The Tasmanian Greens called on Premier Will Hodgman to admit that he was wrong in Opposition rather than continue to generate ongoing uncertainty in the forestry industry and Tasmanian community.
Greens Leader and Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said that the statements by Premier Hodgman today clearly indicate that the industry conditions that required the Tasmanian Forestry Agreement under the last term of parliament still exist and there is no need to rip it up.
“Premier Hodgman is condemning the industry and Tasmania to six more years of uncertainty just because he can’t admit that he was wrong,” Mr Booth said.
“Rather than grow our timber industry, Will Hodgman’s irrational forest policy will destroy it.”
“It is clear that there is no demand for extra sawlog allocation because the Liberals are not transferring the 400,000 hectares of high conservation value forests for immediate logging.”
“By failing to gazette the 400, 000ha into reserves as agreed to by the previous Parliament, Mr Hodgman is locking in further uncertainty in the market place, uncertainty over whether Forestry Tasmania will attain the necessary FSC, and further uncertainty in the Tasmanian community as to whether our political leaders are capable of making decisions based on facts rather than their own political fantasies.”
“The market does not want wood from high conservation value forests. What evidence does Premier Hodgman have that in six years time this is going to change?”
Kim Booth MP | Greens Leader
