Bernie Finn MLC
A Victorian forest industry task force created two years ago to advise the government hasn’t come up with anything, a parliamentary committee says. Source: The Australian
The committee looking at the government-owned VicForests wants a ‘please explain’ about why the task force, created in November 2015 to make recommendations, hasn’t put forward a single one.
“My view is that funding may be better spent elsewhere on assisting those working in the industry or supporting measures to enhance the industry’s competitiveness within the global market for fibre and wood products,” MLC Bernie Finn said in a report.
In September last year, the Forest Industry Taskforce – made up of industry, union and conservationist stakeholders to address challenges facing the timber industry – touted its statement of intent as a major milestone.
“The taskforce will continue discussions over coming months to reach recommendations for government that create security and certainty for forest industries, regional jobs, forests and threatened species, and the wider Victorian community,” the task force said at the time.
But Mr Finn, who chaired the Economy and Infrastructure Committee said: “we have heard very little from this taskforce, which has yet to provide recommendations to the government”.
The committee wants the government to explain why this is the case and to work with VicForests and the task force to establish a plan to create a plantation timber transition plan for the industry.
