• Kim Booth, Greens Forestry Spokesperson, Thursday, June 20:
GROUNDHOG DAY FOR BUNGLED FOREST EXIT PAYMENTS
State Inquiry to Pursue More Answers
The Tasmanian Greens today vowed maintain the pressure over the Federal Government’s mismanagement of the $45 million Tasmanian forest contractor exit program.
Greens Forestry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the recent Senate inquiry had raised a number of serious concerns, and the upcoming state inquiry would be an opportunity for the Tasmanian Parliament to seek more answers.
“The upcoming state inquiry should help to shed some more light on Joe Ludwig’s incompetent handling of these payouts, and on the role of Forestry Tasmania in this debacle,” Mr Booth said.
“There are still questions around the administration of these grants, including claims that some contractors have used loopholes to re-enter the industry after receiving payouts.”
“There are also serious questions over who authorised Forestry Tasmania to recontract some of the retired timber volumes, and whether the Minister was informed.”
“For Minister Ludwig to allow such a mess to happen again, after he failed to properly administer the first $21 million round of contractor payouts, is just breathtaking incompetence.”
“The end result is that we apparently have a number of contractors who had their gear paid for with public money, who are still in the industry and still competing with those that didn’t receive payouts.”
“Before any further grants are paid, there need to be some serious probity guidelines put in place regarding who gets the money, how it is spent, and whether it is achieving the intended objectives.”
• Christine Milne, Wednesday, June 19:
GREENS SLAM TASMANIAN FOREST PAYOUTS MANAGEMENT
The Australian Greens have slammed the design and management of the recent $45 million Tasmanian forest contractor exit program after the release today of a Senate inquiry report into the program.
“The Senate inquiry has confirmed the Auditor-General’s criticism of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which kept inadequate records, distributed grants before writing compliance and risk management plans, and did not follow its own grant guidelines, ” Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne said.
“I am now calling for a restructure of the federal department to take away all of its forestry responsibilities and distribute those to other departments, including Industry, Environment and Climate Change.
“The government must explain why the department ignored the objectives of the program for reduced harvest and haulage volume and why it ignored the specific eligibility criteria to allow grants to be made to ineligible applicants.
“Exit means exit. Any future exit programs should require exit and be designed to eliminate loopholes which allow people to take the money and stay in the industry.
“In relation to Forestry Tasmania, the department’s decision to press ahead with contractor payouts when it knew Forestry Tasmania intended to replace retired harvesting and haulage volume was a waste of public money and the minister should take responsibility so that it doesn’t happen again.
“There are questions to answer about the process Forestry Tasmania undertook to decide which contractors it supported to exit the industry and which contractors would receive a boost to volumes as a result.
“The Tasmanian Parliament’s Select Committee should examine this closely.
“Given the department’s record, an independent auditor should be appointed to its internal audit committee to provide better oversight of program design and implementation,” Senator Milne said.
The Green’s additional comments are at the end of the committee’s report which is on the internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=rrat_ctte/anao_tas_forests_reports/index.htm
• The Age: VicForests cash flow under fire
• Jan Davis: Another door slams shut on the private forest industry
• ABC: Forest fraud allegations face more scrutiny
• Guy Barnett: Secret lobbying of World Heritage committee
• Kim Booth: Bioenergy economic madness and environmental vandalism
• Mark, in Comments, HERE: Good point #22. When compensation was first proposed I remember suggesting the liquidation of held assets (machinery) should form part of the final compensation payment after distributions for loans (banks). It would have been a good idea, I reckon.
• Andrew Darby, The Age: Hope for peace in Tasmania grows as last tree falls
