Thursday, 14 November 2019

 Mr O’DONOHUE (Eastern Victoria) (12:12): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Minister Symes. Minister, I refer you to a recent VicForests video which was being promoted at the Royal Melbourne Show which, as a government agency, was I assume reflecting government policy just six weeks ago. The video says of native timber harvesting, and I quote:

Native timber is the ultimate renewable resource. The products and regrowth lock up carbon and contribute to helping counter climate change.

Minister, noting that the VicForests video of only six weeks ago discusses at length the long-term sustainability of the native timber industry, what new information has the government received in the last six weeks that made it completely change government policy and throw the industry on the scrap heap?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:12): I thank Mr O’Donohue for his question. Mr O’Donohue, the government have made a decision—a very difficult decision—for a transition out of native timber into plantation timber, and we have explored that at great length in this house. What I can inform you is that in the past decade there has been about a 50 per cent reduction in the availability of native forest fit for harvesting. The impacts of bushfires, increased difficulty in accessing the timber and greater environmental protections have all had an impact on the availability of forest suitable to harvest D-grade timber. This is not an easy decision, but the timber is not there for a sustainable future of the native timber industry. We want a sustainable forest industry. Native timber is not the future. We are providing four and a half years of certainty for existing people in the business, and we are providing transition services for all of those that are impacted so that they can transition to plantation or indeed to other industries.

 Mr O’DONOHUE (Eastern Victoria) (12:14): I note that the minister did not actually answer the question about what has changed in the last six weeks, but I ask by way of supplementary: Minister, the government gives every appearance of being at odds with its own agencies regarding the carbon sequestration impact of the native timber industry. Will you table in this house all the government’s assumptions, analyses, assessments and conclusions underpinning its announcement of the carbon impact of its policy to end native timber harvesting?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:14): I am not exactly sure that that supplementary is apposite to the substantive question, and in fact—

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has got the call.

Ms SYMES: And on that basis, the documents are not a matter for me, so even if I was able to answer, it is a matter for another minister, Mr O’Donohue.