Dear conservation colleague,
Urgent Call to Action: Forestry (Rebuilding the Forest Industry) Bill
We have a narrow window of opportunity to put pressure on the Legislative Council, which has delayed debate and a vote on the Tasmanian government’s forestry legislation until next week (debate starting on Tuesday).
The shocking news has broken that the Bill proposes to open all existing conservation areas and regional reserves, totalling 1.1 million hectares, to special species logging. The Bill will scrap the promised Tasmanian Forests Agreement reserves (400,000 hectares) and make them immediately available for special species harvesting and may be later open to all forms of logging.
Rainforests are normally targeted for special species timbers, although the definition of special species is broad and even includes common species such as silver wattle and any other species prescribed by regulation. Reserves in all parts of the state will be threatened by logging.
Please send an email now to your Legislative Councillor, or to the entire list below, expressing your concern and asking them to:
(i) reject any logging in Regional Reserves and Conservation Areas, and
(ii) reserve the 400,000 hectares of forests promised under the Tasmanian Forests Agreement.
Below are the email addresses for Tasmanian Legislative Councillors:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Information about the logging plans and the legislation can be found at: http://www.bobbrown.org.au/protected_no_more
Further details are available in the TCT submission to the Legislative Council (see attachment) which includes a number of proposed amendments.
You can also send a letter by email to the Premier by following this link to the online action set up specifically for this purpose:
http://nativeforests.good.do/wake-up-tasmania-dont-log-reserves/
Please spread the word urgently.
Thanks!
Download TCT submission
TCT_submission_to_the_Legislative_Council_on_the_FRFI_Bill_19_August_2014_FINAL.pdf
Peter McGlone Director Tasmanian Conservation Trust
