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A Latrobe Valley consultant has strongly criticised the lack of bushfire expertise on the state government panel investigating the future use of Victoria’s native forest estate. Source: LaTrobe Valley Express The government has established the Great Outdoors Taskforce to conduct the investigation of the state’s public land estate, which now includes forest previously used for timber harvesting. The taskforce will be chaired by a former Victorian Minister for Environment, Lisa Neville. Members of the taskforce include: Karen Cain, chair of the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement and a former chair of the Latrobe Valley Authority; Mellissa Wood, chair of the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council and member of the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement; Graham Dear, board chair of the Victorian Fisheries Authority, and; Terry Robinson, CEO of Destination Gippsland.   John Cameron, a forest and business consultant with decades of experience, said wildfire was the single most important threat to the state’s 7.5 million hectares of native forest. “There is a clear need for a fire behaviour expert to be on the Great Outdoors Taskforce,” he said. Mr Cameron said at least one of several highly qualified bushfire experts should have been chosen, including a representative from Forestry Australia, the professional body that represents forest scientists, bush practitioners and experts in forest management. The work of the late Professor Kevin Tolhurst, who died suddenly last October, should be included in the investigation. “Kevin was an expert in wildfire behaviour, prescribed burning techniques and guidelines, ecological management of landscapes, fire risk management and ecological impacts of fire,” Mr Cameron said. “Victorian bushfire policy is hopelessly misguided, and based on shonky science steeped in ideology. Against misguided political, ideological and bureaucratic impediments, Kevin continued to deliver real science and practical management options.” Mr Cameron wrote a tribute to Dr Tolhurst last year with Traralgon resident and former CSIRO bushfire expert, David Packham. “Kevin’s last message to a gathering at Mallacoota on 5 October was, that if appropriate fuel reduction had been applied prior to the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire, Mallacoota would not have burned,” they wrote. Mr Cameron said Victoria’s black summer bushfires burnt 1.8 million ha, five lives were lost and millions of native fauna were killed. Within the region of the fire, only 0.6 per cent of the forest was fuel reduced in the four previous years, well below the five per cent recommended by the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission, he said. Mr Cameron also said there was a glaring falsehood in the government’s announcement of the task force, which stated that 1.8 million ha’s of native forest had been allocated to the native forest industry. When harvesting ended this year, the area of the Victorian forest available for timber harvesting was only about 4-6 per cent of the 7.5 million hectares of native forest. “This was only about 375,000 ha, or 0.4mill ha. The government is misleading the public again and again on the facts,” he said. The Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos, said the taskforce would also include Traditional Owner representation. Their involvement will be flexible to allow for each Traditional Owner group to determine its involvement. The taskforce will consult with communities and stakeholders to ensure all options for future uses and care of the forest are heard and explored. It will consider opportunities to protect the environment and support recreational, social and commercial opportunities in their recommendations to government. This includes investigating which areas of the estate present opportunities for recreation and tourism, such as camping, hunting, hiking, trail-bike riding and four-wheel driving. The taskforce will also explore which areas need to be protected to safeguard threatened species, areas that qualify for protection as National Parks and opportunities for Traditional Owner management. The panel will prioritise areas of state forest where some decisions can be made now and advise on where more engagement is required. The work will be undertaken over the next 12 months and consultation details will be released in the coming weeks. Mr Dimopoulos said the end of native timber harvesting was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design new ways of caring for the state’s forests while giving Victorians more opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. “This taskforce will play a critical role listening to Victorians about how best to manage our forests. Each member brings specialised knowledge to the panel ensuring thorough consideration of all options during consultation,” he said. For more information visit, www.deeca.vic.gov.au/futureforests/immediate-protection-areas/future-forests

Last week Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff signed an agreement with three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs, Miriam Beswick (Braddon), Andrew Jenner (Lyons), and Rebekah Pentland (Bass) which indicates that there will be stability for the timber industry. Source: Timberbiz However, support is not guaranteed as the three members have a clause in the agreement that allows them to give 24 hours’ notice if they intend to vote against the government. A discussion paper suggests that they do not agree with expanding native forest logging, but they do support more plantation timber. The JLN MPs said they would provide certainty to the Liberals by voting against all censure and no confidence motions except in cases of malfeasance or corruption and agreed to pass the government’s budget and money bills unamended. The three new MPs are not career politicians and now find themselves holding the balance of power in a hung parliament. The agreement will be reviewed after 12 months. The Rockliff Liberal Cabinet includes: Jeremy Rockliff: Premier, Tourism and Hospitality, Trade and Major Investment Eric Abetz: Business, Industry and Resources, Transport, Leader of the House Nick Duigan: Energy and Renewables, Parks and Environment Jane Howlett: Primary Industries and Water, Racing Eric Abetz served as the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in the Howard Government between 2006 and 2007 and has been named Industry and Resources Minister overseeing Tasmanian forestry. As TFPA Chief Executive Officer Nick Steel pointed out Mr Abetz spent many years in the Federal Parliament representing Tasmania’s forestry industry on the national stage. He has shown he’s a strong supporter of the important and sustainable work of the industry and the 5,500 Tasmanians employed by it. The organisational structure of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania includes: Secretary Jason Jacobi Primary industries and Water Deirdre Wilson Agriculture, Forestry & Water Catherine Murdoch Forest Policy Tom Byrne The organisation structure diagram can be downloaded here.