Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 995.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) timber demand is outstripping supply and placing stress on local businesses, with timber merchants, builders and carpenters reporting that they are unable to source timber,

  (ii) there were 130,000 hectares of plantation timber burnt in the 2020 bushfires,

  (iii) in June 2020 Australia was importing in excess of 900 million cubic metres of sawn softwood, however, sourcing timber has become far more difficult,

  (iv) the Government launched the HomeBuilder scheme in June 2020 to stimulate the building industry and protect jobs,

  (v) HomeBuilder was originally projected to provide funding for 27,520 projects, however, as at 29 January 2021 there was a total of 81,917 applications, and

  (vi) HomeBuilder was extended in November 2020 and at the same time the requirement to commence construction was increased from 3 months of contract signature to 6 months of contract signature; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

  (i) ease the burden on a stressed supply chain caused by the HomeBuilder scheme by extending the timeframe for construction to commence, and

  (ii) develop a comprehensive national plan for the development of Australia's timber industry that will improve timber supply and enhance Australian industry resilience.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Homebuilder is delivering targeted and timely stimulus to help build confidence and momentum in the industry across the country, particularly in regional areas. HomeBuilder was strongly welcomed by the Australian Forest Products Association when it was announced in June 2020 and when the government extended the scheme at the end of 2020 to protect the one million Australians employed in the construction industry. HomeBuilder will keep this pipeline of work flowing into 2021. The government is committed to supporting the Australian forestry industry, through the National Forest Industries Plan announced in 2018, which is supporting the forest industry's aspirational goal of planting one billion trees over the period to 2030. There is no stronger supporter of Australia's forest industry than this government.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought it was a general practice that, if you made a statement, it was an indication of your voting intention and that you weren't calling a division. I was just wondering whether Senator Rice's intention was to vote against the motion and that's why she was intending to put her position.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, leave is granted for one minute.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens will be supporting this motion because of its focus on the plantation timber sector. I'm on the record and the Greens are on the record as being strong supporters of the plantation timber sector. Indeed, we need a plan so that we can have adequate plantation timber in Australia to enable the timber industry to transition completely to 100 per cent plantation based timber. We have seen how native forest logging is not the way forward for the timber industry. The Samuel review said:

… environmental considerations under the RFA Act are weaker than those imposed elsewhere for matters of national environmental significance and do not align with the assessment of significant impacts on MNES as required by the EPBC Act …

That has also been confirmed by recent court decisions. We are very pleased to be supporting this motion in support of the plantation based timber industry.

Question agreed to.