The Forest Industries Association has put forward a new plan to achieve peace in Tasmania’s forests. The association recently withdrew from informal negotiations with environmentalists, saying it will now only speak to government. Sources: ABC, The Australian
Chief Executive Terry Edwards told ABC Local Radio he has developed new demands for wood contracts and has offered them to environment groups through the forestry union.
“‘We are doing it for a number of reasons but primarily we are doing it to give, to use a hackneyed phrase, to give peace a chance,” he said.
“We are doing that, which is why we have substantially reviewed our position and it is a position that we are not entirely comfortable with.
“It is substantially below what we think is an appropriate level of wood supply but we are putting it forward in a genuine attempt to reach a compromise outcome.
“The onus now falls to the other side. We’ve moved it is now their turn.”
The Wilderness Society has welcomed the association’s revised position. Spokesman Vica Bayley says his group will consider it.
FIAT said the offer involved a “very substantial” reduction in the 155,000 cubic metres a year of native forest sawlogs it had previously insisted upon as the industry’s wood supply.
FIAT chief executive Terry Edwards would not reveal the industry’s new “bottom line”, saying it depended on a range of factors.
However, sources told The Australian the new figure was 145,000 cubic metres a year, still well above the 130,000-135,000 understood to be acceptable to green groups.
Industry is also insisting on a range of “durability” measures, designed to ensure green groups respect any deal, cease their campaigns and stop lobbying for more forest lock-ups.
These include one-fifth of the forests to be protected being initially kept outside national parks for several years as “hostages” in case green groups renege on their promises.
While it is understood green groups have softened their hostility to this idea, a more controversial condition sought by industry is that of a secure future for the loss-making state owned forestry company.
Industry wants Forestry Tasmania, which lost $27m last financial year, to retain control over production forests, while the Greens want FT broken up and stripped of land.
