❓ Ms. Kelsbie asks about the government's support for communities transitioning away from native forest logging. The Minister outlines several grant programs and acknowledges the local member's work, highlighting community enthusiasm for the transition.
AnsweredQoN 745Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIVE FOREST —
LOGGING — TRANSITION PACKAGE
745. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the communities of the south west
as they transition away from the logging of native forests. Can the minister
update the house on how the government is supporting the development and
diversification of small businesses, and outline what this support will mean to
those communities in the south west?
LOGGING — TRANSITION PACKAGE
745. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting the communities of the south west
as they transition away from the logging of native forests. Can the minister
update the house on how the government is supporting the development and
diversification of small businesses, and outline what this support will mean to
those communities in the south west?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for the question. I had the
privilege to be with her along with other members of cabinet in the south west,
in Warren–Blackwood, in the last couple of days. I had the pleasure of
seeing the member in Margaret River, twice in Bridgetown and in Manjimup. I have
to say that the reaction from the community to their local member was
fantastic. The member for Warren–Blackwood has obviously worked
extremely hard in that electorate. I think there was a bit of surprise on the
faces of some members of the community at exactly how much work she has put in
in such a short period of time. It was a pleasure to be down there with the
member for Warren–Blackwood. It was also a pleasure to announce some of
the new programs we have to assist her community as it moves away from native
logging. We were in Manjimup yesterday in particular to announce a new program—that
is, the community small grants fund. Grants of up to $100 000 will be available
to not-for-profits and small businesses that want to improve the liveability,
the amenity, of the local area. Those grants will be available in February but
we announced them yesterday because we announced a community advisory group
that will assist the Minister for Forestry to make decisions on those grants.
People put up their hands to work on that committee, which the member for
Warren–Blackwood will chair. It was a great pleasure to announce that
Nicola Sheridan, Jayde Darin, Sean Tysoe, Belinda Meehan and Marilyn Morgan are
the famous five, as I would put it. They showed great enthusiasm yesterday in
Manjimup at the prospect of assisting their community to be part of this
transition.
This program of course comes on top
of the small business development grants that we have already announced. They
are grants of up to $400 000 for small businesses that want to invest to
protect existing jobs or to diversify their businesses and create new jobs in
the south west. There are two more planks of business assistance to come. One
is a $10 million fund for grants of up to $2 million for businesses that want
to bring new businesses to the south west. That tranche of funding will require
co-investment. The last tranche of funding will be for businesses that want to simply close, given the decision that
we have made. We are very excited about this round of funding. It is on top of the redundancy packages that were put
in place for affected workers and the significant financial assistance that we are giving to the mills themselves. All the mills now have an offer
that they can consider.
I want to congratulate the member
for Warren–Blackwood for the work that she has done. The reception that
she received in the last couple of days, in my view, was quite outstanding. I look
forward to continuing to work with her, as does the rest of the cabinet, on the
transition away from native logging.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
thank the member for Warren–Blackwood for the question. I had the
privilege to be with her along with other members of cabinet in the south west,
in Warren–Blackwood, in the last couple of days. I had the pleasure of
seeing the member in Margaret River, twice in Bridgetown and in Manjimup. I have
to say that the reaction from the community to their local member was
fantastic. The member for Warren–Blackwood has obviously worked
extremely hard in that electorate. I think there was a bit of surprise on the
faces of some members of the community at exactly how much work she has put in
in such a short period of time. It was a pleasure to be down there with the
member for Warren–Blackwood. It was also a pleasure to announce some of
the new programs we have to assist her community as it moves away from native
logging. We were in Manjimup yesterday in particular to announce a new program—that
is, the community small grants fund. Grants of up to $100 000 will be available
to not-for-profits and small businesses that want to improve the liveability,
the amenity, of the local area. Those grants will be available in February but
we announced them yesterday because we announced a community advisory group
that will assist the Minister for Forestry to make decisions on those grants.
People put up their hands to work on that committee, which the member for
Warren–Blackwood will chair. It was a great pleasure to announce that
Nicola Sheridan, Jayde Darin, Sean Tysoe, Belinda Meehan and Marilyn Morgan are
the famous five, as I would put it. They showed great enthusiasm yesterday in
Manjimup at the prospect of assisting their community to be part of this
transition.
This program of course comes on top
of the small business development grants that we have already announced. They
are grants of up to $400 000 for small businesses that want to invest to
protect existing jobs or to diversify their businesses and create new jobs in
the south west. There are two more planks of business assistance to come. One
is a $10 million fund for grants of up to $2 million for businesses that want
to bring new businesses to the south west. That tranche of funding will require
co-investment. The last tranche of funding will be for businesses that want to simply close, given the decision that
we have made. We are very excited about this round of funding. It is on top of the redundancy packages that were put
in place for affected workers and the significant financial assistance that we are giving to the mills themselves. All the mills now have an offer
that they can consider.
I want to congratulate the member
for Warren–Blackwood for the work that she has done. The reception that
she received in the last couple of days, in my view, was quite outstanding. I look
forward to continuing to work with her, as does the rest of the cabinet, on the
transition away from native logging.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
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