Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 605 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

in the southern hemisphere. It has not been well cared for and the trees suffered considerably in the longish drought several years ago.

The heritage significance of the plantation cannot be underestimated and is recognised by many eminent people in cultural heritage and several professors of landscape architecture who were recently interviewed on national television about the plantation. Some time ago, at the government's expense, advice was sought from a silviculture expert who came to Australia from Portugal, the principal site of world knowledge about cork oak in botanical, cultural and plantation management terms. The government paid for the report, which recommended thinning and harvesting of the trees in the interests of their conservation. Mr Corbell was provided with a copy of that report some time ago.

Any commercial advantage in harvesting is both incidental and slight. It is a small plantation by European standards. Its principal commercial value in many ways is in its novelty and its association with the cultural heritage of Canberra. The local wine industry has been very interested in the use of the cork and, if it is feasible, it will be used for the closures of its wine. This will then be of value to them in promoting their local product.

Mr Speaker, I can confirm that, at the time I responded to Mr Corbell's question on notice in early January, there was no agreement with Amorim. However, there is now an arrangement between Amorim and ACT Forests for the first stripping of the cork. We are sharing with Amorim the costs of the expert workers who came to Australia to carry out the stripping. Forty per cent of the plantation has now been treated.

It is not yet clear whether the cork which has been stripped will be of any commercial value. ACT Forests will be meeting with Amorim in early April to discuss the value of the cork and its potential uses, as well as arrangements for stripping the remaining part of the plantation. The cork trees will need to be continuously managed and conserved and will need to be harvested to improve the quality of the cork at about 10-year intervals. The trees can live for 250 years or more if properly cared for. In future harvests we will give Amorim the first right of refusal in harvesting the cork. If the cork is of any commercial value, they will pay a commercial price.

Mr Corbell asked whether we had put this process out to public tender. That would be like putting an advertisement in the Canberra Times for somebody to do the conservation work on Blue Poles or Phar Lap's heart; it is just plain silly. You have to have the experts when there is such a unique item to be conserved and there are no experts in cork oak management in Australia. Mr Speaker, we found people who were experts. We asked for their advice, we paid them for it and we acted on it. We got the NCA and heritage organisations to approve the approach proposed, and then tried to achieve the conservation objectives at minimum cost to the taxpayer.

Mr Corbell's adviser was provided yesterday with a copy of the arrangements with Amorim. In view of the explanation I have given, I do not propose to table a copy of the document, but any member who is interested in having one can contact my office and get one.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .