Guidelines for the Australian Government funded $45 million Tasmanian Forest Contractors Voluntary Exit Grants are now available online.

 

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, said the guidelines for the grants are published on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website.

 

The package, developed in consultation with the Tasmanian Government and forest contractor associations, offers grants to assist Tasmania’s public native forest sector to adjust to the industry downturn and the reduced scale of native forest harvesting.

 

“Recipients of an exit grant will be required to exit public native forest operations in Australia for a period of ten years,” Senator Ludwig said.

 

The exit grants are part of the $276 million Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the Tasmanian Premier on 7 August.

 

Applications for this competitive grants program close on 24 November 2011.

 

The Guidelines are available at www.daff.gov.au/forestry/igacep