Collapse! At what cost?

Pic: Emma Capp

Environment Groups’ response to collapse in Forest Agreement negotiations

Negotiations responding to the crisis in the native forest logging industry today collapsed due to the unwillingness of Forest Industry Association of Tasmania and the old growth sawmilling sector to move itself onto a sustainable footing and no longer log World Heritage-verified forests.

Changes in the market place over the last five years have demonstrated that forest products sourced from old growth and high conservation-value forests are no longer acceptable. Like Gunns before them, the oldgrowth sawmillers need to realise that the market has moved on and will no longer accept controversial wood.

eNGOs will now look to the market place to convince the Industry that change must come urgently and forest protection is essential.

Despite the collapse of the talks, eNGOs congratulated the ongoing constructive efforts of the forestry union, Timber Communities Australia, Regional Sawmillers and contractor organisations for their continued willingness to try to achieve a resolution to the conflict and a sustainable future for the industry and the jobs and livelihoods that depend on it.

We acknowledge that both the State and Commonwealth Governments have been willing to provide the funding necessary for industry restructure, support and regional development and help deliver comprehensive conservation and community outcomes. The eNGOs thanked the government for their role.

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• Markets For Change Will Continue Its Market Campaign

Markets for Change will continue to run and further develop its market campaign both within Australia and overseas given that no deal has been achieved in protecting the threatened high conservation native forests of Tasmania.

“Markets for Change has no choice but to continue with its markets campaign given the lack of agreement to protect Tasmania’s world class forests.

Global customers are increasingly turning away from products that result in the destruction of threatened forests like those in Tasmania. We will continue to inform the market about what is happening to these vitally important forests,” said Mr. Birch, CEO of Markets for Change.

“Retailers in Australia and overseas who continue to sell products coming from Tasmania’s high conservation native forests are put on notice that they will come under increasing scrutiny from groups like Markets for Change.

“It is not acceptable in this day and age for products resulting in the destruction of Tasmania’s native forests, that are so important in terms of protecting endangered wildlife and the climate, to be sold on the high street,” added Mr. Birch, CEO of Markets for Change.

• Miranda Gibson, Jenny Webber, SWST, HVEC: Threatened Tasmanian forests left open for destruction

Conservation groups Still Wild Still Threatened and Huon Valley Environment Centre are today renewing their commitment to continue their campaigns for forest protection, in the wake of the forest talks collapse.

“The failure of the talks does not mean that the industry can bury it’s head in the sand and continue to entrench native forest destruction. The reality of global market pressures cannot be ignored and the controversy over Tasmania’s wood supply will continue,” Still Wild Still Threatened’s spokesperson Miranda Gibson stated.

“The collapse of troubled forest talks in Tasmania happens right before a summer schedule of logging looms in Tasmania’s globally significant forests. Summer is traditionally a time of increased logging and building new roads into threatened wilderness areas,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.

“Our markets campaign will continue as the product entering the markets for Ta Ann continues to be from world heritage value forests, a controversial product that Japanese companies do not want. Our organisations will continue to be in contact with the corporate customers of Ta Ann, informing them of the destruction that lies behind the veneer they are buying,” said Jenny Weber

“We are calling on the Federal and State Governments to protect 572 000ha of independently verified forests, regardless of the forest talks falling over. The Governments has the opportunity to make an environmental and economic gain for Tasmania, through the protection of these wild forests” said Miranda Gibson.

“Unless the government takes immediate action Tasmania will lose significant tracts of scientifically verified world heritage value forests such as Butlers Gorge, which now face a summer of destruction” said Miranda Gibson.

“The contraction of the native forest logging industry needs to be acknowledged by the Government and by industry players. There should be no further funds by the Government for propping up the ongoing unsustainable native forest logging industry. It remains that there is not a market for the woodchips from Tasmania. Yet large swathes of forests continue to be clearfelled, while logs are stockpiled with no destination. These forests are wildlife habitat, carbon sinks and globally unique environments, their protection is still urgent,” said Jenny Weber.

“A change to Tasmania’s forest industry is inevitable given the changing global market and increasing public pressure for sustainable products,” Miranda Gibson said.

• Christine Milne: Greens call for political leadership in wake of forest talks collapse

Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne today called on Prime Minister Gillard to show leadership to protect Tasmania’s forests, following wasted expenditure of $130 million on an intransigent logging industry.

“Prime Minister Gillard needs to show the same leadership demonstrated by Bob Hawke in the 1980s when he worked with the Greens in balance of power in the Tasmanian Parliament to double the size of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area,” Senator Milne said.

“There is a proposed world heritage extension, now verified by the exhaustive West report, ready and waiting to be declared. This includes the splendour of the Tarkine and expanded boundaries of the existing area.

“It’s now time for the Prime Minister to put forward this World Heritage nomination

“The forest talks have involved more than two years of meetings and $130 million spent on the logging industry, but have failed to protect a single tree,” Senator Milne said.

“Tasmania desperately needs the $100 million in regional development funding tied to the protection of 570,000 hectares of forest.

“If the economy is not diversified then Tasmania will be condemned to more decades of debt and dislocation caused by the native-forest logging industry, which employs less than 2% of the Tasmanian workforce.

“The logging industry has received more than $1 billion of public funding since 1990 but has failed to deliver to the Tasmanian economy, as shown by the collapse of Gunns and the $26 million debt announced by Forestry Tasmania this year.”

Senator Milne also called on retail giants Harvey Norman and Bunnings to clarify their attitude to the forest talks following reports they had urged forest industry players to stick to a position dependent on an unsustainable level of logging.

“Just like the coal industry which failed to take advantage of the contracts for closure offer, the forest industry has missed its best chance to get back on its feet by transitioning to a sustainable footing.”

• Markets For Change – “No choice but to reignite forest markets campaign”

Markets for Change expressed disappointment at the breakdown in Tasmanian Forests Agreement negotiations today. Markets for Change stood ready to support an outcome that delivered legislative protection for iconic and old growth forests.

“Markets for Change has no choice but to continue with its markets campaign given the lack of agreement to protect Tasmania’s world class forests. Global customers are increasingly turning away from products that result in the destruction of threatened forests like those in Tasmania. We will continue to inform the market about what is happening to these vitally important forests,” said Mr. Birch, CEO of Markets for Change.

“Retailers in Australia and overseas who continue to sell products coming from sawmills processing Tasmania’s old growth and high conservation value forests will come under increasing scrutiny from groups like Markets for Change. We will strongly encourage them to discontinue the use of old growth and high conservation value forests,”added Mr. Birch, CEO of Markets for Change.

• SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK

Senator for Tasmania

Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science

M E D I A R E L E A S E

28 October 2012

Forestry Talks Farce

Coalition Forestry spokesman, Tasmanian Senator Richard Colbeck has called the green groups attack on industry completely hypocritical.

“For these groups to attack the industry for holding firm when they themselves have refused to compromise in every negotiation over the last 30 years and have just walked out, is completely hypocritical,” Senator Colbeck said.

“At the start of this process there was legislated supply of 300,000 cubic metres category one saw log supply for industry. When the negotiations broke down that number was down to 155,000 cubic metres.”

Senator Colbeck said, “The area the green groups were claiming for lock up was 572,000 ha. It had only reduced to 430,000 ha through the process, with a number of green groups and politicians still demanding the full 572,000.”

“The Tasmanian forest industry should be congratulated for standing up for themselves under enormous pressure from state and federal government and environmental groups.”

“Green groups have never been interested in genuine negotiation they have always been playing a double game, one group pretending to be reasonable while their closely networked mates have been running a destructive campaign to wipe the industry out, calling for an end to all native forest logging.”

“Without doubt we will return to the days of destructive protest and lies about the industry, although most of us never believed green groups would ever be satisfied. Suggestions of peace were a complete sham.”

“What this painful process has done is confirm what we knew at the start of the talks – that it was not possible to maintain existing supply if any more forest was locked away.”

“The claims of the two sides have never been compatible that was clear by reading the Statement of Principles, it was clear at the end of the Kelty process and it was certainly clear from Jonathon West’s report,” Senator Colbeck said.

“Quite frankly it is well and truly time to call the process to an end.”

“It is now time for premier Giddings and Tony Burke to keep/ their promises to industry and to Tasmania”

“Contracts must be honoured and there must be no government imposed lockups.”

“It is time to allow the industry to get on with the job, restrictions on harvest areas must be lifted immediately.

It’s time to breathe some life back into our battered regional communities.”

And it’s time the green groups got the message.

We are not locking up any more of our state!” Senator Colbeck said.

“As the coalition has said for a long time, there is no justification for locking up any more of Tasmania’s forests.

The exit of Gunns from the industry presented a significant opportunity to get a win win win result, – to provide better environmental, better forestry and better timber quality outcomes through reducing the intensity of harvest and extending rotation periods.”

Now let’s get on with it!”

• Miranda Gibson: Australia’s longest running tree sit set to continue indefinitely

Miranda Gibson, who has been at the top of a tree for 318 days, is today making a commitment to stay in the tree, despite the failure of the forest talks to reach an agreement.

“The failure of the talks brings even greater uncertainty for Tasmania’s world class forests. And with it uncertainty about how long I will need to remain at the top of this tree” said Miranda Gibson.

“Almost a year ago now I made a vow to remain at the top of this tree until the forests were protected. I had hoped, for the sake of the forests, the negotiations would deliver the secure protection these forests so urgently need” said Ms Gibson.

“Although there is no end in sight for my tree sit now, I remain hopeful. The international community has clearly shown that there is no place on the global market for products made from the destruction of Tasmania’s native forests. And therefore, the industry must change sooner rather than later” said Ms Gibson.

“I am now looking to the government and the industry to step up and heed the advice made by scientific experts to protect these forests. I will continue my tree top vigil, standing with people across the globe, keen to see the protection of Tasmania’s unique forests” said Ms Gibson.

“This tree that has been my home for over ten months is in an area that has been recommended for world heritage protection. With the forest talks over, this forest remains under imminent threat from logging, which could begin again any day. I will be staying in this tree, keeping watch over this forest and the animals that call it home” said Ms Gibson.

• GetUp: The negotiations to protect Tasmania’s forests are in crisis. Retailers Harvey Norman and Bunnings are said to be behind a move by old-growth saw mills which have derailed the talks just as an agreement was about to be reached. Sign this urgent petition calling on Harvey Norman and Bunnings to help end the destruction of Tasmania’s ancient forests: www.getup.org.au/rescue-tas-forestagreement