Forestry

FORESTRY: SECURING AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND THE NATION

Introduction

Forestry – mostly based in the state’s South East region – contributes almost $3 billion to South Australia’s economy, and directly and indirectly supports more than 21,000 jobs.

However, forestry is more than just a major contributor to South Australia’s economy. The industry produces an essential strategic resource for a wide range of other industries such as construction, packaging, freight and agriculture. One Nation considers forestry absolutely vital to the state and the nation, and will do all it can to support this critical industry.

At a national level, One Nation’s long-term goal is to ensure Australia is self-sufficient in timber. As the world’s sixth largest country by area, we have all the space we need to plant more forests and become self-sufficient. It makes no sense for Australia to have what is now a $2 billion trade deficit in wood products, importing timber and other wood materials from places like Russia, China, Malaysia or Chad with all the biosecurity risks and expense that comes with it.

In South Australia, all of our timber comes from plantation forests; there is no harvesting of native forests in the state. We produce more than a third of Australia’s housing timber and almost half of Australia’s fibre for packaging. Yet this completely renewable, value-adding regionally-based industry is at risk from cheap low-quality overseas imports, land-use conflicts, a lack of water supply, insufficiencies in fire protection and a growing skills shortage.

OUR POLICIES

Securing long-term growth and manufacturing capability and competitiveness

To secure the future of forestry as an essential strategic industry in South Australia, One Nation will:

• work in partnership with the industry to expand forestry plantations, including a commitment to plant more than 40 million trees in the next decade;
• reject mining and other land-use conflicts in areas with strong potential for forestry plantations;
• increase the use of locally-sourced timber in government construction projects through minimum content provisions and preferential procurement processes (similar to what has been in place for steel produced in Whyalla);
• at a national level, introduce country-of-origin labelling for timber and wood products;
• at a national level, exempt timber from the GST for an initial period of five years for new houses valued up to $1 million;
• work with the industry to inform and educate the construction sector about the benefits of using modern Australian timber and wood products over cheap overseas imported timber and wood products, by way of committing $1 million over four years to a promotion program managed by the industry;
• support the modernisation of timber mills to take advantage of the growth in demand for fibre products, and to keep local manufacturing competitive;
• ensure the industry – especially timber mills – has cheaper and more reliable energy through dismantling net zero policies;
• prioritise regional road maintenance and upgrades to provide more efficient paths to markets; and
• ensure state and local government planning recognises and supports the expansion of plantation forests in the state.

Improving fire protection

Trees don’t grow overnight. In the state’s South East region, it takes more than 30 years for a forest plantation to mature to the point where it can be harvested. In other forestry areas like the Mid North region – which has lower rainfall – it can take more than twice as long. Bushfires are an obvious ongoing threat to the forestry industry.

One Nation will improve fire protections for the industry by:

• committing up to $2 million over three years to support ongoing modern fire detection networks;
• supporting the development of more ‘fire dams’ in key locations as a water resource for firefighting aircraft;
• working with the industry and Country Fire Service (CFS) to update training requirements and harmonise training with interstate firefighting services, particularly in Victoria;
• supporting Fire Industry Brigades with appropriate communications equipment to better coordinate firefighting operations with the CFS;
• amending legislation to establish a seat for a representative of the ‘Green Triangle’ forestry industry on the State Bushfire Coordination Committee, and providing ongoing support for an industry brigade support officer in the South East; and
• supporting the development of a new incident command centre in the South East region.

Improving water supply

South Australia’s plantation forestry estate has been diminished by up to 30,000 hectares as a result of reduced water allocations. While it’s an inescapable fact that water supply in South Australia – the driest state in the country – is a complex ongoing challenge, in the middle of a housing crisis in which timber is an essential resource this is an unacceptable outcome.

One Nation will act to improve water supply by:

• ensuring no further cuts to Forest Water Licences;
• working with the industry to update the state government’s Statewide Framework on Forest Water Use;
• eliminating discriminatory government policies in water planning which impede expansion of forestry plantations; and
• amending water allocation plans to reflect the true impact of plantation forestry.

Improving access to labour and skills

Long term sustainability and growth of the industry will depend on ensuring there are enough workers with sufficient skills and training, and also providing regional workers with sufficient housing and services in forestry areas like the South East.

One Nation will improve the industry’s access to labour and skills by:

• reducing housing demand by lowering immigration – while most immigrants to Australia move to big cities like Sydney and Melbourne this increased population pressure entices Australians in these cities to move to regional centres like Mount Gambier, impacting local housing availability and affordability;
• prioritising appropriate housing development in regional South Australia; and
• working with industry to ensure local TAFEs provide courses that train forestry workers.