Wednesday, 29 November 2023

Native timber industry

Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (19:03): (473) My adjournment tonight is to the Premier, and the action that I am seeking is for her to finalise fair timber worker exit packages, treating these families with more respect than they have been shown to date. As it sits now, we have got four weeks to go – it is a little bit over four weeks – before they are out of work, and it is quite distressing to see correspondence where, after committing to meeting with these timber workers in question time a few weeks ago, the Premier is now backtracking on that meeting and trying to dish that meeting out to departmental bureaucrats. She committed to meeting with these timber workers, the contractors, and she ought to do so. I would love to be present at that meeting to help them prosecute their case.

The major issues include – I touched on a couple of these earlier today – that those timber workers who want to stay on and work for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action want the final information on where the work will be, what equipment will be required and how much they will be paid before they put in an expression of interest, but this government is asking for an expression of interest to be put in up-front, when they are not given all that level of detail. The government indicates that those workers who accept or put in an expression of interest that may result in ongoing employment – if that eventuates, they will not get the full amount of their exit packages, so that will be compromised. ‘If you’re staying to work for us, well, we’re not going to give you the full amount of your exit package.’ They need to be treated separately. They are being kicked out of the bush – exit package. ‘Now we’ll deal with you on your future employment.’ Those two things should not be attached. That is not fair on these workers.

The Allan Labor government has not formally overturned in writing its decision on no compensation for machinery over 10 years. I know there have been some discussions on that, but we want to see that in writing. We also do not want the compensation for machinery up to 10 years old being in a capped package. That is unfair. They should be compensated on their machinery for what it is worth.

There is also a requirement for employers to fund the retraining of staff. The government should undertake that, as it said it would at the very start of this package. There need to be some answers delivered in the next fortnight so these timber families can have a little bit of peace of mind going into Christmas. There are a number of outstanding issues, and I urge the Premier to not only meet with them but offer them a fair package prior to the Christmas period.