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

My question is to Senator Watt, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Firstly, I seek leave to table a photo of a Tasmanian devil that was burnt to death in a post-logging fire. That is a deliberate fire that burns what remains of native forests after logging.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Rice. I'll see if leave is granted. Generally—and this was explained to the chamber last week—material needs to be circulated. If you want to circulate it, I assume the minister will make a decision later.

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

Yes.

The:

Thank you. Please ask your question.

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

Tasmanian devils are endangered, and yet logging operations, signed off by your government, are killing Tasmanian devils and destroying devil habitat. Minister, is it good enough that this destruction of these endangered species is happening under your watch?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Rice. Well, of course I can't comment on that particular issue, having not been given the courtesy of being provided with those documents before the question was asked. But what I can say is that the Albanese government supports a sustainable forestry industry, as I have said on a number of occasions. You well know, Senator Rice, that the forests in Tasmania are managed under joint state and federal regional forestry agreements, and that is the system that has been in place for a very long time. It is underpinned by strong environmental standards, and when those standards are not met then appropriate action is taken for environmental protection reasons.

As I said, I can't comment on the particular issues you've raised, because you haven't raised them with me before. But we do recognise that it's important that we have a forestry industry in Australia that is environmentally sustainable. It's one of the reasons our government went to the election making a significant commitment to expand the forest plantation estate. In fact, as you may be aware, Senator Rice, already about 87 per cent of the logs harvested in Australia are from plantation estates , with the remainder being from native forests. We do think it's important to have strong environmental standards that sit beneath those regional forestry agreements, and that is the position we will continue to take.

You would have seen that in response to the Samuel review Minister Plibersek made the point that the new national environmental standards will apply to RFAs. That position was not just accepted but welcomed by the forestry industry associations in addition to environmental organisations. I think that shows that the Albanese government gets the balance right between ensuring that we can meet our timber needs while also protecting the environment. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, a first supplementary question?

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

Thank you, Minister. Minister, your so-called sustainable forestry is clearly unsustainable. It's abundantly clear that in Tasmania, in Victoria, in New South Wales and in WA, logging our native forests is hurtling our threatened wildlife towards extinction, cremating Tasmanian devils in post-logging burns, and destroying habitat of swift parrots, Leadbeater's possums and greater gliders. Minister, why won't you end the regional forest agreements that allow this destructive logging?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Rice, for sharing your opinions with us. But, as I said, Labor will always support a sustainable forestry industry. We do want sustainable forestry jobs. As a society, we do continue to rely on timber based products. The jobs that the forestry industry creates, particularly in regional Australia, including in Tasmania, are important to regional economies. But forests are also valuable, for their carbon storage and their native habitats, and we understand that we do need strong environmental protections that sit beneath our forestry industry. As I said, only last December Minister Plibersek announced our government's plan to reform Australia's environmental laws, because those laws are broken. Graeme Samuel found as much in his review that was commissioned by the former government. Those laws don't protect our environment, and they're frustrating for business to negotiate. That's why new environmental standards will apply to RFAs, as they will to many other aspects of business. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, a second supplementary question?

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

Thanks, Minister. Minister, does your so-called sustainable forestry include allowing endangered species to be killed? If not, and given that you won't end native forest logging, what are you going to do to ensure that Tasmanian devils and other precious wildlife are protected and are not being killed in logging operations?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Rice. Well, as we have come to understand from the Greens, they always insist on action to occur yesterday, without thinking about the consequences. The Greens have no plan—we haven't heard Senator Rice or anyone from the Greens tell us where we would obtain timber products that we would need if we were to abolish native forestry immediately in the way she calls for. We haven't had any word from the Greens about where the jobs would come from to replace the jobs abolished. But that's okay, because the Greens never have to think about these things. They're not a party of government. They can go out there and make outlandish claims that do not—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, there are a couple of parties who are definitely not part of the government over there, and we hope to keep it that way for a very long time. But the Greens don't have to think about these issues. What Labor is trying to do, as the party of government, is get the balance right between ensuring that we have the timber we need and ensuring that regional communities are supported by jobs, while also having strong environmental protections in place. (Time expired)