WELLINGTON CATCHMENT —
PINE TREE SEEDLINGS
250. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Forestry:
I refer to the Minister for Forestry's
media release of 22 June 2017 in which he announced an $8.7 million project to
plant an estimated 4.4 million pine tree seedlings in 3 500 hectares of the
Wellington catchment in Collie over the subsequent four years. It is now four
years later.
(1) How many
seedlings have been planted under this scheme in Collie?
(2) How many
hectares of land has been planted under this scheme in Collie?
(3) Will the full
3 500 hectares be planted; and, if so, when?
(4) How much of
the $8.7 million budget has been spent and how much is retained?
(5) What other
parts of the $21 million state government strategy to expand the softwood
estate has the government delivered?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The Minister for Forestry has provided the following answer.
(1) There have been two million planted.
(2) There has been 1 532 hectares
planted.
(3) Yes, as part of the yearly
Forest Products Commission's planting program.
(4) Approximately
$3.8 million has been spent so far in establishing these plantations. At
present, the FPC estimates the remaining area cost at about $5 million.
(5) In addition
to the above plantings, the FPC has increased the area of the softwood estate
by approximately 4 600 hectares since 2017. A total expenditure of over $27 million
has been spent by the McGowan government on softwood expansion since 2017.