The State Government has today affirmed its commitment to the protection of old-growth forest by strengthening assessment processes prior to harvesting.
The move follows the release of the Barrabup assessment report undertaken by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
The department recently conducted an assessment of a harvest coupe within Barrabup forest block following public concerns the coupe contained old-growth jarrah forest.
The assessment found that within the 530-hectare coupe, 43 hectares contained jarrah old-growth forest and 1.2 hectares of old-growth forest had been impacted by roadworks.
The Forest Products Commission (FPC) will rehabilitate all the affected parts of old-growth forest areas and has identified further measures to minimise the risk of future occurrences.
The Commission will also implement other practice improvements to limit the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future.