PINE harvesting in Gnangara state forest will come to an end with the state government moving to preserve critical black cockatoo habitat.

The plantation has been a source of timber for the construction industry in Western Australia since harvesting of it began in 1996.

However, in recent years it has become home to important roosting habitat for black cockatoos, with further harvesting likely to have a significant impact on the threatened species’ population.

The state government decided last week, as part of the forest management plan 2024-2033, to cease logging in the area.

This means 1800ha of pine in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs will be preserved for cockatoo habitat and recreational purposes.

The latest forest management plan, to be finalised before the end of the year, will implement the 2021 decision to end large-scale commercial logging in native forests, with a commitment of a record $350 million investment over 10 years in new softwood plantations throughout the south west.

Environment Minister Reece Whitby said the government acknowledged logging in the Gnangara state forest was not a sustainable long-term option to support WA’s timber supply.