Forestry Tasmania – the good corporate citizen

Local environment groups watch our every step, looking for the slightest reason to criticise, and then of course there’s the statutory and parliamentary scrutiny, through FoI, the Government Business Enterprises scrutiny committees, parliamentary question time, Ombudsman , Forest Practices Authority, Environmental Protection Authority and the Auditor General.
 

We are not complaining. Through this scrutiny and coverage, Tasmanians get to know who we are and what we stand for – and according to the latest EMRS survey, our corporate image is healthy in the eyes of the Tasmanian public.
 

Since we first started measuring community attitudes towards FT in August 2008, the percentage of those who regard FT as a good corporate citizen has risen from 57 per cent to 62 per cent. Those with a negative opinion of the organisation has dropped from 26 per cent to 21 per cent.
 

 

The latest survey conducted last month compares FT to eleven other companies and organisations. While it would be unfair to reveal the names of those other brands, I can say that we rate better than other prominent Government Business Enterprises and companies operating in the banking, food and hospitality sectors.

The important message here is that the popular wisdom that we are losing ground in community support is blatantly wrong.  The opposite is true - we have almost three times as many supporters as opponents.

 

Our strongest support is in the 18-24 year age group. While this may seem strange, this is the age group most interested in jobs.

 

Over the past three years, the communications focus has been on introducing as many of our staff to the community as possible - and this survey confirms we are on the right track. A whopping 78 per cent of those who had been in contact with FT were either very satisfied or satisfied with the outcome. Only five per cent were unhappy.

 

 Table 16 – Satisfaction with Outcome

 

 

Our strengths, according to respondents of the most recent survey, are our capacity to generate employment and manage state forests for conservation - our weaknesses appear to be clearfell and burn offs.

 

All of this needs to be put into a context. Forestry just doesn't rate as a major issue for most Tasmanians - Tasmanians are most concerned about jobs, health and education. Pulp mills, forestry and logging old growth forests are well down the list of concerns.

 

 

Notwithstanding the fact that Tasmanians are more concerned with other issues, Forestry Tasmania has sought to better understand what the Tasmanian community would want from a resolution to the forestry debate.

 

From the results, it would appear that protecting old growth and maintaining or increasing jobs in the forest sector are vital components of any negotiated agreement between the industry and environmentalists.

 

Although these aims appear diametrically opposed, it is logical to conclude the community is seeking a balance between environmental and economic outcomes. According to this survey, Tasmanians want old growth forest protected, but they also want to protect and increase the number of jobs created by the industry.
 

However, it is also worth noting that less than half of those surveyed were aware that 80 per cent of the old growth was already reserved. It begs the question – would the level of concern drop if more people knew that most old growth was already in reserves?
 

FT wishes the negotiators all the best in their quest to find a durable solution that we can all support.