Forestry

We recognise that the forestry and forest products industries are unique, with their own specific legal requirements affecting stakeholders such as plantation owners, institutional investors, asset and investment managers, government and forest managers.

Our team has in-depth understanding, experience and expertise in both the legal issues and the industry specific issues affecting the forestry sector. Our partner and forestry expert, Carrie Follas, holds memberships to both the New Zealand Institute of Forestry and The Institute of Foresters of Australia.

Our team's experience includes:

• mergers and acquisitions, including advising on the acquisitions and disposals of timberlands-both hardwoods and softwoods, including preparing and negotiation purchase and sale documentation and detailed due diligence (including multi-state transactions)
• all aspects of land tenure associated with timberlands, including freehold, leasehold, forestry rights/profit a prendres and plantation licences and access rights and easements
• advisory work across all states and forestry specific laws and regulations
• taxation advice, including structuring of investments for both domestic and overseas clients
• funding, including debt and equity structures
• environmental issues, including flora and fauna/critical habitat protection and the interface with forestry
• managed investments schemes
• mining interests and the interface with forestry
• water law
• regulatory compliance in the different states in relation to plantation establishment and harvest security
• regulatory consent regime for foreign owners and investors (FIRB)
• carbon sequestration rights forestry rights for carbon offsets and carbon rights.
• port access and tolling agreements
• forest management agreements
• certification including Australian Forestry Standards
• harvesting, stumpage and wood supply contracts including access rights, complex take or pay, take or lose arrangements and complex pricing formulas with mills
• employment and workplace relations and health and safety.