Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Similarly, we were told that the woodchip sector was a dying sector. The value of woodchip exports increased by 25.7 per cent from 2012-13 to 2013-14—a huge increase. The value of hardwood woodchip exports increased by 32.9 per cent last year. The market for woodchips has shifted from Japan to China and now India is emerging as a potential market, which will further impact on the demand for these products, especially from good quality suppliers of woodchips, which Australia has quite rightly earned a reputation for being. Despite the best efforts of the Australian Greens and their fellow travellers to trash the reputation of Australia's forest industry, and the woodchip sector in particular, we have seen a mighty growth in their exports. (Time expired)