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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 10 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 3017 ..

MS DUNDAS (continuing):

The ACT government should be exploring and perhaps even encouraging the establishment of farm forestry on agricultural land in the ACT, as is occurring in all other states and territories in Australia. Our timber processing industry needs an adequate resource base to remain competitive and our existing softwood resources provide a marginal industry base at best. The effects of recent bushfires have brought this problem into sharp focus and I hope to see a program in the next budget that addresses the long-term future of the ACT timber industry.

MR SMYTH (11.36): Mr Speaker, the forestry unit has undergone some change in the last couple of years but it is change for the better to put it onto a sustainable footing-sustainable in terms of the organisation itself, the environment and the industry. My recollection is that they were looking for partners in the ACT and the surrounding New South Wales area so as to expand the amount of land upon which they plant. They need to do this because of the difficulty they will have in coming years to keep the flow of timber up to ACT timber mills. Those mills provide several hundred very important blue-collar jobs-jobs which are very rare in the ACT. Of course, the industry itself has made a large investment in plant at Hume and Fyshwick to make sure that they adapt to change. So I hope the reforms continue and bear fruit. There has been pain but unfortunately steps had to be taken to get ACT Forests and the forests themselves onto a sustainable footing.

The industry is not quite yet over the hurdles. As Mrs Dunne said, there have been Commonwealth governments that didn't do the right thing in regard to planting. As we all know, you are talking about a 30-year cycle to produce a crop, so the things that were done in the late 70s and 80s by governments of both persuasions at the federal level have not served us well. I believe that the staff of ACT Forests are dedicated and motivated. They certainly have the skills to make it work better and it is good to see them have that opportunity.

I would like to bring to the attention of the government an issue concerning the National Zoo and Aquarium. The unfortunate bushfires at Christmas cleared the land at the back of the zoo and the zoo is quite interested in taking advantage of the opportunity that has presented itself to get more space so that it can expand its activities. I think the surrender of a few hectares-about 16,000 hectares of the ACT are under the control of ACT Forests-to the zoo will reap us a huge benefit in allowing what is a growing, expanding and exciting tourist venue to expand without impacting too much on the forest trade itself.

The equestrian industry is also affected. They want to make sure that riding trails are re-established so that, as the forests grow back, they have the ability, as they had before the fires, to take tours through the forests. I would ask the government to keep that in mind as well.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.

Proposed new part 14A.

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