Bill Kelty to oversee Tas forestry deal

The historic forestry deal signed in Tasmania earlier this year now has a public
face in former unionist Bill Kelty.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, in Hobart on Wednesday, announced Mr
Kelty's appointment as the facilitator of the statement of principles, which were
signed in October by conservationists, logging groups and unions.
The statement agrees to an end of native forestry logging in return for the support
of a plantation-fed pulp mill.
Mr Burke and Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett said Mr Kelty would be in charge of
"progressing" the agreement.
"Bill Kelty is someone who has devoted his career to brokering difficult agreements
and to finding people who have different starting points and getting them onto the
same page," Mr Burke said.
"The key reference point for Bill Kelty is the statement of principles."
State Opposition Leader Will Hodgman questioned Mr Kelty's forestry experience.
"Just a month ago, David Bartlett said he was going to establish an expert panel,"
he said.
"That panel has been reduced to one man - a unionist with no expertise about
Tasmania's forests."
But Mr Kelty, who spent more than 15 years as secretary of the ACTU, said he took no
notice of the criticism.
"The end is not about personality, it's about the outcome," he said.
He said his experience with the Hawke Labor government in the 1980s taught him a
great deal about negotiations.
"The one lasting legacy of the Hawke government was the view that it was actually
very hard to reach agreement, because people have to compromise and own the
agreement," he said.
"I think that process of agreement is a very important part of our democracy."
Mr Kelty's appointment was largely welcomed by the statement's signatories,
including The Wilderness Society, Environment Tasmania, the National Association of
Forest Industries and the CFMEU.
But Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said he would have preferred former WA
premier Geoff Gallop in the role.
Senator Brown said Mr Kelty's first test would be to ensure that a moratorium on
logging high conservation value forests begins on March 15.
But Mr Kelty said he was not feeling any time pressure.
"Not really. Time is important, but what's most important is getting the right
outcome," he said.
"This is a really important decision, and it doesn't rely on me, it relies on the
parties and the public accepting that goodwill."
Meanwhile, eight people have been arrested in two anti-logging protests in Tasmania.
Six members of the Still Wild Still Threatened (SWST) group were arrested for
unfurling a banner on the side of the Spirit of Tasmania II ferry on Tuesday night.
Four people abseiled down the side of the ferry to put up the banner reading: "Still
woodchopping the" in front of the words "Spirit of Tasmania".
One man and five women on Wednesday were charged with trespass upon a vessel and
continuing a common nuisance.
Later in the day, two men from the same group scaled lamp posts in front of Hobart's
GPO building and unfurled a banner reading: "The clock is ticking".
They were arrested and charged with committing a nuisance.
SWST spokeswoman Ula Majewski said the protest was aimed at highlighting the need
for a moratorium on logging Tasmania's forests.
Opposition forestry spokesman Richard Colbeck said the group was damaging the
historic forestry deal signed between environmentalists, unions and logging groups.