CONCERNS have been raised as to whether Deputy Premier Bryan Green sidelined a forestry regulator and seized control of large land clearance decisions specifically to help a far North- West business.
Greens MP Tim Morris quizzed Mr Green in parliament yesterday over whether his decision to take over applications involving land clearance greater than 40 hectares was to benefit Van Diemen’s Land Company in the future.
Tasman Farms, owner of VDL, plans to massively expand its dairy operations at Woolnorth, with land clearance in the future being a possibility.
Large land clearance applications were previously assessed and ruled on by the Forest Practices Authority.
FPA chief forest practices officer Graham Wilkinson said in February that VDL “if they were to put an application before us it would need to go through that very rigorous process”, adding a recent policy shift meant it was “now more difficult to get large conversions through the system”.
However, Mr Green will instead now make the call on large land clearance applications
“Is the change of policy particularly aimed at permitting the clearance of tea-tree and dry eucalypt forests by Tasman Farms, the owners of the Woolnorth property, so as to facilitate the expansion of dairy production, as announced by the Premier?,” Mr Morris asked.
Mr Green said the policy change was made given the FPA found it difficult to assess “issues of social benefit” associated with land clearance.
