Interview with Tom Connell, Sky News

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Labor is reassuring the forestry sector it won't be disadvantaged by its environmental reforms that passed last week. The changes remove exemptions for Regional Forestry Agreements, putting approval processes that were held by the states back into the Federal Government's hands. It is spurring concerns for job losses, in particular in Tasmania. I spoke to Environment Minister Murray Watt a short time ago, he was speaking to me from Launceston, and I asked him about those reassurances to people in the industry.

MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Yeah, well, I'm joining you, Tom, from Western Junction Mill, which is just outside Launceston in Northern Tasmania, obviously, a really important industry in this part of Tasmania. And I've been here today with Minister Julie Collins and a number of our Tasmanian Labor Members, Bec White, Anne Urquhart, and Jess Teesdale, meeting with representatives of the forestry industry and also workers in the industry.

What we've been saying to them is that we actually want to see the forestry industry grow in Tasmania, and that's why we've put $300 million on the table to support the industry to get new equipment, to retool mills. There is a shift going on in Tasmania already towards more plantation timber, like the kind of timber you can see behind me here.

Some mills have begun that process of bringing in the kind of tools and equipment that are needed to process plantations, some haven't. But we want to provide good new jobs for Tasmanians, in addition to supplying the kind of timber and wood products that the rest of Australia needs going forward.

TOM CONNELL: Okay. So on native logging, is it your Government's intention or the effect of this legislation that, ultimately, that does end entirely?

MURRAY WATT: No, it's not, Tom. We've been very clear that these changes will not end native forestry, and that is not the Government's policy. The Greens wanted to do that, and we said we wouldn't be prepared to do that.

What we're asking is for the forestry sector, as recommended by Graeme Samuel in his review, to meet the same national environmental standards that every other industry meets. Right now, we will be requiring, through these reforms, to have the mining industry meet those standards, housing developers, renewables companies with wind farms and solar farms to meet those standards. And all we're saying is that the forestry industry, through Regional Forest Agreements, will be required to meet those standards as well.

Now, over the years that I've been involved in this industry, whether in this role or as the former forestry minister, I've had many industry representatives point out to me that they meet high environmental standards, so they shouldn't be concerned about a requirement to meet the same standards that every other industry is required to meet.

TOM CONNELL: When you're talking about native forests that are hundreds of years old, though, what is the argument to keep being able to log areas of that when you're also sitting there spruiking plantation timber?

MURRAY WATT: Well, as I say, there is a really big move that has been going on for some time now away from native forestry towards plantation timber. That's happening here in Tasmania, as it is in other parts of the country as well. But the reality is that some level of native forestry is still required for a particular purpose that can't be met by plantation timber. There are some types of products that can't be supplied through plantation timber.

But we do want to make sure that the forestry that's occurring, whether it be native forestry or plantation forestry, is meeting those high standards that the community expect. Again, in the conversations that I've been having with the industry, not just this week but in the run up to those reforms, they're at pains to be able to demonstrate that they meet high environmental standards, and they recognise that that's required for their social licence going forward as well.

So we'll be working very closely with the industry, both here in Tasmania and New South Wales being the other state with Regional Forestry Agreements, to ensure that they can meet those standards and to ensure that we can sustainably build this industry into the future.

TOM CONNELL: On the broader agreement, most business groups have said they would have preferred a deal between Labor and the Coalition, even if it meant only five of the Coalition's so-called demands were met, which Labor offered to meet them on five out of seven. Was that your preferred option as well, one with the Coalition?

MURRAY WATT: Well, I've said throughout this process, Tom, that the priority for me was to pass laws that did deliver that balanced package of benefits for the environment and benefits for business, and I think we've managed to achieve that. I didn't have a strong preference either way between the Coalition and the Greens, just as long as we made sure that we got that balanced package.

And you would have seen that we required the Greens to agree to some amendments that met key industry demands as a condition of passing the reforms with them. And that's why you haven't seen a massive outbreak from business about these reforms, because they actually got a number of the things that they were looking for - the definition of unacceptable impact on the environment was amended in a way to address industry concerns, we put time limits around the kind of stop work orders that the EPA will be able to issue in the way business was asking for, we've made provision for particular approvals and particular decisions that have lapsed to be extended in the way business looked for.

So yeah, sure the business community didn't get everything they wanted, but nor did the Greens. And that's why we've been able to arrive at that balanced package, which means I think these reforms will endure for a long time to come.

TOM CONNELL: Once you had the deal with the Greens, did you give the Coalition one last chance, as in getting the very best offer, the best balanced offer you could?

MURRAY WATT: Yeah look, I mean, as late as Wednesday it wasn't clear to me which way we would go. Because I had a meeting with three different shadow frontbenchers at the same time to try to understand clearly, once and for all, what their position was. We kept working on their concerns over the course of Wednesday, but it became clear Wednesday night that there was just absolutely no way that the Coalition was ready to present a united position, a clear position on the kind of amendments they were looking for in a way that we could get done by Thursday.

TOM CONNELL: When it comes to one of the biggest gripes of business, unable to fast track gas developments, is that something you're looking at in the future? Could you move with the Coalition to amend the current bill to include that ability?

MURRAY WATT: I don't think we'll need to do that, Tom. Because one of the things we've been able to secure through these reforms is faster approvals processes for all projects, whether they be mining projects, resources projects, housing development, renewables. A range of the reforms that we've embedded here will actually apply to every single industry.

Now, sure, there will be particular processes to streamline projects in other sectors even more quickly. A fellow colleague of yours, one of the journalists last week made the point that, effectively, what we've done is give an upgrade for projects like housing and renewables and critical minerals - upgrading them to first class, but coal and gas projects have been upgraded to business class - I think that's a pretty apt way to put it. Because every single sector will get better processes and faster approval times out of this, with particular sectors that are really big national priorities to get an even quicker process still.

TOM CONNELL: Right. But are you free to pursue such a change, is that a possibility? Or was there perhaps a word, a promise to the Greens that you wouldn't then change that aspect of this bill, having done a deal with them?

MURRAY WATT: Well, we haven't had any discussions with the Greens or the Coalition about what future changes may be needed. What we were focused on is passing some laws that delivered quicker approvals for business and stronger environmental protections, and that's what we've done.

Of course, the Greens requested, as a condition of their support, that we rule out coal and gas projects being able to use some of those new streamlined pathways that we've created. But to tell you the truth, I think it's very unlikely that coal and gas projects would’ve been able to access some of those quicker pathways anyway because of the complexity of those projects. But as I say, all projects, no matter what kind they are, will gain faster and quicker and simpler approvals processes under these reforms.

TOM CONNELL: But when you say you rule out, so that change is not going to happen? This is the deal, and that's not something you'd look to do at a later point, that fast-tracking?

MURRAY WATT: No, I mean, it'll obviously be for future governments and future ministers to consider those things, but we think that we've now completed the job of delivering these reforms that will deliver the quicker approvals that businesses want.

TOM CONNELL: What will you be fixing next? What portfolio?

MURRAY WATT: I'm pretty happy where I am, Tom. I've still got a lot of things to do. Obviously, these reforms have been my highest priority since coming into the job, but there's a lot of work still to do in this portfolio, in other areas, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it.

TOM CONNELL: Minister, appreciate your time today. Thank you.

MURRAY WATT: Thanks, Tom.