NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair defended a flagging timber industry during the Nationals annual conference at Tweed Heads today.
“We will absolutely stand up for our hardwood sector,” he told delegates.
“We have a sustainable hardwood industry and it is one of the most regulated industries in the world.”
The comments came in response to two motions brought to the conference floor calling for greater access to protected Crown land for the use of sustainable timber harvesting.
Macleay Valley Branch called for greater use of forest residues and waste products, while Murray State Electoral Council asked for something more difficult.
They called for the revocation of Murray Valley National Park back into state forest so that timber harvesting could resume, as it had been prior to 2011 before a Labor and Greens deal changed the immediate future of the communities that relied on that forest.
“We realise this is a radical motion and that it will be politically difficult to do,” said Deniliquin Branch spokesman David Landini, who raised the issue.
“But the Nationals are the only party who can do this. It would be a great statement.”
Warwick Moppett from the Gilgandra Branch asked for greater access to forestry for purpose.
“Why can’t we have adaptive land management where we put land back into production for commercial purpose?” asked suggesting that a more flexible practice might allow some renewed areas to resume the likes of logging while other overworked localities could be replaced with that protection.
Upper House member Rick Colless, chair of the Forest Industries Taskforce, told the conference that the issue of logging was of ‘great concern’ to communities that have been locked out as assault of forestry bans.
The North Coast, the Brigelow and now the Murray Valley were affected by these logging lock-ups.
"When you see a big tough timber man with tears in his eyes saying 'what have they done to our forest?' that's when it hits home," said Mr Colless.
"We want to remove tenure and manage land according to the needs of land and community. "
