The front page of the coalition’s submission to the New South Wales Government.
A coalition of industry groups led by Timber NSW has been formed to make a joint public submission to the NSW Premier and key Ministers in support of native forestry in New South Wales. Source: Timberbiz
And the coalition, which also includes the Australian Forest Contractors Association, Timber Development Association, Timber Trade Industrial Association, South East Timber Association and Forest & Wood Communities Australia, is asking its members, sponsors and communities to add their voices to this campaign by contacting the NSW Premier Chris Minns and key members of his Cabinet.
The coalition is calling on the NSW Government to work constructively and consult fully with the industry and communities in support of an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable timber industry in NSW.
The submission makes three key points:
• Native Forestry is Essential: Any proposed closure of public regrowth native forestry and a ‘transition’ to hardwood plantations is completely unnecessary and unfeasible. The alleged benefits of such a closure on biodiversity, tourism and climate change do not exist.
• Recognise the 21st Century Potential of Timber: Australia is the sixth most forested nation on earth and has best-practice ESFM forestry regulation. There is huge potential in the NSW timber industry to meet the growing demand in Australia for a sustainable, renewable, recyclable resource like timber. We need to realise this nation-building potential.
• Educate & Inform Citizens About Forestry: When falsehoods and misinformation are being spread about legitimate Government activities – like native forestry operations undertaken by the government-owned Forestry Corporation – we expect that Government will seek to counter and correct these misguided assertions in a timely and accurate manner. This is not currently happening in NSW.
In a note to members Australian Forest Contractors Association general manager Tim Lester said that the current extreme protest activity does not represent the views of ordinary Australians.
“It’s causing major disruption to our industry,” he said.
“Our collective effort is vital to keep the industry open while activists continue to block forests and roads, delay or stop timber supplies, target our workplaces and misrepresent the facts.
“Given the ongoing co-ordinated environmental protests and misinformed media reports about native forestry in NSW, we have reached a point where the future of our industry in NSW is in doubt and people’s livelihoods are in jeopardy.
“We’re seeing the exploitation of a lack of forestry knowledge to fuel miscommunications and falsehoods via slogans and campaigns. Our industry goes to great lengths to protect the fauna and flora within the production forests. It’s in our interest to do so,” he said.
“There is a real risk NSW may follow Victoria and Western Australia in closing public native forestry, which would cripple timber supply and wipe out most of the $2.9B the industry contributes to the NSW economy each year.
“The timber industry has important new roles to play in the 21st century, but it remains at the heart of our communities. The NSW Government needs to know that the extreme positions of ideologically driven activities are not shared across the wider community.”
To make a submission to go www.timberfacts.com.au
On the site you will find links to emails to send to the Premier, Treasurer, and the Ministers for the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. Templates are available whether you are a timber business, an allied business supporter or a member of the community. You can also download templates and send them directly from your own email program.
