2016-06-21
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Yesterday the Age reported that the economic return in the Central Highlands from forested areas from water and carbon sequestration is far greater than the return from timber and that those greater returns are incompatible with logging. I quote:
The analysis, by a team of environmental accountants, economists and scientists from the Australian National University's Fenner school … found native forestry in the Central Highlands generated $29 of additional net economic activity per hectare …
compared to $2023 for the state's water supply, $2667 for agriculture and $353 per hectare from tourism. The Age also reported that this information was being forwarded to the forest industry task force. Can the minister assure members that the government will direct the task force to include the findings of this important paper in its deliberations?