Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Minister for Forestry

Thursday 14th July, 2011

Worst fears confirmed on Triabunna: to close in “three to five years”* - Gutwein calls on timber industry to walk away from SoP after ENGO betrayal

The worst fears of Tasmania’s forest industry appeared to be have been realised with confirmation that the new owners Jan Cameron and Graeme Wood want to shut the mill within “three to five years”.*

This is consistent with the long-held views of the Greens and ENGOs – and their interpretation of the disastrous Statement of Principles – that the forest industry should transition fully out of native forestry in that same time period.

Such a three to five year transition period would mean the end of Tasmania’s entire native forest industry, and cost literally thousands of jobs, because there simply isn’t sufficient plantation resource to make such a transition in that timeframe. Even a 2027 phase out would be very damaging for the industry – 15 years is not enough time to grow a replacement sawlog resource.

Yesterday’s purchase of the mill by Ms Cameron and Mr Wood is final confirmation that the Greens and ENGOs simply can’t be trusted to negotiate in good faith.

Even while the roundtable process took place, the ENGOs and Greens have deliberately set about to impose their will (a three to five year phase-out) on the forest industry by actively supporting the purchase of Triabunna in order to shut the industry down.

It’s clear that the ENGOs can’t be trusted, and following this act of betrayal I call on the timber industry to walk away from the disastrous Statement of Principles.

*The Australian, 14/7/11