New name, look for Forestry Tasmania as restructure aims for sustainability

THE end is nigh for Forestry Tasmania as we know it, with the entity to get a new name under a shake-up more than two years in the making.

Resources Minister Guy Barnett has announced a restructure of Forestry Tasmania. Picture: KIM EISZELE

THE end is nigh for Forestry Tasmania as we know it, with the entity to get a new name under a shake-up more than two years in the making.

Resources Minister Guy Barnett has made a Ministerial Statement in State Parliament outlining the Liberals’ strategy to make the loss-making forestry business sustainable.

Thirty-five more jobs are set to go under the restructure.

“The Government’s decisions are informed by the confronting reality of advice provided by the Board of Forestry Tasmania, as well as our unwavering belief in the benefits that the forestry industry delivers to our economy and regional communities,” Mr Barnett said.

“The Government forestry business will remain a GBE, but will be downsized and will be leaner, more efficient and more agile and will have a more defined commercial focus.”

From July 1 next year the business will be known as Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Changes under the restructure will include:

LEGISLATION to allow logging in 400,000 hectares of land earmarked for reserves under the forest peace deal;

THE private sector will be invited to do more logging;

THE entity will charge more for timber harvested from public forests. Mr Barnett said Tasmanian wood products could no longer be treated as a low value commodity;

THE State Government may pay more to maintain forestry roads with multiple uses;

SAWLOG plantations won’t be sold, but the sale of pulpwood plantations will continue to be pursued; and

THE Government will absorb FT’s superannuation liabilities.

Originally published as New name, look for Forestry Tasmania as restructure aims for sustainability