Morrison Splashes $100 Million On Charming Tassie’s Forestry Industry

On day-four of the Federal Election campaign, the Prime Minister visited northern Tasmania pitching a forestry plan that includes $106 million to support existing forestry hubs and set up a National Institute for Forest Products Innovation (NIFPI) in Launceston.

The Coalitions promise is part of a $219.5 million funding commitment to the national forestry industry, with Scott Morrison hoping to gain ground with regional voters across Tasmania.

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Defending two marginal Tasmanian seats in Bass and Braddon, the PM spruiked his announcement as a boost to employment.

“The forestry industry can have a bright future,” he said. “We’re making sure we don’t support any shutdown of state forest industries”.

Visiting a timber business in Mowbray, the Mr Morrison told reporters, “Under our government, we will not support any shutdowns of native forestry”

“And we will continue to work with the state government to create permanent timber production areas.”

- PM Morrison

Tasmania's newly appointed Premier Jeremy Rockliff, accompanied the PM on his media junket, purporting that the Tasmanian forestry industry was decimated before the state Liberals came to power.

“Thousands of jobs were lost. And [through] a true partnership with the federal government, we have rebuilt our forest industry to support those 5000 direct and indirect jobs, and indeed the $1.2 billion industry.”

- Premier Rockliff

Aimed at voters in the most marginal seat of Bass, which is held by Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer, she said the announcement was welcomed.

“This builds on our plan undertaken in recent years by state and federal Liberal governments to strengthen the Tasmanian timber industry that we know is so important for the economic stability of, and local jobs in, regional communities,” she said.

The new NIFPI will establish three pilot centres in Launceston, Mount Gambier in South Australia and in Victoria’s Gippsland. The project will be jointly funded by the Federal Government, state governments and industry in support of small-scale, short-term collaborative research projects.

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