Member for Murray Austin Evans has come under fire from Labor MP and Shadow Minister for Lands Mick Veitch over his by-election promise to reinvigorate the River Red Gum logging industry.
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Mr Evans promised to lodge a private member’s bill to combat laws that have paralysed the region's industry during last year’s by-election, describing them as “ludicrous”.
The bill he proposed last year would have seen national parks reclassified as state forests.
Labor accused Mr Evans of failing to follow through. Mr Veitch said it was “typical” of the state National Party.
Mr Evans says he’s in constant contact with people within the red gum industry. He described the accusation as Mr Veitch “trying to get a rise” out of him.
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Mr Veitch pointed at what he sees as a larger issue within the National Party.
“This is typical of the Nationals, they say anything to get a vote with no intention of ever delivering,” he said.
“You can’t trust them on greyhounds, on local government mergers, on water theft or on any of their promises.”
Mr Evans confirmed plans the bill will go ahead.
”It’ll be done at my timing, not at Mick Veitch’s timing,” he said.
Mr Evans has not yet introduced the private member’s bill in the six months since his election, something Mr Veitch has interpreted as a “a vow of silence”.
“Labor will continue to defend its proud legacy of environmental responsibility - including the creation of the Murray Valley National Park – and we will continue to expose the lies the Nationals tell.”
Mr Veitch says Labor supports the national park and would oppose any bill put forward to put forward to de-gazette it.
He also committed to lobbying his fellow coalition members to change their positions.
Mr Evans heard of the devastation first-hand last October during a tour of the national parks around Deniliquin with local fourth-generation sawmillers Ben Danckert from Gulpa Sawmills and Chris Crump from Mathoura Redgum Sawmill.
"It's deeply upsetting to see such an important industry mothballed,” Mr Evans said at the time.
"The timber industry is part of the DNA of these towns.”
The Murray Valley National Park was established under the most recent Labor Government.