WELLINGTON Shire Council’s Native Timber Taskforce has lodged complaints to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, about the state government’s refusal to provide information about the basis for its decision to phase out native timber harvesting by 2030.
The taskforce has lodged two Freedom of Information requests to the Minister of Agriculture, Resources and Regional Development and the Premier requesting information about the scientific basis for its decision – and has twice been refused.
A Wellington Shire Council spokesperson said the government had provided two reasons for information not releasing the information, with the office of the Premier advising that following “a thorough and diligent search for documents … no documents relevant to your request were identified”.
The second reason cited Section 28(1) and Cabinet documents where a document is exempt document under the below subsection of this provision if it is:
(a) the official record of any deliberation or decision of the Cabinet;
(b) a document that has been prepared by a Minister or on his or her behalf or by an agency for the purpose of submission for consideration by the Cabinet;
(ba) a document prepared for the purpose of briefing a Minister in relation to issues to be considered by the Cabinet;
(c) a document that is a copy or draft of, or contains extracts from, a document referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (ba); or
(d) a document the disclosure of which would involve the disclosure of any deliberation or decision of the Cabinet, other than a document by which a decision of the Cabinet was officially published.
Section 28(1)(b) applies to the documents requested in sections c, d, f, g, h and i.
Before lodging the Freedom of Information requests,Wellington and East Gippsland shire councils had separately approached the state government for the information that underpinned the decision to cease native timber harvesting.
In September last year, taskforce chairman, former Wellington Shire mayor Alan Hall, said the Native Timber Taskforce had continued to focus on the ongoing viability of the timber industry in Gippsland.
“Given how vital the native timber industry is to Gippsland and the Victorian economy, it is necessary for us to continue our pursuit of the critical information that underpinned the state government’s decision,” he said.
“Once we have that information, the Native Timber Taskforce will be better placed to assist the government and industry to develop a sustainable plan to balance both the need to deliver a supply of Victorian hardwood in an environmentally sustainable manner.”
Then-Cr Hall said he had also informed the Local Government Minister, Shaun Leane, of the importance of protecting the sustainable timber industry to protect jobs and create new opportunities for growth in regional Victoria.
“The COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted the need to not only identify new opportunities, but also look after what we already have,” he said.
“Never has it been more important for all of us to put local interests at the forefront.”
The Native Timber Taskforce membership also includes East Gippsland Shire Council, Timber Towns Victoria, Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, Radial Timbers and the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union.
