Tasmanian environment groups today slammed Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s announced plan to submit an application to axe the recent extensions to Tasmania’s World Heritage Area to allow logging, saying it will threaten jobs, timber markets and spectacular values of the forests themselves.
The extension protected old growth, rainforest and other forest types in iconic Tasmanian valleys like the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine Valleys and the Great Western Tiers. These areas have been hotly contested between industry and conservationists for decades.
“Any attempt to revoke World Heritage listing to allow logging is an international embarrassment for Australia and would take Tasmania backwards,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
“These forests are now recognised as of global significance and protected on behalf of the world.”
Of the 170,000 ha extension, 50,000 ha were already existing formal reserves and the balance was agreed for protection via the Tasmanian Forest Agreement.
“Mr Hunt is flagging his intention to undo the global protection of up to 120,000ha of spectacular forests to allow logging, despite most of those areas now protected under state law and agreed for protection by industry and union signatories to the Tasmanian Forest Agreement,” said Phill Pullinger, spokesperson for Environment Tasmania.
“World Heritage protection is a central pillar of the TFA, attempting to wind back WHA threatens the forest agreement and the new future it represents for Tasmania’s community, environment and forestry industry.”
“This step will have perverse impacts on industry by destabilising markets and throwing a blanket of uncertainty over the ongoing implementation of the Forest Agreement.”
Phill Pullinger, Environment Tasmania, Vica Bayley, The Wilderness Society
