The Federal Government has promised to deliver more than $22 million in assistance to Tasmania’s struggling forest contractors by Christmas.
The Government has announced the details of a $22.4 million assistance package for the industry which has been struggling for over a year because of a downturn in global markets.
A $17 million portion has been earmarked for exit assistance and $5.4 million will go to viable businesses remaining in the industry.
The Federal Forestry Minister Senator Joe Ludwig says contractors wishing to leave the industry can apply for funding immediately, with offers expected to be made to successful applicants before Christmas.
Applications for exit assistance close on December 13 with details of business assistance funding to be announced in the coming weeks.
Media Release 23 November 2010
Federal Government must now implement Forest Moratorium
Environment groups welcomed the start of federal government engagement to implement the Tasmanian Forests Statement of Principles.
Paul Oosting of the Wilderness Society said “With Minister Ludwigʼs announcement of $22.4 million forest assistance package, the way is now clear for the state government to immediately start the logging moratorium on high-conservation value forests.”
Dr Phill Pullinger, Director of Environment Tasmania said “Premier Bartlett must now ensure full implementation of the Forest Principles.”
Lindsay Hesketh from the Australian Conservation Society said “The Statement of Principles is now supported by all key stakeholders, providing state and federal governments with the best opportunity for a comprehensive and lasting solution that will protect forests and provide secure jobs.
“For this process to be successful the Principles must be implemented in full. This means that the process to implement the logging moratorium must start immediately.”
Todayʼs announcement comes after 8,000 members of advocacy group GetUp emailed their Federal Labor MPs and Senators asking them to support the Forestry Principles over the last 24 hours.
FOREST CONTRACTORS FINALLY OFFERED MUCH-NEEDED EXIT PACKAGE
Kim Booth MP
Greens Forests spokesperson
The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the $22.4 million assistance package for forestry contractors, and called on the Federal and Tasmanian Governments to ensure that the package is targeted directly at struggling contractors, and that there is proper governance and monitoring of the allocations from the package.
Greens Forests spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that the Greens at both the State and Federal levels have long called for a Forests Contractors Exit package to be developed to ensure that workers could leave the industry with financial security and their dignity intact, and that the $18.76 million identified by Paul Cook and Associates as required to buy-out struggling contractors in 2005 is now probably insufficient to meet the requirements for a buy-out in 2010.
Mr Booth also said that this buy-out process is just the start of a full forest industry restructure in Tasmania, and that the declaration of a moratorium on logging in all High Conservation Value forests is the next key plank in providing the industry with the market acceptance and financial viability that it requires to thrive into the future.
“The Greens have long called for an Exit Package for struggling forest contractors and we welcome the announcement of a $22.4 million assistance fund for contractors, and call on the Federal and Tasmanian Governments to ensure that there is proper governance and monitoring of all allocations made from this package,” said Mr Booth.
“It is a real pity that the Labor and Liberal Parties blocked the Greens’ attempts at both the State and Federal level to set up an earlier Exit Package for contractors to allow them to exit their industry with dignity, which would have alleviated much unnecessary hardship years ago if our proposal had been supported.”
“It is now likely that the amount required to buy-out the struggling contractors is far higher than the $18.76 million buy out package, identified by Paul Cooke and Associates in 2005 and put to the Tasmanian Parliament by the Greens a few years ago, which was defeated by Liberal and Labor.”
“Gunns and Forestry Tasmania now also have a responsibility to step up to the plate and provide exit assistance as it was their harsh and oppressive contracts that have driven the contractors into financial ruin in the first place.”
“This long-awaited exit strategy is one important part of the restructuring of the forest industry, but the key plank to address community expectations, and to provide market acceptance and financial security for a viable industry, is implementing the moratorium on logging in all High Conservation Value forests,” said Mr Booth.
Wednesday:
Environment Tasmania, The Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation
Media Release 24 November 2010
Timber jobs & Tasmania’s forests now in politicians hands
A historic opportunity to end decades of disputes in Tasmania’s forests by protecting native forests and securing timber jobs is now in the hands of federal and state politicians, following the formal handover of an in-principle agreement between environment groups and the timber industry.
Environment groups and representative of timber workers jointly handed over the “Tasmanian Forests Statement of Principles to lead to an Agreement” to Federal Ministers and other political parties in Canberra this week.
They have been encouraged by the politician’s responses to this ‘forests peace plan’ — a breakthrough in the 30-year conflict over the logging of native forests in Tasmania.
The peace plan involves a range of proposed reforms, including immediate protection of high conservation value forests, a transition out of native forests of logging for commodity timber products, support for timber workers and communities, and a shift to a more sustainable timber industry that focuses on downstream processing of plantation timber.
The signatories to the peace plan acknowledge they have much work to contribute to the implementation details. However, they first need a formal State-Commonwealth response and implementation plan to the Statement of Principles.
“This is a rare moment in time for Tasmania – after years of conflict over forests – there is finally a moment when the timber industry and environment groups have reached agreement on a new way of doing business in Tasmania,” said Paul Oosting from The Wilderness Society,
“The support of the Commonwealth government is now critical to Tasmania finally finding a solution to many years of disputes over its native forests,” said Dr Phill Pullinger from Environment Tasmania.
“The protection of Tasmania’s magnificent native forests would be a land-mark achievement in nature conservation in Australia,” said Lindsay Hesketh from the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Wilderness Society
Federal funds a first step in securing a new way for Tasmanias forests
Federal Government funding support for forest contractors in Tasmania must be followed by formal government endorsement of the Tasmanian forestry peace agreement and further assistance to ensure that a new, sustainable timber industry is created and native forests are protected, The Wilderness Society said today.
The funding announced by the federal government yesterday, should help facilitate a moratorium on logging of high conservation-value forests, as part of a holistic industry restructure that will formally protect these forests in legislated reserves like National Parks, said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
The Federal Government has announced an assistance and exit grant package for Tasmanian forest contractors worth $22.4 million.
Of that, $17 million will be allocated for exit grants, to assist contractors who want to leave the industry. The remaining $5.4 million will be divided amongst viable businesses that wish to remain in the industry.
As forestry contractors are supported to exit the industry, there must be delivery of permanent protection for our forests, said Mr Bayley. Industry assistance and environmental outcomes in the form of forest protection must now go hand in hand.
For businesses remaining in the industry, Tasmanians want to see an end to taxpayer subsidies of logging in high conservation-value forests and instead want to see delivery of a new way of operating. That means seeing delivery of real forest protection and real industry restructure.
A critical milestone on the road to resolution of the conflict over logging will be announcement of the Gillard governments formal support for the peace agreement and all stakeholders working cooperatively to deliver the agreed moratorium on logging in the agreed time frame, concluded Mr Bayley.
