The Tasmanian Greens have defended the State Government’s decision to table incomplete forest peace deal legislation.
The Opposition has called the move a joke and dubbed it phantom legislation for a phantom peace deal.
The legislation will be tabled in Parliament this month, with or without a final agreement to end most native forest logging.
The Government says it wants to avoid losing $100 million in federal funding, tied to a deadline of June 30.
Greens MP Kim Booth says it is appropriate the legislation be brought forward.
“In order that the community can benefit from around a $100 million of regional development funding.”
“This is not unusual. Most legislation has some component of change anticipated in it and the ability for those mechanisms to be in it.”
Mr Booth says the legislation is only a framework and will be amended in the Upper House if required.
He says reserves can be placed into the legislation after the framework is passed.
“But at the moment I think it’s important to reiterate the point that without this legislation coming through the House, there will be no regional development funding, there won’t be a transition into sunrise industries for people at the moment who due to the financial collapse of the timber industry have no future at the moment.”
Meeting request
Forestry Tasmania staff are disappointed the Premier has appeared to ignore their request for a meeting to discuss the state-owned company’s future.
Anxious Forestry Tasmania staff requested a meeting with the Premier in a letter sent two months ago.
In it, staff expressed concern at being excluded from a sweeping review of the company’s future.
Forestry Tasmania plant scientist Paul Adams says they are yet to hear back from Lara Giddings.
“It demonstrates a lack of respect for the staff of FT,” he said.
Ms Giddings says she is addressing their concerns in her own letter.
“This is a letter, a piece of correspondence that recognises the frustrations the workers have been feeling.”
But Ms Giddings side-stepped questions on whether she will meet staff in person.
She would only say she expects the results of the independent review into Forestry Tasmania within months.
