Private Forests Tasmania chairman Evan Rolley recommends new log truck route

The state and federal governments will spend $2 million to continue help transporting woodchip logs to the state’s north by rail because no alternative export port can be found.

THE state and federal governments will spend $2 million to continue help transporting woodchip logs to northern Tasmania by rail because no alternative export port can be found.

Eight years after the closure of the Triabunna woodchip mill, Resources Minister Sarah Courtney today admitted there is no commercially-viable option available for woodchip exports from the state’s south.

Instead, woodchip logs will continue to be taken by road and rail to Bell Bay, north of Launceston.

The $2 million announced today will be spent on building a new dedicated loading facility near Oatlands and on freight wagons at Brighton rail hub.

Minister for Resources Sarah Courtney speaking to reporters at Macquarie Wharf. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

The announcement came as the government released a report by former Forestry Tasmania chief chairman Evan Rolley — now chairman of Private Forests Tasmania — recommending a $38 million upgrade to upgrade a key forestry road to keep log trucks off Hobart streets.

The Strategic Advice document was delivered to government in October last year.

It recommends the upgrade of the Plenty Link Rd between the Huon and Derwent valleys into a “private freight route”.

“The Derwent and Huon lower-grade logs can be transported via an upgraded Plenty Link Rd ($38 million, which includes a new single lane ‘freight only’ bridge over the Derwent River) to either new railheads at Lawitta, Boyer or the existing Brighton Transport hub for railing onto Bell Bay,” the report says.

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Mr Rolley’s report identified the port of Hobart as the most suitable export port for forest products including woodchips

It said while technically feasible, a new port between Port Esperance and Southport would not be commercially sustainable.

“The most suitable port for export of forest products, excluding woodchips, is Hobart port,” the report says.

“The most sustainable infrastructure option for residue pulp logs is via an upgraded Plenty Link Rd onto upgraded road to Bell Bay for the Huon and Derwent forests,” the report says.

The report called for a “New Forest Industry Domestic Processing Plan” to support private sector operators.

Ms Courtney said Hobart port would continue to be made available for wood exports, but not woodchips.

Ms Courtney says Mr Rolley’s report signals the end of a hunt for a southern woodchip export port.

“I’m pleased to be here today at the Port of Hobart to announce the Hodgman Liberal government will continue to allow this port to be open access for people to use it,” she said.

“We understand that long-term access for this port is absolutely critical for investment in the southern forests and we want to ensure that the producers in the southern forests have access to this port for the future.”

Ms Courtney says Mr Rolley’s report signalled the end of a hunt for a southern woodchip export port.

“Evan Rolley’s report is comprehensive. He has reviewed a range of previous studies as well as doing his own work and unfortunately he came to the conclusion that there is not an alternative commercial port in southern Tasmania.”

Plans for a woodchip export facility at Dover, in the state’s south, were abandoned in July last year after conflict with the salmon industry.

DOVER WOODCHIP FACILITY PLAN WITHDRAWN