Victorian minister for agriculture and food security Peter Walsh, slammed the actions of anti-forestry groups saying their actions have cost taxpayers hundreds and thousands of dollars. Source: Timberbiz
The Minister was highlighting VicForests’ performance during the past year and said the forestry enterprise continued to create jobs and strengthen the Victorian economy despite the antics of anti-forestry groups opposed to sustainable native forestry.
“The native forest sector is the foundation of Victoria’s timber industry, which generates around $1.5 billion of activity for the State’s economy each year.
“Native forestry activity supports 11,000 jobs in regional Victoria and contributes to vibrant, sustainable regional communities.
“Statements by groups like the Wilderness Society are at odds with the fact that VicForests, the State’s statutory forestry enterprise, has achieved an $11.58 million net profit during its eight year life and returned dividends in excess of $5 million to the State during that time,” the Minister said.
Walsh said VicForests would have returned a healthy profit in 2011-12 if not for legal costs incurred as a result of environmental organisations challenging the performance of State Government forestry policies and regulations.
“VicForests and the Victorian Government, through the departments of Primary Industries and Sustainability and Environment as well as Victoria Police, have been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars this year to manage protesters who have unlawfully disrupted legitimate and authorised harvesting activities,” said the Minister.
Walsh added that it should not go unrecognised that VicForests had achieved some significant results during the past year, including handing back a record amount of regenerated forest to the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
