John Barilaro
NSW Labor has this week called for a Parliamentary inquiry into the long-term sustainable future of the state’s forestry and timber industry. The calls follow Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s appearance at a budget estimates session last week, where he sparred with Labor MLC Mick Veitch about the government’s plan for a timber supply shortage, given the impact of last summer’s fires. Source: Tumut Adelong Times
Mr Barilaro suggested that timber supply shortages will increase the price of new homes, delay construction and cost jobs.
“Can I be honest? There will be a cliff-edge moment when we have gone through all the black timber,” Mr Barilaro admitted.
“We have been quite open with the sector; we have worked with them.”
Making the call for an inquiry into the forestry industry, Shadow Minister for Natural Resources Paul Scully said NSW Labor has been urging the Government to develop a timber plan that provides “long-term certainty and an immediate fix to the problems small businesses are having right now to secure timber stock.”
“But the Government instead focused so much of its energy on trying to flog off Forestry Corporation and on the chaos in the Coalition that it has ignored these issues,” he continued.
“Now we have real supply problems, house prices will increase, there are delays in housing construction and it’s starting to cost jobs in rural and regional areas.”
While the Government abandoned the Forestry Corporation sell-off early last year, it has left timber-dependent communities with little hope, NSW Labor says.
In February 2020 the state opposition called on the Government to appoint a Forestry Recovery Commissioner, along with a timber industry recovery advisory taskforce, to guide the implementation of a recovery plan.
“We now need a Parliamentary inquiry into the long-term sustainable future of the forestry and timber industry because of the Government’s failures,” Mr Scully said.
“The inquiry we are proposing will help to better understand the projections for softwood and hardwood timber supply and demand, transparent reporting of the timber supply and the opportunities for the timber and forestry products industry and timber-dependent communities.
“We feel it’s time the Parliament took the initiative because clearly this 10-year-old Government has run out of ideas.
“A Parliamentary inquiry will give some hope and direction to workers in the forestry industry, mill owners and operators, and timber-dependent communities across NSW.”
Mr Scully said there had not been a major review of – or inquiry into – the NSW forestry industry for at least 20 years.
“A lot has changed in the forestry and forest product industry during this time, including the major impact of the unprecedented bushfires of 2019-20, so it is timely to examine the supply and value chains of the industry, and let the voice of timber-dependent communities be heard,” he said.
When discussing the issue at budget estimates, Mr Barilaro said there is “no easy fix” to the timber industries’ struggles.
“If you can show me how I can grow a tree overnight, I will take it on board and get these guys to plant that tree,” he said.
The government announced last year it would allocate $46 million to embark on the largest pine replanting program in the state’s history.
