Media Release: State of Denial
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Despite delusional thinking from FIAT and Forest Minister Llewellyn, world timber markets are changing.
Our Common Ground today said the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania and Forests Minister David Llewellyn are threatening Tasmania’s future prosperity with their old-style refusal to accept and respond to change.
Yesterday, FIAT congratulated the Liberals for supporting a non-existent pulp mill with no markets. And Mr. Llewellyn blamed environmentalists for him not being able to manage to secure a major woodchip sale to Asia.
Meanwhile, Tasmania’s timber industry remain in crisis. Gunn’s profit is down by 98 per cent, there is still no financial backing for the Tamar Valley pulp mill, and FEA, a Launceston timber company suspended trading on the ASX because it could not find financing.
Peter Skillern said that politicians and peak industry bodies continuing to ignore reality would be comical — if so many jobs weren’t at stake.
“Tasmanians should be angry that the people who oversaw the collapse of our markets — and as competitors overtook Tasmania — still don’t get it. Tasmania needs world markets more than world markets need us, and the sooner old-style thinking accepts this, the better,” said Mr. Skillern.
“Until then, Tasmania is no longer the ‘holiday isle’ or ‘Australia’s natural state’. It’s become the ‘State of Denial’. And our future prosperity is at risk.”
This is all news to Mr. Llewellyn, whose firm grasp of market reality caused him to announce a major deal in Asia that promptly fell through. Yesterday, he blamed so-called extreme environmentalists for evaporating market demand.
“When Asia and Japan are not buying our products you’d hope the forest minister would see the need for Tasmania’s industry to change,” said Mr. Skillern. “Instead, Tasmania’s old-style politicians just watch New Zealand, Queensland, Canada and Costa Rica change with the times while we don’t.”
Our Common Ground, which represents a broad range of Tasmanians, said it is sad that a state where a large majority supports both a thriving timber industry and protecting native forests is stuck with such backward thinking.
“We need look no further than the pulp mill debacle to see the need for new thinking,” Mr. Skillern said. “Instead of playing the blame game to hide their own stunning mismanagement, maybe the old boys club should listen to potential markets and potential financiers.
“Clearly, they have no issue ignoring Tasmanians. But ignoring changing world markets isn’t an option, no matter how desperately they try to wish reality away.”
Our Common Ground is a coalition of community and business leaders, environment groups and timber workers who are committed to finding a solution to the conflict over forestry in Tasmania.
ENDS
Contact: , 03 6224 7727
