10,000 Tasmanian jobs in manufacturing and forestry

10,000 Tasmanian jobs in manufacturing and forestry industries are safe after Renewable Energy Victory in the Senate: Lambie.

Click below to see part of Senator Lambie’s RET speech and view her meeting with Senator Ricky Muir and the Australian Forestry Products representatives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udEMXdWPZFs

Independent Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie has welcomed last night’s passage of the Renewable Energy Target legislation though the upper house.

“The passage of this legislation was a great victory for Tasmania. Our state had been punished by deeply floored mainland RET laws which forced our biggest employers to effectively pay tens of millions of dollars in extra taxes – even though those businesses mainly use Renewable Hydro Energy.

This endangered and put in jeopardy the direct and indirect jobs of tens of thousands of Tasmanian workers associated with iconic companies like Bell Bay Aluminium, Norske Skog, Grange Resources and Nyrstar.

These companies are collectively worth more than $2 billion to the Tasmanian economy and are responsible for half of Tasmania’s exports by value - and the old RET laws almost shut them down. I was proud to play a role in formulating the new RET laws and ensuring their passage through the Australian Senate because it exempted our heavy manufactures from the unfair RET penalties, thereby protecting 10,000 direct and indirect Tasmanian workers jobs.

In addition the legislation also allowed the inclusion and reinstatement of forest wood and bio-waste into the new Renewable Energy Target Scheme. This again secures the jobs of hundreds more Tasmanian workers in our forestry and timber industries.

Last night after the RET debate successfully concluded I met with Senator Ricky Muir and representatives from the Australian Forestry Products Association (AFPA). Ross Hampton and Mick Stevens of the Australian Forestry Products Association have been true champions for the workers in the Tasmanian and broader Australian timber industry.

It was good to catch up with Ross Hampton, Mick Stevens and Ricky last night - and be with three gentlemen who had worked so hard to protect the jobs and livelyhoods of families in an Australian industry, which has turned the corner and is now sustainable and environmentally friendly.” said Senator Lambie.

ENDS

© Scoop Media