Media release – Shane Broad MP, Shadow Minister for Resources, 2 December 2024

Restraint needed to avoid reopening forest wars

Tasmanian Labor supports jobs in regional Tasmania. It is what we believe in and what we fight for.

We urge environmental non-governmental organisations moving to renege on their commitment to the Tasmania Forest Agreement to act with restraint.

The TFA has demonstrated that jobs, industry and conservation can co-exist. The last thing Tasmania needs is another forest war.

It is also important to note that we wouldn’t be in this position if Minister Felix Ellis didn’t attempt to re-open the forest wars with his controversial election policy which managed to divide all sides of the debate and saw industry desert him.

Just like we’ve seen with DAPs, Minister Ellis has put politics ahead of outcomes.

The industry doesn’t want another forest war, nor do Tasmanians. The only groups that do are the Greens and the Bob Brown Foundation, and apparently Minister Felix Ellis.

Jeremy Rockliff needs to outline today whether or not he stands by his divisive Minister’s approach.

The Liberal government needs to stop treating the industry as a political wedge and instead work with it and with Labor to ensure there is long-term certainty for jobs and the economy.

Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 2 December 2024

Borneo logging companies must leave Tasmania

The Bob Brown Foundation is welcoming calls from those environmental groups who once supported the Tasmanian Forest Agreement, but are now calling for an end to native forest logging in Australia.

“Japanese customers who buy native forest timber from Tasmania have been purchasing these controversial products under the false assurances of the questionable Tasmanian Forest Agreement for years. Today, that false security has been publicly abandoned, with those conservation groups joining our calls for a complete end to native forest logging, as featured in The Australian,” said Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager, Jenny Weber.

“It’s long overdue, but the Borneo logging companies we have been battling for twenty years, Ta Ann and Patriarch & Sons, must now leave Tasmania and stop destroying its native forests.”

“The confidence in Japanese markets to sell Tasmanian forests, glued together with Borneo tropical forests, was granted by some environmental groups who have today publicly joined us in a call for an end to native forest logging. There is no longer a social licence to sell Tasmanian timber, as it kills wildlife, destroys their habitats and contributes to the climate crisis.”

“The questionable forest agreement gave Ta Ann and Patriarch and Sons the license to profit from Tasmania’s forest destruction. While this logging occurred, the swift parrot has become critically endangered due to logging, and climate change has escalated into a crisis. Tasmania is decades behind in ending native forest logging, and we need action now to save these world-renowned forests,” said Jenny Weber.

“I travelled from the devastated forests of Tasmania to the boardrooms of companies in Japan buying this forest destruction, to inform them of the destruction of wildlife habitat and critical carbon storehouses. It was a shocking disgrace when some environmental groups told these companies to continue buying Tasmania’s timber. Today is a great day for the forests, endangered species and the climate. With these environmental groups now joining the call to end native forest logging, timber products taken from conflict sources in Tasmania no longer have false security.”

“Over these past years, I’ve also been upriver in remote Sarawak with the Penan people, who were fighting for their forests and their lives against Ta Ann. But they had also received a visit from Eric Abetz, who told them to allow Ta Ann to log their homes. This disgraceful support of global forest destruction—from Tasmania to Borneo to Japan—must end,” said Jenny Weber.

PROTEST IN TASMANIAN EAGLE FORESTS – ALBANESE TURNS BACK ON MAJORITY OF ALP VOTERS

While the Federal coalition of forest destroyers, the Labor and Liberal parties dangerously commit to locking in more logging destruction of native forests, a protest is underway in Tasmania this morning. Concerned community members are occupying ancient wildlife habitats where logging has been flattening habitat trees that are hundreds of years old for export woodchips. The forests are in the Tasmanian Central Highlands near Lake Binney.

“Ignoring the views of the majority of Labor voters, Federal Logging Minister Julie Collins has told the logging industry they can keep destroying forests and climate. Minister Collins and Prime Minister Albanese in coalition with Peter Dutton have put all wildlife that depend on native forests on the path to extinction. They are deliberately contributing to the climate crisis while removing our most precious carbon storehouses,” said Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager, Jenny Weber.

“While we are in these forests that are suffering from destruction we are reminded the frogs, owls, eagles, quolls and devils need these forests intact. For all of us to have a liveable planet logging native forests must end now.”

“Forestry Tasmania continues to decimate Tasmanian native forests behind locked gates like the one we are here in today. This ancient, slow-growing and fragile forest is perched on the Central Highlands near Lake Binney. Logging trucks take away these wildlife habitat trees daily, most destined for woodchipping. The known wedge tailed eagle pair, nesting on the nearby ridge, is looking down on it and witnessing their habitat being flattened. Native forest logging must also end for the survival of endangered species.”

“We will not stand by as the politicians ignore the global climate and extinction crises. We will be in precious native forests and take non-violent action to resist the wanton destruction,” said Jenny Weber.