Warning to Chinese investors …

… investing in Van Diemen’s Land dairy company may result in destruction of Tasmanian devil habitat

As the Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Tasmania, the Tasmanian Conservation Trust is using the opportunity to advise potential Chinese investors that by investing in the Van Diemen’s Land company dairy expansion they may be financing the destruction of endangered species habitats and threatened forest communities.

For some time it has been rumored that Chinese owned companies are most likely to buy VDL and fund its continued expansion, which includes a proposal to clear 1800 hectares of forest at its Woolnorth property and convert it to dairy pasture.

In February 2014 VDL obtained state government approval to clear 1800 ha of native forest but is yet to obtain the required Australian government approval. VDL’s own consultants found that all 1800 ha is habitat for the endangered Tasmanian devil and Tiger quoll.

‘By all means invest in VDL but only do so on the basis that the expansion proceeds with no clearing of endangered species habitats or threatened forest communities,’ said TCT Director Peter McGlone.

‘The VDL could proceed with the vast majority of its expansion without resorting to clearing of native vegetation but it seems to be seeking every last hectare.

‘VDL and potential investors should be satisfied with expanding by improving existing dairy land, converting beef paddocks to dairy and buying additional dairy land.

VDL is Australia’s largest dairy farm and supplies its milk to Fonterra which exports it to China and other countries as powdered milk.

‘Clearing of native vegetation has been the single biggest cause of species becoming endangered and going extinct throughout the world and we encourage potential investors to commit to retaining vegetation in particular habitat of endangered species.

‘I am sure that many well educated Chinese consumers will avoid buying milk products from VDL if it proceeds with destroying habitat of endangered species’ concluded Mr McGlone.
Peter McGlone Director Tasmanian Conservation Trust Inc www.tct.org.au