2015-09-02
QUESTION:
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Agriculture, and it relates to a statement made by the minister in this place on 4 August about the government’s intentions with Hazelwood power station. On that day I asked the minister about the burning of native forest wood in Australia’s dirtiest coal-fired power station, Hazelwood. The minister answered that: The government has no plans to change the current arrangements. To explain the context of the question I remind members of the recent deal that federal Labor struck with the Abbott government concerning the renewable energy target scheme. This will allow power companies to create renewable energy certificates from burning native forest wood. I want to give the Andrews government another chance to take advantage of an opportunity to right this wrong and take action to commit to genuine renewable energy in Victoria. Will the minister ban VicForests from selling native forest wood to Hazelwood and other coal-fired power stations?
ANSWER:
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I thank the member for her question, which in part goes to matters of the federal government’s renewable energy target and arrangements there. Specifically on the question of biomass and wood waste and the role they play as part of the sustainable management of our natural resources, what I would say to the member and indicate to the house is that our government’s position is consistent with that of federal Labor, which moved an amendment to remove native wood waste from the Abbott government’s revised renewable energy target legislation. We do not support using Victoria’s native timber resources for collecting the commonwealth’s carbon credits under its renewable energy target scheme. As I indicated in my answer to Mr Purcell’s earlier question, our interests are in growing our opportunities to develop renewable energy in Victoria — to develop and support those industries. Indeed there are enormous opportunities to do so. That is our focus.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION:
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — I thank the minister for her answer. My question was very specifically around banning VicForests from selling native forest wood. Burning native forests contributes to greenhouse gases and many other toxic pollutants and also props up the native forest logging industry, which really must move to plantations anyway. My supplementary question is: if the minister will not confirm a ban on VicForests participating in biomass burning at Hazelwood, will it take any steps at all to restrict VicForests in this regard? Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I thank the member for her supplementary question and her ongoing interest in the activities of VicForests and the native timber industry. Mr Jennings interjected.
SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER:
Ms PULFORD — We all love the native timber industry in Victoria. As I indicated in the house in August, we have no plans to make any changes in this respect. We are committed to the responsible management of our timber resources. The government is supporting the establishment of a task force to see if there are recommendations that can be achieved by consensus that the government then would consider. As the member knows, that task force needs to be able to commence its work and perform its task.