New Forest Laws Promise Rich Wood Harvest in Tasmania
10/5/99
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Title: New Forest Laws Promise Rich Wood Harvest in Tasmania
Source: The Mercury, Tasmania
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 5, 1999
Byline: Georgia Warner
TWO billion dollars worth of new investment in the Tasmanian paper
industry could stem from the passing of the Federal Government's
regional forest agreement legislation, federal Forestry Minister
Wilson Tuckey said yesterday.
Speaking in Hobart, Mr Tuckey said the bill would give Tasmania
unique status as the only state with its RFA enshrined in both state
and federal legislation.
He said the "potential (is) sitting there right now for a $2 billion
investment in the Tasmanian paper industry" and the boost to investor
confidence the federal bill would provide would place Tasmania in the
box seat to clinch it".
The federal RFA bill will be reintroduced into the Lower House of
Federal Parliament, after the passing of a number of amendments in
the Senate that the Government opposes.
Mr Tuckey said he was happy to concede amendments that did not
undermine the legislation but urged Tasmanian Labor senators to
reject other amendments that could disallow RFAs if they did not meet
a series of "object clauses".
He said that without the federal legislative backing, Tasmania's RFA
was not worth the paper it was printed on.
"There are huge opportunities for Tasmania in passing this bill," Mr
Tuckey said.
"Tasmania would have a start (on the other states) and it would be an
absolute tragedy if your Labor senators were not going to support
that by getting the matching legislation in the Commonwealth."
The Federal Government is negotiating with the Opposition and remains
hopeful of getting its support for the bill.
Mr Tuckey was commenting after announcing $7.74million funding for
111 new farm forestry projects around Australia for 1999-2000.
The funding is part of $49.2million to be spent during the next six
years for farm forestry under the Natural Heritage Trust program.
In Tasmania over the next year, $400,000 will be spent on farm
forestry initiatives.