The Regional Forests Agreement (RFA) Bill got stuck in the Senate this week and amendments rejected by the House of Representatives will not now be dealt with until the Senate sittings resume in late November.

"My ear to the ground says that industry is pressing the Coalition and ALP to break the deadlock. One plan is for a change to the ALP amendments so that only the Western Australian RFA would be subject to Senate review.

"The woodchip industry has cause for alarm because the RFAs are due to have force from New Year's Day. The prospect of urgent review of the regulation that sets 1 January 2000 as the starting date now looms. I would, of course, move to disallow such a regulation.

"Wilson Tuckey has mishandled the bill. With tax legislation likely to command Senate attention in the remaining few weeks of sittings, the prospect of the RFA legislation failing to be enacted is one Mr Tuckey will have to answer for – the Greens and environment groups see new hope in the impasse", Senator Brown said.