Extract:
In Summary
Our industry needs to improve its level of social license if it wants to reduce the degree to which it is disrupted and subject to political and investment uncertainty and a poor public image.
This means the entire sector including the plantations sector which has its own social license issues both in the field and in the investor community.
Increasingly certification is presenting as one of the means whereby the sector can generate and manage its social license.
TCA has a significant role that it can play in assisting communities and industry stakeholders in this regard.
It is up to industry to seek to engage in all certification schemes more actively and to utilise TCA more effectively and pro-activity in this capacity.
Appendix 1.
The draft: “A discussion paper on Social License and the role of TCA” [Timber Communities Australia]
Download to read for yourself:
http://www.tca.org.au/statenews/National/2010/Stories_News/TCA_NAT_CEO_DiscussionPaper_SocialLicense.pdf
Export Truck Halted to Highlight Moratorium Call
Tasmanian forest campaigners have halted a truck carrying whole logs for export to China at Hobart’s wharf today, highlighting the urgent need for Forestry Tasmania to implement an agreed moratorium on logging in high conservation value forests.
One activist attached themselves to a log truck, while 26 campaigners displayed banners calling on Forestry Tasmania to ‘get on with the job’ of implementing a logging moratorium.
“Forest campaigners have taken action today to demonstrate Tasmanian’s concern about the continued destruction of our HCV forests, just weeks before a moratorium agreed to by industry and environmental groups is supposed to be in place,” said Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Will Mooney.
“We are calling for Forestry Tasmania to get on with the job of implementing this crucial first step in the forest negotiations,” Will Mooney said.
“We are here to highlight the fact that Forestry Tasmania is shipping our forests to China at a time when it should be focussing all its energies on implementing a moratorium on the logging of HCV forests and shifting contractors into non-controversial areas.” Will Mooney said.
“Forest contractors and Tasmanian communities need a swift resolution and immediate implementation of the agreed moratorium by the deadline of March 15th, not more exports of our precious forests,” Will Mooney said.
