The future of Forestry Tasmania remains under a cloud as the State Government commits to detail its plans for the company before the May budget. Source: The ABC
Officials from Treasury, State Growth and the Premier’s Department have reviewed the company. Three weeks ago they handed their report to the Government but there has been no formal word on what it recommends.
Unions claimed Forestry staff had been left in the dark.
Greens Leader Kim Booth wanted the review released and said he hoped it recommended killing off the government-owned company.
“It’s inappropriate for Forestry Tasmania to remain as a government owned business,” he said. “Forestry Tasmania has no place in a modern, contemporary forestry industry.”
He suggested the company should be wound up and most of the public forest estate retained as permanent reserves.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green pressed Resources Minister Paul Harriss to rule out closing the business. He said the uncertainty was taking its toll on the company’s employees.
“They need to tell us exactly what they’re doing,” he said. “They’re doing this in secret and are not even allowing the Tasmanian people to understand what they’re even thinking about.”
The Government has been promising an announcement on the company’s future “soon” but it has already ruled out directly propping up the business in next month’s budget.
Premier Will Hodgman told 936 ABC Hobart he would not be pressured to release details of the Government’s plans before time but said the current structure of Forestry Tasmania could not last.
“We have committed to extensive consultation with all key stakeholders, including FT, to plot out the best way forward,” he said.
“We are determined to make a decision that’s in the best interests of our state’s economy, the forestry industry and, of course, FT’s future.
“Our belief is that the status quo is not sustainable.”
