The Abbott/Turnbull Government has done nothing to advance a long term strategic forestry policy despite the fanfare release of an issues paper in March 2015 - “Meeting future market demand: Australia’s forest products and forest industry”.
Following the release of the issues paper, the Government’s Forest Industry Advisory Council was tasked with developing a discussion paper on a national wood and fibre plan, yet, despite submissions closing in June 2015 and it being a “key priority for 2015" we have not seen any sign of the discussion paper let alone a policy.
The forestry sector continues to be ignored by the Abbott/Turnbull Government, firstly through the failed White Paper process which excluded forestry, and now through the lack of any future forestry plan.
As we head into what is predicted to be the last sitting week before the election is called, the Abbott/Turnbull Government has provided no strategic guidance to the forestry industry.
The losers are both the industry and the economies of the regional and rural communities who rely on the industry.
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL 2016
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