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Ingram pressures government to honor its commitmentIndependent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has called on the Labor Government to honor its commitment to those affected by volume reductions in the timber industry. By Craig Ingram - 23rd July 2003 - Back to News "I have raised the issue numerous times in Parliament and in private correspondence to the Minister for Environment, John Thwaites, but the government seems reluctant to stick to its word.
"I believe simply that the package has run out of money and that government is dragging its feet in committing further funding.
"Contractors and workers were given commitments by the government that fair redundancies would be available to help communities adjust to these changes.
"There are workers, secondary contractors and local businesses which have been unable to receive payments.
"This is something that Government needs to address before the government makes any further adjustments to the timber industry - and further adjustments are being made in the Otways.
"A number of businesses in my electorate have lost substantial parts of their business through the industry restructure. They include cartage hauliers, who cart the sawn timber on the roads; and other firms such as a small Bairnsdale sawmill which buys cut timber, processes it and on sells it to fencing contractors and others.
"It is essential that the people who have been restructured out of this industry receive the payments that were guaranteed to them when the Environment Minister and the Premier made the announcement," Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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