BOB BROWN, Australian Senate Leader of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says today’s review of the nation’s environmental laws, which flags Commonwealth supervision of logging in Australia’s forests, should be heeded.
“This review is badly needed,” Senator Brown said.
“It echoes the findings of Justice Marshall in the Federal Court, that logging of native forests is helping drive rare and endangered species towards extinction.
“The Regional Forest Agreements are a licence to slaughter endangered species which would see other operators put in gaol,” Senator Brown said.
“This is a direct challenge to the Rudd Government to assume its rightful authority to protect Australia’s forests and native wildlife.”
The interim report of the Hawke Review offers three options for greater oversight of RFAs by the Commonwealth. Paraphrased, these are:
• establish an independent expert-based scientific committee to assess compliance and initiate audits;
• provide for Commonwealth power to issue ‘stop work’ orders; or
• ensure that the RFA exemption does not apply to incomplete or lapsed RFAs.
