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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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FORESTRYSA

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:30): As a supplementary to the minister's answers, can the minister therefore rule out that any privatisation would allow the successful person or corporation to sell rotations under 30 years?

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) (14:30): I have given a clear indication in this place already that we will not specify the rotation lengths at this point in time. These matters are currently being negotiated. There is a round table—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! You might learn something if you listen.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: You might learn something if you listen. The honourable minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —and I gave a clear outline on Tuesday in this place about the responsibilities that have been given to the round table that is made up of a series of leaders and stakeholders across the industry. There is union representation and sawmill representation as well. It is a high-calibre group. Most of them are local people who serve on this round table, and they have been asked to provide some input into the sorts of conditions, or to consider the sorts of conditions, that might apply to the contract to ensure that the local jobs are protected and also that the long-term industry security is also maintained.

This government clearly has a great interest in ensuring the long-term viability of the forestry industry in the South-East. We have a long-term commitment to this—a long-term commitment—and we continue that commitment, and we have articulated that commitment over and over again. It is not in the government's interests or anyone else's interests to do anything that is going to damage the South-East and its forestry interests. So, we have put a number of measures in place to ensure that we listen to the concerns of the locals—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —to ensure that we understand the intricacies of a range of matters that are likely to impact. That is why we have got key industry leaders and stakeholders participating in our round table. They are looking at a number of different matters to ensure job security and industry security in that region, and that includes the rate that forests are able to be cleared, to ensure that an operator can't come in and simply fell everything overnight and walk away with our forests. Those matters are being discussed and considered, and the round table will put forward ideas and strategies to incorporate—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: You've got sawdust in your ears. You are not listening to them.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —as measures that we will include in our contracts to protect both jobs and the long-term forestry industry interests.

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