ENVIRONMENT Tasmania is confident timber groups will not desert the forestry agreement in closed-door meetings with the new State Government tomorrow.

Forest Industry Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards said yesterday there was “no value” in continuing public debate on the issue until he had met with Premier-elect Will Hodgman.

Environment Tasmania spokes­man Phill Pullinger said his organisation had not been invited to take part in the ­discussions.

But Mr Pullinger said he was “not concerned” timber groups could back down from their support for the agreement in the absence of environmental groups.

“They’ve been clear and ­unambiguous that they support the agreement,” he said.

“We don’t have any doubts they’re bona fide.”

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Mr Edwards released a statement yesterday in which he said he would not respond to media requests for interviews or comment.

“FIAT do not see any value in running the debate over ­future forest policy through public commentary and we will therefore withhold further contribution to the public ­debate until we have met with the incoming government,” he said.

Mr Hodgman yesterday held his first media conference since Saturday’s election, ­unveiling a six-point plan for his first 100 days.

And while the 30-minute session was dominated by forest industry talk, he is yet to elaborate on the Liberals’ plan for unwinding the agreement.

“I think Tasmanians ­appreciate the fact that we want to reopen the forests that have been locked up and what we’re doing this week is sitting down with industry to work out the best way of doing that,” he said.

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“We want to see that ­resource being used to create more jobs. More wood equals more jobs.”

He said environmental groups would not be invited.

“If people are not going to resile from their positions of just rampant opposition to seeing the forest industry grow, but worse still threaten ­increased protest activity [and] to not reflect and respect the views of Tasmanians who voted, it’s not worth our time having that meeting,” he said.

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Greens leader Nick McKim responded by calling for Mr Hodgman to come clean on his plan for the forestry sector.

“He has exposed himself today, in his press conference, that he doesn’t have a plan, he only has a slogan,” Mr McKim said.

“Will Hodgman might want the Greens to disappear but, wishful thinking Will, it’s not going to happen.”

He said Mr Hodgman’s first media conference was indicative of the “brave new world of majority government” that refused to meet with people who disagreed with them.

“There is absolutely no question that the environment groups are key stakeholders in the future of the timber industry,” Mr McKim said.

