The first report on the progress of Tasmania’s forest peace deal says the restructure is being hampered by a critical shortage of wood. Source: ABC News
The report was handed down by the special council overseeing the implementation of the historic agreement to reduce the native timber industry, negotiated by industry and environmental groups.
The council said that while the deal is on track to meet its environmental targets, there are already problems with the industry restructure.
Terry Edwards from the Forest Industries Association is a member of the council and said the implementation of the agreement is causing headaches for sawmills.
“Forestry Tasmania are currently required to deliver much more wood product than they had planned to because of the delays in implementation of the programs and that’s bedevilling the outcomes of the agreement,” he said.
“That’s having a dramatic adverse impact on sawmills and needs to be remedied.”
The wood supply shortage is being blamed on delays in closing sawmills and a reduction in contractors brought about by the delivery of exit packages.
Edwards said there is also concern about a lack of transparency surrounding the allocation of the $100 million earmarked for regional development. He said it is not not clear how the money is being distributed and the council has sought meetings with the the relevant state and federal ministers.
Economic Development Minister David O’Byrne has said the money will not necessarily be spent in regional areas. Edwards said that is misguided.
“I can only describe that as appalling,” said Edwards.
He said the funding is there to help those communities most affected by the forest industry downturn.
The Federal Government handed out the first grant from the $100 million package last weekend, giving $10 million to the University of Tasmania for an IT project. It has already received more than $3 million from other peace deal funds.
Premier, Lara Giddings, said the update shows the agreement is progressing well.
“This report is a very positive step forward in showing that we have moved on, that the problems of the past are dissipating and that we can now work together on creating more reserves that protect iconic forests while also consolidating our forest industry,” she said.
MLCs has been given 15 parliamentary sitting days to decide whether the concerns raised in the report justify blocking the peace deal.
Huon MLC Paul Harriss is not optimistic.
“We’ve got some major problems to confront before this is signed off,” he said.
Giddings hopes MLCS will not move to block the deal.
“In my mind that debate has been had,” she said.
Greens leader Nick McKim agrees.
“The Legislative Council has the chance to play a constructive role here,” he said.
Vica Bayley of the Wilderness Society said there are challenges for all parties.
“There always has been and there always will be, but that’s not an excuse to pull the trigger on the durability clause and undo all the good work that’s been done,” he said.
“It’s not an excuse to take us back to square one, because that would be a lose lose situation for everybody.”
The special council also said that while anti-logging protests have continued, they have been “neutralised” by the work of environmental signatories to the peace deal.
