Forestry industry backs call for logging in national parksFriday 17 May 2013 The forestry industry has accused the state government of failing to meet its commitments to timber supply and backed the recommendation of a parliamentary inquiry that national parks be opened up for logging reports the Sydney Morning Herald.The draft report of a parliamentary committee says the state government should consider the move to ensure the viability of the industry. It recommends consideration of 'tenure swap', whereby sections of national parks would be opened for logging and state forests, which are already subject to logging in NSW, would be reserved in return. The committee also recommends a moratorium on the declaration of new national parks while an independent review is held into the management of public lands in NSW. NSW Forest Products Association Executive Director Russell Ainley said successive state governments had failed to meet guarantees about log supply. He said in 1998 the government legislated to guarantee 269,000 cubic metres of large saw logs would be made available each year, but since 2003 only 160,000 cubic metres had been delivered annually. Mr Ainley said a tenure swap might be "one way" to achieve the targets. Conservation groups issued a statement condemning the inquiry's recommendations and calling on Mr O'Farrell to reject them. Environment Minister Robyn Parker said the government did not support commercial logging in national parks and had "no plans" to introduce it. Source: Sydney Morning Herald |
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