Dr WOODRUFF question to MINISTER BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCES, Mr ABETZ
Last week, Central Coast Council voted eight to one in support of a motion that Forestry Tasmania immediately pause logging plans in the Dial Range and establish an evidence‑based formal position.
Mr Ellis – Vica Bayley supported that coupe.
The SPEAKER – Minister Ellis will allow the question without interjection.
Dr WOODRUFF – Hundreds of local residents, businesses, and recreational groups have been pushing back against ludicrous plans to log this iconic forest. The Dial Ranges have massive natural, economic, and recreational values for this region. At the same time as the community have made their views clear through a council vote, you have handed out $15 million towards a loader at Bell Bay specifically to export woodchips. Why are you doling out public money to accelerate native forest destruction? Will you heed the overwhelming call from local residents and council, and instruct Forestry Tasmania to withdraw coupes DLO11A and DLO11C from their wood production plan?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I start by apologising to Helen Galloway, who was the other TT‑Line board member. Apologies for overlooking that name.
In response to the Leader of the Greens, I indicate that in relation to any forestry operation, there has to be a forest practices plan. There has to be the consultation et cetera that is gone through in relation to these matters. As I understand it, the Dial Range has been a productive forest area for quite some time. Indeed, the Dial Range is an area of some 6000 hectares and Sustainable Timbers Tasmania is responsible for only 300 hectares. What is that, about one twentieth? It is five per cent.
This is, I suppose, indicative of the approach that certain people take. The concept of balance, that we might be able to harvest a bit of our forest, keeping in mind that over 50 per cent of our land mass is locked up in World Heritage National Parks, et cetera, then having that balance for wood production.
When you talk about housing affordability, guess what you have to think about? What are the products that go into building the houses? When you close down native forestry as Victoria and Western Australia have done, what happens? The need for wood product remains. It comes into Australia from South America, with all the bunker fuel that is burned and belched out into the atmosphere because there are certain elements who want to virtue signal and place their hand on their heart and say, ‘Look, we are not cutting down trees in Tasmania’. By doing that what they are saying is that they prefer the hardwood to come from South America where the forest practices are not half as good as they are in Tasmania.
You asked about DLO 11C that is listed on the Sustainable Timber Tasmania three‑year wood production plan and the harvesting –
Dr Woodruff – DLO 11A, too.
Mr ABETZ – Yes, and that forest coupe is listed as well on a three‑year reproduction plant. That one is a 25‑hectare native forest regrowth coup. The one that the honourable Leader of the Greens just interjected to point out is a 25‑hectare regrowth coupe.
The SPEAKER – The minister’s time has expired.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary from the Leader of the Greens.
Dr WOODRUFF – The question I asked was about whether you would heed the call of the Central Coast Council – by no means a bunch of greenies – and the local community and instruct Sustainable Timber Tasmania to withdraw those two coupes from their wood production plan, because the council has questioned the quality of the forest practices plan, and they want evidence‑based assessment.
The SPEAKER – That was the original question, so I will call the minister.
Mr ABETZ – Speaker, there were a whole host of questions that the honourable member asked, and I accept that I did overlook that particular one in the maze of questions that were peppered at me.
In relation to the local council, of course we take those into account and of course we respect them as a government, but at the end of the day, issues of forestry are determined by Sustainable Timber Tasmania and the independent forest practices plans that have to be developed before a coupe – and might I add, this is a regrowth coupe. In other words, it has already been harvested and regrown. It is an indication of how well we do forestry in Tasmania ‑
Mr Bayley – How shonky your definitions are.
Mr ABETZ – that a regrowth coupe is now seen as pristine and worthy of protection.
Dr Woodruff – It just shows how bad the evidence and quality of the forest practice plan is.
Members interjecting
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens, I am going to have to warn you. You cannot keep interjecting on answers. Deputy Leader of the Greens – I can tell it is you even with the mask. You will be warned next if it continues. Ms Johnston, the member for Clark, has been incredibly patient. She has the call.
