Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2007 (the bill) facilitates the transition envisaged in the Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Bill 2007 of the current government owned Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation (the corporation) to a new industry owned services body.

The government and the forest industry have identified the need for the current corporation to be replaced by a new industry services body to enhance the involvement of industry in their future development and to enable industry-wide marketing and promotional activities to be undertaken.

The new industry services body will continue to develop the competitiveness of Australia’s forest industries through the development of expanded research and development, marketing and promotional company. R&D will be jointly funded by the government and industry with marketing and promotional activities funded solely by the industry, in line with all other agricultural and fishery commodities.

The bill deals with the transitional arrangements required to enable the smooth transferral of responsibilities from the corporation to the new body. In particular, the provisions will ensure that the new organisation has staff from day one of its operations and that important ongoing existing research and development corporations can continue. 

Amongst a range of administrative matters the bill facilitates the transfer of assets and liabilities of the corporation to the new body, the transfer of employees and their entitlements, and other provisions including the operation of the Archives Act and the production of corporation’s final annual report.

The bill also contains a number of consequential amendments to other legislation as a result of the cessation of the corporation and the establishment of the new body.

This legislation has overwhelming support from industry groups and producers in providing for the transition from the corporation to the new body and is a further demonstration of the partnership approach between the government and forest industry.

Debate (on motion by Mr Edwards) adjourned.