Dr WOODRUFF – On the 39,000-hectare conversion of high conservation‑value public forests, this was in your 100 day plan, this proud additional destruction of our forests. Can you tell me where the process is up to exactly in the conversion? As you mentioned before, there is a stage process under the Forestry (Rebuilding the Forestry Industry) Act. It has about eight steps to it. Can you please tell the committee where the process is up to there, and can you please provide us with a map or details of the areas that are being investigated?
Mr ABETZ – First of all, I’m delighted that some of the areas that are included in this are described, as the member has, as our regrowth Tasmanian forests – that have been harvested, sown and regrown and are now being described as high conservation‑value forests. Does that not tell everybody how well we do forestry? That is something I’m very appreciative of, that that is now on the record.
In relation to the ‘wood bank’ proposal, we made our announcement during the election as to what we were proposing. We are looking through various allotments of potential production to ascertain whether or not they would be suitable to be made available for harvesting. That process will take some time to determine – whether the areas are suitable.
Work has begun. A forestry round table was held on 26 June 2024 to begin discussions on our government’s pro‑growth settings for forestry jobs, confidence, investment and wood production, including value adding. The round table was attended by representatives of numerous timber and forest contractors, organisations. That was in our update in the 100 plan delivery document.
Dr WOODRUFF – You walked yourself around answering any of that question. The question was, this is a legislative process. Conversion of our future production forests is a legislative process. It has eight steps. What step are you up to, and do you have any areas that you have identified at all at the moment? Let’s put this on the record. This was announced during the election campaign. It seemed like it was a bit of a ‘brain fart’ of the then‑minister. It had no support from anyone in the industry at all. I’m trying to understand, is there any appetite for this, or is this something the Liberals just cooked up as a very divisive thing during an election campaign? Where is it up to exactly, other than one conversation as a round table?
Mr ABETZ – All this wonderful rhetoric. One day we’re in the pocket of big business and –
Dr WOODRUFF – Every day.
Mr ABETZ – The next day, as you are now saying, we are ignoring big business.
Dr WOODRUFF – No.
Mr ABETZ – You can’t have it both ways.
Dr WOODRUFF – What is going on? Just tell us, please.
Mr ABETZ – I have already told you, we are going through to ascertain if there are any areas that would be suitable for conversion under the legislative process. We said in our 2030 Strong Plan what we would be doing in that regard to ensure that we would not prejudice and may need to be reminded that we wouldn’t prejudice our comprehensive and adequate reserves. That we wouldn’t be prejudicing Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s certification and also the other important criteria that we mentioned such as [inaudible]. Allow me to get out the Strong Plan and I’ll try to find exactly what we promised in that regard.
Dr WOODRUFF – Chair, if the minister can answer the question, which wasn’t what he’s trying to do at the moment.
CHAIR – Order. I cannot direct the minister to answer the question a particular way.
Mr ABETZ – If I can indicate I said the parcels that would be identified would be subject to and I quote:
The state’s comprehensive, adequate and representative CAR reserve system is not compromised, that there is no negative impact on Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s current and future certification and that they maximise carbon carrying capacity, fire protection and recreational opportunities.
They were the caveats that were placed by my predecessor. All those caveats are being considered in relation to particular parcels. Once those determinations have been made, then it will be for me, as I understand the process, to write to the minister for Crown lands, who will then submit something to the parliament for you, Dr Woodruff and your colleagues to vote on.
Dr WOODRUFF – Get the forest round tables. What did they say? Did the industry say that they wanted this conversion to happen?
Mr ABETZ – I’m not going to divulge that which occurs at a round table. Industry tells us what they believe and confidentiality is very important in those sorts of discussions.
Dr WOODRUFF – They were very outspoken in the election campaign in not wanting it to happen.
Mr ABETZ – That is your rhetoric.
Dr WOODRUFF – No, they were on the public record. Don’t change reality.
Mr ABETZ – That is your rhetoric. Yes, there was somebody who spoke out against it. There were others who I understand quietly supported it that were not willing, for fear of public demonisation by certain groups within the committee, like the Bob Brown Foundation, to make public commentary.
Like with most proposals, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when there is a proposal there are those who are for it and there are those who are against it. We took a policy to the election and the people, right, wrong or indifferent, we are in government and we intend to deliver on the policy on the basis of the very important caveats that I’ve just read out of the 2030 Strong Plan.
