Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese government supports strong plantation forestry and sustainable native forestry and is investing over $300 million in the 2022-23 budget for forest industry innovation, manufacturing and workforce skills to support these sectors into the future. This is because we know that a well-managed forest balances social, economic and environmental outcomes. That is, well-managed forests support jobs while maintaining ecosystems for Australia's unique plants and animals and have an important role to play in reducing Australia's emissions.

In committing to the future of a sustainable native forest industry, we recognise that such a future has been made possible by the regional forest agreements. These agreements are widely accepted by the Commonwealth, state governments and industry as the best mechanism to balance the long-term social, economic and environmental interests of Australia's native forests. Since the establishment of the RFA, the area of native forest in our conservation reserve has almost doubled from 5.4 million hectares before the agreements were signed to 10 million hectares in 2019. Almost 50 per cent of native forests in the RFA regions are now in reserves. The 10 agreements across Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales cover state, environmental and forest management legislative regimes that provide protection for matters of environmental significance.

The Albanese government will respond to the independent Samuel review by the end of this year to ensure certainty and efficiency for both environmental and economic outcomes. While Victoria and WA have indicated their intention to cease their respective RFAs in 2030 and 2024, it is worth noting that many factors inform these decisions, not least economic returns and decreasing supply. This is why the Albanese government is investing in the future of our plantation forestry sector through the 2022-23 budget with $86.2 million for new plantations, $100 million for an Australia-wide National Institute of Forest Products Innovation to support research to produce transformative outcomes for the industry across the country and $10 million for forestry workforce training and skills development.

Additionally, we are committed to removing the water rule, in order to enable greater plantation and farm forestry and increase participation in the Emissions Reduction Fund. By encouraging plantation expansion and farm forestry across Australia, the Albanese government is looking to shore up Australia's timber future. How we look to implement the removal of the water rule will be informed by the consultation process currently underway. That is because the Albanese government listens to those most affected by policy change. We are informed by the evidence and we are committed to delivering on our promises.

Timber supply issues are a key concern impacting many communities along the eastern seaboard. The lack of a domestic source of construction-grade and appearance-grade timber, much of which is sourced from the native forestry sector, is impacting the rebuild efforts following the 2019 and 2020 Black Summer bushfires and the current flooding events. This situation highlights the importance of the Albanese government's budget measures to support forestry industries, given the environmental need to displace plastic products into the future, make the best use of forest harvest and continue to evolve innovation in forest product manufacturing.

As Australia's plantations are not currently able to replace the type and quality of wood produced from native forests, the Albanese government is investing in forestry workers and product manufacturers to grow the skills and innovation that we need right here at home. Native forestry supports thousands of regional jobs across Australia, not including the many roles involved in the secondary processing of wood products or the many scientific roles in the sector. Australia also recognises the value of native forestry to our international obligations. These are the reasons why the Albanese government is committed to a long-term future of sustainable native forest industry and to balance a long-term social economic and social interests of our native forest.

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