❓ Ms. Kelsbie asks how the state budget will support communities transitioning from native forest logging. The Minister outlines a comprehensive $80 million transition package, criticising the opposition's stance as insincere virtue signalling.
AnsweredQoN 310Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIVE FOREST — LOGGING — TRANSITION
PACKAGE
310. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that communities such as mine have
a fair, just and supported transition out of the logging of native forests. Can
the minister outline to the house how the state budget will provide further
support for these communities in transitioning to new industries and ensuring
that they have a vibrant and strong future?
PACKAGE
310. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that communities such as mine have
a fair, just and supported transition out of the logging of native forests. Can
the minister outline to the house how the state budget will provide further
support for these communities in transitioning to new industries and ensuring
that they have a vibrant and strong future?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Warren–Blackwood
for her question and for her ongoing support on the issue of native forest
logging.
Members will be aware that last
year we made an announcement to end logging in native forests at the end of
2023 due to the unsustainable nature of the industry and the impacts of climate
change. Since then we have announced a $19.3 million package to assist workers
who are directly impacted by that decision and we have workers now applying for
assistance under that scheme. Last month, we announced a business support
program for businesses that are directly involved in native logging and are
going to be impacted by that decision by the end of 2023. It is a very
comprehensive package of assistance for those businesses that are directly
impacted.
Last week in the state budget, we
announced an additional $30 million for that just transition program. The
initial program was $50 million. After
consultation with the member for Warren–Blackwood and the community, we
have increased that figure to $80 million. That additional $30 million
will fund a community and industry development package that will provide assistance to secondary businesses, if you
like, that are not direct customers of the Forest Products Commission
but may source timber through that industry. It will also provide grants to
existing businesses that are not in native forest harvesting but operate in the
south west and want to expand and create new jobs, or it may provide assistance
to people who want to establish new businesses in the south west. It will also
provide assistance to community groups that may want to fund small programs or
projects to attract jobs or improve amenity in the south west. It is an $80 million
program—a very significant commitment to ensuring that there is a secure,
sustainable future for the communities of the south west.
Not everyone is happy about it. The
Leader of the Opposition has been a constant critic of this decision. On 9 May,
he was out there accusing us of virtue signalling. In a tweet on 9 May, he said
—
This Labor Government is overseeing
regional jobs being destroyed �
A member: Leader of the Liberal
Party.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Sorry; it
was the Leader of the Liberal Party. My apologies for accusing the Leader of
the Opposition.
The Leader of the Liberal Party said
—
This Labor Government is overseeing
regional jobs being destroyed as their Forestry Minister wipes away a thriving,
sustainable, ethical industry simply to virtue signal.
Leader of the Liberal Party, virtue
signalling is when you go out there and say things that you think people want to hear but you are not really sincere about it.
On this side of the house, we have made a concrete decision. We have backed it up with $80 million worth of funding for
a just transition package, with $350 million in plantation funding . What
we have said we were going to do, we are doing, and we are backing it up with
real money. On the other side of the house, however, members opposite are going
out there —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : Members are
going out there telling the workers and businesses involved in native logging
that their industry was sustainable, that
their industry was viable and that it is a terrible thing we have done. The challenge to the Leader of the Liberal Party—and
the Leader of the Nationals WA for that point of view—is: tell us what
you are going to do if you get elected at the next election. Are you
going to restart this industry?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : If they are
not, they are the ones who are virtue signalling because they are out there
saying how terrible our decision is and how
this industry is sustainable, but they are not going to back it up. Their
insincerity on this decision is
overwhelming because they know deep in their hearts that this decision is
right. This is absolutely the right decision, and we have made the
commitment of $350 million for plantation forestry and $80 million for a just transition for those workers and those
businesses. Many of those workers will go into better paying jobs, like at the lithium mine in Greenbushes. This is the right decision for the south
west. It is the right decision for those workers.
It is time that members opposite came out and said what they will do if they
get elected. Are they going to restart native logging in our forests? If
they do not say that, they are the ones who are being dishonest.
The SPEAKER : The Deputy
Leader of the Opposition with the last question.
for her question and for her ongoing support on the issue of native forest
logging.
Members will be aware that last
year we made an announcement to end logging in native forests at the end of
2023 due to the unsustainable nature of the industry and the impacts of climate
change. Since then we have announced a $19.3 million package to assist workers
who are directly impacted by that decision and we have workers now applying for
assistance under that scheme. Last month, we announced a business support
program for businesses that are directly involved in native logging and are
going to be impacted by that decision by the end of 2023. It is a very
comprehensive package of assistance for those businesses that are directly
impacted.
Last week in the state budget, we
announced an additional $30 million for that just transition program. The
initial program was $50 million. After
consultation with the member for Warren–Blackwood and the community, we
have increased that figure to $80 million. That additional $30 million
will fund a community and industry development package that will provide assistance to secondary businesses, if you
like, that are not direct customers of the Forest Products Commission
but may source timber through that industry. It will also provide grants to
existing businesses that are not in native forest harvesting but operate in the
south west and want to expand and create new jobs, or it may provide assistance
to people who want to establish new businesses in the south west. It will also
provide assistance to community groups that may want to fund small programs or
projects to attract jobs or improve amenity in the south west. It is an $80 million
program—a very significant commitment to ensuring that there is a secure,
sustainable future for the communities of the south west.
Not everyone is happy about it. The
Leader of the Opposition has been a constant critic of this decision. On 9 May,
he was out there accusing us of virtue signalling. In a tweet on 9 May, he said
—
This Labor Government is overseeing
regional jobs being destroyed �
A member: Leader of the Liberal
Party.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Sorry; it
was the Leader of the Liberal Party. My apologies for accusing the Leader of
the Opposition.
The Leader of the Liberal Party said
—
This Labor Government is overseeing
regional jobs being destroyed as their Forestry Minister wipes away a thriving,
sustainable, ethical industry simply to virtue signal.
Leader of the Liberal Party, virtue
signalling is when you go out there and say things that you think people want to hear but you are not really sincere about it.
On this side of the house, we have made a concrete decision. We have backed it up with $80 million worth of funding for
a just transition package, with $350 million in plantation funding . What
we have said we were going to do, we are doing, and we are backing it up with
real money. On the other side of the house, however, members opposite are going
out there —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : Members are
going out there telling the workers and businesses involved in native logging
that their industry was sustainable, that
their industry was viable and that it is a terrible thing we have done. The challenge to the Leader of the Liberal Party—and
the Leader of the Nationals WA for that point of view—is: tell us what
you are going to do if you get elected at the next election. Are you
going to restart this industry?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr D.J. KELLY : If they are
not, they are the ones who are virtue signalling because they are out there
saying how terrible our decision is and how
this industry is sustainable, but they are not going to back it up. Their
insincerity on this decision is
overwhelming because they know deep in their hearts that this decision is
right. This is absolutely the right decision, and we have made the
commitment of $350 million for plantation forestry and $80 million for a just transition for those workers and those
businesses. Many of those workers will go into better paying jobs, like at the lithium mine in Greenbushes. This is the right decision for the south
west. It is the right decision for those workers.
It is time that members opposite came out and said what they will do if they
get elected. Are they going to restart native logging in our forests? If
they do not say that, they are the ones who are being dishonest.
The SPEAKER : The Deputy
Leader of the Opposition with the last question.
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