Amendments to the forest practices code, currently out for public consultation by the Forest Practices Authority (FPA)[1], fail to protect Tasmania’s endangered species, the Wilderness Society said today.

The Forest Practices Code is the primary tool for the protection of environmental values in Tasmania’s forests outside of reserved areas.

”Recent reports have uncovered the Tasmanian Government’s willingness to ride roughshod over threatened species scientists, approving logging where it is known to be pushing the Swift Parrot to extinction[2]”, said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.

“While the new Guiding Policy attempts to provide a clear role for what the Forest Practices Code is trying to achieve, there is a fundamental lack of enforceable provisions to protect species like the endangered Swift Parrot.

“While the FPA and expert scientists have effective tools to identify what forest areas should not be logged in order to protect threatened species, they are hamstrung by the little known ‘duty of care’ provisions.

The so-called ‘duty of care’ requires that up to 10% of a forest be excluded from logging if natural values like threatened species are present. However, if properly protecting an important value like Swift Parrot habitat requires more than a 10% area be set aside from logging, it is clear the Government will override the FPA and scientific experts and authorise the logging.
“On private land, a landowner may either voluntarily protect greater than 10% of a forest, theoretically seek compensation from the Forest Practices Tribunal – a body that was abolished in the last budget – or rely on the Department of Primary Industries (DPIPWE) to approve logging regardless of the environmental consequences.

“On public land, the situation is even worse. The agreement between the FPA and DPIPWE regarding threatened species[3] clearly shows that if the 10% ‘duty of care’ threshold must be exceeded to protect threatened species, the only available option is to ‘modify’ the plan so that the 10% threshold is not exceeded.

“In plain English, this means that Forestry Tasmania does not need to undertake actions identified by experts to protect threatened species if this requires more than 10% of a logging area to be set aside from logging.

“Given the actions of DPIPWE in consistently overriding expert advice, the Forest Practices Authority has no ability to ensure that logging operations – on public or private land – are not harming threatened species if protecting that species requires more than 10% of a logging coupe be spared from logging.

The expectations of the community, markets and international certifying bodies like FSC is that important environmental values are protected. The amended Forest Practices Code and recent revelations regarding the management of the Swift Parrot do nothing to engender confidence that this is actually happening.”
The Amendments to the Forest Practices Code are open for public comment until May 15th 2015. Details can be found on the Forest Practices Authority’s website at http://www.fpa.tas.gov.au/news/intention_to_amend_the_forest_practices_code

[1] http://www.fpa.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/104502/Information_on_Amendment_to_Forest_Practices_Code_March_2015_2.pdf
[2] http://www.et.org.au/swiftie
[3] http://www.fpa.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/57718/FPA_and_DPIPWE_agreed_procedures_2014.pdf

130 Davey St,
Hobart, 7005
www.wilderness.org.au
Vica Bayley Tasmanian Campaign Manager The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.