Both sides of politics – Labor and the Coalition – must double down on their support for Australia’s native forest industry. That is according to Diana Hallam, CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) – the peak body for the country’s $24 billion forest products industry, who said millions of Australians benefit from the “essential and sought-after” products the sector manufactures for Australians every day.
“The time has come in this Federal Election Campaign for Federal Labor and the Coalition to express their unequivocal support for Australia’s native forestry sector and that they’ll stand by that support in the event of a hung parliament next term,” Ms Hallam said. “These are essential industries Australia cannot live without and require strong Commonwealth support and a political mandate to operate.”
“We need to know where they stand.”
Diana Hallam, CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association – he peak body for the country’s $24 billion forest products industry.
The plea comes after the Australian Labor Party’s candidate for Bass—a key swing seat held by the Liberal Party’s Bridget Archer—admitted that she wanted to close the native forestry.
“We acknowledge the comment was walked back and labelled a mistake – but a clear statement from Federal Labor, as well as the Coalition on their support for native forestry, not just in Tasmania, but nationally, is required – just as Prime Minister Albanese and the Coalition provided ahead of the 2022 Federal Election,” Ms Hallam said.
“Native forestry operations are governed by the Federal-State Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) framework – thereby both the Commonwealth and States are required to work together, and a mandate is required from both levels of government.”
According to Ms Hallam, the native forest industry is essential for Australia’s sovereign capability in timber and wood-fibre resources, manufacturing essential and everyday products, and underpinning many communities that rely on the sector for direct employment and economic activity. “Many of those communities are in regional Australia, and indeed, many in the federal electorate of Bass.”
“Native forestry has been forced to bear the brunt of constant and unwarranted attacks from radical and so-called green activists who are hell-bent on wanting to destroy an industry Australia cannot live without,” she said. “Both sides of federal politics need to be united in their support for native forestry. The communities and families that rely on this wonderful sector deserve to have the backing of whichever major Party forms Australia’s next Federal Government.”
