Process Review and Improvement for Private Native Forestry

The NSW Government is reforming the native forestry regulatory frameworks, including private native forestry (PNF), to modernise the regulation and ensure the long-term ecological sustainability of native forestry in NSW. PNF is the sustainable management of native forests on private property. Private native forests represent a significant proportion of NSW’s native forest estate, accounting for 39.7 percent of the 22 million hectares of native forest in NSW. It is ecologically sustainable, an important source of income for landholders, and a key resource for the NSW Forestry Industry.
In parallel with the review of government forestry regulations, the Local Land Services Division (LLS) of DPI engaged BSR Solutions to review current PNF approval processes and recommend improvements to work processes and customer experience. The objectives of the process review were to:
1) review current Private Native Forestry approval process material and workflow documents,
2) develop and present draft recommendations to improve and streamline PNF approval processes in the short and long term, and
3) provide a report which documented existing process, identified short -term improvements, and provided future state recommendations.
As a result of staff interviews and workshops with subject matter experts, we were able to identify opportunities to change or eliminate current approval processes which reduced the administrative burden on staff, reduce the correspondence flow between landholders and LLS, and provide improved and more timely information to other Agencies, while maintaining or improving environmental compliance activities in private native forestry operations.