Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. What does a landmark deal signed in Tasmania today mean for the future of Tasmania’s native forests?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

About half an hour ago a major agreement was signed in Tasmania. I think it is important to update the House on that. The Tasmanian Premier, as I understand it, is making an announcement at the moment.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it happened half an hour ago. The agreement involves Timber Communities Australia, the CFMEU, the National Association of Forest Industries, the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, the Forest Contractors Association, Environment Tasmania, the Wilderness Society, the Conservation Foundation and the Country Sawmillers Federation. It would seem extraordinary to most members in this House that you would ever find an agreement involving all of those parties. Anyone who was watching some of the forestry discussions that happened during the election campaign would be aware that roundtable discussions have been happening for some time among groups that for many years—in fact, for generations—have made it their core business to be arguing and fighting with each other.

The nature of what has been agreed at the moment has been presented to the Tasmanian government and will also be before the Commonwealth government. Effectively what we have is the environmental groups agreeing to a sustainable future for Tasmanian forestry. There will be a transition away from native forestry, which the forestry companies are in agreement with. Some of the native forest reserve will continue to be logged during this time but, importantly, there will be a moratorium on areas of high conservation value, including the Styx Valley, the Tarkine and the Florentine.

At the same time the environmental groups have agreed that they will no longer be offering blanket opposition to the construction of any pulp mill in Tasmania. There is no commitment to the particular site and there will always be arguments going back and forth with respect to the pulp mill, but there is an acknowledgement for the first time from environmental groups about the importance of downstream processing happening here in Australia. There is an acknowledgement of the importance of timber communities and the importance of the jobs that those timber communities rely on. There has been involvement in the various mills from the work done by not only government but also the independent mills, whether it be the international investment in Ta Ann or whether it be McKay or Britton.

For people like the member for Braddon, who have spent much of their career looking after timber communities, it provides an extraordinary opportunity for a long-term sustainable future, overcoming some of the dangers that have been in the woodchip export market over recent months. For those that have been concerned about the protection of Tasmania’s native forests, it means that for the first time the areas of high conservation value which have caused so much argument over the years are now under a period of moratorium.

The government will look at the details and work through our response, just as the Tasmanian government will. But I do think it is important for the House to acknowledge the extraordinary work that has been done in building a consensus in Tasmania to provide an environmental dividend while acknowledging the important role and future of the timber industry there.