One fell swoop

THE region’s timber industry has welcomed the Victorian Government’s plan to secure its long term future.
Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh released the Timber Industry Action Plan (TIAP)on Tuesday, 13 December and said the plan fulfilled a key Coalition election promise to provide greater resource certainty for the timber industry.
But opponents say the plan is repaying political favours, shows the timber industry has run out of wood, will increase fire risk and will threaten endangered species.
Under the plan, a statement of the Victorian Government’s policy intent, VicForests would be able to harvest and sell timber through supply agreements of up to 20 years, instead of the current maximum five years.
The Government would also provide VicForests with the flexibility to sell timber through auction and other means, would ensure changes in Government policy did not have an unfair impact on supply, would consider compensating the industry for any such impact, and would review legislation to reduce “its regulatory burden”.
The Government would also introduce planning amendments to reinforce the right to use land for timber production in farming and rural activity zones.
Also included under the plan would be the thinning of native trees in reserves, parks and water catchments and a review of the harvesting time required for fast-growing trees, including mountain ash.
VicForests would have sole responsibility for calculating the volume of timber that can be harvested sustainably from native forests with the Department of Sustainability and Environment as regulator and enforcer.
VAFI CEO Lisa Marty welcomed what she said was the fulfilment of a key election promise which would help ensure a sustainable future for productive forestry in Victoria.
“Longer term wood supply contracts, more flexible sales arrangements and mechanisms to compensate VicForests’ customer for impacts on their contracts from changes in State Government policy will provide a basis for improved business confidence, investment and innovation,” she said.
VicForests’ acting CEO Robert Green also welcomed the TIAP saying it would provide greater certainty around access to timber resources.
“This will undoubtedly strengthen the ability of Victoria’s sustainable timber industry to meet the significant demand for wood and wood products,” he said.
However, environment groups say it is not so much an acceptable plan but is an unconscionable assault on native forests.
Healesville Environment Watch Inc (HEWI) chairman Steve Meacher said the TIAP guaranteed resource to the industry.
“Basically, biodiversity takes a very distant back seat,” he said.
“It talks about guaranteeing sustainability but it’s sustainability of the logging industry, not of the forests.
“It talks about balancing timber supply with biodiversity, when what they’re really talking about is guaranteeing access of supply.
He said the minister had made it clear the TIAP was making good on election promises.
“They are paying back favours that were agreed during last year’s election campaign, not looking to the future,” he said.
Sarah Rees from MyEnvironment said it was a dark day for Victoria with the Minister for Agriculture handing VicForests freedom to set its own sustainable yield estimates, indemnifying it against legal challenges and approving tree species conversion in Victoria’s native forests.
Ms Rees said the plan to thin out trees in catchment and reserve logging areas would add to Victoria’s fire risk.