Draft legislation welcomed

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT

The Signatories Reference Group established under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement today welcomed the tabling of the draft legislation for the agreement.

The legislation has been drafted as a broad framework that is flexible and can be modified to encompass the details of the agreement reached by the signatories. The Signatories believe that the legislation should facilitate and be aligned with the outcomes and timing of an agreement.

Industry representative on the Signatories Group, Terry Edwards, Chief Executive of the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, said that the draft legislation was a good step forward, but will need
to be flexible enough to be amended if required, “The legislation is broadly framed and needs to be flexible enough to facilitate and be aligned with any agreement struck by the signatories”, he said.

Vica Bayley from the Wilderness Society said, “We are still working hard on reaching a final signatories agreement – so the final legislation will inevitably need to be fine-tuned to encompass the outcomes of a signatories agreement if reached,”

Timber Communities Australia Chief Executive Officer Jim Adams added that “the means by which any potential agreement would be as durable as possible is also vital for all parties, and will be enhanced by a legislative framework that can encompass the outcomes of a signatories agreement.”

The Signatories last week committed to, and the governments accepted, a deadline of 23 July to conclude the signatory negotiations and provide a detailed report back to the State and Federal
Governments. The signatories negotiations are continuing to proceed in good faith, with parties working together on collecting critical data for models and options, and an agreement with key components including a shared vision, durability, wood supply, reserves and a transition during this period.

The Signatories are:

Jim Adams representing Timber Communities
Australia Ltd

Jane Calvert representing the Construction, Forestry,
Mining and Energy Union

Dr 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

Dr 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

• FORESTS FRAMEWORK BILL PAVES WAY FOR SIGNATORIES AGREEMENT

The Tasmanian Greens said the Tasmanian Forests Agreement Bill (2012) tabled in the House of Assembly today provides a potential pathway for the necessary industry restructure and the delivery of forest protection.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the Signatories to the Forest Principles negotiations deal should now be given the space to reach a final agreement on forest reserves, which they must reach by the 23rd of July.

“While the Greens are not party to either the Forests Principles process or Labor’s IGA, we do recognise that there must be an industry restructure and that the current Signatories process is the only game in town,” Mr McKim said.

“Despite the Signatories having not yet reached an agreement, the Greens believe that this framework legislation has the flexibility needed to accommodate any final agreement between the industry and conservation negotiators.”

“The Forests Minister Bryan Green has given a commitment that, if and when the Signatories reach agreement, then he is prepared to move to amend the Bill to reflect the terms of the agreement, and therefore with that condition the Greens are prepared to support this framework legislation.”

“Nobody said the forest talks process was going to be easy and there still remain a number of challenges facing the negotiators before this Bill is debated.”

“This deal is imperfect but it does represent the best chance that we have to move towards the conservation and industry restructure goals that the Greens have been working toward for a number of decades.”

“The Liberals are claiming that they are supporters of the timber industry, but they are clearly out of touch with those industry representatives who signed up to a Signatories media release welcoming the framework legislation.”

“The reason the Liberals are isolated on this issue is because industry are actually involved in the negotiations that this legislation is designed to facilitate.”

“We need to remember that this process is still in the hands of the Signatories, and all sides of politics need to give them the space to deliver the necessary Agreement to deliver for a viable industry and for conservation,” Mr McKim said.