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PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P. J. KEATING, MP
WOODCHIP EXPORTS
On 22 December last year I announced that the Government would implement a
program calculated to preserve the environmental values of our native forests
and protect the interests of communities which depend on forest industries.
As part of that program I announced that the Government was considering a
rescheduling study of existing logging operations with a view to identifying areas
of high environmental value which should be included in a comprehensive forest
reserve system.
Today I can announce that the Commonwealth has identified 509 such areas
( coupes) and will do everything within its power to ensure their protection
pending more detailed assessment of their values.
Of the identified areas, 222 are on the Register of the National Estate. The
remainder nevertheless have very significant wilderness, old-growth or other
conservation values.
Government policy is to protect these areas until their values are properly
assessed as part of a national reserve system through the Regional Forest
Agreement process.
When applications for woodchip export licences are considered in future, and in
administering licences, the Minister for Resources has indicated he will have
regard to this policy and to the results of the rescheduling study.
The Government also recognises that the recent Federal Court decision brings
into question the validity of the 1995 licences.
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In view of the uncertainty this has created, the Government will invite woodchip
companies to give up their licences and apply for new licences that will be
Issued in conformance with the Federal Court decision.
The Federal Court recognised the significant role for the Minister for the
Environment in the process of considering export licence applications. In future,
any new applications for licences will be considered by the Minister for
Resources, and the Minister for Environment's role in this process under
environmental legislation will be meticulously observed.
I have asked the Minister for Resources to inform all woodchip companies and
State governments of the areas the Government intends to protect.
The Government believes that in future forest values should be assessed on a
regional not coupe by coupe basis, to establish a representative reserve
system and protect the future of communities. This underlies the Government's
immediate concern to protect the 509 coupes already identified.
The Government will work with the States to find the most effective way to end
logging in these areas, pending their full assessment through the Regional
Forest Agreement process.
This will involve verification of the values of each area to ensure that all coupes
proposed for rescheduling have retained conservation values sufficient for their
incorporation into a national reserve system.
In some instances, after all possible attempts at rescheduling have been made,
the resources remaining to industry may be inadequate.
In such cases, and in any others where the effects of the policy are detrimental
to companies and communities, the Government will work in consultation with
the industry, unions and the states to assess the need for industry assistance.
The Government will consider the measures necessary to create a vigorous and
internationally competitive wood-products industry. In developing such a
restructuring package we will be concerned to keep the degree of economic and
social adjustment to a minimum.
Our principal aim is to end the present uncertainty so that workers and
companies alike can feel secure about their future and investments can be made
in value-added processing.
Accelerating the Regional Forest Agreement process was a step in this direction.
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The Government's goal is to put in place, over the next five years, a program to
adequately protect old-growth, wilderness and other high conservation value
forests in a national reserve system, and to ensure that a high value added wood
products industry can operate sustainably outside these areas.
As soon as possible the Government will meet with the leaders of the woodchip
industry, unions and the conservation movement to work out the best ways of
refining and implementing our approach.
National issues of this kind never have a simple solution. A great many people
have a passionate interest in it, but it is the national interest which the
Government must serve.
And the national interest lies in finding the means by which an industry that is
moving towards an ecologically sustainable future will not be curtailed and our
forests will be adequately protected.
SYDNEY 27 JANUARY 1995 TEL: 27. Jan. 95 12: 29 No. 027 P. 04