Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question also goes to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Can the minister tell the chamber if a Tasmanian forest agreement is in the offing and, indeed, may be finalised in the next fortnight? Can the minister reassure the public, who have just seen cuts right across the board, that there will not be any money going to a private enterprise pulp mill in Tasmania from the public purse, either directly or indirectly, or to the Malaysian logging company Ta Ann?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statement of principles started with community and industry groups coming together. I think that is an important point to make in this area. It is not an agreement between governments. The Gillard Labor government has welcomed this landmark statement and believes it is important that we play a constructive role in supporting this significant community led initiative. As you are aware, this government together with the Tasmanian government appointed Mr Bill Kelty as an independent facilitator to work with the signatories to this community led statement to help build on the imple­mentation. The Gillard government remains committed to working with the Tasmanian community. The community agreement has not yet been finalised, but the government continues to work with the stakeholders in the statement of principles for that purpose.

In relation to the pulp mill, I am advised that Gunns signalled its intention some time ago to exit from native forest logging to reorganise the business, including the building of the pulp mill at Bells Bay.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's Bell Bay.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Bells Bay' or 'Bell Bay'?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bell.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government understands there is community concern about the proposed pulp mill at Bell Bay but recognises that the mill at Bell Bay will provide sustainable jobs and opportunities for the community of Northern Tasmania. The mill has undergone a rigorous federal environmental approval process under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The government is not considering any funding support for the Gunns mill at this time. Similarly I am advised that the government has not received any request from Gunns for funding support in relation to the mill or its business structure. (Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I also asked if there had been any request or funding proposal for Ta Ann, the Malaysian owned company which got $8 million from the Howard government to set up in Tasmania. As a supplementary question, I ask the minister can he, having seen the area of high conservation value forests being considered for protection under the agreement go from 610,000 hectares to 572,000 hectares, assure the chamber that that proposed area for protection will not be reduced? Is the process under pressure from Ta Ann, the Malaysian owned logging company, to reduce that area so that it can continue to log in areas of high conservation value forest which are determined for protection? (Time expired)

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will try to work through, as quickly as I can, some of the issues that that rather long question entailed, but what I do not get to I will take on notice. Some of the matters, of course, fall not within my direct portfolio responsibility but within the environment portfolio, but we will work diligently to provide an answer.

The positions of the signatories are quite separate, but any of the positions of the signatories, including the forest estate currently the subject of the moratorium and the industry-identified long-term wood supply requirements, are positions of the signatories and not government policy. So, on the figures that you use, it is up to the signatories to come to an agreement. At such time as they do come to an agreement, the government will consider its response at that point. In relation to Ta Ann, I will take that on notice; I do not have any particular brief in respect of that. (Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Finally I ask the minister: does the government support Forestry Tasmania's process of attracting native species, including potentially protected species, out of protected forests and adjacent forests onto log forest areas using grain, which has led to the shooting or trapping of 3,644 such native species in the southern forests alone last year? Does the government know what the total slaughter of animals being destroyed such as— (Time expired)

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I may suffer the same fate—that I do not get sufficient time to provide an answer. Some of those matters fall within other areas, and I am not trying to avoid answering the question. That part of the question that this portfolio can respond to I will take on notice. Some of it will definitely fall within the relevant Tasmanian state government's responsibility, and some parts of it will fall within the department of environment. But I will see what I can do to provide a response to Senator Brown in relation to the serious issue that he does raise.

Broadly, can I then just underpin the position that the government is committed to this process of finalising and supports the continuation of those discussions, as outlined in the Prime Minister's statement of 7 December last year. We continue to support discussions. We continue to ensure that Mr Kelty facilitates those discussions and that there is a due diligence assessment undertaken. Of course, that includes support in the budget— (Time expired)