❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks information on the use of timber railway sleepers, particularly regarding sourcing, standards compliance, and costs associated with Brookfield Rail's re-sleepering project. The answers provided by the Forest Products Commission (FPC) indicate a lack of oversight and data collection regarding the end-use of native forest timber.
AnsweredQoN 1464Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Regarding the use of timber railway sleepers for re-sleepering rail lines maintained by Brookfield Rail, I ask: (a) how many timber railway sleepers have been commissioned; (b) how many have been milled in Western Australia, and at what mills; (c) given that railway sleepers are not considered to be value-added products, who authorises the use of native forest timber for railway sleepers; (d) does the process involved in the certification of the railway sleepers to ensure that they comply with Australian standards for wooden railway sleepers reported in question on notice No. 8028 of 2012 still apply; (e) do all sleepers still comply with the relevant Australian Standards, including AS 3818 Part 2; (f) if yes to (e), how does the Minister know that they comply; (g) are timber sleepers required to comply with other standards; (h) if yes to (g), what are those standards and will the Minister please table a copy; (i) how many timber railway sleepers have been delivered to date; (j) how many timber railway sleepers have been installed already and where; (k) how many timber railway sleepers remain to be delivered; (l) how much has the State Government committed to pay to Brookfield Rail for re-sleepering rail lines; (m) how much has already been paid; and (n) how much of the amount already paid was for timber railway sleepers?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 September 2014
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Forestry
Response time
35 days
(a)-(b) The Forest Products Commission (FPC) does not have this information.
(c) The FPC is authorised under the Forest Management Plan to supply native forest timber to customers. The FPC does not monitor the use of native forest timber.
(d) Yes.
(e) The FPC does not have this information.
(f) Not applicable.
(g) The FPC does not have this information.
(h) Not applicable.
(i)-(n) The FPC does not have this information.
(c) The FPC is authorised under the Forest Management Plan to supply native forest timber to customers. The FPC does not monitor the use of native forest timber.
(d) Yes.
(e) The FPC does not have this information.
(f) Not applicable.
(g) The FPC does not have this information.
(h) Not applicable.
(i)-(n) The FPC does not have this information.
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