Oakeshott Must Change Native Forest Furnace Stance

Media Release
The Wilderness Society Inc.
10 February 2011

The Wilderness Society today called on the Member for Lyne, Rob Oakeshott, to end his support for classing the burning of native forest woodchips as renewable energy.

Yesterday, Mr Oakeshott, supported by Tony Windsor, moved to disallow proposed changes to the Renewable Energy Target agreed as part of the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee’s Clean Energy Package.

“This is an issue of fundamental national environmental significance,” said Wilderness Society National Forest Campaigner Warrick Jordan. “Classing the burning of native forests as ‘renewable energy’ is a hangover from the Howard years. Mr Oakeshott needs to be aware of the broader environmental and economic consequences of his proposal.

“Most Australians consumers would be shocked to know that a power generation method can be classed as ‘renewable’ when it drives the destruction of ancient forests, destroys the homes of iconic species like the koala, and in many cases actually increases greenhouse pollution.”

“These regulations are not about burning a few offcuts at the local mill. The Australian commodity native forest industry is currently in freefall, with markets for woodchips disappearing rapidly and the industry going through a period of fundamental structural change.”

“Burning vast quantities of woodchips for power is a desperate attempt to keep the industry alive while the last healthy forests are liquidated. This is the great white hope of a Tasmanian forest industry which is currently collapsing under the weight of unsold woodchips, and the Victorian and Western Australian governments are seeking to prop up their ailing industries by offering huge volumes of native forest for incineration.”

“The forest industry in Mr Oakeshott’s electorate is facing the same challenges, as mills confront the reality that timber supply contracts cannot be filled due to poor forest management and over-cutting. The solution is not a short term fix to continue destroying forests, but supporting a transition to an economically viable industry based on plantation forestry.”

“The Multi-Party Climate Committee reached agreement on a package to deliver strong economic and environmental outcomes. The Wilderness Society urges Mr Oakeshott ensure that agreement is delivered in full, rather than pursue an approach that locks in forest destruction and shuts out other forms of truly renewable energy.”

For further information contact:
Media Adviser Alex Tibbitts: 0416 420 168
Forests Campaigner Warrick Jordan: 0451 633 197