values and uses.

The first Healthy Forest Plans will be developed by working with the communities of Orbost and Noojee, who both engaged strongly with the Eminent Panel and the Taskforce about their ideas for the future of forest management after the end of native timber harvesting. We will also pilot a Cultural Reserve with Traditional Owner-led management in Strathbogie Ranges with Taungurung Land and Waters Council, facilitating Traditional Owner led management of public land for all Victorians.

The Victorian Government is proud to work alongside Traditional Owners, communities, conservation groups and land managers to care for Country. We recognise that Traditional Owners have been caring for this land for tens of thousands of years. Their knowledge and cultural connection are essential to its future.

Every year, Victoria’s outdoor activities attract visitors from across Victoria, Australia and the world, supporting tens of thousands of jobs in tourism, hospitality, retail and guiding services – especially in regional areas.

We will focus on getting the basics right and invest in visitor assets we use and love. Our forests will remain accessible, safe, and enjoyable for everyone.

We will activate outdoor recreation and tourism by:

• Improving long-term maintenance of existing visitor campgrounds, toilets, tracks, trails and other visitor infrastructure in state forests
• Delivering a Great Outdoors marketing campaign to promote the exceptional recreation opportunities in our state forests
• Building on work already underway through the Forestry Transition Program to develop the visitor economy in communities affected by the end of native timber harvesting

Investing in 4 priority projects recommended by the Taskforce:

• a social-based entity to design, construct and maintain tracks and trails in the Gippsland region
• upgrade the Cheynes Bridge Recreation Area in Heyfield, Gippsland
• upgrade the Buckland Valley Visitor Experience Area, and
• implement the next stages of the Yackandandah Creek Masterplan.

Smoothing pathways and reducing planning or licensing barriers for investment and enable better community access to public land.