Paul Harriss: Labor Split on Triabunna

Bryan Green needs to explain to Tasmanians where exactly Labor stands on the Triabunna Port.

Labor has repeatedly contradicted themselves about their position.

Lyons MP Rebecca White in August called the publicly-owned port a “critical strategic asset” and “prime deep port access”, and criticised the Government over Tasports negotiating with Triabunna Investments.1

Yet yesterday the Opposition Leader said the Triabunna Port “ought to be long-term leased or sold to Graeme Wood”.2

In Government Labor considered plans to export wood fibre from Triabunna Port, operating next to Graeme Wood’s proposed tourism venture, and only discarded this plan because of a need for upgrades to the port facilities.

“There is actually crown land that goes around the edge of the private or freehold land that’s owned by Triabunna Investments now, because we considered it at one stage whether or not we could set up a facility adjacent to the existing Triabunna woodchip mill with a view to conveyering (sic) the material around. Part of the problem is that Gunns had not spent enough money to ensure that the maintenance and upkeep on the wharf allowed it to be serviceable. It requires about $500,000 to be spent on it, and it was something that was considered by the then Government with respect to whether or not we could actually set another facility up.”3

Now they criticise the Government for not ruling out, ahead of knowing the views of the Parliamentary Inquiry, using the Triabunna Port again.

While Labor are busy bickering among themselves, the Liberal Government is getting on with the job of rebuilding the industry.

Up to $100 million a year in wood fibre export earnings are available in the State’s South, but there are limited options to enable us to take advantage of this resource and potentially create hundreds of jobs in regional Tasmania.

Continuing to provide subsidies to transport wood fibre to the north for export is one option, finding a suitable deep water port in southern Tasmania to export from is the other.

The Government has asked Forestry Tasmania and TasPorts to investigate port options in Southern Tasmania, and we will quite properly consider this advice and the views of the Parliamentary inquiry before making a decision.

1Rebecca White, Damning Revelations over Triabunna Port media release, August 13th 2014
2Southern Cross News, October 3rd 2014
3 Bryan Green, ABC Drive August 14th 2014.
Paul Harriss, Minister for Resources