Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Environment Spokesperson
MINISTER Llewellyn Cannot Protect Threatened Species While Also Representing Forestry. Premier must act to preserve prime parrot habitat
REMOVE MINISTER FOR THREATENING SPECIES
Minister Llewellyn Cannot Protect Threatened Species While Also Representing Forestry
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Premier David Bartlett to acknowledge the clear link between Labor’s destructive forestry policy and the increasing number of threatened species in Tasmania, and to take action to separate the management of threatened species from the implementation of Labor forest policy.
Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said the Auditor-General recently revealed that 52 Tasmanian species have joined the threatened list during the last six years of Labor Party rule in Tasmania, and that the Labor Government appears to place too little importance on the protection of these threatened species.
“Minister David Llewellyn cannot possibly act in the best interests of threatened species while also acting in the best interests of the native forest logging industry – these two responsibilities are directly contradictory,” said Ms O’Connor.
“Wielangta, South Bruny and the Southern forests contain prime Swift Parrot habitat, yet these forests are being felled at a furious pace by Forestry Tasmania, under Minister Llewellyn’s watch.”
“There is a clear link between the destructive forest policy pursued by this Labor Government, and the growing numbers of species being declared as threatened, and our self-described data-driven Premier should acknowledge this link and remove the management of threatened species from Forestry Minister Llewellyn.”
“How can Labor justify having a Minister responsible for both forestry and threatened species, when it is obvious that current forest policy is contributing towards an expanding list of threatened species in Tasmania?”
“The Premier should take action to remove Minister Llewellyn from portfolio responsibility for Threatened Species, and return the responsibility for their management and protection to the Environment portfolio where they actually belong,” said Ms O’Connor.
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PREMIER MUST ACT TO RESERVE PRIME PARROT HABITAT
Cassy O’Connor MP
Greens Environment Spokesperson
Thursday, 26 March 2009
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today called on Premier David Bartlett to acknowledge that his government currently has up for sale two parcels of prime Swift Parrot habitat at Binalong Bay, and called on the Premier to take the responsible course of action and add these two parcels of Crown Land to the adjacent Humbug Point State Reserve at Binalong Bay.
Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said the survival of the Swift Parrot will be determined by how much of their critical mature nesting habitat in Tasmania is protected from logging and landclearing, not by planting trees that the Premier has incorrectly claimed will be suitable for Swift Parrot foraging within a decade.
“The data-driven Premier Bartlett should be well aware that Swift Parrots require mature habitat for their nesting and breeding activities, and he should take action before the sale of these two blocks of Crown Land and add them to the Humbug Point State Reserve that they adjoin,” said Ms O’Connor.
“The Premier’s claim that his plan to plant new Eucalypts for the Swift Parrot will provide for new Parrot foraging within a decade is false – expert opinion confirms that Bluegum habitat needs to be 40+ years old to provide any significant or reliable foraging for the Swift Parrot, and the two blocks of land in question both contain mature habitat which fits both foraging and nesting habitat criteria.”
“The Premier can easily intervene in this situation and ensure that the two blocks of Crown Land at Binalong Bay, both containing prime mature Swift Parrot habitat, are reserved through incorporation into the adjacent Humbug Point State Reserve.”
