By Raquel Mustillo
SHADOW Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven says the State Government is failing to deliver its election commitment to double the economic value of the forestry industry.
But the State Government has struck back, saying Ms Scriven’s claim that the government was unlikely to reach its election target was “completely false”.
In this year’s budget estimates hearings, Labor parliamentarian Susan Close quizzed Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham on forestry, including a 9.24pc decline on the value of forestry commodities prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Basham said there may be a number of reasons for the decrease including bushfires which lead to different amounts of timber coming into the market.