Wilkie in call for forestry probe

DENISON MP Andrew Wilkie has asked the Integrity Commission to investigate the financial performance of Forestry Tasmania.

Mr Wilkie wrote to Integrity Commission CEO Diane Merryful on Thursday asking that the commission conduct an investigation and recommend to Premier Will Hodgman that a commission of inquiry be established.

Mr Wilkie’s request follows a speech in Parliament in which he said he was approached regularly by Tasmanians concerned about forestry practice in the state.

“Curiously though, not all of the disgruntled members of the community approaching me are environmentalists,” he said.

“Indeed, some are strong supporters of forestry concerned that the forests had been overworked and many of the associated businesses have either gone broke or been made marginal at best.

“A particular concern is Forestry Tasmania, which is the government business enterprise responsible under state legislation for managing the forests. It was established in 1994 with no debt. It paid tax, generated positive returns and cashflows and held assets of $2.2 billion.

“However it has been run down progressively to the point where by some estimates, since the late 1980s over $359 million in taxpayers’ money has been injected into FT and its predecessor the Forestry Commission.

“How FT got itself into this diabolical mess has never been determined, or at least never revealed.”

Forestry Tasmania did not respond yesterday to Mr Wilkie’s call for an inquiry.