FOREST INDUSTRY STRATEGY

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (16:51): My question is directed to the Minister for Forests. Given that the government's sale of forward forestry rotations will apply only to the South-East plantations, what plans are in place for the future management of the Hills and northern sections of ForestrySA?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (16:51): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Indeed, I have been advised that the average forest rotation is around about 25 to 30 years.

The PRESIDENT: Right again.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, Mr President, so I was right. The Forest Industry Development Board—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: No; come on, order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —is a government advisory body that helps provide leadership and innovation for the development of our forests and forest products industry to help support sustainable and economic growth in South Australia. The board released a draft forestry industry strategy back in December of 2010, I think, and the strategy was released in September 2011. It sets out a 2050 vision, strategic directions and strategies for the next five years.

The strategy identifies seven implementation priorities: to articulate the state government's policy position on the forest industry to increase investor confidence; to increase the resource base and processing capacity to enhance industry international competitiveness; to capture new value-adding opportunities to maximise returns from plantation resources; to achieve stable operating environments across South Australia and harmonise regulatory regimes with other states to expedite planning, development and transport; to promote the environmental benefits of forestry and forest products to the public to establish better consumer understanding and demand; to develop additional support and funding for training, education and innovation to help meet current and future needs; and to foster capability to pursue regional actions to support the strategy.

As I have said, that is the overall strategy that underpins our forestry endeavours in this state. A great deal of work has commenced in attempting to address—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: I asked you about the Hills and the northern sections. You haven't even touched that—

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: These are principles that underpin all our forestry endeavours, so they apply to all of our endeavours.