National Association of Forest Industries – Recent comments and concerns over the increase in Australia’s plantation estates fail to recognise the importance of Australia’s plantation sector. With an annual trade deficit of $2 billion per annum, Australia’s dependence on plantation timber is increasing rapidly. “Successive State Government decisions to reduce access to native forest products have caused the domestic demand for plantation timber products to increase. There is also strong international demands for wood and paper products to be met,” said Phil Townsend, CEO of Tree plantations Australia.
Mr Townsend pointed to recent criticisms of the tax system and the management of plantations, especially the use of chemicals during plantation establishment, saying the claims are often uninformed, incorrect and quite misleading.
“Contrary to comments printed recently in the Warrnambool Standard (August 11 2005), the 12-month prepayment tax rule supports the collection of investment funds, through the managed investment companies. The 12-month prepayment tax rule is designed to allow the collection of investor funds and then, over the following twelve months, the land is acquired and prepared for planting,” he said.
“Companies are using this money to deliver real sustainable jobs for regional communities, while complying with a complex set of regulatory controls that are designed to protect the community and the environment.
“Chemicals are used on a tree crop, just like any other agricultural landuse. The main difference is that the chemicals are only used once or twice during a rotation, which last for a minimum of ten years.
“Our plantation management practices take into account the impacts on the environment and, in the end, the absence of chemical use for long periods of time could pave the way to organic farming on these planted farms.
“There is no evidence to support the claims made against plantation growers. In complete contrast, Australia’s forest managers are internationally acclaimed for their standards of forest management.
“Australian forest managers have been internationally recognised for excellence in forest management by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the FAO.” said Mr Townsend.