By KATH GANNAWAY
A BILL that proposes major changes to logging of native forests could rest in the hands of Independent Frankston MP Geoff Shaw as a numbers game is played out in the Victorian lower house later this month.
In a reversal of usual procedure, the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Amendment Bill 2013, was introduced in the Upper House (Legislative Council) and will proceed to the Lower House (Legislative Assembly) at the end of May after it was passed by a Liberal/National Coalition majority last week.
Bills are usually introduced in the Lower House.
Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh last week accused Labor of “jilting” the forest industry by voting with the Greens against legislation that he said would provide longer term resource security for the timber industry but which environment groups say provides unlimited logging contracts to VicForests with devastating effects on Victorian native forests and wildlife.
The Wilderness Society has launched a petition calling on Premier Denis Napthine to defer the bill pending the outcome of an Auditor-General’s audit of the Department of Sustainability and Environment – including VicForests.
Amelia Young, Victorian Forest Campaigner with The Wilderness Society said the Bill would lock the state into logging native forests indefinitely and expose taxpayers to unprecedented financial rise for long-term logging contracts.
Mr Walsh said the legislation was introduced following an extensive review of the 2004 legislation.
He said the industry requires greater resource security and certainty to facilitate long-term industry investment.
“This legislation provides extra security by enabling VicForests to offer timber supply contracts for periods of up to 20 years,” he said. Currently contracts are limited to up to 15 years.
He said the legislation did not alter existing forest management regulations and environmental standards and would cut red tape and costs by removing the Timber Harvester Operator Licence system which he said duplicates occupational health and safety standards already in place under the OH&S Act.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture John Lenders, who spoke against the Bill last week, has rejected Mr Walsh’s labelling of Labor’s vote as ‘anti-forestry’ saying they had supported the bill going forward but wanted to test it.
“What we said is we can’t support it in this form,” Mr Lenders told the Mail.
He said they sought a delay of one month to get information from the Attorney General on why they were doing an audit.
“If he has concerns, we want to know what they are, if the audit is because it’s done every 10 years, that would be different,” Mr Lenders said.
He said they also wanted to talk with the Coroner on the proposed OH&S changes, and with industry and environment groups.
“On the second reading we voted with the Government against the Greens, and when the Government rejected our request for a review, and rejected our proposed amendments, we went against it,” he said.
The amendments they want are that allocations over 15 years could be disallowed by either house, retention of the five-yearly reviews, and retaining aspects of the timber operating licences which primarily go to worker safety and green accreditation.
Mr Lenders said the government had shown it was not going to entertain discussion on the proposed amendments.
The legislation will now rest with the members of the Legislative Assembly where Mr Shaw holds the balance of power. Mr Shaw did not respond to requests by The Mail for his views on the Bill.
