Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to provide additional information concerning a question that Senator Bob Brown asked of me yesterday involving the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard for Senator Brown’s benefit.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

The Primary Industries Ministerial Council did not call on the Green Building Council of Australia to lower its standard. The Primary Industries Ministerial Council called on the Green Building Council to accredit the internationally recognised forest certification scheme, the Australian Forest Certification Scheme.

I have not had talks on this matter with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The minister has not had discussions about lowering or corrupting the standards set by the Green Building Council of Australia. The minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry discussed the issue of the Green Building Council of Australia’s recognition of forest certification schemes operational in Australia at the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) 16th meeting on 6 November 2009 in Perth. The PIMC meeting communiqué states —

“Forest Certification —Wood Product Market Access

Council supported Victoria’s policy principle that government procurement policies, guides and tools, and recognition of third party forest certification, should align with and be consistent with each government’s sustainable forest management policies. It also agreed that governments should not adopt, endorse or fund policies or guides that are inconsistent with their own sustainable forest management policies. It called on the Green Building Council of Australia to accredit the Australian Forest Certification Scheme as a Forest Management Scheme for Green Star Certification.”