Steve Martin (centre)
Western Australia’s Draft Forest Management Plan offers an uncertain and bleak future for the State’s hardwood sector, according to the Shadow Minister for Forestry Steve Martin. Source: Timberbiz
“The released draft is severely lacking in substance and provides very little direction to those in the forestry space,” he said.
“Businesses that operate under the FMP have been ignored throughout the entire drafting process and are still no closer to understanding what their future holds.”
The draft Forest Management Plan 2024-2033 delivers on the McGowan Government’s decision to end native logging in the State’s South-West by 2024.
The WA government says the move will preserve at least 400,000 hectares, an area 1000 times the size of Kings Park, of karri, jarrah, and wandoo forests. This is in addition to the 1.6 million hectares of forest already protected.
“The McGowan Government has debilitated a regional industry that is filled with hundreds of hard-working Western Australians without a second thought,” Mr Martin said.
“For this Labor Government to have destroyed one of the State’s most sustainable industries without any scientific backing is disgraceful.”
The decision to close the native logging industry has recently come under fire after it was reported that Gavin Butcher, who previously worked for the Forest Products Commission for 20 years, recently obtained documents after a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation and Attractions.
Mr Butcher told the ABC he was hoping the FOI documents would the reveal scientific data which shows the effect climate change and logging was having on the forests of Western Australia.
“There was no smoking gun to explain the government’s decision in fact it really showed nothing,” he said.
And the Chair of the WA Branch of Forestry Australia, Brad Barr, has said revelations that the decision to end native forest timber harvesting was not backed up by scientific evidence gave reason to question the Government’s motives.
“Despite lacking any scientific evidence to support their claims that native forestry in Western Australia is unsustainable, the Government has barrelled along with their single-minded policy to end hardwood harvesting in WA,” Mr Martin said.
“Every step of the way they have failed to adequately consult and listen to those in the forestry sector.
“There are also flow-on effects across the firewood and furniture manufacturing sectors who appear to have been largely ignored in the Plan.
“Now that the Draft Forest Management Plan has been released, it is evident that the Government have no real understanding of the importance of native hardwood harvesting in WA,” he said.
“This plan shows that the Government would now rather import timber into WA rather than utilising our well-managed and sustainable forests.”
