Wednesday 24 April 2019
Daniel Andrews’ plantation timber ‘˜plan’ is a sham.
Not a single tree has been planted since the Andrews Government promised in May 2017 to “expand Victoria’s plantation estate and increase the proportion of plantation-grown timber”.
Today after two years of delays we find out Labor’s plan for “new” plantation forest is to replant existing plantation estate and reduce high-value ash timber available for industry to harvest.
It’s another tricky sham from a Labor Government desperate to cover up the destruction its city-centric agenda has had on jobs and business confidence in Victoria’s timber communities.
Sawmill workers and harvest and haulage contractors have been in limbo for nearly 12 months because Daniel Andrews refused to release critical Timber Release Plans.
It’s an insult for the Agriculture Minister to stand in the Latrobe Valley today claiming to “protect jobs” when the biggest threat to Victoria’s 70 000 direct and in-direct timber jobs is the Andrews Labor Government.