Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry in the Limestone Coast and Other Regions of South Australia Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry in the Limestone Coast and Other Regions of South Australia The Hon. B.R. HOOD Legislative Council Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry in the Limestone Coast and Other Regions of South Australia The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding forestry. Leave granted. The Hon. B.R. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. B.R. HOOD: The report of the Select Committee on Matters Relating to the Timber Industry in the Limestone Coast and Other Regions of South Australia was tabled in this place on 4 February 2025 and finally passed this chamber on 18 June. For those who are counting, that is nearly nine months since it was tabled. My question to the minister is: when can this council expect the minister's formal response to the committee's recommendations? The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN Legislative Council Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister for Forest Industries The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is nice to see that occasionally those opposite have an interest in the forest industry. I would like to see it a little bit more, given how important it is to South Australia and given the significant investments that we have been making. There certainly has been preparation of a formal response, which is nearing finalisation, but I might point out that most of the recommendations that were in there were things that we have already done or that we are already doing. It is quite remarkable that those opposite are asking about the responses to it, given the fact that many of them had been responded to well before this report came down. Our government has a strong record on investment in the forest industry. The dinner last week that I referred to in this place earlier this week was certainly well attended and there were lots of very positive comments from those who were speaking on the night—and I am not referring to myself—about the relationship that they have with the government and the support that they have received. In fact, I think it was one of the legends, Laurie Hein—I think it was Laurie, and I will certainly be happy to correct the record if I was mistaken—who said that he has never seen such strong support from government and such a close relationship with forestry, never seen before. I am very pleased that we continue to support the forest industry, that we have seen it go from strength to strength. We continue to invest. We continue to work closely with all the different sectors of the forest industry.