Greens Mislead on Native Forestry and FSC

The Greens have again demonstrated their ideological hatred of the native forest industry and their desire for every Tasmanian employed in the industry to be thrown out of work.

Today, Cassy O’Connor is seeking to mislead Tasmanians into believing that native forest harvesting is somehow inconsistent with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

The fact is that two out of every three hectares certified by the FSC – or 65 per cent – is native forests.

That’s native forests, not plantation forests.

Ms O’Connor’s comments today (Fri) should be seen in the light of her own and her party’s deep-seated opposition to the native forest sector and their calls for it to be shut down, irrespective of the thousands of jobs that would be lost.

It is no coincidence that Ms O’Connor is ratcheting up the rhetoric on the back of good news in native forestry, such as the investment by our largest saw miller in value-adding, which will create more jobs.

Claims about endangering threatened species are also misleading as they ignore the additional conservation measures enacted under this Government, including the ongoing moratorium on harvesting on Bruny Island to protect the Swift Parrot.

Under a majority Liberal Government we have a responsible and sustainable native forest sector that can continue to invest with confidence, knowing that we will not throw it under a bus like the previous Labor-Green government did.
Guy Barnett, Minister for Resources