Visit to Circular Head confirm that forest contractors are in desperate times
Bartlett Government must do more to support forest contractors in Tasmania
State and Federal Governments need to act as a matter of urgency
The dire plight of forest contractors was reinforced yesterday when I visited a number of them in Circular Head yesterday.

In Circular Head alone there are approximately a dozen forest contracting business employing over 100 people and if yesterday’s visit was any indication their future is looking bleak.

There needs to be urgent action from both the State and Federal Government to address the plight of forest contractors.

An industry restructure that includes exit packages and/or low interest loans to get them through this time of crisis needs to be on the agenda.

I have spoken to a number of forest contractors across Tasmania who are in an increasingly desperate financial situation.

Contractors are struggling to access credit and their ability to reinvest in their businesses is diminishing day by day due to a lack of finance in the market.

This is a serious issue that is continually being ignored by government.

The State Government has back flipped and promised to review the Forestry Fair Contract Code, but we need a firm timeframe for this review to give forest contractors certainty.

Put simply, the Code as it currently stand allows one sector of the industry to dominate the other and there is no effective mechanism for dispute resolution.

Forest contractors are being screwed just like our dairy farmers.

This is one issue that needs immediate attention as the Code has no balance as there are no minimum quota provisions or protection for loss of quota.

Victoria is leading the way in this area with the Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Act 2006. If it is good enough for Victoria why can’t there be similar legislative provisions in Tasmania?

The State Labor Government has totally failed to show leadership in this area. It must act on this situation as a matter of urgency.
Jeremy Rockliff MP Shadow Minister for Resources