Minister Tuckey – Show Us Your RFA Plan

The Queensland Timber Board (QTB) today branded attempts by Federal Minister for Forests, Wilson Tuckey and six Queensland Coalition MPs to destroy a State Government, timber industry and conservation Agreement as “anti-industry”. 

According to QTB General Manager, Rod McInnes, Minister Tuckey and his “Gang of Six” are hell bent on destroying the best deal the South-East Queensland hardwood industry has ever been offered.

Mr McInnes said that Minister Tuckey should take a cold shower, remove his political hard-hat and re-examine the situation. 

“The sawmillers of South-East Queensland have been offered, for the first time ever, long-term, compensatable, wood supply agreements at current allocations levels.  These agreements will underpin investment, employment, and economic security for the sawmills and the 35 rural communities that depend on them. 

“Why would they reject all of this for what Minister Tuckey seems to be offering – a slow agonising death, forced on them by continuing resource decline and no security of supply. 

“We urge Minister Tuckey to stop playing politics.  These people are his natural constituents, and they deserve his support,” said Mr McInnes.

Mr McInnes called on Minister Tuckey to put forward his proposal for an RFA in South-East Queensland.

“To date, the Federal Coalition has offered us nothing, and the media statements of recent days seem to indicate that Minister Tuckey and his “Gang of Six” still have nothing to offer us.  If we are not careful, their approach will have us back in the trenches with the conservationists, with no certainty and no future – just more stress and misery.

“Industry had a comprehensive RFA plan. We promoted it widely in the middle of last year.  Minister Tuckey and his Government did not support it.  Neither did the State Government and certainly not the conservation movement.

“We were dismayed.  Of course industry would prefer to sustainably log public forests. But once the area that both State and Federal agencies identified as needing reservation was put aside, intensification of logging was required on the remaining areas to provide economic log volumes.  Industry’s plan called for such intensification and everybody rejected it.

 “The circuit breaker was a politically pragmatic compromise, which provides a reserve system to satisfy the conservationists, long-term wood supply to keep the small sawmills and their dependent communities functioning, and a plantation resource for the future.

“Furthermore, these hardwood plantations are being developed based on the best scientific advice the Federal Government can provide.   We expect to be able to harvest sawlogs in 25 years time from the trees that have just been planted by the Department of Primary Industries Forestry,” he said.

Mr McInnes said industry wanted to know why they shouldn’t continue supporting the State Government/Stakeholder Agreement.

“What can Minister Tuckey offer us as an alternative?”

23 February 2000