The Wilderness Society is calling for the Tasmanian community to make public submissions to Premier Will Hodgman’s dangerous plan to log oldgrowth rainforest trees in listed conservation reserves.

The Wilderness Society has created a publicly available draft submission form, addressed to Environment and State Growth Minister Matthew Groom, to assist the community in making submissions. The draft plan is open to public comment until August 28th. The submission page can be found here: https://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/rainforest-reserves-too-special-log

On top of allowing oldgrowth logging in conservation reserves, the draft Special Species Management Plan ( http://www.stategrowth.tas.gov.au/forestry/special_species_timber_management_plan ) outlines a preferred logging technique that ‘requires a market for pulpwood’[1], relies on analysis that six out of every 10 trees cut down will be internally defective, and that sawmills would not pay full price for logs, signalling public subsidy may be needed to make the plan work.

‘Logging rainforest tress that are over 300 years old, from listed conservation reserves makes no environmental, brand or timber marketing logic and looks more like another divisive, pre-election punch-up started by Mr Hodgman,’ said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.

‘Under Premier Hodgman’s plan to log oldgrowth and rainforest reserves, inside Tasmania’s Reserve Estate, six out of every 10 trees cut down will be internally defective and wasted, woodchipped or otherwise of low value.

Under the plan, rainforest species like celery top pine, myrtle and sassafras would be logged from formal reserves protected under Tasmania’s Nature Conservation Act 2002. This includes reserves in the takayna/Tarkine, Blue Tier and Northeast Highlands, as well as informal reserves like the Forest Agreement reserves and wildlife habitat strips, streamside reserves and World Heritage Area buffer zones. All these reserve classes are listed as part of the Tasmanian Reserve Estate, as per Government data here: http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/tas_reserve_class_areas_30th_june_2016.pdf

‘This rainforest logging plan makes no consideration of new, non-controversial specialty timber supply sources like the underwater salvage logging operation Hydrowood and indicates that the public will be called on the subsidise logging operations to ensure sawmills can afford log prices.

‘We encourage people from all over the world, who love Tasmania’s reserves, its timber and its environment to use this submission to oppose logging rainforest reserves and call for the proper protection of these areas in national parks.

‘Logging 300 year old rainforest trees in listed conservation reserves seriously risks Tasmania’s environment, its international brand and markets for Tasmanian timber.’
Vica Bayley, Tasmanian Campaign Manager, The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.