Senator Pippa Hackett:

I am fully aware of that. My Department is fully aware of that and my party colleagues are fully aware of that. That is why we are doing everything we can to get this programme off the ground from within my Department. We engaged extensively on this with the public in advance over the past year and a half. Forestry is not a matter of quickly doing it and that is it. Forestry is a long-term, permanent land use change. We have to get it right. I accept the frustrations and indeed the Deputy’s frustration with the rate of progress. Mark my words, the effort in the background to get this State aid approval across the line is immense. I have every faith in my officials that they will do that as soon as possible.

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