The majority report released today on the Senate Inquiry into the 2014 TWWHA Minor Boundary Modification failed to address critical issues facing the Specialty Timber sector that resulted from the 2013 TWWHA extension.

Although the Committee of inquiry acknowledged that the Special Timbers sector had lost a significant portion of the previously identified Special Timbers Zone in the 2013 TWWHA extension, they refused to acknowledge the need to access these areas to maintain supply, relying on assurances from TFA ENGO signatories that TFA designated areas outside the TWWHA could supply the industry.

Andrew Denman from the Tasmanian Special Timbers Alliance “ Through maps obtained in recent months under RTI legislation, it is now proven that the ENGO designated areas set aside for special timber harvesting under the TFA were grossly inadequate, never modelled and in many cases don’t even contain trees. The committee was provided with detailed information on this yet chose to ignore it in their report.”

“Concerns of impact on resource and lack of consultation had been raised by the Special Timbers Sector with UNESCO prior to the 2013 decision but a reply to the Sector was never received. A recent FOI application to the Federal Environment Department revealed that the previous Labour Government had responded on the sector’s behalf to UNESCO, dismissing concerns on similar grounds without even consulting the Specialty Timber industry.”

The Senate Inquiry also failed to adequately address the strong conflict of interest issues surrounding the 2013 TWWHA nomination that was raised during the inquiry. The committee was informed through submission and evidence that several key IVG consultants engaged to independently verify ENGO claims and consultants engaged to develop/review the 2013 TWWHA extension dossier were in fact members, former members or paid consultants to the very ENGO organisations whose claims they had been asked to independently assess. These non-declared conflicts of interest cast a cloud over the claimed independence and veracity of the information that formed the basis of the 2013 TWWHA nomination.

Andrew Denman again” The IVG terms of reference were explicitly clear that anyone engaged in the process was to be completely independent of all stakeholders. It is astounding and disturbing that the inquiry chose not to consider the issue of conflict of interest and its effect on the material they were reviewing. In doing so, the majority report has condoned abuse of due process to suit an overtly political agenda.”

The Tasmanian Special Timbers Alliance is calling on UNESCO to send not only the 2014 TWWHA minor boundary adjustment back to Australia for re-submission as a new nomination but also the remainder of the 2013 extension.

“Here we have a situation where a rushed, politically motivated and controversial process in 2013 has led to a controversial proposal in 2014. The only way that any resultant TWWHA extension or revision will be acceptable to the community as a whole is for UNESCO to refer the entire 2013 TWWHA extension back to Australia and have the State Party re-submit the proposal as a new nomination. This will allow for proper process to prevail and for all stakeholders to be consulted.”
Andrew Denman, the Tasmanian Special Timbers Alliance