Markets For Change today called on Tasmania’s Parliament to uphold secure protection for Tasmanian World Heritage forests whose listing for their outstanding universal values was unanimously maintained by the World Heritage Committee overnight in an emphatic rebuff to the Abbott government.
Markets For Change also applauded recognition of the great significance of the Aboriginal heritage values of the area and their importance to the Aboriginal community.
Legislation to be debated by Tasmania’s Upper House this week contains provisions to open up extensive tracts of reserves to logging, including much of those very forests whose World Heritage status has been confirmed. Additionally, another 400,000 hectares of high conservation value forests designated for future reservation are to be reallocated to logging if the new forestry legislation proceeds, placing a large question over the environmental reputation of Tasmanian forest products.
“Step one in retaining intact the magnificent World Heritage forests of Tasmania has been achieved with the maintenance of their World Heritage listing. Now the Upper House in Tasmania should ensure they are not logged regardless,” said Peg Putt, CEO of Markets For Change.
“Legislative changes to be debated by Tasmania’s Legislative Council this week would open to logging Conservation Areas and Regional Reserves across the state, which includes substantial portions of these very same World Heritage forests.”
“We need to be very clear that these World Heritage forests are still in danger.”
“In addition another 400,000 hectares of promised future forest reserves is also set to be abandoned and those forests allocated for future logging as Tasmania turns back the clock to facilitate environmentally and economically unsustainable logging.”
“Being so out of step with the rest of the world, which values such unique environmental and cultural treasures, is not going to help the reputation of Tasmanian wood products in the markets,” Ms Putt concluded.
Markets For Change CEO Peg Putt
