Today's announcement by the Morrison Government that they will attempt to increase Australia's forest plantation estate by just 3.4% in the next five years, since presiding over a 10.1% decline of the estate since 2014-15 is hugely disappointing.
According to the timber workers' union, the announcement can only be interpreted as the Government putting up the white flag on their 2018 commitment to increase plantation coverage by one billion trees by 2030 and ought to be an embarrassment to them.
Today's announcement promises to establish just 15% of the original 1 billion tree target.
"This is a huge disappointment particularly as the Government knows that the lack of ambition in the proposal will lock in the timber shortage crisis currently hurting Australia," said Mr Michael O'Connor, National Secretary CFMEU Manufacturing
"We have seen the pain to Australians caused by timber shortages brought about by COVID-19 supply chain crisis and high global demand exposing our over reliance on imports already"
"Timber shortages increase costs of housing, and the Government is locking this situation in for the future with their short-sighted approach."
The union said the Government's announcement of a $500 million concessional loans program for plantation establishment at the 2019 election without consultation was a failure.
It said while funding to attempt to ensure a sustainable rate of return for investors in recognition of long periods until harvesting was a welcome idea, the policy had failed.
"Yet again, the Morrison Government ignores the detail in pursuit of a headline.
"Far from a well thought out plan with industry, the Government has provided a fraction of establishment costs and ignored other barriers to plantation investment.
(This includes rocketing land costs, unfair water licensing and restrictions, barriers to participation in carbon markets and emission reduction funds and lack of domestic processing capacity)
"Timber workers, their families and communities need a well thought out strategy that actually incentivises investment, not more thought bubbles from a desperate Government."
