Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister confirm that the panel established under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement to review scheduling requirements in the 430,000 hectares of claimed high conservation value has found that at least 25 coupes will be required to meet timber supply contracts before the end of December? Why is the government trying to keep the report secret? Can the minister also advise whether the government will be complying with clauses 26 and 27 of the IGA and paying compensation to sawmills instead of honouring the supply clauses in the sawmills' contracts?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The intergovernmental agreement does provide significant benefits for Tasmania. It goes on to create assistance for workers and assistance for industry. If you look more broadly at the issues that surround Tasmania and Tasmanian forestry, it is important to consider the substantive issues. In line with the retirement of Gunns's native forest contracts, the Australian government has also agreed to provide up to $45 million in assistance for voluntary exits from public native forest operations affected by harvest, haulage and silviculture contracts.

In addition to that, the Gillard government supports—unlike, it seems, those opposite—long-term sustainable investment in rural and regional Australia, including productive native forests in the plantation sector. This diversity and balance is important to the Australian forest industry. Over the last four years the government has delivered on its commitments to the Australian forest industry, which those opposite sometimes miss out on.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order on relevance: this is clearly not relevant to the question. We all know the details of the process that the government is going through. I am after some specific information about the verification group and the number of coupes that will be required to be logged before the end of December and whether or not the government is going to continue to supply sawmills with logs or compensate them as is drafted in the IGA. It is a very specific question; it is not broad information, as the minister is giving the chamber.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: I do not think Senator Ludwig could more clearly be discussing the question that was asked. He has 48 seconds to complete his answer, yet those opposite again attempt to play the game: here is our question and here is the answer we demand you make him give. Senator Ludwig is absolutely discussing the issue. He has 48 seconds to complete his answer and I ask you, Mr President, to dismiss this point of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ludwig, I believe you need to come to the question. There are 48 seconds remaining.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

An independent verification group was convened by Professor Jonathan West. It is to assess the conservation values of the nominated 572,000 hectares and assess reserve areas compatible with wood supply guarantees to determine the areas of high conservation value forest. This is an important process to go through. It seems those opposite do not want to engage in this process other than to stand on the sideline and say no. That group have started their work and the government looks forward to them working successfully through what is a quite complex process. Where harvesting work has already begun in coupes within the nominated 430,000 hectares, rescheduling will occur as soon as practicable and a list of coupes that will be harvested will be agreed to by the government. (Time expired)

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the so-called independent verification group, chaired by former Wilderness Society director Jonathan West and stacked with four out of six members closely linked to the Wilderness Society, will not complete its work until at least February, perhaps March, requiring even more coupes from within the 430,000 hectares to be accessed before the assessment process is complete?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the underlying assumption that these people are not eminent people. Professor Jonathan West has been engaged in a consultation process with the Tasmanian statement of principles signatories on appropriately qualified persons to be part of the independent verification group appointed by Tasmania and the Australian government to verify areas of high conservation value and make recommendations about rescheduling and wood supply. So at the outset I reject the point that is being made by those opposite. They are ill-informed. These people are eminently qualified to undertake this work. Their work is essential and critical to ensuring that rescheduling, which, as I indicated, would occur in the 430,000 hectares during the independent verification process, will be reviewed in the available time as soon as the parties— (Time expired)

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a second supplementary question. Doesn't the minister's complete lack of understanding or knowledge of what is happening within the process demonstrate that the whole IGA process is in chaos, with the state government, the Australian government and environmental groups just ignoring the agreement and the process and doing what they please?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Colbeck for his ill-informed question. The intergovernmental agreement is a very important agreement. That is why we have Professor Jonathan West going through the verification process. That is why the signatories came together by themselves to look at how they can ensure forestry in Tasmania will continue. We will continue to have plantations. We will continue to have conservation in high-value forests. We will continue to have native forests in public hands that will be protected. All of this is well in front of where the opposition have ever landed in relation to ensuring that this process can be maintained and continued.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order again on relevance. The minister has shown no capacity to understand or willingness to address any of the questions that I have asked him this afternoon. He has shown absolutely no willingness to address the question. It is about time he got out of the city and spent some time in the bush to understand exactly what is going on in regional Australia and his portfolio.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberals are critical of the intergovernmental agreement with Tasmania because they do not care about workers. They do not care about the industry. They do not care about the public in Tasmania. All they want to do is make cheap political points. Senator Colbeck ought to get out of Tasmania and have a look around as well. (Time expired)