Forestry Minister misrepresents leading timber business on radio
Key players don’t want wood from the area Liberals want to open up
Hodgman Government risking a return to the forest wars
Forestry Minister Guy Barnett is alienating the forest industry with his destructive and divisive forestry policy.
Neville Smith Forest Products has extraordinarily contradicted Mr Barnett’s claim that it supports taking timber from the 357,000 hectares of land previously earmarked for reserves.
Labor Leader Bryan Green said the Minister has been caught out and should either correct the record or resign.
“Guy Barnett has misrepresented Neville Smith Forest Products,” Mr Green said.
“He needs to either correct the record or resign.
“The Minister claimed the business supported the Government’s plan to log in previously protected areas and wanted to harvest the timber.
“The company has since made it clear that it would only accept wood from the area if it came with FSC certification.”
Neville Smith Forest Products Executive Chairman James Neville-Smith delivered the uncomfortable truth to the Hodgman Government on radio this morning.
“It might be that no one ever receives any wood off this land.” (James Neville-Smith, ABC Mornings, 27/02/2017)
Mr Neville-Smith also sent a clear message to the Liberals about reigniting the forest wars.
“I’m worried about it and I don’t want it and no one wants it.” (James Neville-Smith, ABC Mornings, 27/02/2017)
“Guy Barnett can’t name one key player who supports the Government’s policy. It’s completely in tatters,” Mr Green said.
“Labor strongly supports tread widely, tread lightly harvesting of special species timber to support Tasmania’s craftspeople.
“But we don’t want to see our markets put at risk by logging trees that no one wants.”
Bryan Green MP Labor Leader
