THE parliamentary committee investigating matters relating to the timber industry has started hearing evidence, with Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) appearing before the committee in Adelaide on Tuesday.
Under questioning from Labor parliamentarian and committee chair Clare Scriven, PIRSA gave evidence there had been no breaches of the contract conditions with OneFortyOne Plantations regarding over-cutting of the forest.
However, under further probing by Ms Scriven, PIRSA replied ‘none had been substantiated’.
The committee heard as a result PIRSA sought a request for access to documents for additional confirmation from OneFortyOne.
“Transparency is incredibly important in this issue,” Ms Scriven said.
“The local community needs to know the forests are a sustainable resource for the future.
“They therefore have the right to know what concerns have been raised by PIRSA and how they have been satisfied.”
PIRSA representatives told the committee there had been no reduction in the age of softwood trees being harvested, with the average of 32 to 34 years being maintained.
Ms Scriven welcomed additional information provided during the hearing and said it was important to hear all perspectives of the export issue.
“I think committee members were surprised to hear evidence the current trade deficit of $2b – the difference between the amount of wood products we import compared to the amount we export – is not new and has in fact been at the same level over the past 20 years,” she said.
“That situation has therefore been similar under Liberal and Labor governments, both State and Federal, so clearly all governments need to do more to foster Australian processing and provide more Australian jobs.
“This is one of the areas the committee needs to develop strategies about.”
The committee also heard an overview of the industry from independent rural research organisation Forest and Wood Products Australia managing director Ric Sinclair.
Mr Sinclair spoke about timber being the ‘ultimate renewable’ and a key component in reducing carbon emissions.
The five-member committee comprises of Labor parliamentarian Russell Wortley, Liberal MLCs Terry Stephens and Dennis Hood and SA-Best crossbencher Frank Pangallo.
The committee will investigate whether log exports are in compliance with lease agreements, with particular reference to volume, supply agreements and options for increasing the availability of logs.
The wide-ranging enquiry was established by Labor’s Clare Scriven in the Parliament’s Legislative Council after the Liberal government refused to support independent MP Troy Bell’s motion to establish an enquiry in the House of Assembly.
The terms of reference of the committee include looking at the volume of timber exports by all growers in the area, the impacts of water licensing, strategies to increase local timber supply and opportunities within farm forestry.
Future hearings of the committee will hear from ForestrySA, as well as local stakeholders, with locations to be both in Adelaide and the Limestone Coast.
