Give Peace A Chance …

All signatory groups involved in the discussions to implement the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement today called for cool heads and clear space for negotiations to progress.

Together the groups have agreed to enter into negotiations to attempt in good faith to find a sustainable path forward for industry, workers and local communities, and the environment, and together are calling for their members and constituents to support the negotiations.

The Wilderness Society, Environment Tasmania, and the Australian Conservation Foundation, Australia’s major state and national environment groups with a focus on Tasmania’s forests, are urging buyers of current Tasmanian forests products to not make any decisions that would adversely affect Tasmanian suppliers during the period of the negotiations.

The Environment Groups say that successful negotiations over the next few months hold the real prospect of protecting important forest areas and identifying a sustainable wood supply with broad community support and these important negotiations should be given every chance.

The Tasmanian Forestry industries represented by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT), the Tasmanian Sawmillers Association, and the Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association and at the national level by the Australian Forest Products Association and Australian Forest Contractors Association have worked together with all signatories to successfully identify the needed elements of a durability package to ensure that a successful agreement will have lasting benefits and FIAT is now entering the negotiations. They note that the IGA Conservation Agreement approved by both Federal and State governments sets the terms for the current wood supply.

For Timber Communities Australia an Agreement is important to end the uncertainty for Tasmanian communities.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, representing timber workers says that pressure from the high Australian dollar and changed domestic and international markets are causing a restructure of the industry.

The Union says that the recent independent expert reports commissioned by the Tasmanian and Commonwealth governments showed that flexibility will be required by all signatories to find a negotiated outcome that can deliver a sustainable industry and jobs for a better future for Tasmania.

The signatories are calling on all parties, on all sides of the conflict to give the impending negotiations the best chance of success by refraining from any activities that could be seen to be deliberately provocative and are urging clear space for all as the negotiations now commence.

The signatories are:

Jim Adams representing Timber Communities Australia Ltd
Jane Calvert representing the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
Hans Drielsma representing the Australian Forest Products Association
Terry Edwards representing the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania
Ken Padgett representing the Australian Forest Contractors Association
Ed Vincent representing the Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association
Phill Pullinger representing Environment Tasmania Inc
Vica Bayley representing the Wilderness Society Inc
Don Henry representing the Australian Conservation Foundation
Fred Ralph representing the Tasmanian Sawmillers Association

• Download FIAT statement:
signatory_Statement_Fiat_Media_release.pdf

• What Markets For Change says…

Markets for Change today welcomed the decision by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania to finally rejoin talks over the future of Tasmania’s important forests, saying that they hope this means that the industry is now willing to move forward to an ecologically sustainable future.

“We will watch in hope that genuine progress in negotiations will now occur, and to that end are prepared to allow breathing space by not launching new market initiatives at this moment,” said arkets for Change representative Peg Putt.

“We stress that the call to avoid provocative acts must apply to all sides and in particular to any new roading or logging operations inside the high conservation value forest claim.”

• GREENS REAFFIRM BUDGET COMMITTMENT

The Tasmanian Greens responded to news reports by today reaffirming that they would not vote to block the State Budget, ensuring that community services can continue and public sector workers receive their wages.

Greens Leader Nick McKim said again that the Greens expect that the $110m contingency allocation to Forestry Tasmania will not be used to prop up the failed GBE, and welcomed the Premier’s commitment that not one dollar would flow from the contingency allocation prior to the completion of the URS Review of FT process.

“The Liberals can play all the games they like with the wages of people like our teachers, nurses, police and community sector workers, but the Greens will not be part of it.”

“Like Labor and the Liberals, the Greens took a commitment to the 2010 election that we would not block supply, and that remains our position.”

“There is no way that the Greens will allow a failed GBE to use these funds to continue to drain the taxpayer’s purse under a business-as-usual model,” said Mr McKim.