River Red Gum regional forest agreement

The NSW Government asked the Natural Resources Commission to assess the river red gum and woodland forests in the Riverina bioregion so that Government could make a forest agreement that would “determine conservation outcomes and a sustainable future for the forests, the forestry industry and local communities”.

The Riverina’s river red gum forests represent a critical environmental resource. They are thought to be the key drivers of ecosystem processes in the floodplain, maintaining the diversity and resilience of river floodplain ecosystems upon which everything else relies.

Alluvium partnered with ELA to develop the preliminary assessment report that drew together the available science on the river red gum and other woodland forests of the Riverina bioregion. The report explained how the forests were formed, their current health and management, their broad uses and values, and how projected climate change may affect the forests and the values they support.

As a result of this work the NSW Government established more than 100,000 hectares of river red gum parks in the Riverina.