MEDIA RELEASE
Prime Minister to speak at AFPA’s Industry Gala Dinner
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) is extremely pleased to announce that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will be speaking at AFPA’s Industry Gala Dinner on Tuesday 12 September 2017 at the Great Hall in Parliament House.
The Prime Minister will be delivering the keynote address to around 500 forest product industry representatives as well as many Government ministers, Members of Parliament and Senators.
AFPA Chair, Mr Greg McCormack, said the attendance of the Prime Minister was great news and a vote of confidence for the significant contribution that our industry makes to Australia’s environment, regional jobs, communities and economy.
“It is an exciting yet challenging time for our sustainable forest product industries to gather, as demand for renewable wood-fibre in the Asia-Pacific region continues to expand while we face an energy crisis. Australia is well placed to meet this demand for wood-fibre, if opportunities are grasped and our industries are supported.”
“AFPA continues to work closely with the Federal Government on new policy initiatives to support Australia’s renewable forest product industries, such as the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation and the development of a National Forest and Fibre Plan, and through ongoing efforts to have the forestry sector included in the Emissions Reduction Fund and the inclusion of bioenergy in renewable energy policy development,” said Mr McCormack.
AFPA will host the dinner with guests from across both Australian and New Zealand industry value chains, and Parliamentary Friends of Forestry who have shown dedication to the ‘greenest’ of industry sectors and its mission. ABC Radio National journalist Ellen Fanning will host the evening.