The Greens proposed an $11.5 million timber industry investment based in Braddon, Tasmania. Source: The Advocate
Greens leader Nick McKim, Denison Greens MHA Cassy O’Connor and Braddon Greens MHA Paul O’Halloran were in Burnie to announce their $11.5million plan to use cross-laminated timber to build public housing.
O’Halloran said the timber would create houses that were energy efficient, ultimately making the cost for the tenant cheaper.
The intention behind the proposal was to create job opportunities in Braddon.
“We will be using the resources we are growing in Braddon to create jobs in Braddon,” O’Halloran said.
According to the Greens, the Braddon plantation estate was a stranded asset and had not been used to its full potential.
“We need to look at better ways to value-add to our timber and this is the way to do it,” O’Halloran said.
“We’ll use the government sector to create the demand.”
O’Halloran said the investment would create jobs for forestry workers, sawmillers, designers, engineers and builders.
The proposal would also involve investment into TasTAFE to offer training and retraining opportunities for workers in the field.
O’Halloran said if the industry was established in Braddon, it was unlikely to eventually be sent offshore, as many other manufacturing companies had done.
Deputy Premier Bryan Green labelled the Greens hypocrites over the investment.
“They have argued Forestry Tasmania shouldn’t exist anymore, yet here they are suggesting a government-run factory making the CLT product,” Green said.
Deputy Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff felt similarly to Green.
“After spending the past four years doing everything they can to shutdown the forestry industry and costing thousands of Tasmanians their jobs, it’s offensive that the Greens are pretending to be a friend of the forestry industry,” Rockliff said.
