Dr WOODRUFF – Thank you. Premier, on your watch, both the swift parrot and the Maugean skate are on the brink of extinction. Both of those species are at that devastating point because your government has made decisions, and refused to rein in two industries that are either logging or farming them out of existence. Premier, choices are being made. Do you want to be the premier that oversaw the extinction of these species or the one that gives them a lifeline to survive?
Mr ROCKLIFF – There has been a lot of research going into the Maugean skate, for example, and to ensure the support for the skate, as indeed the swift parrot.
Dr WOODRUFF – Through RTI, it’s been found that your government has identified swift parrot important breeding areas that are needed to ensure the survival of that species. There is a stark choice: saving Forestry Tasmania’s $22 million a year or protecting habitat for the swift parrot, the fastest parrot on Earth. That is a choice. Will you commit to protecting the swift parrot’s important breeding areas so that species doesn’t go extinct?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I’m aware of a recently released study on threats to swift parrot breeding. Is this what you’re talking about?
Dr WOODRUFF – I’m talking about the swift parrot breeding areas that the government has identified as critical for the species.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Findings from this paper will be carefully analysed and considered under the process of adaptive management and continuous improvement built into the Tasmanian forestry practices system. It is important to make the point that the forestry industry in Tasmania is not engaged in deforestation, when wood is harvested from public native forest, they are replanted as native forests, maintaining our public estate in perpetuity.
Further, all forest activity in Tasmania on both public and private land is governed by our forest practices system and this is the best practice approach that aims to protect the forest for future generations to enjoy, while satisfying today’s demands for forest products and services. No harvesting activity can occur without an approved Forest Practices Plan, I’m advised. Now –
Dr WOODRUFF – None of that, with respect, relates to the swift parrot important breeding area, it’s just spin about deforestation. We know that that’s swift parrot important breeding area has been identified by the government. We know it’s been recognised as critical for the survival of the species. So, this is a decision about choices and it’s about money over the survival of a species. It’s a pathetically small amount of money to protect a species. So, will you commit?
Mr ROCKLIFF – I’m not quite sure which – where’s the money angle coming from?
Dr WOODRUFF – What is the reason not to – not to stop the harvesting of – the logging ‑
Mr ROCKLIFF – Sorry, foregone revenue you were saying?
Dr WOODRUFF – That’s right. Yeah.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Okay, I understand where you’re coming from now.
Dr WOODRUFF – Yeah, for Forestry Tasmania, that’s a government business. Surely, you’d agree, we don’t want to be trading in extinction, it’s not good for our brand, let alone all the other reasons do that.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We’re not wanting to do that and there’s been a lot of work done on the swift parrot and I’m not sure if I have the latest breeding numbers or numbers of swift parrots –
Dr WOODRUFF – Well, we know that –
Mr ROCKLIFF – Certainly, the Maugean skate’s been discussed and debated around that circumstance within Macquarie Harbour. That’s a challenging one, but there’s a lot of investments and researchers going into that.
Dr WOODRUFF – We know from the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s donation disclosure log that the Labor Party has taken $1650 from Britton Timbers and $1450 from McKay Investments. How much have the Liberals taken from native forest logging companies in Tasmania?
Mr ROCKLIFF – That I couldn’t tell you.
Dr WOODRUFF – Would you be able to find the information and table it for Tasmania?
Mr ROCKLIFF – It should be all disclosed. I can’t see why it’s not.
Dr WOODRUFF – What about salmon companies?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Should be all disclosed.
CHAIR – Dr Woodruff, I think –
Mr ROCKLIFF – New rules brought in by the Liberal government.
CHAIR – Dr Woodruff, in the interest of fairness, as important as the question is, I think we need to move on.
