Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the Tasmanian government has committed to entering into a process with Gunns Ltd to ensure that a sufficient volume of native forest sawlog supply is retired to ensure that a guaranteed wood supply is met.

The Australian government position is that no Commonwealth funds will be paid to progress the Bell Bay pulp mill project. The Australian government recognises the opportunities afforded through the community driven statement of principles process. An independent verification group will be established under the intergovern­mental agreement to assess and verify stakeholder claims in relation to timber industry and reserve boundaries, subject to agreement by signatories to the design of the independent verification process, and both governments have agreed to be bound by these results.