State Forests Board To Visit

November 19, 1999 Tumut & Adelong Times

A visit by the Board of State Forests to Tumut next Tuesday and Wednesday, November 23 and 24 will be an opportunity for staff to showcase the region's initiatives, according to Softwood Plantations Division's general manager, Mr Peter Crowe.

"I welcome the opportunity show the board staff initiatives in the nursery, plantations planning, silviculture and road construction, and management of harvest operations," said Mr Crowe.

Mr Crowe said the board would also have the opportunity to see the operations of State Forests largest customer CSR in its softwood sawmill and panel plant.

"The board will be visiting Tumut at a very exciting time, with a wave of softwood processing investment sweeping NSW, particularly highlighted by the massive investment in the Visy Pulp and Paper mill at Tumut," he said.

On Tuesday, Board members will visit Blowering Nursery, Kingwills Hardwood processing plant, CSR's sawmill, 1998 and 1999 planning at Nanangroe, and a multi-product thinning operation.

In the evening they will meet with a wide range of community and industry representatives at an official dinner.

Following the Board meeting on Wednesday morning, the board will lunch with Hume regional staff and senior divisional staff, who will be attending a regular divisional team meeting.

The current board, appointed by the Minister for Forestry Mr Kim Yeadon last August. is elected for a two-year term and operates on a part-time basis. It regularly meets in forest regions.

The board comprises Chairman, Mr John Kerin. Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers. Ms Jolanda

Navutah. Mr Neil Inall and State Forests' Chief Executive Mr Bob Smith.

"This meeting is particularly important because the board will be visiting the biggest softwood growing and processing region in Australia," Mr Crowe said.

Board Member Profiles

John Kerin is the Former Federal Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, Minister for Trade and Overseas Development and Treasurer. He is currently Chairman of the Government's Water Advisory Council and Interim Chairman of the Queensland Fisheries Management Authority, and is reviewing the management of lands in the Western Division of NSW.

Professor Ann Henderson-Sellers' training as an environmental scientist has led to a wide range of achievements in research and educational organizations. She was director of the Climatic Impacts Centre at Macquarie University and Deputy Vice-chancellor (Research and Development) at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Currently she is Environmental director at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization at Lucas Heights.

Jolanda Nayutah has worked for National Parks and Wildlife Service and several Aboriginal community groups, including the far North Coast Regional Aboriginal Council. She has been a consultant to the Wet Topics Management Authority for the World Heritage Areas in North Queensland, and was the Heritage Liaison Officer for the Environmental Forest Taskforce, Environmental Australia. Currently she is Project Liaison Officer with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

Neill Inall has 35 years experience in agriculture and in the communication of sustainable resource management principles to regional, State and national audiences. He has also worked with the Federal Department of Primary Industries and Energy and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently he is a director of the Foundation of the University of Western Sydney's Hawkesbury campus, immediate past national president of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, and a director of the rural constancy Cox Inall Communications. For the past six years he was chairman of the Rural Adjustment Scheme Advisory Council. Recently Mr Inall was appointed as chairman of NSW Native Vegetation Advisory Council.

Bob Smith has worked as a senior executive with several NSW government bodies including Tourism, the Department of Recreation the Department of Corrective Services. After heading various Victorian Government Departments he returned to Sydney in 1994 to take up the position of General Manager Forest Planning and Environment at State Forests. He was appointed Chief Executive of the organization in 1996 and 1997 was appointed the dual role of Director General at the Department of Land and Water Conservation.