Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
[10.07 a.m.]
Yesterday was World Wildlife Day and Forestry Tasmania started clear-felling the Dial Range against the wishes of the community and the Central Coast Council and in defiance of a Saul Eslake report that showed the Dial has far greater economic value left standing. Hundreds of people have been emailing and calling you and the minister, Mr Ellis, in desperation for weeks. So far you have given them a non-response. Will you respect the wishes of your community and council and act to stop this logging in the Dial Range immediately?
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order, the Premier has the call. Member for Franklin, Mr Winter, member for Braddon, the only one who should be speaking right now is the honourable Premier.
ANSWER
I can’t ask the questions, unfortunately, Dr Broad, but again, your Facebook was very informative. I thank you very much for that.
Honourable Speaker, in all seriousness, I thank the member for the question. I have taken a great deal of interest in this matter because it is part of my electorate and community. I respect the opinions of those who have written to me. I can’t always agree with those opinions, but I respect them nonetheless. The facts are that forestry, mining and recreation have successfully coexisted in the Dial Range since the mid-1800s and practices in all those industries have improved dramatically since then.
This area has long been a working landscape, a place where Tasmanians have balanced jobs, entrepreneurship, and economy with the landscape and access to the natural environment. My understanding is that the Dial Range covers about 5800 hectares in total and Sustainable Timber Tasmania manages about 300 ha of permanent timber production zone land at the southern end. That amounts to just over 5 per cent of the entire region; so it is a small, carefully managed part of a larger landscape. The harvesting scheduled for this year, which you have identified in your question, represents only 0.31 per cent of the total Dial Range area. It’s part of Tasmania’s long‑standing commitment to sustainable native forestry, where only a tiny portion of forest is harvested each year and every coupe is regenerated to native forest – so that it’s a renewable resource, effectively.
I understand the emotion around this. I recall there has been discussion on this particular area for a couple of decades, if my memory serves me correctly. I understand that. I am aware of the Central Coast Council’s view on this matter as well. I’ve spoken to other Independent members for Braddon on this issue. Again, I’ve taken great interest in it, but the facts speak for themselves, honourable member.
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – A supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – Premier, you didn’t answer the question. You’ve been giving non‑responses to community and you’re still standing on the fence. The fact is that things have changed since the 1800s and the values of this forest, right in the heart of Dial Range, visible to everybody who goes there, speak for themselves. You have to stand up for your community because it’s worth more standing. The evidence shows that. The economics for the heart of Dial Range, and the reason that people go there. Your local community, tourism, it’s centred on keeping those forests standing.
The SPEAKER – I will take that as a statement, not a supplementary question. Dr Woodruff, your 30 seconds have been used up. When you ask a supplementary question, it is not an opportunity for you to make a statement or a speech. It is supposed to be a question. That went over time. You did not ask a question, so it was a statement.
Dr WOODRUFF – Point of clarification, please, honourable Speaker. I respect that clarification, thank you. At the very beginning, I did ask the question, which was that he didn’t answer the original question – his non-response to community.
The SPEAKER – Dr Woodruff, for clarity, I highly recommend to all members that you make your question very clear. It is not an opportunity for a speech. Your statement is now on the Hansard so it is now part of the parliamentary record.
