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Category: Timber / Forests / Forestry / States and Territories

Greens warn against use of taxpayer dollars to entice Victorian sawmill

Saturday, 18 Mar 2017 12:43:15

Cassy O'Connor is pressing the Tasmanian Government for more details about the mill proposal. (ABC News)

Environmentalists and the Greens want a commitment that taxpayers' money will not be used to secure a deal to move a Victorian sawmill to the state.

The Greens have raised questions about what the Tasmanian Government has promised sawmiller Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH), which has foreshadowed plans to move its Heyfield mill and set up in Burnie.

The announcement has left the jobs of 260 workers at the Gippsland mill in limbo.

ASH has rejected a timber supply offer from the Victorian Government and flagged plans to relocate to Burnie, on Tasmania's north-west coast, within two years.

Environmentalist and former national Greens leader Bob Brown said there had not been a lot of transparency about the plans.

"How much taxpayers' money is being offered by the Hodgman Government that's going to then be unavailable for schools and hospitals and police stations?" he said.

"Can Mr Hodgman give a guarantee that not one stick of Tasmanian native forests is going to be fed into such a mill?"

Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O'Connor had similar concerns, after the State Government passed legislation this week to allow logging in 350,000 hectares of forest previously earmarked for protection.

"I think Tasmanians would like to know what is the nature of those discussions. Have any assurances been made about access to the 350,000 hectares?" she said.

"Are public subsidies in the mix in order to attract this big timber company down here?"

Resources Minister Guy Barnett said ASH's plans were a vote of confidence in the Tasmanian forestry industry.

Sawmill at Heyfield in Victoria's east Photo: The company employs 260 workers in Victoria's Gippsland region. (Facebook: Australian Sustainable Hardwoods)

"The Hodgman Government would welcome with open arms any interstate forestry businesses considering moving their operations because they are sick and tired of dealing with Labor governments dominated by vested interests," he said.

"While ultimately it would be a decision for the Heybridge mill operators, they can rest assured that the Hodgman Government would support any potential move to Tasmania."

The Tasmanian Government described the talks as preliminary and ASH said it would meet the Government this week to advance them.

Chief executive Clinton Tilley said the company would look to source wood from Forico, Forestry Tasmania and "a third player".

He said the company would not be interested in using native hardwood in Tasmania.

"We certainly, being in plantation wood, want to be distancing ourselves from those discussions," he said referring to the political division about opening up the 350,000 hectares of forests.

"It's of no relevance to ourselves."

ASH does not yet have a site in mind for a Burnie operation.

AustraliaPlus


 

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