❓ A parliamentary question regarding the disposal of jarrah timber waste from alumina mining operations and potential access for the craft industry. The Minister clarifies the roles of different agencies and explains that the timber resource is managed by the Forest Products Commission, not the mining companies.
AnsweredQoN 837Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
According to Senior Management of the Alcoa Silicone Smelter at Kemerton, the alumina industry currently buries or burns 120,000 tonnes of Jarrah annually as waste. The alumina industry is currently prohibited by CALM to make this residue timber resource from their mine sites available to the craft industry, either free of charge or for sale. Can the Minister please advise -
(1) Why is CALM prohibiting Alcoa and Worsley Alumina from making this resource available to the Craft-wood industry?
(2) Will the Government allow Alcoa and Worsley, as well as other mining licensees in forested areas of State Forest to supply any residue timber resource from their operation sites to the craft industry?
(3) If not why not?
(1) Why is CALM prohibiting Alcoa and Worsley Alumina from making this resource available to the Craft-wood industry?
(2) Will the Government allow Alcoa and Worsley, as well as other mining licensees in forested areas of State Forest to supply any residue timber resource from their operation sites to the craft industry?
(3) If not why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
4 May 2006
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Forestry
Response time
29 days
The questions asked require some clarification. Firstly, the "Alcoa Silicone Smelter at Kemerton" is referred to when no such facility exists and it is assumed the Leader of the Opposition is referring to the Simcoa Silicon Smelter. Secondly, there appears to be some confusion as to the respective roles played in this scenario by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and the Forest Products Commission (FPC) which is surprising seeing that the split of these two government agencies occurred when the Leader of the Opposition was Minister for Forest Products in the former Liberal Government. To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
Firstly, the "Alcoa Silicone Smelter at Kemerton" is referred to when no such facility exists and it is assumed the Leader of the Opposition is referring to the Simcoa Silicon Smelter. Secondly, there appears to be some confusion as to the respective roles played in this scenario by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and the Forest Products Commission (FPC) which is surprising seeing that the split of these two government agencies occurred when the Leader of the Opposition was Minister for Forest Products in the former Liberal Government. To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
Secondly, there appears to be some confusion as to the respective roles played in this scenario by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and the Forest Products Commission (FPC) which is surprising seeing that the split of these two government agencies occurred when the Leader of the Opposition was Minister for Forest Products in the former Liberal Government. To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
Firstly, the "Alcoa Silicone Smelter at Kemerton" is referred to when no such facility exists and it is assumed the Leader of the Opposition is referring to the Simcoa Silicon Smelter. Secondly, there appears to be some confusion as to the respective roles played in this scenario by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and the Forest Products Commission (FPC) which is surprising seeing that the split of these two government agencies occurred when the Leader of the Opposition was Minister for Forest Products in the former Liberal Government. To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
Secondly, there appears to be some confusion as to the respective roles played in this scenario by the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) and the Forest Products Commission (FPC) which is surprising seeing that the split of these two government agencies occurred when the Leader of the Opposition was Minister for Forest Products in the former Liberal Government. To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
To answer the questions therefore as I think the Leader of the Opposition means them, let me explain the following: State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
State Forests are vested in the Conservation Commission, managed by CALM and harvested sustainably under the strict terms of the Forest Management Plan 2004 - 2013 by the FPC. Alcoa holds mining leases over some areas of State Forest. Before mining begins on these leases, the FPC (through its contractors) first harvests all sawlogs and other saleable timber material from the area concerned, including material that can be sold to the craftwood industry. After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
After all of this resource has been removed much of the remaining, "unmillable" timber is sold to Simcoa for use in their silicone smelter. After this stage very little material remains for disposal by Alcoa before they can commence mining. However, the Government continues to seek further markets for this residue material including its potential use as a fuel source for bioenergy production. So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
So in answer to your questions, Alcoa and Worsley do not own the timber resource in the first place and are therefore unable to sell it to anyone. The FPC, however, on behalf of the State makes the maximum possible use of the available resource via timber sales for the public good including to the craftwood industry through the issue of minor production contracts.
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