Guy Barnett,Minister for Resources
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to supporting our sustainable native forestry industry and the thousands of direct and indirect jobs it supports.
Tasmania’s forestry sector is well-managed, environmentally sustainable and regulated by the independent Forest Practices Authority, despite claims from opponents who are solely focussed on shutting it down.
A highly technical administrative matter relating to the issuing of a delegation made under the Forest Practices Act 1985 has recently been identified.
I am advised that similar delegations have been issued since the commencement of the Act in the mid-1980s, including under both Labor and Labor-Green Governments.
To be clear, this matter relates to the construction and form of the delegation instrument and does not go to the safety or appropriateness of forestry operations undertaken on-ground.
However, to provide certainty for our industry and to remove doubt, the Government intends to introduce validating legislation when Parliament resumes to resolve this technical issue at law.
This is not the first time that validating legislation has been brought to Parliament and I wish to stress again that this does not go to the safety or appropriateness of forestry operations undertaken on ground.
Additionally, the independent Forest Practices Authority has undertaken measures to ensure that the system continues to remain robust.
It is no secret that the radical Bob Brown Foundation and their Parliamentary allies in the Greens will take any opportunity in their ongoing attempts to shut down our sustainable native forestry sector.
In stark contrast, we make no apology for standing up for the thousands of Tasmanians, many in regional areas, who work in our sustainable native forestry industry.
