8 November 1997
E & OE.....
Thank you very much Mr Chairman, to Tony Rundle the Premier of Tasmania, to my various Federal and State Parliamentary colleagues and particularly because I think we're in his electorate, to Warwick Smith the Member for Bass and Minister for Family Services.
This is quite an historic day, an historic moment, and an historic agreement for Tasmania and for an industry which is very much the heart and soul of the economic and social future of this State.
And it is also a very important day for the environment in Tasmania, and for the environment throughout Australia.
This is an outstandingly balanced agreement. It's an agreement that will directly and indirectly generate about 1,000 jobs. It's an agreement that gives a great sense of resource security to an industry which is the second largest employer of people in Tasmania.
When you are trying to achieve a balance and when you're trying to strike the right balance between strongly competing interests, I ask you always to think of the employment prospects of Australians. Employing Australians is the greatest single social challenge of any government, federal or state in Australia in the 1990s. And the decisions that we take in every area of political responsibility must have a very high priority in the area of employment.
And I say to those who may be critical of this decision, think of the jobs that it's generating for your fellow Tasmanians. Think of the investment in industry that has always been important to Tasmania's well-being.
And can I say in reference to our exchange of a few moments ago, that since 1970 this industry has had no less than 30 enquiries. It has suffered what can properly be described as paralysis through constant analysis. And it is now time for the industry, for those who work in the industry, and for the people of Tasmania to get on with the job. And can I say what a great delight it has been for me to work with Tony Rundle very closely in the preparation of this agreement.
He's a man very dedicated to the welfare of the people of Tasmania. At every stage he's been a man of his word and he's a person who has sought, as I have sought, to strike a reasonable compromise between the employment interests, the industry interests and also the interests of the environment.
This Regional Forests Agreement shows that sensible policy decisions can deliver good conservation outcomes while generating hundreds of jobs.
There is funding of $110 million over three years, and that contribution from my Government puts beyond any argument our commitment to sustainable forest industries, employment growth and secure protection of the forests.
Both the Premier and I insisted that the agreement that we have just signed should be legally binding. And that is a very important source of comfort and security to those who will make investment decisions based on the strength of this agreement.
The proposition that governments can encourage private sector people to make investments and then change the ground rules of the game after they've made the investment, and walk away without any liabilities is a situation that I have found unacceptable and both the Premier and I have insisted upon the need for the agreement to be legally binding.
The Plantations and Industry Package of $80 million will directly deliver 550 new jobs and indirectly deliver another 400 or 500. In total, direct and indirect jobs numbering about 1,000.
It will give increased security to encourage investment in jobs. The RFA will deliver world-class conservation outcomes. The RFA adds 396,000 hectares of public land to the conservation system which is an increase of 17%. And it brings total reserves to 2.7 million hectares, or 40% of Tasmania's land area.
And how anybody in the name of reason can regard that as a sellout of the environment, or a sellout of conservation values, or a defied indifference to the environment of this state or of the environment of Australia, is beyond ordinary human comprehension.
I'd also remind those critics that the reserve system protects more than 70% of the Tarkine Wilderness area and the RFA also provides $30 million for the protection of forest values on private land.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Premier and I have laboured very long and very hard to produce what both of us regard as a fair and balanced outcome.
It generates jobs, it provides investment security over a long period of time for an industry that is indispensable to Tasmania's future.
You can't have a Tasmanian future without a viable forest industry. It is unrealistic to argue otherwise. If you are really serious in holding yourself out, and I direct my remarks particularly to the Tasmanian Labor Party. If you are really serious in holding yourself out as being committed to the interests of the workers of this state, then you will get behind this agreement.
You will respect this agreement as a genuine attempt to strike the balance, the difficult balance, between the interests of the industry, the jobs security in Tasmania, the job hopes of young Tasmanians and also it delivers outstanding world-class conservation outcomes.
And I can only say, ladies and gentlemen that this is a Regional Forest Agreement of which my Government is very proud. It's a Regional Forest Agreement that delivers in full on the commitment I made and my colleagues made to strike a fair balance between preserving the environment, protecting treasured environmental values, but at the same time providing job opportunities for Australians, and particularly job opportunities for Tasmania.
I am, therefore, delighted to be present. I thank the Premier again for his constructive co-operation. It's been a sheer delight to deal with you Tony, as always, and I wish you and your colleagues well and I thank all of those associated with this Agreement. It's good news for Tasmania and its good news for a balanced approach to conservation and development in our country.
Thank you.