Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, upon notice, on 18 June 2012:

Can itemised lists be provided detailing: (a) the amount paid to Professor Jonathan West for work on the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement; and (b) whether any of the signatories to the original Statement of Principles received government funds; if so, how much.

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

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(a) The total cost of the Tasmanian Forest Independent Verification process, led by Professor Jonathan West, is approximately $2.05 million. Exact final figures cannot be provided at this time as some work is still underway, but total payments made as at 29 June 2012 are $1,897,288.26.

This total figure includes $130,000 for Professor Jonathan West's services, plus $302,540.44 for the other five expert members of the Independent Verification Group for their contribution to the comprehensive assessment of the Tasmanian forestry industry's timber supply requirements and the conservation values of nominated areas of Tasmania's native forests.

It also includes a total of $1,464,747.82 paid to 27 expert organisations and individuals to produce data, modelling and sub-reports to support the Independent Verification Group's analysis, plus ongoing technical support from industry and environment nominees, peer review and administration costs.

(b) In order to support their involvement in the Statement of Principles process, in June 2011 industry were provided a total of $120,000, employee representatives a total of

$80,000 and conservation non-government organisations a total of $40,000. This funding has been used to support a range of coordination activities including industry, employee and community engagement in the process and support programs.

Industry groups included:

Forest Industries Association of Tasmania

National Association of Forest Industries

Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association

Australian Forest Contractors Association

Tasmanian Country Sawmillers Federation

Timber Communities Australia

Empl o yees were represented by:

the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Conservation non-government organisations include:

Australian Conservation Foundation

Environment Tasmania

The Wilderness Society was not funded at this time as it had suspended its involvement in the process.

In June 2012 the Signatories were granted the following additional amounts to support their ongoing involvement in intensive negotiations to reach an agreement which optimises wood supply and conservation outcomes. The following three organisations were provided $20,000 each to support their interstate representatives' involvement in Hobart negotiations:

Timber Communities Australia

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Australian Conservation Foundation

The following seven organisations were provided $5,000 each to support the involvement of their Tasmanian representatives' in the Hobart negotiations:

Forest Industries Association of Tasmania

Australian Forest Products Association

Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association

Australian Forest Contractors Association

Tasmanian Sawmillers Association

The Wilderness Society

Environment Tasmania

All figures GST Exclusive