Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hanson-Young, for that question. I will give you an answer now as far as I am able, and then in relation to the last point, which is I think a point about koala habitat, I've just asked for some further information on that. Obviously, I understand it's the position of the Greens political party to ban native forest logging under federal law. The government's position is that Australia still needs timber products, and therefore we would want to see a sustainable end to the forestry industry. The government is investing over $300 million to modernise timber manufacturing infrastructure, to build the skills of the workforce and to grow more plantations, which already account for around 90 per cent of the national timber production.

But the senator is right; native forests are valuable for many reasons—obviously, carbon storage being one. They're native habitats, including for endangered animals like koalas, Leadbeater's possums and greater gliders. And there are economic benefits from protecting native forests. The minister is clear that she is committed to reforming environmental laws. These laws do not work for the environment, and they don't work for business. As part of the Nature Positive Plan, native forest logging will be regulated by national environmental laws through national environmental standards.

In relation to threatened species, the senator would also note that the minister has announced a target of zero new extinctions, the investment of over $500 million to better protect threatened plants and animals and protecting an extra 40 million hectares of Australia's ocean and bush.