One Nation’s dire warning over proposed Qld timber industry changes
MEDIA RELEASE
Senator Pauline Hanson has issued a dire warning over the Queensland Labor Government’s proposed changes to the timber clearing code, saying it will destroy the state’s hardwood industry.
The warning comes after Senator Hanson and fellow One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts attended a hardwood industry rally at Maryborough late last month (August 18).
“If we allow the State Government to continue down this destructive path, it will ruin the timber industry; it will shut down plantation owners, mills and the on-going employment that it creates,” Senator Hanson said bluntly.
The Queensland Labor Government is proposing changes to the clearing code that will greatly reduce the allowable harvest on private farms, who say the new laws are unworkable and will make harvesting unviable.
“A lot of these communities that have relied on the timber – like Maryborough – will feel the backlash if they start shutting down plantation owners,” Senator Hanson said.
“At the moment, they are saying you have to leave 150 stems – that is, trees – per hectare, and they’re wanting to increase that to 300 stems.
“That makes it too dense. It stops healthy growth of trees because they’re crowded, and, with that many trees on a hectare, it also means you can’t graze cattle because the grass won’t grow, so it’s just unproductive for people with plantations trying to grow trees.
“Farmers also can’t control the rubbish on the ground, which increases the risk of bushfire, so it’s an all-round negative impact, and One Nation will be totally opposing this.”
Many private landowners harvest timber to generate extra income, a practice that has helped new landowners get financially established, has helped keep farms viable during drought, and has helped fund local saw mills and jobs.
“The State Government is determined to shut down these private plantations and make them unviable, unworkable, and that’s their whole aim,” Senator Hanson said.
“This is the Labor party agenda, and the Greens agenda as well; there’s no rhyme or reason to it as far as I’m concerned.
“One other thing we need to be mindful of is: if we don’t produce timber here in Queensland, we will be looking at importing timber from other countries, and a lot of these countries will be actually felling their forests, being detrimental to the environment.
“It’s the most renewable resource we have; shutting it down is not the answer.”
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