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Summary of the decision


• The Tarkine rainforest wilderness has received impressive protection, consistent with it's world heritage status, and the Styx will be partially protected.
  
  
• However, forests in the North East highlands, Blue Tier, Great Western Tiers and Ben Lomond remain open to logging.
  
  
• The Governments’ package now matches the level of funding proposed in The Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and other groups’ $250 million plan, Protecting Forests, Growing Jobs. However, the package allows old growth forest logging to continue and will support plans for a native forest, chlorine-based, bleaching pulpmill in the Tamar Valley.
  
• It fails to address the need for a full restructuring of the industry to end old growth logging, or to properly support tourism jobs. There also appears to be a backing away from commitments to end the use of 1080 poison.
  
  
• The plan is tackling broadscale land clearing for plantation establishment, one of the most intractable problems in Tasmania. While this is a good start, it is crucial both governments ensure implementation. It is still a major concern that 70,000 ha of future clearing will be permitted by the policy.
  
  
• The Wilderness Society’s overall rating would be “mediocre” – 4 out of 10.
  
  
• Both Governments now need to move quickly to cement the positive aspects of this announcement and nominate the Tarkine – Australia’s largest wilderness rainforest – for World Heritage Listing.

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