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The Government has taken another important step towards its goal of ending all native forest logging on Crown-managed land, Minister of Forestry Pete Hodgson said today.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Forests (West Coast Accord) Bill be now read a third time.

(Keynote address to the National Forest Industries Conference)

I want to use this slot to focus on the future: to ask where the industry will be in 2020.

Minister of Forestry Pete Hodgson today released Cabinet papers relating to decisions on Timberlands West Coast indigenous timber logging and the West Coast Accord.

I move that the Forests (West Coast Accord) Bill be now read a first time.

Ms Lisa Lachapelle, Chair of the Advisory Committee, Mr Wulf Killmann, Director, Forestry Department of FAO, Mr James Griffiths, Chair of the International Forum, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.

Mr President, delegates and guests. I am delighted to be here. Thank you for your invitation. I’ve been looking forward to this evening for quite a while.

Tena koutou katoa

Tumu te Heuheu, my colleagues Hon Mark Burton and Hon Parekura Horomia, Trustees of the Lake Taupo Forest Trust, Murray McAlonan and other senior officials, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen¡K

Minister of Forestry and Minister Responsible for Timberlands West Coast Ltd Pete Hodgson has appointed Nelson lawyer and former Labour MP John Blincoe as an adviser to assist him in implementing the Government's indigenous forests policy.

The Crown is handing back the land underlying its largest Crown lease forest to its Maori landowners, the Lake Taupo Forest Trust, Minister of Forestry Pete Hodgson and the Trust announced today.

Auckland City Art Gallery
6pm Tuesday 14 March 2000

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

A petition signed by 46,578 people against logging of native forests on Crown land shows there is plenty of public support for the Government's policy on native forests, Pete Hodgson said today.