Timber industry
Ms BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:20): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Minister, the effects of your plan to close the native timber industry are already being felt. Steve Garrett and his partner, Scott Ferguson, operate Hardwood Forest Products, a 30-year-old forestry equipment business that services the native timber industry. How is it fair that overnight and without warning you stole away the livelihoods of Mr Garrett, his business partner and their six employees that they cannot afford to keep?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:20): Ms Bath, this is not happening overnight. We have provided certainty until mid-2024. I reiterate that all mills will have their contracts extended to 2024, so those that are servicing mills will have work until 2024. We will have intensive consultations and support and transition whilst we transition from native timber to plantation timber. Regional Development Victoria and VicForests are on the ground, consulting directly with impacted people—all businesses that are impacted. I would encourage Ms Bath to make sure that anybody who has not already been contacted and feels that they should be contacted lets me know, because I certainly want face-to-face consultations with all impacted people as part of the decision. This is not something that is going to happen overnight. This is providing four and half years of certainty, and out to 2030 there is support for people available to transition in any way that they think is best for their business.
Ms BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:22): I thank the minister for her response. Well, it is fortuitous that you have just said that you are willing to meet with those people, because they are in the Parliament today, so you will be able to have the opportunity to speak to them face to face. Mr Garrett’s business is just one of hundreds of frontline casualties that are already feeling this impact. What assistance is available right now to those businesses and their employees who have lost their livelihoods and jobs overnight because of your cruel decision?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Resources) (12:22): Ms Bath, I can inform you that right now you can access grants of up to $25 000 per business to engage appropriate professional services to develop a business response plan. This is what I am talking about in terms of being able to sit down with people to plan your future. You will have an opportunity to retool if you wish to transition into plantation timber. You will have opportunities to consider a range of transition for your business and for your staff. If you want to transition into plantation, we have a $10 million innovation fund which is going to be looking at all of the new innovations that are available out there for timber products. There are some very exciting things out there in terms of engineered wood and the like. We have four and half years of working with people to make sure that they have the greatest opportunity to make business decisions that suit them, their staff and their communities.