Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his first supplementary question. Yesterday I had the opportunity of meeting with the New Zealand Associate Minister for Primary Industries, the Hon. Nathan Guy, to sign an arrangement to combat illegal logging and to promote sustainable forest management.

Australia and New Zealand share significant trade in timber products. In 2010-11 New Zealand was the largest export supplier of forest products to Australia, with trade of around $715 million. The memorandum of understanding will strengthen Australia's longstanding cooperation with New Zealand on forest product issues. Arrangements provide a framework for ongoing bilateral cooperation against the illegal logging trade and its impact on jobs, the economy and the environment.

It will build the capacity of government and industry to manage forests sustainably and to promote systems to verify the legality of timber and wood products in Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Together, through the cooperation between Australia and New Zealand— (Time expired)