The giant mill plans to be 80 per cent reliant on the island's native forest for its 3.2 million tonnes of feedstock at start-up.

Mr Burke said he understood that in five years the feedstock would be 60pc plantation timber.

"I said to them I'd like to do that quicker. Obviously, it would be better for Tasmania to use plantation timber."

The choice of Mr Burke, 61, follows his vocal support for the mill over the past year, including as president of the green sceptics' group, the Australian

Environment Foundation.

Mill opponents said Mr Burke could lose national standing for working for a company that woodchips old-growth forests and is four years into a contentious civil prosecution of protesters.

The TV bushman, Harry Butler, was criticised for his decision to take a similar consultancy for the Tasmanian government over the Franklin dam.