Tasmanian Government names port options to restart southern woodchip exports

The Tasmanian Government has confirmed TasPorts and Forestry Tasmania are investigating at least four options to restart southern woodchip exports.

The government appears to be seriously considering the compulsory acquisition of part, or all, of the old Triabunna mill site to gain access to the wharf.

A parliamentary committee is investigating the sale of the site in 2011 to millionaire environmentalists Graeme Wood and Jan Cameron by former timber company Gunns.

The government will not rule out forcibly buying part of the Triabunna mill site to access the taxpayer-owned wharf and allow timber exports to resume at the town's deep water port.

Resources Minister Paul Harriss said compulsory acquisition was one of several options being weighed up.

Other options were exporting woodchips from Hobart, Port Huon or Electrona, or continuing to subsidise road transport to Bell Bay.

Mr Harriss said the reclassifying of some native forests for potential logging after six years would lead to an increase in volumes from the southern forests.

He said a new southern port facility would be needed, and there were limited options.

He believed up to 1.5 million tonnes of timber fibre from southern forests could be ready for export in the next few years.

"That job creating opportunity is constrained by the lack of an export port facility in the south and because of that current opportunity, but also an emerging and growing opportunity on the back of this government legitimately growing the industry, we are keeping our options open," he said.

Labor leader favours containers for woodchip exports

Opposition Leader Bryan Green thinks exporting containers of woodchips from Hobart's Macquarie Point could be a solution to the export problem.

"It is possible to just woodchip, or chip residue, in the bush and containerise and export them in containers," he said.

"They are options that are available to the government, and they could easily be shipped from Hobart."

Greens Leader Kim Booth wants Mr Harriss to rule out compulsory acquisition of the mill site and cut all transport subsidies for the southern timber industry.

"It's way past time that the subsidies were pulled from this industry, it needs to stand on its own two feet, it needs to generate value, or just simply shut down," he said.

Mr Booth labelled Premier Will Hodgman a "bogan" for refusing to rule out compulsorily acquisition of part, or all, of the mill site from Mr Wood.

The Wotif founder was in Hobart for the day but Mr Hodgman had not planned to meet him.

"Well he's behaving more like a bogan than a statesman. I mean, a statesman actually would meet up with an investor who wanted to put $50 or $60 million into the state's economy and generate jobs," Mr Booth said.

"A bogan would stand back and run and hide and throw rocks."

The Glamorgan-Spring Bay mayor Bertrand Cadart caused a storm earlier this year when he referred to Triabunna locals as "the most bogan of bogans".

More opposition to acquisition plans

Investors who have bought land opposite the Triabunna mill site joined growing opposition to the government acquisition.

The Spring Bay Group bought an old crayfish holding facility in Triabunna and the group of eight investors is in the early stages of establishing an aquaculture research and development business.

Spokeswoman Laura Smith said she was concerned the government would not rule out compulsory acquisition of part of the mill site.

"I think it would be a real shame if Triabunna went backwards in that regard," she said.

Ms Smith said the Spring Bay Group was partly motivated by Mr Wood's proposed tourist development on the mill site.

"It was certainly a reason that I personally was excited to invest in the area and I know I'm not the only one," she said.