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Government Will Breach Timber Commitment: IngramThe Independent Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, says the State Government will breach its 2006 election commitment to the region’s timber industry if it implements changes proposed to the East Gippsland By Craig Ingram - 5th October 2010 - Back to News Forest Management Area zoning scheme
During question time in the Victorian Parliament, Mr Ingram called on the State Government to honor its 2006 election policy commitment of no job losses or further reductions in resource security for the industry.
Mr Ingram’s question follows the release of proposed amendments to the East Gippsland Forest Management Area zoning scheme, suggesting a further 117,000 hectare increase in the informal reserve system of Special Protection Zones (SPZ) and Special Management Zones (SMZ).
"If implemented, this would be a major breach of the Labor government’s 2006 election
commitment," Mr Ingram said.
"Last year, Labor, Liberal, the Nationals and Greens voted together to reserve an additional 45,000 hectares of old growth forest, with Labor saying that this was the last of the reserves in East
Gippsland and that the resource would come from a redesign of the informal reserve system taking areas out of the SPZs to allow timber harvesting to continue.
"The government also committed $1 million to the industry to assist a business willing to establish a small log line to transit the industry to smaller diameter logs and regrowth timber. This money has not been allocated or spent and unless the government seriously addresses the lack of business confidence caused by its continual adjustments the money will not be taken up.
"This latest attempt at a resource grab by the Department of Sustainability and Environment must be rejected and I will be submitting a strong position opposing the new zones.
"It is just the latest in a long line of government decisions that have taken the investment confidence out of the East Gippsland timber industry," Mr Ingram said.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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