House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-06-19 Daily Xml

Contents

Bundaleer Forest

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:21): Supplementary, sir: given that the salvage must be completed within approximately 12 months, can you tell us please when the decision about replanting the remaining area will be made?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:22): I thank the member again for this important question. We will be doing that as soon as possible, but we need to take into account all the different views. If, at the end of the day, there is a differing view, we might actually get someone in to have another look at it as well. You were at the meeting with the Morgans, and they had a suggestion of someone, perhaps ex-ForestrySA, who might be a good person to have a look at that review.

I am still awaiting the report from ForestrySA, and I think until we see that and have a good look at that, we will—but what I will do is continue to involve you, the Minister for Regional Affairs and the local community up there. We also have wider implications than just what we take out of the forest; these were the first commercial forests planted anywhere in Australia back in the 1870s, so they are an important part of our history. They are also really important to our tourism operators in terms of cycling and walking paths that we have through there as well, and other recreational pursuits.

We are taking this very seriously. We cannot give an answer this week, but we will give an answer as soon as we have all the information in front of us. I give you this assurance: just as we have had discussions in the months that I have been the minister, we will continue to have those discussions with you and the wider community.