2017-05-24
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Given reports today in the Weekly Times that pine sawlog supplier Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP) has negotiated to extend supply to Gippsland’s Australian Paper should processor Carter Holt Harvey shut its Morwell mill, will the minister be amending the timber release plan downwards based on this new supply source to Australian Paper from plantation timber?
Ms Pulford — On a point of order, President, this goes directly to a matter that is listed for debate in general business this afternoon, so I seek your guidance on whether it breaches the anticipation rule.
The PRESIDENT — Order! The matter, as I understand it, that is listed for this afternoon is the one that Ms Bath gave notice of this morning. Can I have a copy of the question? In the meantime I will move on to Mr O’Donohue’s question and come back to this matter once I have looked at it.
Mr O'Donohue's question proceeds
The PRESIDENT — Order! We will return to Ms Dunn’s question. I am of the view that Ms Dunn’s question is allowable and that it does not offend our anticipation rules. The minister is correct that there are a number of matters in regard to the timber industry that are canvassed by Ms Bath’s motion, which is expected to be considered later this day. However, I think Ms Dunn’s question does not in itself touch on any of the elements of that motion, notwithstanding that one of the companies that is involved is certainly reflected in that motion. I do not believe that it breaches the anticipation rule on this occasion. Ms Dunn, could you repeat the question, please, for the minister.
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — Thank you, President. Given reports today in the Weekly Times that pine sawlog supplier Hancock Victorian Plantations has negotiated to extend supply to Gippsland’s Australian Paper should processor Carter Holt Harvey shut its Morwell mill, will the minister amend the timber release plan downwards based on this new supply source to Australian Paper from plantation timber?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I thank Ms Dunn for her question and her interest in these matters. As I assume Ms Dunn knows, the Hancock plantation is softwood. The timber release plan relates to the management of hardwood and the state’s own resource as distinct from a resource held by a private company, for which, as it happens, I do not have the same level of oversight as I do the management of the state’s own resources. I see no connection in the way that Ms Dunn does in these matters. It takes hardwood and softwood to make paper, and so the answer to Ms Dunn’s question is no.
Supplementary question
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Minister. Can the minister advise what impact this new wood supply from HVP — plantation timber — will have on compensation payments made to Australian Paper due to the failure to supply native forests under current arrangements?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I thank Ms Dunn for her further question. Ms Dunn does I think understand these matters better than sometimes
she likes to let on when she raises these questions in the Parliament. They are entirely different types of timber from different sources with different management arrangements in place and different ownership arrangements in place. I know Ms Dunn is seeking to take two and two and get five or eight or whatever. The arrangements between HVP and their customers are a matter for HVP and are not particularly a matter for government administration other than our ordinary level of interest in the strength and viability of significant employers like Australian Paper in the course of our obviously strong interest in the welfare of the people who are still employed by Carter Holt Harvey, a company that has had to make a very unfortunate decision, a very regrettable decision, as a result of 7 million trees being burnt down by fire.