The Tasmanian Forest Agreement survived after a majority of Tasmania’s Upper House threw their support behind it. Sources: The Mercury, ABC
The Upper House voted nine to five for granting 100,800 hectares of reserves and paving the way for a final 289,200 hectares to be placed in reserve status when Forest Stewardship Certification is achieved.
A disallowance motion by Huon MLC Paul Harriss that could have killed the agreement failed with Liberal MLCs Vanessa Goodwin (Pembroke), Leonie Hiscutt (Montgomery) and Windermere MLC Ivan Dean calling for an extension to discuss the process in more detail.
Premier Lara Giddings said the vote would provide certainty for the forest industry.
“This industry has been calling for certainty and the community has told us very clearly that they want to move on,” Giddings said.
“The passage of this order allows us to get on with the implementation of the TFA, which is critical to the future of the forest industry.”
But Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said voters would have the chance to make their feelings known next week when they go to the polls.
Green leader Nick McKim welcomed the milestone.
“This is vindication for the many Tasmanians who have stood up over decades to defend forest areas in the Tarkine, Reedy Marsh, Eastern Tiers, NE Highlands, including the Blue Tier, Mt Arthur, Great Western Tiers, Upper Florentine, the Styx, West Wellington, Weld, Picton, Middle Huon, Wedge, Counsel, Butlers Gorge, Catamaran, Esperence, Bruny Island, Wielangta, and the Tasman Peninsula, all of which were in the hands of the Parliament today,” Mr McKim said.
Independent Ruth Forrest told Parliament the agreement now hinged on a durability report due next year, and Forestry Tasmania getting Forest Stewardship Certification.
“We need the FSC certification before any more reserves can be reserved,” she said.
Forrest said the peace deal laws needed to be given time to prove their worth.
“When we hear from the people who are driving this ship and the work that they’re doing, the effort they’re putting in and the goodwill that still exists within that group, I think it would be an absolute show of lack of durability by the Parliament if we didn’t at least give them the chance to continue it,” she said.
Windemere Independent MLC Ivan Dean says his electorate opposes the forest peace deal, so he voted against the motion.
“I will continue to represent my electorate, I will put the position of my constituents and I will stand up for my constituents in every way that I possible can in putting their matters forward here,” said Dean.
“And I will not be bullied by others or by other organisations or anybody, I’ve lived too long for that, too old to go down that path.”
Several MLCs raised concerns about specialty timbers, including Liberal Leonie Hiscutt, who accused the Government of ramming the changes through parliament.
Terry Edwards of the Forest Industries’ Association said he hopes the $97 million dollars will start flowing.
He said it had been a nervous wait for many in the timber industry, and the Upper House vote will allow some to start planning for the future.
“There were a number of contractors that were technically ineligible for the first round of contractor exit payments, so we need now to do some work to ensure that those people that are currently losing their homes, going through marriage breakdowns and all sorts of things, as picked up along with the rest of the community,” he said.
The State Greens Leader Nick McKim says the vote does not necessarily mean an end to protests by fringe anti-logging groups.
