Coalition Forestry spokesman Richard Colbeck has urged forest scientists to be strong voices informing the community about the real story of forestry.
Senator Colbeck made the comments following the close of this week’s Institute of Foresters of Australia conference in Canberra.
He said negative, tired, ideologically driven views of the industry needed to be challenged.
Senator Colbeck used his address at the conference to praise industry for its high environmental standards and said the work of scientists should be supported, not attacked as it has been in recent years.
“The quality of our forest management is so good that regenerated forests are regularly recognised as being of high conservation value and now being claimed for world heritage listing,” Senator Colbeck said.
“The voice of our forest scientists is important in distilling this message and that voice must be supported and respected.
“It is time that the real story of forestry is recognised.”
Senator Colbeck said greens pushed a negative message about harvest in forests, ignoring the process of regeneration, of positive environmental outcomes and benefits to communities.
“The environmental movement has itself confirmed what the forest industry have been saying – that the quality of our management is such that forests regrown from clear fell are of world heritage quality,” Senator Colbeck said.
“After years of being told by the greens that we are destroying forest at harvest, the quality of regeneration is now being recognised and the story has emerged.”
“Yet the voices of just a few continue to create conflict and hijack the debate.”
SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK Senator for Tasmania Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science
