TCFA Funds Support Auspine Workers

16 August 2007

South Australian-based sawmiller Auspine will receive $450,000 through the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement to assist with the harvest of pine logs on the state’s west coast.
The Minister for Forestry and Conservation Senator Eric Abetz said the funds would be provided out of the Softwood Industry Development Program after a recommendation from the independent assessment panel.
The payment will help offset the higher harvesting costs of the west cost resource, given the isolation of the region and the terrain.
“This is effectively $3 per cubic metre of log harvested,” Abetz said. “This allocation follows Auspine’s revised application for funding. “
Abetz said he remained profoundly disappointed that the federal Government had been required to look at providing this assistance as a direct result of State Labor mismanagement of the Scottsdale softwood resource.
“I trust that in the future, the State Government’s management of timber resources will not require further Howard Government bail-outs.”
He also added that it was important to note that the decision to assist Auspine had been made following due process, and that it would have been grossly improper and unfair to other fund applicants to have allocated funds to Auspine out of the TCFA fund without this process being followed – as had been suggested by the Premier.

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