Forestry Tasmania makeover an opportunity for forest protection

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release
1st September 2008

The claims today that Forestry Tasmania are undertaking a makeover were welcomed by The Wilderness Society and should been seen as a major new opportunity for Premier Bartlett to enact a reform of forest policy to ensure Forestry Tasmania stop logging oldgrowth and high conservation value forests and become an environmentally and socially responsible government entity.

The new aim of not making an ‘obscene’ profit is seen to be tacit admission that the annual balance sheet is again going to be poor for Forestry Tasmania.

“The only makeover that should be accepted by the Tasmanian people is for Forestry Tasmania to stop destroying our unique forest assets and the wildlife, water and carbon bank values these forests represent,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for The Wilderness Society.

“This makeover is an admission that current practices are environmentally bad, socially unacceptable and incredibly unprofitable.”

“Premier Bartlett should take control of forest policy and bring Tasmania into the 21st century, properly taking into account the scientific imperative of protecting native forests as carbon banks.”

“Last week, Premier Bartlett and Forestry Tasmania were on a collision course over forest policy and the wood-supply deal for the pulp mill.”

“The wood-supply agreement represents the first test for Forestry Tasmania. In line with Gunns’ claims, it should be renegotiated to specifically exclude the supply of native forest woodchips and be plantation-based only.”

It appears last year’s poor financial return to the public will be even worse this year, given Forestry Tasmania’s new corporate objective not to increase profit. This is a novel concept for a corporate entity.

“To add insult to injury, Tasmanians see the forest inheritance of their children and globally significant carbon banks destroyed by current forest policy and have to pay for the privilege.”

“Taxpayer handouts to this industry total many millions of dollars. Premier Bartlett’s new clever and kind Tasmania should cut the corporate welfare, protect carbon-rich forests and see the timber industry focus on Tasmania’s massive plantation resource. Forestry Tasmania’s new makeover should be seen as the catalyst for this change,” concluded Mr Bayley.