Tim Lester
The Victorian Government has reiterated its claims to action on climate change and achieving a net-zero future with this week’s legislative amendments to update targets and lock in emissions reduction goals. Source: Timberbiz
To achieve these goals the state must embrace and not turn its back on sustainable, renewable and locally grown timber resources and production forestry, General Manager of the Australian Forest Contractors Association Tim Lester said today.
“Victoria has an ambitious infrastructure and building program, all of which relies on carbon intensive materials. Meanwhile, the state’s own high value, high quality, high embedded carbon timber resources have been sidelined,” Mr Lester said.
“The only known pathway with immediate capacity to remove carbon from the atmosphere at scale is photosynthesis, and the only hope we have of reaching national and state emissions reduction targets while maintaining standards of living is to substitute as much current high emissions activity with low emissions alternatives as we possibly can.
“Timber is the ultimate renewable and the perfect resource for a low carbon, high value economy. The IPCC says that a well-regulated, well-managed production forest with a sustained annual yield of timber, fibre or energy will have the greatest mitigation benefit for climate and emissions. We can protect and enhance biodiversity and other ecological attributes, and generate income for businesses, families, communities, regions and the state.”
Mr Lester said it was not good enough to expect to get our timber from somewhere else.
That just put more pressure onto forests in other parts of the world, where Australia had no say and is exposed to increasing supply chain risks.
“The Victorian Government recognises the importance of effective forest management with the proposed forest and fire management contracts for harvest operators, although we continue to wait on release of the details,” Mr Lester said.
“It is critical that the Government give these businesses certainty now and allow contractors to properly plan for the future.
“The transition to a low carbon economy does need a strategic and coordinated approach. It should utilise every local advantage including locally grown timber resources and an effective wood products sector,” he said.
