Forestry Tasmania lying about reasons for job and cost cuts

FORESTRY TASMANIA LYING ABOUT REASONS FOR JOB AND COST CUTS
Failed Business Model, Wood Give-Aways, and Massive Executive Salaries Need Scrutiny
Kim Booth MP
Greens Forests spokesperson

The Tasmanian Greens today said that failed government policy settings and interference in the market by Forestry Tasmania were behind the financial collapse of the forest industry, and accused Forestry Tasmania of lying to Tasmanians about the reasons why it is cutting its workforce by 50 employees, and reducing costs by $2 million per year.

Greens Forests spokesperson Kim Booth MP said Forestry Tasmania, which has been virtually giving away wood for a number of years now, has a failed business model and should be honest with the public about its own financial ineptitude which is the real reason for the job losses and cost-cutting.

Mr Booth also called on senior executives of Forestry Tasmania to reveal whether they were taking cuts to their own pay and entitlements to minimise the pain for lower-paid regional employees, and if not, why not.
“Forestry Tasmania have been virtually giving away their wood supply for a number of years, and as a result it is haemorrhaging funds at a massive rate,” said Mr Booth.

“Forestry must stop lying to Tasmanians about the reason why this Government Business Enterprise is losing so much money, and come clean about the failed business model that is the real reason for these job losses and cost-cuts.”

“Why is it that the lower-paid regional employees are being forced to take the pain for ridiculous business decisions made by Forestry Tasmania’s over-paid executive branch? The clowns who have made the decisions that led directly to this situation should be the ones who pay the financial penalties.”

“The collapse of the Tasmanian forest industry is directly due to failed government policy and market interference by Forestry Tasmania who have now reaped the result of cutting their own prices to rock-bottom levels. This race to the bottom has now resulted in the collapse of the industry.”

“Tasmanians are sick of the lies that constantly emanate from this rogue GBE, which has been given a free resource to oversee, but which is still losing public money hand-over-fist.”

“The forestry Statement of Principles has not been implemented in any way, High Conservation Value forests are currently being logged at a greater rate than ever before, and yet Forestry Tasmania are still losing money, so how can they honestly claim that the Statement of Principles is in any way to blame for their appalling financial performance?”

“The Greens are calling on Forestry Tasmania to open its books and reveal:
• How much it is receiving for the destruction of Tasmania’s unique forests;
• How much the executive branch is receiving in pay and entitlements, and what cuts have been made in this area; and,
• How a Statement of Principles that has not been implemented has in any way caused financial losses for the organisation.”

“It is way past time that Forestry Tasmania and Labor accepted responsibility for the financial collapse of the industry, and for Forestry to get out of the way and let the market determine the model based on certified production and real product value, rather than flogging the public purse and the environment to prop up an unsustainable business model,” said Mr Booth.