Labor’s ‘save the koala’ plan could costing $1 billion and destroy local logging industry
A key Labor-aligned union has lashed out a tthe party just two days out from the election over a “save the koalas” plan which could cost more than $1 billion, slash 2000 jobs and kill off a mid-north coast industry.
A key Labor-aligned union has lashed out at the party just two days out from the election, sending a scathing letter attacking a key environmental policy for being “half-baked” and having “style over substance”.
The Daily Telegraph has obtained a letter the Australian Workers’ Union sent to their members today outlining their strong opposition to Labor’s plan to build a national park for koalas in Northern NSW.
“At this point few details have been given about the proposed Great Koala National Park in Northern NSW. There is a lot of work to be done before this half-baked idea can become reality. If Labor wins the election, the AWU will negotiate with the new Government and the forestry industry to make sure silly political promises do not get in the of way of common sense outcomes,” the letter reads.
It comes after the Daily Telegraph revealed today the park could shut down the local logging industry, costing the state $1 billion and nearly 2000 jobs.
The letter will hit voters predominantly in regional seats such as Wagga Wagga and the mid North Coast such as Coffs Harbour.
In the letter, the AWU blasts Labor’s idea, saying it is “extremely disappointing.”
“(It) has angered all of us who have been working to see Labor adopt sensible policies on forestry and wildlife conversation in NSW,” it reads.
The letter is written by the union’s national and NSW branch secretary Daniel Walton and assistance branch secretary Paul Noack.
“In the heat of the election campaign, however, Labor has opted for style over substance when it comes to the issue of koala parks,” it reads.
“We will continue fighting to secure forestry jobs and build a sustainable industry into the future. The AWU will remain opposed to the establishment of the Great Koala National
Park.”
The letter outlines the measurers the AWU has taken to protect koala habitats while maintaining forestry jobs and have discussed them with Labor for over a year.
It has been sent to about 300 workers in the union’s forestry sector.
The AWU covers public sector workers in the Forestry Corporation of NSW.
Labor’s ‘save the koalas’ plan could kill off 2000 jobs
A greenie Labor plan to “save the koalas” could cost the state more than $1 billion and slash nearly 2000 jobs.
Ernst and Young has analysed NSW Labor’s plan to build a koala national park and found that if built on a potential site on the mid-north coast it would kill the local logging industry — leading to a loss of $757 million in output, another $292 million in “value add” and 1871 jobs in NSW.
The analysis, commissioned by the Australian Forest Products Association, is based on a site at Coffs Harbour proposed by conservationists which covers a significant proportion of the north coast forestry area, which extends from the Tweed to the Central Coast.
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Labor is unwilling to reveal the exact site but parliamentary budget costings, released this week, showed its plan was for the park to be in the Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbor-Grafton regions.
The park would be home to 4500 koalas, about 20 per cent of the animals in the wild in the state, and is being pitched as a plan to “save the koalas of northern NSW from an uncertain future”.
“Koalas are listed as vulnerable to extinction. Habitat loss caused by land clearing and urban development has resulted in koalas disappearing from 75 per cent of their former range,” Labor’s policy document says.
The park would be accompanied by a visitor centre and koala hospital.
The Nature Conservation Council and National Parks Association of NSW have backed Labor’s commitment with the groups having campaigned for the park to exist in Coffs Harbour.
Under the plan, the park would cover 315,000 hectares of public land in the region, including 175,000 hectares of state forest and 140,000 hectares of existing conservation reserves.
The Australia Forest Products Association expect Labor to follow the conservation groups’ preference and build the park in Coffs Harbour.
It’s understood Boral has an agreement with the state government to harvest timber from that region that extends until 2028 while Weathertex has one until 2027.
Australian Forest Products Association CEO Ross Hampton said Labor’s plan “means the effective end of the timber industry on the north coast”.
“(This) would cost a future Labor government hundreds of millions of dollars in support for the thousands of blue collar workers, who would lose their jobs and in broken legal contracts with sawmills,” he said.
Shadow environment minister Penny Sharpe said the costings in the report were not Labor’s and that it did not model the party’s policy.
“Koalas are on track to become extinct in the wild in NSW by 2050,” she said.
“The creation of a Koala National Park will require a comprehensive scientific assessment and genuine consultation process with all stakeholders.
“Labor’s policy has not determined boundaries or maps.”
SHOOTING BLANKS AS CANDIDATE FAILS FORUM
EXCLUSIVE: The candidate parachuted in by the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers to fill the minor party’s top spot in the upper house has been on several weeks’ leave due to a “family holiday” — right in the middle of the election campaign.
Teacher Mark Banasiak, 37, was given the plum position on the Shooters ticket after longstanding member Robert Brown was knifed as the lead candidate just weeks out from the election.
But at a minor parties election forum on the weekend Mr Banasiak failed to appear — with Shooters MP Robert Borsak, who is not up for re-election, forced to make apologies.
“My colleague Mark Banasiak was preselected and unfortunately he couldn’t be here because he’s on a family holiday at the moment,” Mr Borsak told Saturday’s forum at the City Tattersalls Club.
“He’s had to take a couple of weeks out of the process from his school teaching.”
One Nation upper house candidate Mark Latham, who addressed the forum, said he was astonished.
“I have never heard anything like it. Since when do you take a family holiday during an election campaign?” he said.
“It is so complacent, this bloke is running for office in such a prominent spot, it’s unbelievable.”
Mr Banasiak, who is the president of the Illawarra chapter of the Sporting Shooters Association, returned to the campaign trail this week.
Australian Conservatives candidate Greg Walsh hosted the forum.
— By Clarissa Bye
LIBERAL SUPPORTER FINDS SOFT SPOT FOR LABOR CANDIDATE
Confusion over an Eastwood house boasting a number of Liberal and Labor election corflutes in its front yard all comes down to the single status of NSW Finance Minister and the electorate of Ryde’s most eligible bachelor, Victor Dominello.
Long-time resident Ross Samel, 67, who will be voting for Liberal MP Mr Dominello on Saturday, says he felt compelled to put up signs supporting rival Labor candidate Jerome Laxale because “he’s a family man with three kids going against a bachelor”.
“I helped Dominello to get elected years ago and since then I’ve been supporting him, I had his signs up first,” Mr Samel said.
“(Then) Jerome came along and obviously he needed help. As soon as I found out he’s a family man with three kids — that touched a soft spot in my heart.
“I said ‘all right Jerome, I’ll allow you a few metres, I’m not a Labor person and I don’t like anything that Labor stands for, but simply because you are family man with three kids trying to make ends meet … as opposed to Victor, who is a bachelor’. I know what it’s like to raise a family.”
When asked if Mr Dominello was dating anyone, a spokesman for the minister said: “he’s not married”.
Mr Samel said the front of his house in busy Lovell Rd was sought after when it came to political advertising.
“It’s a very famous spot because both parties have told me that this support I’m giving them is worth at least 10 grand because of the exposure,” Mr Samel said.
— By Derrick Krusche
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