Media release – Vica Bayley MP, Greens Treasury Spokesperson; Senator Nick McKim, Greens Senator for Tasmania, 9 December 2024
Liberal Government and Forestry Tasmania robbing Tasmanians with reserve forest logging plans
Comments attributable to Vica Bayley MP, Greens Treasury Spokesperson:
The Liberal Government has been secretly planning to log 39,000 hectares of reserved forests for years, despite millions in taxpayer subsidies given to Forestry Tasmania for their protection.
The forestry industry was paid handsomely to stop logging these forests over a decade ago. Tasmanian taxpayers contributed at least $121 million in exit payments between 2010 and 2013, as part of the Tasmanian Forests Agreement.
In planning to go back on their promises to stay out of Tasmania’s reserve forests, the Liberals and Forestry Tasmania are wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. They were paid millions to get out of Tasmanian reserve forests, and they should stay out.
Since the Liberals tore up the Tasmanian Forest Agreement in 2014, Forestry Tasmania has been subsidised with tens millions of dollars every year. Tasmanian taxpayers continue to prop up this loss-making industry, with over $12 million given to Forestry Tasmania in the last financial year alone.
The precious forests on the Liberal’s chopping block, in the northeast and northwest of lutruwita/Tasmania, contain Aboriginal heritage sites, are home to endangered species and store carbon.
In a biodiversity and climate crisis, there’s no other option than to end native forest logging now.
Comments attributable to Senator Nick McKim, Greens Senator for Tasmania:
From 2010-2013, Tasmanian logging interests were paid at least $121m of public money to exit from forests that they agreed should be protected.
By trying to open up some of these forests for logging, Mr Abetz is colluding with logging interests to defraud taxpayers.
This is a $121m rort and Mr Abetz is right in the middle of it. He’s pretending to be a careful steward of public funds at the same time he’s perpetrating a giant scam.
The forest industry took big money to exit those forests, and they should stay out of them.
Tasmania’s native forest logging industry has always survived on handouts, but this would be next level.
The planet’s climate is breaking down and ecological systems are collapsing around us.
It’s time to end native forest logging for once and for all and support workers and communities to transition into a sustainable future.
J Jordan
December 10, 2024 at 22:28
The Liberals and Forestry Tasmania were already paid to transition into different fields when those initial payments were made. Why should they get more?
Many took the payouts and continued working in forestry. Destroying native/natural forests primarily for woodchips is criminal, and it should be stopped immediately. This is even worse than the ‘fox taskforce’ farce that cost millions in poisoning wildlife to eliminate non-existent foxes from the state.
Governments are nothing but antiquated boys’ clubs scratching each other’s backs and lining their own pockets instead of doing the jobs they’re paid for. They do not represent the people they are elected to represent, nor do they anything to protect the long term viability of natural resources.