Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White
The Labor Government has promised to act immediately to provide security for the thousands of forest industry employees by ensuring open, transparent and secure access to resource by Tasmanian businesses with investments in Tasmania. Source: Timberbiz
And if elected at the 23 March State elections, Labor has promised to ensure Tasmanian contractors get a fair go at Tasmanian contracts and that the special species sector can get better access to logs.
“Labor has listened to the timber industry and worked very closely with them over the past few years and this policy reflects our dedication to work together to secure a sustainable future for the industry,” Labor Leader Rebecca White said.
“Also, importantly, our policy will not create division and reignite the forest wars which will in fact drive away major customers and put Tasmanian timber jobs and businesses at risk.
“The timber industry is a vital part of the Tasmanian economy and crucial to regional Tasmania,” she said.
“A Labor Government that I lead will put Tasmanian timber workers and companies first, not mainland companies.”
Shadow Resources Minister Shane Broad said that for the past 10 years the Liberal Government had taken the Tasmanian timber industry for granted by using it as a political football while failing to address growing concerns about resource security and transparency.
“Under the Liberals’ watch contracted volumes have not been delivered, iconic special species logs have dwindled to almost nothing and local logging contractors have been overlooked for cashed up mainland operators,” Mr Broad said.
“Labor will ensure that contracts are extended out to 2040 and include plantation sawlogs, special species are managed independently and that a 25 per cent local benefits test applies to logging and haulage contracts,” he said.
“Labor agrees that an independent pricing mechanism is needed to ensure contract terms are fair and can be independently audited.”
The Tasmanian Forest Products Association’s CEO Nick Steel said Labor’s plan would back Tasmanian workers, the economy and build on the important work forestry did to meet the State’s lofty climate ambitions.
“This plan does offer our industry, and the 51500 Tasmanians employed in forestry, a secure, productive and responsible future,” Mr Steel said.
“I thank the Tasmanian Labor Party for working directly with the TFPA and industry to develop a plan that ticks off many boxes in our election wish list.”
Mr Steel said grants to encourage on-island processing, increasing the local benefit weighting to 25% on all Tasmanian timber contracts, ensuring our private foresters are included in the TasGRN rollout, and continuing to fund the Tasmanian Timber Promotions Board will all make a big difference to industry.
“By backing our Home-Grown Timber Future Policy, Labor is ensuring that our businesses can compete with interstate operators,” Mr Steel said.
“Improving the quality of our wood on-island will not only support thousands of jobs but will also give a significant boost to the Tasmanian economy,” Mr Steel said.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Tasmanian Labor Party to ensure that all facets of our 2024 Election Wishlist are implemented – helping our businesses employ Tasmanians, contribute to our state’s economy and continue to sequester carbon.
“Regardless the result of the election, the TFPA is pleased that both major parties are backing our industry, and we’re confident forestry has a strong future after 23 March,” Mr Steel said.
Labor’s plans for Tasmania:
- STOP the current plantation sawlog Expression of Interest process being conducted by Sustainable Timbers Tasmania (STT), a process which could see mills starved of logs, workers thrown on the scrapheap and more logs exported out of Tasmania.
- REVIEW the available resources – both native forest and plantation – in an open and transparent process with independent oversight.
- PROTECT existing Tasmanian businesses and their workers to ensure they have the highest priority to obtain long term secure contracts for wood supply. No sawlog or peelers will be exported in whole log form if they can be processed in Tasmania.
- DEVELOP a framework for prioritising access to STT’s wood supply capacity that is in the best interests of the State with a particular reference to regional Tasmania.
- PROVIDE confidence to existing STT customers by giving them the opportunity to negotiate enforceable contracts on commercial terms for their existing volumes, as a minimum until 2040.
- ENFORCE the local benefits weighting of 25 per cent so that Tasmanian contractors get a fair go.
- ENSURE the future of the special species sector by the creation of a standalone Special Timbers Authority tasked with managing all aspects of non-blackwood special species timber supply and management.
- ESTABLISH an independent Forest Products Price Oversight Body to ensure Tasmanians obtain a fair price for their resources.
- ALLOCATE $5 million towards developing new ways to process logs on-island.
- PROVIDE $350,000 for a heli-harvesting trial of dead Huon pine.
- COMMIT to funding the Tasmanian Timber Promotion Board in future Budgets.
- COMMIT to including private forest estate owners in the TasGRN rollout.
- REWRITE the STT Ministerial Charter to reflect our Tasmania First Timber Policy
