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Additional comments by labor members
1.1
Labor Senators note
the statement by Tasmanian Resources Minister, Bryan Green, on 30 August 2004,
which announced significant changes to the Tasmanian forest practices system.
1.2
Minister Green's
statement includes the following positive initiatives to be implemented by the
Tasmanian Government:
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Removal of the
exemption for Forestry Tasmania under the Freedom of Information Act.
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An undertaking to
introduce legislation into the Tasmanian Parliament later this year to overhaul
the Forest Practices Board, creating a new organisation to be known as the
Forest Practices Authority.
1.3
According to
Minister Green's statement:
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The Forest Practices Authority will have an independent chair and
include people with expertise in environmental or natural resource management,
conservation, sustainable forest
management, community liaison and local government.
-
The Tasmanian
government will provide of an extra $226,000 per year to the Forest Practices
Authority to fund two new positions for the Authority to increase its capacity
to investigate alleged breaches of the Forest Practices Code and to improve
public information and understanding of the system.
-
Four new Forest
Practice Authority officers (to be funded by a user pay system based on fees
for all Forest Practices Plans) will be appointed to provide independent 'on
the ground' monitoring of forest practices, as well as increasing awareness
amongst forest workers of the requirements of the Code.
-
Maximum penalties
for breaches of the Forest Practices Code will be increased from $15,000 to
$100,000 and the statute of limitations will be extended from one year to three
years.
-
The Registrar of
the Forest Practices Tribunal will be separated from the Forest Practices
Authority.
-
$400,000 will be
committed over three years for an education and training program to be
delivered through the Tasmanian Forest Industry Training Board (TFITB).
1.4
Although the
Committee was finalising this report at the time of Minister Green's
announcement, and has not had time to fully consider the impact of the
initiatives contained therein, Labor Senators are of the view that these
initiatives will go some considerable way to addressing the findings of this
Committee and the concerns of the Tasmanian and broader communities.
1.5
Labor Senators
believe the Committee should monitor the implementation and progress of these
initiatives, the outcomes of which may be relevant to any further inquiry of
this Committee, as described in Recommendation 13.
Kerry O'Brien- Senator for Tasmania
Ursula
Stephens - Senator
for New South Wales
Geoff
Buckland - Senator
for South Australia
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