Australia’s native forest industry is safe (for now) after Anthony Albanese, the country’s Prime Minister, overruled Tanya Plibersek, his Environmental Minister, and scuttled last-minute negotiations to secure a deal on Nature Positive Laws before the Christmas parliamentary shut-down period.
It comes after Wood Central revealed that the Greens were prepared to reopen negotiations to guarantee the law’s passage in exchange for “stronger action to protect native forests and critical habitat from logging and deforestation.”
That move, which would abolish regional forestry agreements, was criticised by the National Farmers Federation (the NFF), which is “vehemently opposed” to the proposal to remove continuing use provisions and ban native forestry as quid pro quo in exchange for passing the Albanese Government’s Nature Positive bills.
“The Greens’ attempt to strike down an entire industry through hasty amendments is just irresponsible politicking,” according to Charlie Thomas, the NFF’s Deputy CEO. “Regional Forest Agreements result from careful, comprehensive processes that balance conservation with sustainable resource use.”Â
Now, the ABC and News Corporation both reveal that talks between Minister Plibersek and Greens Environmental Spokesperson South Australian Senator Sarah Hanson-Young have broken down after the prime minister ceded to mining groups (and WA Premier Roger Cook) amid concerns that the Greens policies are on the nose with the public. The ABC also reported that environmental changes have spooked Labor about its election prospects in WA, which mining groups opposed.
“This is dangerous territory that the federal government is entering, doing deals in the twilight of the parliamentary term,” Warren Pearce, chief executive of the Perth-based Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, warned on Tuesday.”This legislation is flawed and has been from day dot. It is a shame that the government has consulted more with the crossbench than with industry.”
A spokesperson for Ms Plibersek indicated the Greens could still pass Labor’s legislation as it currently stands without including Senator Hanson-Young’s insistence on toughening protections for native forests.
“The bills are listed in the Senate. The Coalition, the Greens and other senators can support them at any time,” she said. However, Senator Hanson-Young said the government had cooled on a potential deal.
“The Greens put a deal on the table, and the government has walked away,” she said. “The prime minister has been bullied by the mining and logging lobby again.”
Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia and the Greens spokesperson for the Environment.
“Gina Rinehart and the logging lobby seem to have more influence than the rest of the country. The Greens want to get laws that would provide some protection for nature, but Labor couldn’t even entertain protecting forests and critical habitat in an extinction crisis.”
- To read more about the Greens’ plea to trade key concessions on the Nature Positive Bill for an agreement on locking up native forests, click here for Wood Central’s article from last week.
