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Ingram Questions Government’s Commitment To Timber JobsThe Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has called on the Victorian Premier, John Brumby, to honour the government’s "no job loss" commitment to East Gippsland timber By Craig Ingram - 19th September 2008 - Back to News communities that the government made in the lead up to the last state election.
"In a question to the Premier in state parliament this week, Mr Ingram outlined the concerns within the industry regarding VicForests and the lack of progress on the recommendations of the Industry Transition Taskforce (ITT) report.
"At the 2006 election, the State Government promised no net job losses in the East Gippsland timber industry in protecting old growth forests," Mr Ingram said.
"Yet, through VicForests’ competitive tendering process, both sawlogs and harvest haulage jobs have been transferred interstate; and the government has not implemented the recommendations from the ITT."
Mr Ingram told parliament that the government has not yet delivered on its commitment in assisting the industry to shift to lower quality sawlogs and it has not delivered security or confidence to this important industry.
"The industry has lost access to another high value resource area, but the government has not backed up its stated commitment to assist the industry mover to smaller logs," he said.
"The government must back the industry and provide the security and confidence so that East Gippsland timber communities can move forward."
Mr Ingram said that today that VicForests must come under the management of one minister to end the split responsibilities that currently exist at present between the Treasurer and the Minister for Agriculture.
"The government also needs to provide the opportunity, licence security and investment signals to the industry to allow the investment in alterative technologies and value adding.
"East Gippsland and the state must get a greater return from our important native forest timber industry and the government must play its role in delivering the outcomes they committed to in 2006 election campaign.
"No job loss is the starting point if the right framework is put in place there are enormous opportunities in this industry for East Gippsland," Mr Ingram concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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