Industry bodies call for common sense on renewable energy elibility

The national and NSW forest, wood and paper products industry bodies, the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and NSW Forest Products Association (FPA), have announced that they are hopeful common sense will prevail over the use of native forest woody biomass for green energy and its eligibility for renewable energy certificates under the national renewable energy target scheme.

It is estimated there is enough woody biomass from forest industry activities in Australia to supply 3000 gigawatt hours of renewable energy per year from existing waste streams without harvesting a single extra tree.

However, the recent proposal by the Australian Government to amend the existing regulations to exclude biomass from native forest as an eligible renewable energy resource will significantly jeopardise planned investments and innovation in green energy projects across the country, including in northern New South Wales.

AFPA CEO Dr David Pollard said the recent decision “is against accepted science and international practice in the use of woody biomass as a carbon neutral source of renewable energy, which is largely utilised in Europe and Scandinavia given their availability of extensive forest resources”.

The Executive Director of the NSW FPA, Russ Ainley, said many planned or existing projects in northern NSW would now be significantly affected by the proposed ban on the use of native forest biomass.

“These projects include the shelving of planned new investments in pyrolysis or cogeneration at Herons Creek, Murwillumbah and Kempsey, as well as considerable uncertainty over existing forest industry energy operations in Grafton and Smithtown,” he said.

Given these concerns, the industry has been encouraged by consultations with the local Member for Lyne and member of the federal multiparty climate change committee, the Hon Rob Oakeshott, who has been briefed on the shortcomings of the proposed ban and is seeking further information.

“It is hoped common sense will prevail and the proposed changes do not exclude any native forest biomass sourced from sustainably managed forests, such as those complying with regulatory codes of practice and internationally recognised forest management standards and certification schemes,” Dr Pollard said.

These views have also been communicated to the Member for Lyne by the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Forest Taskforce, which comprises representatives from industry, the community and local government. The Forest Taskforce aims to promote the broad economic, social and environmental benefits from a prosperous and sustainable forest industry, which can provide significant regional development and climate change mitigation opportunities.