State of the Forests Report

The State of the Forests Report is a 5-yearly report card on the condition of Victoria’s forests, and a critical component of the sustainable management and conservation of Victoria’s forests, assessing the condition of the state’s forests’ cultural, social, economic, and environmental values.

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability (CES) prepared and issued the 2023 and 2018 reports. Before this, State of the Forests reports were prepared by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), who continues to provide CES with data, modelling, evaluative products, and mapping for the report. A significant contributor to this is information developed from the DEECA’s Victorian Forest Monitoring Program.

The report fulfils requirements in the Conservation Forests and Lands Act 1987 to report on the status, performance or achievement of Victoria’s Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management. Prior to 2024, these requirements were previously included in the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004.

The findings and recommendations of the latest State of the Forests Report 2023 have informed, and are addressed in, the Victorian Government’s response to the Great Outdoors Taskforce and the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement.