David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz, representing the Minister for Agriculture. Can the minister inform the Senate on the recovery in the forestry sector since the coalition government was elected?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

I cannot hear the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And nor could it. Senator Bushby, I ask you to repeat the question. I did not hear it.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz, representing the Minister for Agriculture. Can the minister inform the Senate on the recovery in the forestry sector since the coalition government was elected?

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

(—) (): I am delighted to inform Senator Bushby and the Senate that there is real good news on the forestry employment front. Total employment the forestry sector, which includes forestry, wood pulp and paper manufacturing, declined from 76,000 to 61,000 during the stewardship of those opposite. Now onto Senator Colbeck's stewardship, employment has rebounded to 70,500. That is a substantial increase of 9,100 jobs or nearly 15 per cent over the previous year. This is testament to the recovery with in the forestry sector, which comprises upwards of five per cent of the sales and service income of total manufacturing industry in this country. Under the previous government, the contribution of the forestry sector to the GDP declined from 0.7 to 0.45, with most of the decline in sawmilling and further manufacturing. These are the areas that have recovered the most in the past 12 months. There has been a 20 per cent increase in exports of sawn wood and a 21 per cent increase of wood based panels. Paper and paperboard exports have increased from $700 to 850 million worth. Packaging and industrial paper exports have increased by 15.2 per cent. These wooden paper-based exports are helping to provide a brighter future for regional towns right around Australia, especially in Victoria and in Tasmania. Despite the best efforts of the Greens saying that forestry is a dying sector, it has found a rebirth under this government, with 9,000 extra jobs in the last 12 months. (Time expired)

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of recent developments in relation to the woodchip export industry?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to 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)

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate whether there has been an increase in the number of dwelling commencements and what impact this has had on the forestry sector?

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

Senator Bushby is right to make a connection between dwelling commencements and the viability of the forestry sector. The number of dwelling commencements is an important indicator for wood product consumption. Dwelling commencements in 2013-14 increased by 11.4 per cent. Victoria, might I add, under the stewardship of Premier Denis Napthine and the coalition government, recorded the largest number of annual dwelling commencements in Australia over the past five years. That is what happens with good government, like Victoria is experiencing at the moment. You see the number of dwelling approvals increase, which then boosts employment in the forestry sector. The great Australian dream of home ownership is still alive in Victoria because of the policies of Senator Colbeck and Premier Napthine. (Time expired)