New office to make good service even better

Forestry Minister Kim Chance today opened the new Forest Products Commission's (FPC) Albany office, following several years of shared accommodation with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

"Forestry is an important industry in the Great Southern region, with the FPC playing a key role in the development of new tree farming options in the medium-to-low rainfall area," Mr Chance said.

"The FPC Albany office currently manages approximately 250 timber sharefarming agreements distributed among 117 different landholders.

"The new location will provide the FPC with an excellent base from which to continue building regional partnerships that will maximise and expand the role of commercial environmental forestry."

Approximately 20 staff will be located in the new facility, representing mainly operational but also technical services and natural resource management (NRM) staff.

The FPC has an initial five-year lease on the building, with an option to extend it for a further five years.

The FPC has 17 offices throughout the State, with three located in the Great Southern region at Albany, Katanning and Esperance.