Protester against proposed waste dump in the Tarkine makes stand, PM Scott Morrison fetes Josef Chromy as $20m for Tassie timber revealed

A standard election campaign visit to a Tasmanian business took an unexpected turn when a lone protester confronted Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he got out of his car. WHAT HAPPENED >>

A PROTESTER who left her camp in the Tarkine to confront the Prime Minister in Burnie was bluntly told it was not the time nor the place for her to make a stand.

Bob Brown Foundation Tarkine protester Courtney Hayes confronted Scott Morrison as he got out of the car at the Elphinstone Group’s Wivenhoe manufacturing plant.

“Environment Minister Sussan Ley will not listen to our concerns about a toxic waste dump planned for the Tarkine. I want to start a dialogue about why it is significant,” Ms Hayes said.

The PM’s security team escorted him away from the scene but business owner Dale Elphinstone then approached Ms Hayes and told her “this is our place and our event.”

“You have other opportunities to get your message out.”

Mr Elphinstone later had his own message for the Prime Minister.

“Australia needs to make more things in our country for ourselves. We have the capability,” he told the Prime Minister.

Breaking News Breaking News BBF protester Courtney Hayes confronts the Prime Minister in Burnie

Mr Morrison told journalists he was not surprised that Ms Hayes did not agree with all his government’s views.

But he said he had confidence in his Minister’s ability to make the right decision in regard to mining company MMG’s proposed new tailings dam in the rainforest near its Rosebery mine.

Mr Morrison and his wife Jenny spent the day visiting businesses in both Bass and Braddon which the Liberals won back from Labor with a slim margin at the last election.

Mr Morrison was at the Elphinstone Group plant to announce Tasmania would share in the benefits of a defence industry contract signed by his government last year.

The share of the contract will see 55 new jobs to be created at Elphinstone which has been contracted to manufacture 45 turrets and hulls for the Australian Army’s new Huntsman howitzers.

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“This is part of a $1bn defence contract for new self-propelled howitzers for the Australian Army which was last year awarded to Hanwha Defense Australia, based in Greater Geelong,” Mr Morrison said.

Elphinstone will complete the steel fabrication, machining and painting of the turrets and hulls at their Wynyard factory, before shipping them to Geelong where the Huntsman vehicles will be assembled.

The Prime Minister said this was a major vote of confidence in Elphinstone and Tasmania.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said Tasmania had a formidable reputation for exporting niche, high-quality products and services to the world.

In addition to the manufacture of turrets and hulls, Elphinstone will also undertake structural repairs over the life of the howitzers, including design changes and modifications in the future.

Tassie timber to receive $20m as PM fetes winemaker’s career

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed Tasmania will receive $20 million towards new timber plantations as part of today’s announcement of an $86 million fund to support the industry nationwide.

Of the $20 million, $4 million will come from the Federal Government fund, $6 million will be provided by the State Government and the other $10 million will be stumped up by private forestry companies.

“Forestry has taken quite a hit with the terrible bushfires around the country,” Mr Morrison said from Josef Chromy Wines at Relbia, near Launceston, on Monday.

Data from ABARES estimated 130,200ha, or 6.7 per cent, of Australia’s commercial plantations were consumed by the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires.

Mr Morrison said he would be writing to Australian premiers and chief ministers who had already been “engaging” with the Federal Government’s plan.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison sampling the pinot noir at Josef Chromy Wines, 21/02/2022. Picture: Alex

He said he would be “surprised” if there was any “hesitancy” in the states and territories stumping up the cash as soon as possible to get the program underway.

Monday’s announcement is part of a new plan to plant 150 million trees across Australia to ensure future wood supply.

However, the plan has been criticised by Federal Lyons MP Brian Mitchell, who said the announcement was simply a reheat of the Federal Government’s previous plan, unveiled in 2018, ‘Growing a Better Australia – A Billion Trees for Jobs and Growth’.

“Fast-forward four years and what’s happened? Virtually nothing,” Mr Mitchell said.

“As of this year, just 6400 hectares of new plantation has been established since the promise was made, equalling 1.51 per cent of the 400,000 hectares that will be needed (in the decade to 2028).

“If the project had been on track, 120,000 hectares would have been planted by now, not a laughable 6400 hectares.

“At this rate, the Morrison government will take more than 280 years to plant the one billion trees it had promised to plant by 2030.”

“This is just another empty promise from a Prime Minister who doesn’t deliver.”

Meanwhile, Mr Morrison batted away questions about his relationships with Premier Peter Gutwein, who held a simultaneous event less than 50 minutes away from Josef Chromy Wines, and Federal Bass MP Bridget Archer, who has crossed the floor twice in recent months.

Breaking News Breaking News Josef Chromy, of Josef Chromy Wines. Picture: Alex Treacy

Regarding Mr Gutwin, Mr Morrison said the pair spoke “regularly” with the issues surrounding the proposed Marinus Link currently a topic of regular discussion.

“When the opportunity next presents, I’m looking forward to catching up with the Premier,” he said.

“We both have our jobs to do and he’s focusing on the things he needs to.”

As to Ms Archer, Mr Morrison said he “of course” still backed the Member for Bass, who has courted controversy by crossing the floor in favour of a federal integrity commission and against the Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill 2022.

“In our party, we don’t throw people out because we don’t always agree on things,” he said.

Mr Morrison also used the occasion to fete his host, Josef Chromy, who earlier this month won the major business award at the Ethnic Business Awards, as an “Australian hero”.

“He came to this country fleeing what was the Czechoslovakia,” Mr Morrison said.

“He fled with two other men and he was the only one who go through.

“And now he’s established something significant in Tasmania.

“It’s an incredible Australian story – he’s an Australian hero.”

Tasmania to host plan to plant 150 million trees

TASMANIA is set to play a big part in a new $86m Federal Government plan to plant more than 150 million new trees across Australia to provide future wood supply.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is set to come to Tasmania for a two-dayvisit from Monday, will make the announcement while in the State.

A map of Australia which shows where the planting of trees will be focussed has the whole of Tasmania classified as a regional forestry hub.

Mr Morrison said the government would partner with states and territories to deliver the “turbo-charging” forest industry funding through a grants program over five years.

“This program is about getting more trees in the ground and securing an Australian supply of timber for future generations,” he said.

“Australia has 1.77 million hectares of plantations and we want that to grow further, that’s why we’re making the largest investment of any Australian Government in this space for more than 30 years.

“Getting more trees in the right places will help to meet future demand for wood products, which at a global scale is expected to quadruple by 2050.

“The farming, fishing and forestry sectors are projected to be worth $84bn in production value this year and my government will keep doing everything we can to see that grow even further.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Floss Adams.

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said the program would create jobs in regional Australia, not just in the planting phase, but in 25 or 30 years’ time when the wood is harvested and processed into a truss, a timber frame or an engineered wood product.

Tasmania’s Forestry Minister Guy Barnett welcomed investment as a show of confidence in the State’s forestry sector which will create more local jobs.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who will join the Prime Minister in Tasmania, said the Federal Government had provided more than $3.6bn in support for this State during the pandemic.

This has included more than $2.1 bn to businesses, $1.4bn n JobKeeper payments and $700m in Cash Flow Boost payments

He said more than 60,000 Tsamanian businesses had been supported through small business tax cuts.

“Our tax cuts mean that a small business with a turnover of up to $50m will pay 25 cents in the dollar in tax compared with 30 cents in the dollar under Labor,” he said.