Kim Booth: Plantation report a hoax on investors

The Tasmanian Greens today dismissed the recommendations of a report into Tasmania’s private hardwood plantation estate, which had failed to propose any sustainable alternatives for the resource other than a divisive pulp mill.

Greens Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP described the Review of the Tasmanian Private Hardwood Plantation Estate as ‘pulp fiction’ and cruel hoax on Tasmanians who had invested in nitens plantations.

“The reality is that this report is a last ditch sales pitch to try to lure naive investors to buy the worthless Tamar Valley pulp mill permits,” Mr Booth said.

“It has nothing to with looking after the interests of Tasmanian farmers, who were lured into investing in failed managed investment schemes under false pretences.”

“If the growers want to see a financial return on their plantation investment, it will sadly not come from a monopoly pulp mill that will pay peanuts for the resource and turn farmers into price-takers.”

“It’s time that Labor and Liberal at both state and federal level woke up from this pulp mill delusion, and started talking about ways to create real diversified industries and jobs from our plantation estate.”

“The industry needs to look at product differentiation for new-generation timber products that will deliver real value, like cross linked structural timber.”

“The reason there are no pulp mill investors coming forward is that it was corruptly approved, it has no social licence, and it has no hope of selling a tarnished product on global markets.”

“We welcome Labor reconfirming today no public money will go into propping up this white elephant but the challenge now is for Tony Abbott to also declare – just as with Holden – that no further public money will go to the pulp mill.”

“Labor and Liberal would have more chance of finding a yeti than this elusive pulp mill investor they keep talking about.”
Kim Booth MP Greens Forestry Spokesperson