❓ Mr. Redman questions the Minister for Forestry about the decision to halt harvesting in the Dalgarup coupe due to potential old-growth forest. The Minister explains the reassessment process and accuses Mr. Redman of hypocrisy regarding forestry practices.
AnsweredQoN 325Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DALGARUP COUPE —
HARVESTING
325. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the decision to stop
harvesting in the Dalgarup coupe, near Bridgetown.
(1) Who first raised the issue of
potential old growth in the coupe?
(2) What
involvement did the minister, the Forest Products Commission and the Minister
for Environment have in this decision?
(3) On what basis
was the decision made to stop harvesting in the coupe?
HARVESTING
325. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the decision to stop
harvesting in the Dalgarup coupe, near Bridgetown.
(1) Who first raised the issue of
potential old growth in the coupe?
(2) What
involvement did the minister, the Forest Products Commission and the Minister
for Environment have in this decision?
(3) On what basis
was the decision made to stop harvesting in the coupe?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Warren–Blackwood
for the question
(1)–(3) The
member is correct; the Dalgarup 0118 forest coupe is about 15 kilometres west
of Bridgetown. I am told the coupe is 174 hectares. It was initially assessed,
as is usually the case, by the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions. It identified 75 hectares of previously
unidentified old growth , and that was then reclassified and set aside
from harvesting. Since then, the Forest Products Commission has begun
harvesting in that coupe. There is in fact only about 14 hectares of forest
left to be harvested.
While that harvesting was taking
place, members of the community spoke directly to FPC, which was doing the
harvesting, and raised with my office and I understand with the Minister for
Environment's office that potentially some identified old-growth forest
was still in the area to be harvested. DBCA is now reassessing the remaining
forest to see whether there is any unidentified old growth that had been missed
in the assessment done previously.
DBCA is not my department. The
Minister for Environment is responsible for DBCA, and it is through that
department that a decision was made to temporarily halt harvesting in that
coupe and to make an assessment. It is not uncommon. If the member looks back
at when assessments of forests on the harvest list have been made, he will see
that it is not uncommon for areas of old growth to be missed. As indicated,
when DBCA did the original assessment of that forest, it identified 75 hectares
of previously unidentified old-growth forest and that was set aside from the
harvest plan.
As a government, we are committed to
not harvesting old-growth forest. I think the community is very comfortable with that position. I know members
opposite do not support that position, but we, as a government, made
that commitment a long time ago and we continue to abide by it. All that is
happening, member, is that that assessment is being done by DBCA. When that
assessment is made, a decision will take place.
I have to say that last night I looked
at a couple of letters the member for Warren–Blackwood had written to
me asking me to halt harvesting in a coupe near Pemberton because of some
complaints he had had from members of the community there. The member for
Warren–Blackwood cannot have it both —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren Blackwood, you have a supplementary.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When we stop
harvesting to check for old-growth forest, the member for Warren–Blackwood
is not happy. When we go ahead and harvest in Pemberton, the member writes me
letters saying not to do it. The member for Warren–Blackwood cannot
have it both ways.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I will take away your supplementary.
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
cannot have it both ways. The member for Warren–Blackwood is a classic.
He writes me letters complaining about things that he did when he was in
government. It is one of the classics of opposition: he writes me letters all
the time complaining about policies that he put in place when he was Minister
for Forestry or Minister for Water. It is a little comedy routine the member
has.
We have clear policies in this
area. We do not support the logging of old-growth forests. We do support
logging jobs in the forestry industry. What is happening in Bridgetown at the
moment is that we are simply reassessing the coupe to make sure that no
old-growth forest has been previously missed in the assessment of that coupe.
for the question
(1)–(3) The
member is correct; the Dalgarup 0118 forest coupe is about 15 kilometres west
of Bridgetown. I am told the coupe is 174 hectares. It was initially assessed,
as is usually the case, by the Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions. It identified 75 hectares of previously
unidentified old growth , and that was then reclassified and set aside
from harvesting. Since then, the Forest Products Commission has begun
harvesting in that coupe. There is in fact only about 14 hectares of forest
left to be harvested.
While that harvesting was taking
place, members of the community spoke directly to FPC, which was doing the
harvesting, and raised with my office and I understand with the Minister for
Environment's office that potentially some identified old-growth forest
was still in the area to be harvested. DBCA is now reassessing the remaining
forest to see whether there is any unidentified old growth that had been missed
in the assessment done previously.
DBCA is not my department. The
Minister for Environment is responsible for DBCA, and it is through that
department that a decision was made to temporarily halt harvesting in that
coupe and to make an assessment. It is not uncommon. If the member looks back
at when assessments of forests on the harvest list have been made, he will see
that it is not uncommon for areas of old growth to be missed. As indicated,
when DBCA did the original assessment of that forest, it identified 75 hectares
of previously unidentified old-growth forest and that was set aside from the
harvest plan.
As a government, we are committed to
not harvesting old-growth forest. I think the community is very comfortable with that position. I know members
opposite do not support that position, but we, as a government, made
that commitment a long time ago and we continue to abide by it. All that is
happening, member, is that that assessment is being done by DBCA. When that
assessment is made, a decision will take place.
I have to say that last night I looked
at a couple of letters the member for Warren–Blackwood had written to
me asking me to halt harvesting in a coupe near Pemberton because of some
complaints he had had from members of the community there. The member for
Warren–Blackwood cannot have it both —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren Blackwood, you have a supplementary.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When we stop
harvesting to check for old-growth forest, the member for Warren–Blackwood
is not happy. When we go ahead and harvest in Pemberton, the member writes me
letters saying not to do it. The member for Warren–Blackwood cannot
have it both ways.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I will take away your supplementary.
Mr D.J. KELLY : The member
cannot have it both ways. The member for Warren–Blackwood is a classic.
He writes me letters complaining about things that he did when he was in
government. It is one of the classics of opposition: he writes me letters all
the time complaining about policies that he put in place when he was Minister
for Forestry or Minister for Water. It is a little comedy routine the member
has.
We have clear policies in this
area. We do not support the logging of old-growth forests. We do support
logging jobs in the forestry industry. What is happening in Bridgetown at the
moment is that we are simply reassessing the coupe to make sure that no
old-growth forest has been previously missed in the assessment of that coupe.
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