The timber industry will enter talks with the incoming Tasmanian Liberal government to devise a new strategy for the sector. Source: The Australian
However, the timber industry warns that talk of “tearing up” the forest peace deal is already risking jobs.
Key industry signatories to the landmark Tasmanian Forests Agreement stood “100%” by the peace deal and warned against repealing any of 500,000ha of forest reserves created under it.
In a show of unity with environmentalists, the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania urged the new government, which routed the Labor-Greens government in Saturday’s election, to include conservation groups in the talks, which start later this week.
FIAT chief executive Terry Edwards said while the new Liberal government had a mandate to tear up the agreement, enshrined in state legislation last year it should retain the principles of the deal.
Edwards warned the tough anti-peace-deal talk by the Hodgman and Abbott governments was already placing jobs at risk by spooking major customers of Tasmanian timber producers who wanted conflict free products.
“There is considerable uncertainty in the markets again now, and nervousness that we could be returning to the conflict of the past, and they don’t want to see that any more than we do,” Edwards said.
“The risk is that they will … cancel orders or not place new orders.”
The agreement ended three decades of forest wars by creating 504,012ha of new forest reserves in return for a guaranteed, albeit reduced, wood supply and conservationists’ endorsement of industry products.
Industry and conservation signatories met and agreed to fund laser imaging of forests from a helicopter to identify the special species of trees needed by furniture and boat builders.
There is growing concern within the speciality timber industry that the volume of wood set aside for it under the agreement is insufficient and that areas earmarked for its use include rocky outcrops, mine sites and treeless mountain tops.
