Unsatisfied by the Abbott Government’s failed attempt to reduce protection of Tasmania’s World Heritage forest, the state Liberal Government has found its own way to put the forests at risk with legislation passed today that tears up the Tasmanian Forestry Agreement.
“Will Hodgman’s legislation destroys the historic agreement between industry, conservationists and unions that put an end to the bitter forestry wars that plagued the Tasmanian forestry industry for 30 years” Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Senator Lisa Singh said.
“This inflammatory action risks reigniting the forestry wars and paves the way for the protected forests to be reopened to logging.”
The Tasmanian Forestry Agreement (TFA) culminated in four years of negotiations initiated by the Labor federal and state governments between unions, industry and conservationists. The signatories to the agreement secured a minimum of 137,000 cubic metres per year of high quality sawlogs and agreeing to protect an extra 504,012 hectares of native forests with important conservation values.
“By destroying the TFA, Will Hodgman has also destroyed the certainty for Tasmania’s forestry industry, and its native forests,” Senator Singh said.
“Since 2008, the deterioration of the sector has accelerated because of the global financial crisis, increased woodchip production from Southeast Asia, the high Australian dollar, and declining Japanese paper demand. The old forestry markets are gone, the traditional industry needs support to adapt.”
“The TFA was reached not through a political process but through a genuine consultative process where industry and environment groups negotiated an outcome to meet the needs of all parties and the broader community.”
“To tear it up is politics at its worst.
“The natural and cultural values of these native forests deserve protection.”
SENATOR LISA SINGH SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER SENATOR FOR TASMANIA
