The Tasmanian Greens Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP today called on Labor and Liberal to commit to releasing the $16 million of unspent forestry money to those who need it.
“We’ve now found out that $16 million of the $20 million made available under the TFGIA 2013 has still been unspent. Instead, it appears that public money has been spent on paying for diesel for logging trucks,” Mr Booth said.
“A large part of the unemployment line is made up of those who had to exit the forestry industry.”
“If Labor and Liberal are serious about unemployment they would commit to providing the $16 million to those who have exited the industry in good faith so that they can pay their debts and be re-skilled to find new employment.”
“The Tasmanian Select Committee on Forest Industry Exit Packages found the $16 million made available for hardship assistance should be provided to those in the forestry industry who were not eligible for exit under the first round because of the way the program was managed or targeted.”
“Peter Gutwein was the Chair of that Committee and I’m calling on him and the Minister for Forests to ensure that no matter who takes government after the election the $16 million goes to those who need it so that they can be re-employed gainfully in some other industry.”
“It is unacceptable that more public money be spent on propping up the industry. The Forestry Minister should stop dwindling public money away through the bowser. Instead, it should be spent on ensuring that those who have exited the industry can move on and find new employment.”
“A Senate Committee and Tasmanian Select Committee have both found serious issues with the way the exit package was managed with contractors who received the package continuing to operate under a different name and just further undercutting those still in the industry who didn’t take a package.”
“We now find that the Minister is using the public money still available to pay for diesel fuel in log trucks.”
“Public subsidies are not unhelpful for the forestry industry and disastrous for the Tasmanian economy.”
“Public money should not be squandered in this way. If the logging cannot pay for its own fuel, then leave the tree standing.”
“Under the Tasmanian Forestry Agreement many contractors, such as roading contractors, missed out on receiving exit packages because of the narrow eligibility guidelines. At the same time those who received a package to exit the industry used a legal loophole left wide open by the architects of the program to just pass their business on to a family member operating under a new business name.”
Tasmanian Greens Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth
