Hon Louise Kingston questions the Minister for Forestry regarding the expertise of Forest Products Commission (FPC) commissioners, particularly in the plantation timber industry, and the FPC's financial performance. The Minister responds by stating the FPC has seven relevant and experienced commissioners with a wide-ranging skill set.

AnsweredQoN 870Legislative Council
Asked
14 August 2024
Portfolio
Forestry

QuestionView source ↗

FOREST PRODUCTS
COMMISSION
870. Hon LOUISE KINGSTON to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to section 6(1) under part
2, ''Forest Products Commission'', of the Forest Products Act
2000, which requires that commissioners have expertise in, among other things,
the plantation timber industry.
(1) Can the
minister advise how many commissioners of the Forest Products Commission can be
said to be experts in the plantation timber industry; and, if so, who are they
and what is their experience?
(2) Have any commissioners been
recently appointed to the FPC; and, if yes, who are they?
(3) If the answer
to (1) is that no commissioners are experts in the plantation timber industry,
why did the minister not nominate such an expert?
(4) Is the reason
for the FPC's financial failure since the current government came to
power due to the fact that there are no forestry experts on the commission?
(5) Is the
minister in breach of the act by not nominating commissioners with the required
expertise as specified under the act?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(5) Section
6(1) of the Forest Products Act 2000 requires the commission to have seven
commissioners having such expertise in commercial activities, the plantation
timber industry or labour relations as is relevant to the functions of the
commission. The FPC has seven relevant, experienced and highly regarded
commissioners, including three newly appointed commissioners, with a wideranging
skill set relevant to the functions of the FPC.

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