Forestry industry warns federal reforms will destroy regional Tasmanian jobs
Forest industry leaders warn federal environment law changes threaten thousands of regional jobs and could destroy Tasmanian communities dependent on timber production.
Reforms to federal environment laws would create doubt and uncertainty and had the potential to cost jobs, harm regional communities and increase reliance on imports, the state’s Forest Products Association says.
Changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Protection Act remove exemptions for regional forest agreements, so that they must comply with the same rules and standards as other industries.
The state and federal government signed the Tasmanian Regional Forest agreement in 1997 and extended by 20 years in 2017 as “a framework for the sustainable management of Tasmania’s public and privately owned forests”.
Tasmanian Forest Products Association CEO Nick Steel said the changes to the EPBC Act would create great uncertainty.
“Any changes to Tasmania’s RFA could have an impact across private and public land and could impact plantation timber, fibre production and the essential wood that builds our homes and supports thousands of regional jobs,” he said.
“Tasmania’s forest management has served Tasmanians well for decades.
“It supports local communities, regional jobs and reliable timber for construction. Our current system proves that science-based regulation works.
“It must be at the core of any accreditation model going forward, and any threat to it undermines confidence and investment in Tasmania.”
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the implications of the changes could be “quite devastating” and the $300m Forestry Growth Fund was nowhere near enough.
“What we are deeply concerned about is the rushed sell-out between Labor and the Greens federally, at the expense of forestry workers,” he said on Thursday.
“Here in Tasmania, there is also a breathtaking lack of detail when it comes to what this actually means.
“When Victoria shut down their native forest industry, there was a one and a half billion dollar package on the table.
“So $300m is an absolute pittance as to what is needed right here in Tasmania to support regional jobs throughout rural and regional Tasmania.”
In a joint statement, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins, Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Murray Watt and Minister for Industry and Innovation Senator Tim Ayres said forestry was a priority of the reforms.
“The Albanese government is delivering a secure and sustainable future for timber and forestry workers in Australia, supporting jobs and communities across New South Wales, Tasmania and the wider industry,” their statement said.
Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie welcomed the changes to the EPBC Act.
“I voted against the reforms in the House of Representatives because, as initially drafted, it was clear the government had forgotten they were supposed to actually stop environmental destruction.
“While the amended package is still far from perfect, there is now at least some greater protection for the environment and, of particular importance for Tasmania, for forests specifically.”
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Originally published as Forestry industry warns federal reforms will destroy regional Tasmanian jobs
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