Logging Bond Can be Appealed Given It Doesn’t Compromise Environment: Wycliffe
Being lucrative and sustainable Mr Wycliffe said the logging industry was a lucrative industry and Government was targeting about $400 million a yearly to help grow the economy. “For it to be lucrative we need to have a supply as well."
Thursday 02 December 2021 | 23:30
Back from left, standing back: Permanent Secretary for Environment Joshua Wycliffe with Permanent Secretary for Forestry Pene Baleinabuli. Seated from left: Director Environment Sandeep Kaur with Conservator of Forests Sanjana Devi during the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Business Roundtable for the Logging and Sawmilling Sector at Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel on December 3, 2021. Photo: Leon Lord
Highlighted by logging operators and sawmillers during the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Business Roundtable for the Logging and Sawmilling Sector, was the issue on bond.
Permanent Secretary for Environment Joshua Wycliffe yesterday said while the bond was a legislated sum, it can be relooked at on a case-by-case basis without compromising the sustainability of the environment.
The logging operators, sawmillers and resource owners raised their grievances noting that the bond was hindering growth.
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“I will not be able to compromise on the environment, but I can find ways,” Mr Wycliffe said at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.
“What’s been done in the past is not charge the whole bond, but divide the whole harvesting space coop by coop.
“So they (logging operators and sawmillers, resource owners) don’t have the shock of paying huge amount.
“But they have to appeal to me for that.”
Being lucrative and sustainable Mr Wycliffe said the logging industry was a lucrative industry and Government was targeting about $400 million a yearly to help grow the economy.
“For it to be lucrative we need to have a supply as well."
"There is demand."
“We are a small market compared to larger countries which we compete against."
“However, we need to protect whatever level we have."
“And some of these trees may take 40 to 50 years to grow to the mature size for them to be able to log and export."
“But we need to replenish it and balance as such."
"That’s why we call it sustainability.”
Mr Wycliffe said they hoped to run more talanoa sessions with the industry stakeholders. Yesterday’s session involved the central logging industry from the Central Division.
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