The EPA is responsible for actively regulating over 30 wood processing activities. This includes a broad range of industrial activities including sawmilling, veneer mills, woodchipping operations, integrated wood processing centres, timber preservation plants, and pulp and paper manufacturing.
Typical environmental issues associated with these industries include noise and atmospheric emissions (associated with boilers), effluent discharge management, odour (associated with paper manufacturing), site contamination and wood waste management.
Wood processing guidelines
The EPA has produced guidelines to assist industry manage the environmental risks associated with its operations, providing the acceptable environmental standards, compliance obligations and information needed for the assessment of new operations and the expansion of existing operations.
Environmental Guidelines for Wood Processing, November 2018 (382Kb)
Environmental Law Handbook
The Environmental Defenders Office has produced an easy to read, practical guide to Tasmania's environmental protection and planning laws for citizens, local councils, conservation groups, landowners, business operators and regulatory authorities. Chapter 8 of the Environmental Law Handbook in particular, discusses forestry operations in great detail.
Other Relevant Organisations
The Forest Practices Authority (FPA) oversees forestry operations conducted on public land or on private land, where forestry is a permitted activity under the
Forest Practices Act 1985. The EPA Board and the FPA have signed an
MoU to provide greater clarity.