NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian MacDonald needs to explain why taxpayers are subsidising a Japanese woodchip mill in Eden to the tune of $3.5 million dollars a year.
“When the parliament returns on the 16th October, I’ll be asking Minister Macdonald to explain why his government is giving native forests away for a song, and undermining plantation timber producers,” said Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.
“This government is at best confused, at worst dishonest when it comes to managing state forests.
“If Forests NSW are losing $3.5 million per year in this region, how can they be paying their own way as the government suggest?
“Why is it that Forests NSW - a government agency - does not publish separate profit and loss statements for its native timber and plantation timber businesses? Do they have something to hide?
“The impending review of the Southern Forest Agreement must include a review of these dodgy economics.
“Morris Iemma is looking at privatising Forests NSW, but market forces would clearly make logging native forests in southern NSW unviable.
“Community concerns about climate change should also make privatising and logging old growth forests unviable in the 21st century.
“The community values native forests for the ecological services they provide including the slow release of water into parched catchments and storage of carbon in big trees.
“Subsidising the destruction of native forests is economic and environmental madness that must stop,” concluded Mr Cohen.
Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466
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