Home > Campaigns > Forests > Tasmanian Forests

Print this page    Email to a friend

Protecting Forests, Growing Jobs

Leading conservation groups have released a comprehensive package of proposals representing a lasting solution to the intractable forests problem in Tasmania. The package would enable the protection of old growth and high conservation value forests currently threatened by logging, and grow employment levels in the timber and tourism sectors, ensuring that no jobs are lost to the state.    more »

Upper Florentine self-drive guide

The Upper Florentine Valley lies 80km West of Hobart (100km by road) in the rugged and wet Western part of the state. It is an intrinsic part of Tasmania’s South-West wilderness—one of the greatest temperate wilderness areas on Earth.

Today, the Upper Florentine is visited by thousands of people on their way to Lake Pedder. From the Gordon River Road, people can walk through a spectacular part of the Upper Florentine en route to well-known peaks and lakes within the World Heritage Area. Lookouts on the road provide impressive views across a landscape of jagged quartzite mountains and thick forests.

Download the 2007 self-drive guide to the Upper Florentine (pdf, 490kb)

Styx self-drive and walking guide

The secluded Styx Valley is less that two hours' drive west of Hobart. For decades the valley was hidden from the public behind the locked gates of the logging industry.

But now you have the chance to discover ancient rainforests, majestic mountains, the swirling waters of the Styx River, and the tallest hardwood trees in the world, Eucalyptus regnans.

Download the Styx walking map (pdf, 490k)

'PEFC-approved' - the unsustainable stamp of approval

Sign the cyberaction now »

In the UK and parts of Europe, despite rafts of evidence to suggest otherwise, the continued logging of Tasmania's forests is being certified as sustainable.

PEFC (Who is PEFC?) is certifying Tasmania's unsustainable forestry schemes (and therefore forest products) as being environmentally sustainable, while Tasmania's native forests are destroyed at an unrelenting rate.

Tasmania's unsustainable forestry practices include poisoning tens of thousands of animals with 1080 poison every year, mass conversion of native forest to short rotation plantations, and fire bombing forest with napalm, producing more than 30 per cent of Tasmania's annual greenhouse gas emissions.

The Wilderness Society is calling on the UK and German governments to remove their support for PEFC. The forest practices PEFC approves in Tasmania support a destructive and unsustainable logging industry that sees Gunns Ltd woodchip thousands of hectares of native forest every year.

Read more - go to our cyberacton page»

Gunns Law Suit Against The Wilderness Society & Others

Gunns v Marr & Others: A billion dollar company vs 3 community organisations and 17 individuals.    more »

Make the banks accountable

	Community members unveil a banner protesting ANZ's potential involvement with Gunns' proposed pulp mill outside ANZ Stadium, Sydney - The Wilderness Society Collection

Since 1995, ANZ bank has provided crucial financial services to Gunns Ltd, Australia’s largest native forest woodchipping company. In February 2007, the ANZ extended a $1.5 billion line of credit to Gunns.

At a time when banks are promoting their environmental and social responsibility policies, being involved with a project like Gunns' Tamar Valley pulp mill could seriously undermine ANZ's credibility and damage its brand.

ANZ shareholders encouraged to band together

Community protesters inform ANZ customers and the public of ANZ's potential role in funding Gunns' pulp mill, Sydney. - The Wilderness Society Collection Click here for larger image

The Wilderness Society is encouraging shareholders of Gunns Ltd’s banker, ANZ Bank, to get in touch and form a syndicate of concerned shareholders who have the power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) should ANZ fund Gunns’ pulp mill in Tasmania.

Australia’s Corporations Act 2001 has provisions aimed at ensuring that the will of shareholders is reflected in the running of their company. EGMs give shareholders the opportunity to express their will and to obtain critical information. To force an EGM, the commitment of 100 shareholders is needed.

If you own shares in ANZ, you have a critical role to play in deciding on the future of our forests, climate and economy.

Click here to download the open letter to ANZ shareholders.

Mill site approved despite conditions still not being met

	Community protesters inform ANZ customers and the public of ANZ's potential role in funding Gunns' pulp mill, Sydney. The Wilderness Society Collection (Click here for larger version)

On Friday 1 February, Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett gave Gunns approval to begin clearing vegetation on the pulp mill site in Northern Tasmania, despite Gunns not having demonstrated it can meet major conditions, including the environmental impact of dumping 64,000 tonnes of toxic effluent into Bass Strait every day.

Peter Garrett’s pre-emptive approval could see Gunns clear endangered species' habitat at the pulp mill site any time now. Tragically, clearing can begin before the project even has all the approval it ultimately needs.

At a time where we are coming to grips with the huge impact of climate change, adding an extra burden on our environment of this magnitude is unthinkable.

Download Google Earth Overlay:
Tasmanian logging coupes | Gunns' proposed pulp mill and existing mills

New ANZ forest policy should stop pulp mill investment

The recetnly released ANZ Bank’s new Forest Policy sets a standard that does not support the logging of high conservation-value forests and should preclude any ANZ involvement with the funding of Gunns’ proposed pulp mill in Tasmania.    more »

Soverign risk deal confirms that high conservation value forests targeted for pulp mill

The sovereign risk agreement announced by Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Aird represents a confirmation that forests of high conservation value, forests that should be protected, will be fed into the Tasmanian pulp mill.    more »

Melbourne rally to stop Tasmanian pulp mill destroying native forests and increasing greenhouse emissions

If the Tasmanian pulp mill goes ahead it will destroy an area of native forest equivalent to 100,000 MCGs and increase Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The day after a sovereign risk deal to protect wood supply was released, reportedly requested by potential financier ANZ; The Wilderness Society launched a campaign to urge the ANZ not to fund the pulp mill.    more »

ANZ International Day of Awareness – Wed 12 December

The ANZ bank is currently deciding whether or not to finance Gunns’ proposed pulp mill. It will be making its decision in the next few weeks.

Right now we need to continue to raise awareness with ANZ customers and the public. They need to know that the bank has a critical role in deciding the future of our precious environment and the health and livelihoods of people in Tasmania.

Take part in the International Day of Awareness on Wednesday 12 December in Australia and New Zealand.

more »