Slump in forestry licencing in July due to new consultation process

'There is no denying that this adds extra time to the processing of these applications'

Any application must be advertised, with all relevant documentation, on the forestry licence viewer for 30 days for public consultation.

Forestry licensing in July slumped to about 30% of the monthly target required to meet the Department of Agriculture’s target of 4,500 licences in 2021.

The slowdown is due to the introduction of a new 30-day public consultation process for licence applications subject to appropriate assessment, said Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Senator Pippa Hackett.