FOREST PRODUCTS COMMISSION
— SHAREFARMING
643. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Forestry:
I
refer to the recent community forum convened in Katanning to discuss
sharefarming issues with the Forest Products Commission's management of plantations and the transfer of pine
plantation contracts without landholders' consent.
(1) During the
2020–21 financial year how many sharefarm pine plantation contracts or
subcontracts were transferred in total?
(2) When does the
minister intend to publicly release the June 2021 review into payments to
sharefarmers by the FPC and will the minister respond to that report before the
end of 2021?
(3) How many
complaints were made to the minister's office or the FPC in relation to
the transfer of pine plantation contracts without landholders' consent
in the last financial year?
(4) Is the minister aware of complaints that FPC staff
do not visit and inspect FPC-managed sharefarm plantations?
(5) Does the minister intend to
address the above concerns; and, if so, how?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The Minister for Forestry has provided the following information.
(1) Nil.
(2) The Forest Products Commission
intends to publish the report before the end of 2021.
(3) The FPC has contacted
several landowners about concerns over the transfer of BP Kwinana-owned pine
plantation contracts. These sharefarm contracts were established by and managed
by the BP Kwinana refinery. The FPC does not
and never has held any ownership of these plantation estates, nor does the FPC
have any involvement in the transfer of the interests. The FPC was engaged by
the BP Kwinana refinery as the service provider to manage its pine plantation
estate until 2014.
(4) The FPC is aware that some landowners are concerned
over the frequency of sharefarm plantation inspections.
(5) The FPC
utilises remote sensing platforms to monitor plantation health. This reduces
the need for regular physical inspections; however, on-ground visitations occur
as and when they are required.