The Tasmanian Greens today launched their plan to create the foundation for a north-west Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) manufacturing industry based on the established plantation resource, to assist in the construction of new public housing homes for low income Tasmanians.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said the Greens’ $11.5 million plan would create jobs for local forestry and manufacturing workers, sawmillers, log haulers, designers, engineers, builders and tradespeople.

“The Greens have a plan which will see long-term guaranteed demand for CLT in Braddon to create jobs for local timber workers, builders and businesses, and which will help address the shortage of modern affordable and energy efficient housing for Tasmanians,” Mr McKim said.

“We are proposing that the local hardwood and softwood plantation resource be utilised to produce cross laminated timber, to be prioritised in the construction of new Housing Tasmania homes.”

“We would require Housing Tasmania to utilise local CLT houses when they build new homes, and this guaranteed demand will underpin the offering of tenders to the private sector to invest in upgrading existing facilities or develop a new stand alone CLT manufacturing industry.”

“The north-west has the opportunity to lead Australia by establishing a new stand alone CLT manufacturing facility here in Braddon which would be a first for the nation,” Greens Member for Braddon, Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran said.

“Having a guaranteed demand driven by a new CLT-for-new-homes Housing Tasmania policy will drive new investment, and create guaranteed jobs for towns like Smithton, Wynyard, and Burnie.”

“We know that CLT houses are more thermally efficient than those built with more conventional materials which will result in lower heating bills for the occupants so this initiative will also provide cost of living benefits.”

“The north-west has the plantation estate, we have the skilled workforce and we know we can guarantee a housing demand. We can make the north-west the CLT innovation hub of Australia, where Tasmanians build energy efficient homes using Tasmanian grown timber for other Tasmanians to live in,” Mr O’Halloran said.

Mr McKim said while Labor and the Liberals are campaigning for pulp mill jobs in Bass, only the Greens are putting forward sensible, long term job policies for Braddon.

“Bryan Green, Brenton Best, Adam Brooks and Jeremy Rockliff need to explain to the people of Braddon why they are so fixated on exporting the region’s plantation resource and local jobs to the Tamar Valley instead of proposing jobs growth in their own electorate like Mr O’Halloran is,” Mr McKim said.

The Tasmanian Grown and Built Houses, for Tasmanians to Live in policy initiative can be downloaded from the Tasmanian Greens MPs website: http://tasmps.greens.org.au/content/tasmanian-greens-policy-initiative-30

Today’s Greens’ policy initiative complements the Greens’ earlier initiative: Plantations: Real Products. Real Jobs. Real Profits: http://tasmps.greens.org.au/content/tasmanian-greens-policy-initiative-1
Greens Leader Nick McKim