PacLII Home | Databases | WorldLII | Search | Feedback

Papua New Guinea Sessional Legislation

You are here:  PacLII >> Databases >> Papua New Guinea Sessional Legislation >> Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000

Database Search | Name Search | Noteup | Download | Help

  Download original PDF


Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000

PAPUA NEW GUINEA


Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000.


No. 36 of 2000.
Certified on: 29.01.2001


ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS.

1. Membership of the Board (Amendment of Section 10).
1A. Alternate members (Amendment of Section 11).
2. Repeal and replacement of Section 12.

"12. CHAIRMAN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN."

3. Vacation of office (Amendment of Section 14).
4. Repeal and replacement of Section 19.

"19. DELEGATION.".

5. Types of land on which, and manner in which forest industry activities may be permitted (Amendment of Section 55).
6. Advertisement of project (Amendment of Section 64).
7. Timber Authority (Amendment of Section 87).
8. New Sections 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D and 90E.

"90A. LARGE SCALE CONVERSION OF FOREST TO AGRICULTURAL OR OTHER LAND USE."
"90B. DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL OR OTHER LAND USE."
"90C. LARGE SCALE CONVERSION OF FOREST TO ROAD."
"90D. DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS FOR CONVERSION OF FOREST TO ROAD."
"90E. CANCELLATION, ETC., OF AUTHORITIES."

9. Performance Bond (Amendment of Section 98).
10. New Section 103A.

"103A. PUBLIC REGISTER.".

11. New Section 144.

"144. SAVINGS OF EXISTING TIMBER AUTHORITIES.".

Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000.

Being an Act to amend the Forestry Act 1991,

MADE by the National Parliament.

1. MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 10).

Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended -

(a) in Subsection (1) —
(b) in Subsection (6), by repealing the reference "Subsection (1)(e), (f) or (g) and replacing it with the following:-
(c) in Subsection (7), by repealing the words "nongovernmental organizations" and replacing them with the following:-
(d) by adding the following new subsection

1A. ALTERNATE MEMBERS (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 11).

Section 11 of the Principal Act is amended in Subsection (1) by repealing the reference "Section 10(1)(e), (f) and (g)" and replacing it with the following:-

"Section 10(1)(e) and (g)".

2. REPEAL AND REPLACEMENT OF SECTION 12.

Section 12 of the Principal Act is repealed and is replaced with the following:-

"12. CHAIRMAN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN.
The members of the Board shall elect -

3. VACATION OF OFFICE (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 14).

Section 14 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after Subsection (2) the following new subsection:-

"(2A) The membership of the member holding office under Section 10(1)(f) may be revoked in accordance with Section 10(9).".

4. REPEAL AND REPLACEMENT OF SECTION 19.

Section 19 of the Principal Act is repealed and is replaced with the following:-

"19. DELEGATION.
(1) The Minister may, by instrument, delegate to the Board all or any of his powers and functions under this Act (except this power of delegation).
(2) The Board may, by instrument, delegate to the Managing Director all or any of its powers and functions under this Act (except this power of delegation).".

5. TYPES OF LAND ON WHICH, AND MANNER IN WHICH FOREST INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES MAY BE PERMITTED (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 55).

Section 55 of the Principal Act is amended -

(a) in Subsection (1) -
(b) in Subsection (2) by adding after Paragraph (c) the following new paragraphs:-

6. ADVERTISEMENT OF PROJECT (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 64).

Section 64 of the Principal Act is amended by repealing Subsection (3) and replacing it with the following:-

"(3) Where a forest development project -
the Board may determine that the forest development project shall be an extension of one of the existing approved timber permit operations.
(4) If, in the event that the Board determines under Subsection (3) that the forest development project shall be an extension of an existing approved operation, then, subject to Subsections (5) and (6), all timber permit holders whose timber permit operations are contiguous to the forest development project shall be invited by the Board to make project proposals in respect to the forest development project.
(5) If any timber permit holder referred to in Subsection (4), has at any time already been granted an extension into a forest development project area, such timber permit holder shall not, except with the endorsement of the National Executive Council, be eligible to be invited by the Board to make application for a project proposal under Subsection (4).
(6) Any extension granted shall be made only on the basis that -
(7) Subdivision III.5.B shall apply to a forest development project as if it has otherwise been advertised.".

7. TIMBER AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 87).

Section 87 of the Principal Act is amended in Subsection (1) -

(a) by repealing Paragraph (b) and replacing it with the following:-

8. NEW SECTIONS 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D AND 90E.

Part III of the Principal Act is amended in Subdivision 8.5.D by inserting after Section 90 the following:-

"90A. A LARGE SCALE CONVERSION OF FOREST TO AGRICULTURAL OR OTHER LAND USE.
(1) A person may make application in the prescribed form and accompanied by prescribed application fee for an authority to carry out any agricultural or other land use development (other than roadline clearing on an existing forested area) where the amount of proposed clearance of natural forest for the project is greater than 50 hectares in total.
(2) An application under Subsection (1) shall not be made where the proposed project is within a Forest Management Agreement Area, Timber Rights Purchase Agreement Area or Local Forest Area except with the approval of the Board and, where applicable, the holder of any relevant Timber Permit.
(3) An application under Subsection (1) shall contain -
90B. DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL OR OTHER LAND USE.
(1) If the Board determines that the application under Section 90A is in the prescribed form and contains all relevant particulars, it shall -
(2) Notice of an application and a public hearing in respect of it shall be given by the Board by publication in the prescribed form -
(3) A notice under Subsection (2) shall specify the date of the hearing being not less than 28 days from the date of publication of the notice.
(4) The Board shall appoint a person to be the Chairman of the hearing who shall conduct a hearing, as he thinks fit, and such hearing shall be held at or as near as practicable to the proposed agricultural or other land use project site.
(5) A person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, inspect and make copies of the summary referred to in Subsection (1)(c).
(6) Upon the completion of the hearing under Subsection (4), the Chairman of the hearing shall refer the application and a summary of the hearing to the Provincial Forest Management Committee who shall -
(7) An evaluation of an application by the Provincial Forest Management Committee under Subsection (6) shall be made taking into account -
(8) In making an evaluation under this Subsection (7), the Provincial Forest Management Committee may request the assistance of the National Forest Service and of any relevant Department.
(9) Where the Provincial Forest Management Committee after having considered and evaluated an application, is of the opinion that it is satisfactory, it shall recommend to the Board to approve the application for a conversion of the forest to agriculture or other land use.
(10) If the Provincial Forest Management Committee is not satisfied with the application it shall inform in the Board accordingly together with reasons for its decision and the application shall be rejected.
(11) The Board shall inform the applicant of the rejection of the application and the reasons therefor.
(12) If the Board is satisfied with the recommendation under Subsection (9) and the outcome of the public hearing under Subsection (4), the Board may recommend to the Minister to recommend to the National Executive Council to endorse the application for a conversion of the forest to agriculture or other land use in respect of the project area.
(13) If the Board is not satisfied with the recommendation or the outcome of the public hearing or both, it shall reject the application and advise the applicant that the application has been rejected and giving the reasons for the rejection.
(14) When the Minister receives the recommendation from the Board under Subsection (12), he shall refer the application together with the recommendation from the Provincial Forest Management Committee and the Board and all evaluations reports, certificates of approvals from all relevant Departments and a summary of the public hearing to the National Executive Council.
(15) The National Executive Council shall consider the application and other papers referred to it under Subsection (14) and shall direct the Minister to -
the application and if the application is rejected it shall state the reasons for the rejection.
(16) The Minister shall -
(17) If the National Executive Council does not endorse the project, the Board shall inform the applicant and the Provincial Forest Management Committee of the decision of the National Executive Council and the reasons for the rejection of the application.
(18) On the receipt of the advice from the Minister that the National Executive Council has endorsed an application, the Board shall call for tenders only from registered forest industry participants by advertisement in Papua New Guinea or abroad in such a manner considered by the Board likely to be most effective and specifying a date on or before which proposals for the forest clearing operation shall be lodged.
(19) An applicant for the proposed agricultural or other land use project or any related person or corporation as that expression is defined in the Companies Act 1997 is prohibited from tendering for the project providing that in the event no tenderers are received or they are, in the Board's opinion, commercially unsatisfactory, then in such a case, the Board may invite the applicant to carry out the forest clearing operation and, if the applicant agrees, the applicant shall then be deemed for the purposes of Section 90(B) to be the successful tenderer.
(20) The successful tenderer shall enter into the prescribed Sales and Purchase Agreement with the customary owners which agreement shall provide for the purchase, harvesting, processing or marketing of timber and other forest products and which agreement shall be subject to the grant of a forest clearing authority by the Board.
(21) The Board shall, on the completion of the sales and purchase agreement, grant to the applicant an authority to carry out an agricultural or other land use development which authority shall -
(22) A grant of a forest clearing authority shall -
(23) If an application for an agricultural or other land use development is at any stage and for any reason rejected, the applicant may at any time make a fresh application together with the prescribed application fee.".
"90C. LARGE SCALE CONVERSION OF FOREST TO ROAD.
(1) A person may make application in the prescribed form and accompanied by the prescribed application fee for an authority to carry out any roadline development over an existing forested area where the proposed road will be greater than 12.5 kilometres in length.
(2) An application under Subsection (1) may not be made where the proposed road project is within a Forest Management Agreement Area, a Timber Rights Purchase Agreement Area or Local Forest Area except with the agreement of the Board and, where applicable, the holder of any relevant Timber Permit.
(3) An application under Subsection (1) shall contain -
90D. DEALING WITH APPLICATIONS FOR CONVERSION OF FOREST TO ROAD.
(1) If the Board determines that the applications under Section 90C in the prescribed form and contains all relevant particulars, it shall -
(2) Notice of an application and a public hearing in respect of it shall be given by the Board by publication in the prescribed form -
(3) A notice under Subsection (2) shall specify the date of the hearing being not less than 28 days from the date of publication of the notice.
(4) The Board may appoint a person to be the Chairman of the hearing who shall conduct a hearing, as he thinks fit, and such hearing shall be at or as near as practicable to the proposed roadline project site.
(5) A person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, inspect and make copies of the summary referred to in Subsection (1)(c),
(6) Upon the completion of the hearing referred to in Subsection (4), the Chairman of the hearing shall refer the application and summary of the hearing to the relevant Provincial Forest Management Committee who shall -
(7) An evaluation of an application by the Provincial Forest Management Committee under Subsection (6) shall be made taking into account -
(8) In making an evaluation under Subsection (7), the Provincial Forest Management Committee may request the assistance of the National Forest Service and of any relevant Department.
(9) Where the Provincial Forest Management Committee, after having considered and evaluated an application, is of the opinion that it is satisfactory, it shall recommend to the Board to approve the application for a conversion of the forest to roadline.
(10) If the Provincial Management Committee is not satisfied with the application, it shall inform the Board accordingly together with the reasons for its decision and the application shall be rejected.
(11) The Board shall inform the applicant of the rejection of the application and the reasons therefor.
(12) If the Board is satisfied with the recommendation made under Subsection (9) and the outcome of the public hearing under Subsection (4), the Board shall recommend to the Minister to recommend to the National Executive Council to endorse the application for a conversion of the forest to road use in respect of the project area.
(13) If the Board is not satisfied with the recommendations and the outcome of the public hearing or both, it shall reject the application and advise the applicant that the application has been rejected and giving the reasons for the rejection.
(14) When the Minister receives the recommendation from the Board under Subsection (12), he shall refer the application together with the recommendation from the Provincial Forest Management Committee and the Board and all evaluations reports, certificates of approvals from all relevant Departments and a summary of the public hearing to the National Executive Council for its consideration.
(15) The National Executive Council shall consider the application and other papers referred to it under Subsection (14) and shall direct the Minister to -
the application and if the application is rejected, it shall state the reasons for the rejection.
(16) The Minister shall -
(17) If the National Executive Council does not endorse the project, the Board shall inform the applicant and the Provincial Forest Management Committee of the decision of the National Executive Council and the reasons for the rejection of the application.
(18) On receipt of the advice from the Minister that the National Executive Council has endorsed on application, the Board shall call for tenders only from registered forest industry participants by advertisement in Papua New Guinea or abroad in such manner considered by the Board likely to be most effective and specifying a date on or before which proposals for the forest clearing operation must be lodged.
(19) An applicant for the proposed roadline project or any related person or corporation as that expression is defined in the Companies Act 1997 is prohibited from tendering for the project provided that in the event no tenderers are received or they are, in the Board's opinion, commercially unsatisfactory, then, in such a case, the Board may invite the applicant to carry out the forest clearing operation and, if the applicant agrees, the applicant shall be deemed, for the purposes of Section 90D, to be the successful tenderer.
(20) The successful tenderer shall enter into the prescribed Sales and Purchase Agreement with the customary owners which agreement shall provide for the purchase, harvesting, or marketing of timber and other forest products and which agreement shall be subject to the grant of a forest clearing authority by the Board.
(21) The Board shall, on the completion of the Sales and Purchase Agreement, grant to the applicant an authority to carry out any roadline development which authority shall -
(22) A grant of a forest clearing authority shall -
(23) If, at any time, after the coming into operation of this provision, a road that is presently being constructed or that is proposed to be constructed through forested areas under an existing permit, authority or licence and which is at variance with any of the provisions of this section, then, in such a case, such permit authority or licence, as the case may be, shall be varied by the Authority so that such permit authority complies with this section and no compensation shall be payable to the permit, authority or licence holder , as the case may be, as a result of such holder being required to comply with this section.
(24) If an application for a roadline development is at any stage and for any reason rejected the applicant may at any time make a fresh application together with the prescribed application fees.".
"90E. CANCELLATION, ETC., OF AUTHORITIES.
An authority to carry out an agricultural or other land use, forest clearing authority or authority to carry out a roadline development granted under Section 90B or 90D is subject to the provisions of Section 97 relating to the right of the Minister to cancel the authority as if that authority was a licence.".

9. PERFORMANCE BOND (AMENDMENT OF SECTION 98).

Section 98 of the Principal Act is amended -

(a) in Subsection (1) -
(b) in Paragraph (f) by inserting after the words "timber authority licence" (twice occurring) the following:-
(c) by inserting after Subsection (3) the following:-

10. NEW SECTION 103A.

The Principal Act is amended in Division III by inserting after Section 103 the following:-

"103A. PUBLIC REGISTER.
(1) There is established a Public Register to be kept and maintained by the Authority.
(2) The Public Register shall -
(3) The Public Register shall contain -

11. NEW SECTION 144.

The Principal Act is amended in Part X by inserting after Section 143 the following:-

"144. SAVING OF EXISTING TIMBER AUTHORITIES.
Subject to Section 90D(23), a timber authority that is valid and in force immediately before the coming into operation of this provision shall, on that coming into operation, have full force and effect for the duration of its term.".

I hereby certify that the above is a fair print of the Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000 which has been made by the National Parliament.

Acting Clerk of the National Parliament,

I hereby certify that the Forestry (Amendment) Act 2000 was made by the National Parliament on 5 December 2000.

Acting Speaker of the National Parliament.


PacLII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback
URL: http://www.paclii.org/pg/legis/num_act/fa2000219