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NSW Labor to Decide Future of Aussie Hardwood Industry?

Motion will have major implications for the future of native forestry, not just in New South Wales but Australia-wide.


Sat 27 Jul 24

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The NSW Labor Party will debate a crucial motion that will have major implications for the Australian hardwood industry, according to delegates at the NSW Labor Annual State Conference who have provided Wood Central with live coverage from the conference floor.

It comes as Murray Watt, Australia’s Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, vowed today to deliver a new National Regional Forestry Agreement during the current government term.

Tonight, Wood Central can reveal that party delegates will debate Motion 85 on the conference’s final day. The motion calls for the party to:

Motion 85: 

Given the National Conference endorsement of the need for a new National Forest Agreement and Minister Murray Watt’s statement on the conference floor that it will be delivered in the current term of government, the Dulwich Hill / Lewisham Branch. 

a. urges the Prime Minister to convene a process for relevant Ministers at State and Federal level to implement the National Conference commitment 

b. calls on the Prime Minister to set out, in public, a policy direction to guide this process that includes the principles outlined in the National Conference outcome. 

The motion pushed by the powerful LEAN faction comes after the group pushed hard to change the Australian Labor Party’s national policy as part of the ALP National Conference in Brisbane last year.

Native forestry has become a hot-button political issue, with the Australian Labor Party’s left-wing pushing for the party to address vote leakage to the Greens. Following the election of the Chris Minns government in NSW last year, the ALP now holds the federal government and the Queensland, Victoria, WA, South Australia, ACT and NT governments.

In addition, the motion debated tomorrow states that “after twelve years of neglect under the Coalition, there are a range of challenges facing both the timber industry and the environment. The motion continues, “The NSW Government will work with Aboriginal people, industry, workers, and environmental stakeholders to develop a roadmap for the future of sustainable forestry and forest-based industries across the state.”

“This will include expanding and growing the plantation forests that support the government’s housing plans and exploring the use of forests as carbon offsets to help drive revenue to regional communities and create jobs.”

  • Wood Central will provide exclusive updates from the conference floor.

Author

  • Jason Ross

    Jason Ross, publisher, is a 15-year professional in building and construction, connecting with more than 400 specifiers. A Gottstein Fellowship recipient, he is passionate about growing the market for wood-based information. Jason is Wood Central's in-house emcee and is available for corporate host and MC services.

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