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Uncertainty clouds plantation forestry

Posted on June 30, 2009, 9:09am

Uncertainty continues to cloud the region’s plantation industry despite announcements from state and national government leaders last week about the future of the sector.

Green Triangle Regional Plantation Committee executive John Kellas said Federal Forestry Minister Tony Burke’s “Preparing Forest Industries for the Future” statement revisited existing policies dating back to the early 1990s.

Dr Kellas said the key focus for the industry was ensuring it was not crippled by potential emissions trading schemes as it faced increased costs and continued overseas competition.

But he said bluegum growers had more immediate concerns dealing with the fallout from the collapses of Timbercorp and Great Southern.

Meanwhile, Dr Kellas said a State Government policy framework released last week to manage the impacts of plantation forestry on water resources was another step towards requiring allocations for the sector, but this process also remained unclear.

He said the industry was awaiting briefings in July after there had been limited consultation as the framework was developed internally by the government.

“The industry would have been hopeful there was more discussion in development of the framework and is certainly looking for further input,” he said.

But Dr Kellas said the water policy could have a more devastating impact on the South East industry than emissions trading.

“What has been suggested previously by the natural resource management board is to take forestry land out of production and not allow replanting in some areas,” he said.

“But what they are suggesting is turning the land taken out of production after harvesting back to native vegetation, so there would be no net gain in water supply anyway; they would continually run down the forest estate to ultimately nothing.”

Dr Kellas said he hoped the framework would require a broader socio-economic analysis and provide a more balanced view.

However, the South Australian Farmers Federation welcomed the water policy framework to improve plantation management and ensure the sector’s impact on shared resources was taken into account.

“All water users will share the pain of reduced allocations in regions where water resources are being overused,” SAFF natural resource committee chair Sharon Starick said.

She said ensuring sustainability of forestry was essential as the carbon pollution reduction scheme could lead to plantations expanding.

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