The new Tasmanian Government expects to detail plans for the state’s forest industry as early as next week. Source: ABC News
Premier Will Hodgman has vowed to tear up the historic forest peace deal struck between industry and environmental groups, but has revealed no details on what might replace it.
Hodgman has appointed former MLC and new Franklin MP Paul Harriss in the resources portfolio. He told ABC Local Radio the government’s plans would be outlined soon.
“I am optimistic that in a week or so Paul Harriss will be able to outline more details about what has been developed as part of our plan in consultation with industry,” the Premier said.
“We will ensure that there is a more secure supply of resource to the industry, we will ensure we are on the track to securing FSC accreditation for the industry and looking at ways to increase market access.”
Hodgman reaffirmed his party’s commitment to introduce $10,000 on-the-spot fines for protesters who disrupt forestry operations.
The Government will also push ahead with plans to strip a $100 million subsidy from Forestry Tasmania (FT). He said the government has had positive and constructive talks with Forestry Tasmania about the plan to redirect money into essential services.
“FT can, with a more secure footing, progress into FSC (accreditation) looking at way to innovates and expand our markets and value add here here in Tasmania,” he said.
“They won’t need a public subsidy anymore. I think that will be a very positive thing when can say FT can stand on its own two feet.”
Tasmania’s main forestry industry group has re-affirmed its commitment to the objectives of the forest peace deal, despite promising to work with the new government.
The Forest Industries Association of Tasmanian (FIAT), which spent three years brokering the forest agreement, said its members have voted to work collaboratively with the Liberals despite their position.
Chief Executive Terry Edwards said his statement last week that the agreement was no longer relevant, was misinterpreted.
“Once they enact that policy the forest agreement will become irrelevant there’s no doubt about that, but the key issue here is not whether the forest agreement remains on foot or does not remain on foot,” he said.
“What is important are the positive policy initiatives which are encompassed in the TFA that we will take forward in our dialogue with government.”
Forestry Tasmania is seeking Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for more than 700,000 hectares of production forest and 30,000 hectares of plantation.
Auditors from California have started investigating Tasmania’s forest management, as part of the agency’s bid to gain environmental certification.
Auditors from SCS Global Services in California are assessing the state-owned company’s management plan, documents and operations.
Forestry Tasmania’s chief executive Steve Whiteley said it is a preliminary assessment before the formal audit later in the year.
“What we want to make sure is we’re on the right track, our systems are either in place or if they’re not quite in place what things we need to do to improve them,” he said.
“So early on we’d just like to know how we’re tracking so when they come back and audit us later this year then we’ve prepared well for that audit.”
Whiteley said stakeholders should share their views about FT with the auditors.
“Part of the FSC standard is for stakeholders to have a view about their involvement in forest management and particularly the way Forestry Tasmania engages with various people who consider themselves to be stakeholders, and we’re inviting people’s input to the auditors.”
Forestry Tasmania has begun a trial to test the potential of value-adding for plantations.
Teams from Forestry Tasmania and the university will take logs from a 30-year old eucalyptus nitens plantation research trial east of Scottsdale.
They will test the performance of sawn timber and peeler veneers, including their stiffness and strength.
Paul Adams from Forestry Tasmania said there was a lot of interest in the trial.
“This will help our breeding program, because it will provide information on wood properties, wood quality and also products that we can produce from them and it adds significantly to the value of our breeding strategy,” he said.
