There are concerns forest contractors will soon be imported from New Zealand or interstate to meet the demands of Tasmania’s plantation industry. Source: ABC News
Hundreds of thousands of hectares of hardwood plantations are about to come online for harvesting, but the industry is struggling to find enough forest contractors.
About 90 took exit payments from the Federal Government two years ago to leave the native forest industry as part of the now defunct forest peace deal.
Colin McCulloch, who worked as a contractor for 40 years and used to head the Australian Forest Contractors Association, said it was a deeply frustrating situation.
“You’ve got this burgeoning prospect now we’ve got a shortage of contractors, we’re under subscribed and we’ve got really good Tasmanian businesses that may just have to sit and watch someone else come into the state and do it, it’s ridiculous,” he said.
Contractors who took the second round of exit payments from the Federal Government cannot return to the industry for 10 years due to their deed of agreement.
Mr McCulloch said it meant highly qualified Tasmanian contractors would miss out on the work.
“Companies are going to get those workers from somewhere whether it be New Zealand, Victoria, Queensland or whatever – and it just does not make sense,” he said.
Mr McCulloch said the exit scheme was poorly thought out.
“They are unable to participate in any forestry process for 10 years even though they were only ever exited for the native portion of their business,” he said.
