Bartlett closes door on new ideas

“THERE IS nothing new in today’s so-called announcement,” said Peter Skillern of Our Common Ground. “It’s more of the same old thinking from the same people. And this at a time when contractors, country saw-millers and forest workers are all struggling.”

This government and parts of the Tasmanian forest industry still refuse to come to terms with the fact that world markets have changed. Markets no longer want timber products that result in the destruction of native forests.

“This old-style thinking has failed to protect Tasmanian timber jobs and protect native forests of high conservation value. Mr Bartlett is showing that he’s not open to new thinking,” said Mr Skillern.

“That’s tragic, because right now most Tasmanians want new thinking to end old fights about forests that are getting our State nowhere.”

Mr Skillern said Labor have not learned from the decline of the timber industry and loss of native forests under its watch. It should be looking to our competitors who have shown that you can have both jobs and protect native forests.

“Tasmania’s competitors get that markets in the twenty-first century have changed,” he said.

“By its policy today, Labor has shown it has not.”

As: Dozens of workers at the Wesley Vale paper mill have clocked-off for the last time today, as their Burnie counterparts receive news of more job losses. HERE, ABC Online: Paper workers face their final clock-off

What Labor promises:

$6.5 million for Sustainable Forestry
By: David Bartlett

Date: 26 February 2010

David Bartlett
Premier

$6.5 million for Sustainable Forestry

Labor will invest $6.5 million to support our sustainable forest industry and increase employment in the long term, Premier David Bartlett said today.

“We have set a target of creating 15,000 new jobs over the next four years and forestry will play its part, despite the present short-term difficulties the industry is experiencing.

“These difficulties will be overcome and the challenge is to take a longer term view of the industry and to see its potential for growth.

“This plan offers a balanced and secure future for the industry over the next 10 to 20 years.

“It has the potential to create 2000 jobs in the industry over that period.

“With Tasmania’s great timber resource and its skilled workforce the future is very positive as the world demand for timber products continues to grow.

“Already more than 6,000 Tasmanians and their families are directly employed in the industry with many thousands more indirectly reliant upon it.

“The industry generates more than $1.4 billion each year in economic activity. It supports towns and communities across the whole of our state and provides jobs for Tasmanians.

“Timber businesses and the families that rely on them for jobs have been a part of Tasmanian landscape for generations.

“Labor will immediately negotiate with the Australian Government to renew the RFA and to provide industry with ongoing long term security through the provision of rolling agreement renewals following each five year review of the RFA. A further twenty-year evergreen RFA will provide industry with the security necessary for ongoing investment generating wealth for the Tasmanian economy into the future.

“Labor will also provide $2 million for the implementation of the new Forest Industry Plan, released in January by the Forests and Forest Industry Council of Tasmania.

“The Plan looks towards a future which is increasingly focussed on native regrowth, plantation resources and a strong softwood sector. It also recognises the vital role of our managed native forests in providing access to world-renowned timbers for high-value products and world-class tourism infrastructure.

“Labor will lead a coordinated whole-of-industry approach and work in partnership with the industry to identify and address impediments to investment.

“In particular, Labor will facilitate investment through ensuring that Tasmania has efficient planning and approvals processes, regulatory systems, and infrastructure.”

Labor will support the marketing of Tasmanian timber Green Credentials in our domestic and international markets by:

• providing $750,000 per year to maintain and support the Tasmanian brand for Tasmanian Timber, and

• providing $500,000 to fund the extension of forest and chain of custody certification to all private forest growers and processors selling products into international markets.

“It is important that the harvesting and transport sector of the industry remains strong and is able to adapt and take advantage of the future growth opportunities in the industry.

“Labor will:

• amend the Forestry Fair Contracts Act and Code to ensure that all forestry contracts are negotiated on fair and just grounds; and

• Implement a low-cost mediation service to assist forest workers, contractors and forest companies to resolve forest contractual matters.

“We are very fortunate to have a large and valuable forest estate, both natural and man-made. Half of the State is covered by forests.

“Three million hectares (44 percent of the land area of Tasmania) is now protected in reserves. That includes one million hectares of old-growth forest and 1.8 million hectares of wilderness areas. This is a conservation record unrivalled anywhere in the world.

“Labor has strongly supported support economic growth and investment in Tasmania’s forest industry. It’s an industry that reflects the characteristics of its people- it is resilient and there is strong sense of community.

“Under Labor, the forest industry operates according to stringent regulatory standards and meets international, independent standards for sustainable forest management and environmental management.

“In a changing climate, Tasmania’s forests and forest industries provide opportunities to assist the global effort to reduce carbon emissions through the storage of carbon in our forests and the forest products derived from their sustainable harvest . This area includes 47% of Tasmania’s forests.”