Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024. This bill is a timely piece of legislation because it doesn't only impact the future of our environment in Australia; it also impacts the future of our economy and our global reputation. It will make things tougher for those people who are engaging in the illegal timber trade, with its enhanced scope for monitoring and enforcing the law. It will ensure that Australia's timber trade is a sustainable one, and, in doing so, will protect our natural heritage. One of my roles in this place is to serve as the chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, and this is an issue that resonates very strongly with me—as it does with many of the other committee members. It comes up in many conversations and in relation to many other activities of that committee.

Illegal logging exacerbates deforestation, contributes significantly to habitat loss and accelerates climate change. Our rainforests and natural reserves are vital to the health of our planet. They act as carbon sinks regulating the climate and sustaining our biodiversity. Illegal logging by bypassing the legal and environmental safeguards leads to destruction that not only threatens wildlife but diminishes the ability of forests to help mitigate climate change. It is a significant role of our forests to do that—to operate as those sinks and to assist in mitigating the fundamental and significant changes we are seeing in our climate. So it is important, critical, that we do all we can to support the health and future of our forests. Illegal logging by bypassing the legal and environmental safeguards leads to destruction, diminishes our ability to mitigate climate change and is not a distant problem; this is a problem we are facing right now. It is impacting our forests, our climate and our global reputation right here, right now.

Economically, illegal logging also undermines our legitimate timber trade. This leads to significant financial losses for businesses that are following the law, are doing the right thing and are managing our forests. Those that employ sustainable practices, doing the right thing, are undermined by allowing illegal logging to continue. It also creates an uneven playing field by allowing those unscrupulous operators to sell timber at lower prices, making it more attractive and undermining the market for sustainably sourced products.

In my home state of South Australia, the forestry sector accounts for more than $2.8 billion of economic activity every year. That is a significant industry. But in South Australia I think we've got it right. We do some pretty good things in South Australia, and we do differ from the other states. Our industry is of vital importance, particularly to the beautiful Limestone Coast region in the south-east, which includes South Australia's second largest city, Mount Gambier. It's entirely plantation based because the state Labor government in 1991 introduced the Native Vegetation Act, which protects native forests from harvesting. SA is a leader in this area: a leader in protecting native vegetation and an early adopter of the right practices for our forests.

More than 13,000 jobs come from South Australia's forestry industry, and when you go to the south-east, if you're talking to people, it's likely one in three of them will be employed in the forestry sector. That is significant. It's significant for the role they play in protecting our environment by doing the right thing and producing our timber in a plantation base.

Illegal logging not only threatens the local Australian businesses like those in the south-east of South Australia but distorts those global markets, disadvantaging countries and companies who commit to legal and sustainable practices. It discourages sustainable logging outright by undermining the prices and not complying with any of the laws that we have in this country as they relate to the timber trade. So, by bringing this bill, the federal Labor government is reinforcing our dedication to fair trade and integrity and to an international timber trade that will support sustainability and does not stoke the climate crisis.

Since our introduction of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act in 2012—again, under a Labor government—the landscape of the global timber trade has evolved. We've seen significant developments. Nations worldwide have followed our example, followed our lead and implemented their own regulations that are similar to the ones we introduced in 2012. New technologies have also emerged. Those new technologies help us track and verify products to enhance the timber trade. It is essential that our laws keep pace with these developments. As I say, when we introduced our changes in 2012, they were cutting edge. Things have developed further, and now it's time for us to develop further with them.

The proposed amendments in this bill reflect the latest advancements in timber identification and regulatory enhancement. A key provision of this bill is the consolidation of offences, which will allow us to clamp down even harder on those people who are engaged in illegal logging. It does this by enhancing the clarity and consistency of our legal framework, bringing together offences from the act and civil penalty provisions from the regulation. This streamlined approach will make enforcement of penalties for illegal logging much more straightforward and much more effective.

This bill also strengthens our ability to enforce compliance with the law by extending the period for ensuing infringement notices. The provision for civil penalties for false information is also crucial in holding those who break the law accountable for their actions.

With this bill, we will stop the people who do the wrong thing from undercutting those who are actually doing the right thing by making sure that illegally sourced timber does not enter the market. We have the technology to do that now, so we just need our regulations and our enforcement to catch up to ensure that we can deliver on those promises. We will do this by making sure that all regulated timber products are reported when they enter Australia. The ability to inspect timber products under biosecurity and customs control will further safeguard our industry against these illegal imports.

The requirement for an independent review within the first five years of the bill's commencement will ensure that those regulations remain up to date, effective and responsive to any and all changes that may emerge, both here in Australia and internationally. So, reviewing the bill will ensure that we can bring together all the developments in the first years of the bill to ensure that the bill keeps pace with developments internationally.

Extending the provisions in this bill to include partnerships, trusts and unincorporated bodies will ensure that everyone involved in the timber trade has to adhere to the same high standards. It's not about structuring your corporation so that you can get away with it because you're not captured. That is a significant and deeply relevant amendment in this bill.

These high standards bring us back to the core issue of combating illegal logging, and that is sustainability, both of the industry and of the environment—making sure the industry and the environment are walking hand in hand. The illegal logging prohibition amendment bill is more than just a regulatory update; it's much more complex than that. It is a reaffirmation of this government's commitment to sustainable and ethical practices and worker protections.

The world-leading illegal logging prohibition laws that Labor introduced in 2012 were among the first of their kind internationally. To build on that, we will now send a clear message that Australia values integrity, transparency and environmental standards. By passing this bill we will once again demonstrate Australia's leadership in global efforts to combat illegal logging and foster a sustainable timber trade. I call upon everyone to support this vital piece of legislation. We know we need the timber, but we know we need the environment—getting the balance right so that we protect our native forest and our biodiversity while having a timber industry that is well regulated, is well thought through and gives us all the advantages we need of managing these things together.

Support for this bill will have lasting impact on our environment, on our economy and, as I said, on our global standing. It will enhance our ability to combat illegal logging, protect our forests and ensure that the timber products we are using are sourced responsibly and sustainably. With this bill we can strengthen our legal framework, uphold our environmental commitments and ensure that Australia remains a leader in fighting illegal logging. Let us seize this opportunity to reinforce our dedication to sustainability, to sustainable production, to fairness and to the protection of our natural resources. This is a critical step towards safeguarding our future. By supporting this bill we are choosing to protect our forests, to support fair trade and to lead by example in the global effort to combat illegal logging.