Vica Bayley
A letterbox drop and local media campaign launched today in the seat of Bennelong highlights the Prime Minister’s unfulfilled election promise from the 2004 Federal election campaign in relation to the protection of Tasmania’s forests. The campaign aims to generate public concern over the broken forest protection promise and have voters urge the Prime Minister and other candidates in Bennelong to move to protect the forests and stop dangerous climate change.
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MEDIA RELEASE – 14th November 2007
PRIME MINISTER’S BROKEN FOREST PROMISE FROM 2004 ELECTION
Bennelong letterbox drop highlights Howard’s failure
to protect Upper Florentine forests
A letterbox drop and local media campaign launched today in the seat of Bennelong highlights the Prime Minister’s unfulfilled election promise from the 2004 Federal election campaign in relation to the protection of Tasmania’s forests. The campaign aims to generate public concern over the broken forest protection promise and have voters urge the Prime Minister and other candidates in Bennelong to move to protect the forests and stop dangerous climate change.
In October 2004, Mr Howard promised: immediate protection of 18,700 hectares of oldgrowth forest in the Styx and Florentine valleys along the Eastern Boundary World Heritage Area. However, the Government’s literature about the finalised forest reserves admits that the protected areas in the Styx and Florentine contain ‘4730 hectares of old-growth eucalypt against a target of 18,700 hectares’ .
“The Government’s failure to honour its Styx and Upper Florentine protection promise to voters left the door open to taxpayer-subsidised logging and road building in these pristine oldgrowth forests,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.
“These forests are critical habitat for endangered wildlife and globally important in the fight against global warming, yet their destruction continues with the full support of both the Liberal and Labor parties.”
30,000 leaflets will be distributed to households and an advertising campaign in local media will run in an attempt to see the area protected before Mr Howard leaves politics sometime over the next two years.
“By retiring or being voted out, Prime Minister Howard could soon escape his obligation to honour his 2004 election promise.”
“This issue presents a fantastic opportunity for Mr Howard and all other candidates in Bennelong to do the right thing and announce their support for the protection of Tasmania’s forests in order to preserve Tasmania’s unique environment and combat dangerous climate change.”
