Forestry

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by NSW Senator Perin Davey (Nationals), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make legal changes themselves, but are politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which advised the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, stated in their 4th Assessment: 'A sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit',

(ii) all Australia's native forests, including the Victorian native forest estate, are certified to the global standard of Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, which is the world's largest certification scheme for forestry and is only available to countries that practise sustainable forest management,

(iii) on 7 November 2019, the Victorian Labor Government announced it will cease all native forest harvesting in state forests by 2030, stepping down production from 2024,

(iv) the annual economic impact on the native forestry value chain and regional communities is expected to be more than $297.3 million,

(v) more than 4700 workers, their families and communities will be negatively impacted as a result of the Victorian Labor Government's decision,

(vi) regional towns and communities across Victoria, including Orbost, Benalla, Heyfield, Noojee, Violet Town, Powelltown and Corryong, are likely to be negatively affected by this decision, and

(vii) this decision creates a disturbing precedent undermining confidence in communities relying on native forestry across Australia; and

(b) calls on all parties to:

(i) recognise the significant contribution the Victorian native hardwood forestry industry contributes to the economy and to rural and regional communities,

(ii) condemn the Victorian Labor Government for seeking to destroy the Victorian native timber industry and forestry workers right to earn a living, and

(iii) call on the Victorian Labor Government to listen to the regional communities directly affected, and reverse this decision.