Forest industries back Coalition plan, in marginal seats blow to Labor

The peak national forestry body has backed the Coalition as having the best plan for its $24b industry, in a verdict that could swing votes in key marginal seats.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces support for the timber industry on a visit to Neville Smith Forest Products in Launceston. Picture: Jason Edwards

The peak national forestry body has backed the Coalition as having the best plan for its $24bn ­industry, in a verdict that could swing votes in key marginal seats.

A detailed analysis of both major parties’ policies by the Australian Forest Products Association finds in favour of the Coalition’s.

“AFPA has scored the ­Coalition’s forest industries plan ahead of Labor because of the leadership and prominence the Coalition has given forest industry policy, putting it at the centre of its economic and manufacturing policies,” association chairman Greg McCormack said.

Forestry has been a key issue in past federal elections, never more than in 2004 when Mark Latham’s more ambitious Tasmanian forest protection policy cost Labor vital seats and saw John Howard embraced by timber workers and unionists.

Mr McCormack said both major parties had this election given commitments against further native forest “lock-ups”.

However, he said the Coalition had gone further by promising to work with state governments to establish “permanent timber production areas”.

These would provide greater resource security to the industry and “counter devastating decisions” by state Labor governments in Victoria and WA to phase out native forest harvesting. The analysis gives Labor an overall “four star” policy rating but the Coalition “five stars” for “the most comprehensive vision, with record investment” addressing industry concerns.

The scorecard is a blow to Labor, which had matched and in some cases exceeded $300m in Coalition funding promises for the sector.

A significant employer across regions nationally, the forestry and timber industry is facing multiple challenges, including supply problems, a shortage of plantations and barriers to carbon credits.

While Tasmania’s economy has diversified in recent decades, the sector remains a significant employer across marginal seats Bass, Braddon and Lyons.

Mr McCormack said this election campaign had been the “most successful for Australia’s forest ­industries in living memory”, given strong bipartisan support for industry innovation, manufacturing and new plantations.

“The Coalition’s policy initiative and early sector engagement on forest industry policy, framed by a cohesive narrative that positions Australia’s sustainable ­forest industries as a growth sector central to a low-emission … economy, aligns strongly with our own vision,” he said.

“The bipartisan support for the funding commitments is of course welcome.

“However, above all else, our forest industries need policy and resource certainty, that will translate to cost certainty for ­consumers.”